Filed under: Bird Food, KidPost | Tags: bird feeders, bird feeding, chicakdee, snow
Bird seed! We got the seed from big cans, and scooped it with little cans. We carried it outside with the basket. Auntie Erin had to shovel, and I spread the seed. We were careful going outside because the roof — icicles and snow. They slide off.
Erin took the high up feeders down so we could fill them. She used a ladder.
My favorite is the mixed seed. I spread it on the ground.
We saw chickadees!
Now I’m going upstairs. Me and Erin are going to listen to birds.
MamaTypist-Interviewer adds: You can watch two of the feeders here: http://www.birdsofvermont.org/camera.php Sometimes a lot of action; sometimes not.
Filed under: Age-appropriate, KidPost, MamaPost, Practice | Tags: bird feeders
We are filling the feeders. It’s a balmy November morning, maybe already 50°F and due to rise into the 60s. Not really critical, for the birds, this feeding. But we got up early, strangely for us, so why not.
Mama: “What do you like best about feeding the birds?”
LittleBirder: “The way the seeds fall and sprinkle all over.”
And here I was thinking about the birds we see, and he likes the cascading sound and feel. Pay attention to the now, MamaBirder. He is!
“Mama, birds like the snow because of their warm fur.”
“Hm. I don’t think so.”
and
“Mama, it’s snow time, so we should feed the birds.”
Filed under: Age-appropriate, KidPost, Practice, Teaching, birdwatching | Tags: bird feeders, building
Grandpère and I made a bird feeder together this morning!
Dadda comes out to tell us there’s a bird in the house. When we get inside, it’s fluttering against the round window. I’m pretty sure LittleBirder knows this bird, both in photos and in person and by song, so I ask him, “Who’s that?”
“A chickadeedeedee!”
I pass the short guy to Dadda, and they go make sure the doors are open. Talking low and easy all the while, I come over to the window and catch him gently in my hands on the second try. It bites me. Chickadee bites are amusing. Sharpish, and way too silly.
I turn, hoping to be able to show it to LittleBirder up close, but the bird is too quick. It sees the open door across the living room as I am about a quarter of the way turned, and with a mad scramble, shoves free of my loose fingers and is outside in about half a second.
As for the learning birds/recordkeeping part of this blog, I’ve been sure for ages that LittleBirder knows this one: we see it often enough. He can identify it by sight in person (feather?) and in photo, as well as by sound, and will tell us the song when we ask even if there’s no bird around. But as those have been my criteria for deciding he knows the bird enough to claim it, I’ve just been waiting for a good opportunity when we saw one to add it.
Stats:
May 29, 2007, midday.
Starksboro, Vermont
Black-capped Chickadee
Fluttering in some confusion
LittleBirder and I have just added more birdseed (black oil sunflower and mixed “songbird” seed; there’s enough thistle for now) to te empty feeders and to the rocks. We’re now waiting to “Let’s see who comes.”
Blackflies, mostly.
I swoosh away a bug, saying, “There’s a bug flying around my face.”
LittleBirder replies, “That happens outside sometimes , Mama.”
LittleBirder helps me clean the front door window with vinegar and paper towels*.
“Mama, now I’m all done and you’re all done and I better put the towel in the trash.”
“Thank you! Now I’ll go sit by the window and drink my coffee and watch birds.” He wants to write in my notebook too, so I send him to look for his. He comes back with his toy giraffes.
We see a pair of cardinals … chickadees .. the white-crowned sparrow … a female goldfinch … a titmouse. We also see at least one of the feeders is empty. At 2 and a tad, he’s really into scooping and pouring.
“Mama, can we feed the birds?”
“Sure.”
“I better get my shoes on.” … and from the other room, a moment later, “I’m running really fast to get my shoes on!”
Filed under: KidPost
Mama and I went to the Birds Museum today. I helped AuntieE put up a sign with a chickadee on it. Then I popped bubblewrap and used the floor sweeper. Before we went home, we went down to the bridge and threw rocks in the stream. We even walked down the path and found flowers! There were yellow ones, purple ones, other purple ones, and white ones.
