MONTEZUMA - Armed with an amateur bird watching manual, 10-year-old Mary Sumner and her family spent Sunday morning doing what they love best - watching the many species of birds in their natural habitat.

The Sumner family along with many others took advantage of the early morning fog to catch a glimpse of waterfowl and other migratory birds that use the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge as a resting place along their journey. They were there for a guided walking tour offered by the refuge.

“The refuge used to be extensive marsh land for several miles that flooded annually,” said birding tour guide and Montezuma wetlands volunteer Dave Tanner.

Leland Sumner, 6, said that he wanted to start a collection of bird feathers.

“My dad showed me how to fix the feathers,” he proudly announced as he demonstrated his newfound skill. “My favorite bird is the chickadee.”

Along with the birds, Leland and his sisters were hoping to catch a few turtles in their native habitat.

For 7-year-old, Webster Kehoe, of Rochester, the golden eagle was his target for spotting during the tour.

“I like the bald eagles,” he said. “But what I really want to see is the golden eagle.”

Kehoe said that he discovered his love for wild birds during an exhibit that he visited during school this past year.

“Birds were my second favorite exhibit,” he said. “My favorite was when we learned about old fashion toys.”

Kehoe and his father, Mike, had been visiting relatives in Auburn when they heard about the guided birding tour.

Lisa Biljanoski said that her sons, Nikoli,7 and Daniel, 10, were so excited about the tour that they were already up and dressed with their binoculars in hand by the time she went to their rooms to wake them.

Tanner said that the refuge recently added a 3/4-mile walking trail to the northeast corner of the wetlands.