The Learning Umbrella

We’ve been birdwatching for a long time with Carbon.  There have been times that he’s been more into it and times that he’s been less interested and I’ve been the one doing it.  Fortunately, we started keeping a journal from the very beginning, and we can look back and remember each birding adventure we’ve had.

The thing I love about birdwatching is that it makes you more aware of your natural surroundings.  Once you start looking for birds, you start seeing them.  The same is true for plant identification (my DH’s hobby) and I assume the same would be true for any nature study.  What was previously a big blur becomes individuals and species and suddenly you notice just how much there is to see in your environment.  A simple walk becomes a chance to see something new.  A strange bird or plant becomes a puzzle to solve.  And the process of categorizing and labeling the Thing in front of you causes you to notice the details and think about differences and similarities.

This can be done with any kind of nature study, but I happen to love birds.  They move about, so you can see new ones from your own windows.  They are big enough I don’t have to go crawling around in the dirt (but some people may love that - Carbon does and loves to watch bugs), and they come out openly during the day which also makes it easier to see them.

This year we’ve been doing Project Feederwatch, and I love it.  We haven’t seen any “new” birds at our feeder, but we are getting very good at identifying and counting a few species that like our yard.  The materials they supplied were wonderful, and the process feels like “real science”.

The Great Backyard Birdcount is also coming up, and we’ll be doing that.

If you want to birdwatch, things to get you started include: a birdfeeder and birdhouses (build your own for a project or pick up a cheap suet feeder), binoculars (simple ones for the kids that are easy to focus and won’t break if dropped), a journal for keeping notes, feathers, and pictures, a camera (I still need a better zoom lens!), and field guides.  I love Sibleys and the books that are specific to my state and area.  The Field Guide to the Familiar is on my wishlist, and I’ve heard lots of good things about it.  The big field guide can be too much for a little kid, so sometimes it’s a good idea to get them a very simple book with photographs.  Carbon likes his First Field Guide from the Audubon society, and a couple of little freebie books he’s picked up at events we’ve attended.  The poster we received from Project FeederWatch is also really good for little kids, and going back through your own journal for review can also be very useful.

Useful websites:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/

Cornell organizes the Great Backyard Birdcount and Project FeederWatch, as well as having good information about birds on their site.

http://www.biglearning.org/treasurebirds.htm

Lots of links and useful things like book reviews and plans for building birdhouses.

http://sharenature.org/KeysandTips-1.html

a few useful tips for starting out birdwatching with kids, but it seems to be pushing a product to buy.

http://www.audubon.org/

The Audubon Society puts on birding events and sometimes guided trips you can sign up for.  I’ve never taken Carbon on one, but I think I will when he is older.