Every day students are asked to do a double-entry journal.

The left side of the journal describes their personal thoughts and reflections on the day. On the right side, they write in response to an academic question. After having visited South Plazas Island on the second day of the trip, the academic entry asked the students to put themselves in the position of the bird and to describe their day.

Two entries from that day stood out: one from Hannah and the other from Bianca. Their entries, set to Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy,” described their day as a red billed tropicbird and a petrel, respectively.

Below are their great entries and representative images for each bird (enjoy!):

If I were a bird, even just for a day
I’d fly high above the water, and then I would plunge dive
I’d eat all the fish and squid I could find
I’d fly high with all my friends, only about 50 of them
And we’d glide over oceans, and rest in crevasses
But we forage alone, cause sometimes we can get aggressive
We hide from the humans, rats, dogs, and cats
They could eat all of our eggs, brothers, and take all that we have
But we mate and we mate

If I were a Red Billed Tropicbird, then I would live 16 years
I could plumage in 2 years and get myself a mate to date
And I’d make sure she’s top rate

But I’m not a bird, and no I can’t fly
So I’ll never know what its like
To live the life of a Red-Billed tropicbird

— Hannah Loeb ’16

Even just for a day
I’d fly out in the morning
so graceful by the water and go.

Spot fish with sharp eyes
and chase after squid
Wouldn’t mate with who I’d wanted
because I’m only three years old
haven’t reached sexual maturity.

If I were a bird
I think I’d be a petrel
how it feels to sing “kee-kee-kee”
I swear I’d only do that at night.

The Miconia Zone
is where I like to breed
when you mate for life like I do
just use the same burrow each year
but still my populations’ getting destroyed

If I were a bird
I think I would understand
how hard it is to be a bird
how easy it is to be Man.

— Bianca Sanchez ’16