A few weeks ago I purchased some bird seed for song birds at Sam’s. I filled up my birdfeeder that had not been used in years and it has been so exciting to watch the many different birds come in to it.
“We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.” Charlotte Mason
I have never purchased birdseed for songbirds before because I thought we didn’t really have those birds around. I knew we had blue jays but not much else…. or so I thought.
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
These come in small flocks to our feeder.
“Let them once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight and habit through life.” Charlotte Mason
Can anyone identify the yellow and black bird on the left? We thought it was an Oriole but it’s beak doesn’t seem like the right one for that bird.
“All the time he is storing up associations of delight which will come back for his refreshment when he is an old man.” Charlotte Mason
A cardinal that I had no idea was even around.
I wasn’t able to get a picture but I even had a Western Blue Bird come in. So very pretty.
(Source: Wikipedia)
“[A child] should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees…” Charlotte Mason
Did you know that bird watching, amongst the British, is known as twitching? It’s also becoming a popular term amongst American bird watchers but instead of just referring to bird watching, we refer to it to mean, finding and marking the birds you find off in your journal checklist.
So how about you; have you been twitching lately?
Do you like the activity of bird watching?
Do you keep a Nature Journal?
“Children are born naturalists, with a bent inherited, perhaps, from an unknown ancestor; but every child has a natural interest in the living things about him which it is the business of his parents to encourage; for, but few children are equal to holding their own in the face of public opinion; and if they see that the things which interest them are indifferent or disgusting to you, their pleasure in them vanishes, and that chapter in the book of Nature is closed to them.” Charlotte Mason
Don’t you find what Miss Mason said to be true? If we as parents express an interest in something and show delight in it, our children will also find joy in them.
I have good intentions many times about getting out into nature and letting the kids observe, but then when things get too hectic and the busyness of life is around me, that is one of the first things to go.
“Let me repeat, that I venture to suggest, not what is practicable in any household, but what seems to me absolutely best for the children; and that, in the faith that mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them.” Charlotte Mason
Ouch, Miss Mason. You mean I really don’t have an excuse?
Filed under: Nature Study
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How exciting
We have never put out bird seed but we often see and hear many diffrent types of birds. The most frequent are: Hawks, Woodpeckers, Robins, Morning Doves, Blue Jays and many more! My favorite to see is the Humming Bird. They are so amazing ! Did you know they beat their wings 38-73 times per second?!?!
One of my favorite facts about them is that they are the only birds that can fly backwards.
I was up at the barn this morning feeding the goats and I was giving them some leaves. I kept hearing squeaks and looked around to see where such a sound was coming from! After futher looking I saw a Woodpeckers hole (my guess) in a old tree stump. The funny noises were coming from the inside! I couldnt see the peepers but I know they were there! How? Because I threw down a bug and the noise ended for a few seconds,then started up again… I would not have liked to be that mother bird! I am still not sure what kind they are but will keep an eye on it and maybe find out soon
Whew, that was a long comment
Have a wonderful day,
Zoe
We have had bird feeders off and on through the years. We had one this winter until the squirrels started eating more seed than the birds. It is so neat to watch the birds and nature in general.
Joel’s mom is an avid bird watcher and has recorded the dates when each bird returns to this area for the last 25 years or so. She has a “bird night” each year, where our kids, (her grandchildren) spend the night telling/learning about different birds. This year 2 of them dressed up as different birds, Becca made a poster with gummy worms stretched out for 10 feet (that’s how many worms a robin eats in a day!) and told about robins. Isaac read a story about the brown thrasher, Kara wrote a report on the reasons for the decline of grassland birds and Anna wrote a hilarious story about the hapless Henslow Sparrow. Nannie gives them money for recognizing different kinds of nests or birds that do not normally live in WI. She plays the bird game with them. She cut out pictures of different birds and gives them an M&M for each correct answer. We also have a bird bingo game that’s a lot of fun for little ones.
(Just don’t ask me what kind of trees are growing in our back yard! Better get busy on learning those.)
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What a treasure trove you have in your MIL. Your kids have had an opportunity to learn from someone who’s passionate about their hobby. I love that!
Feeding birds is a great way to get your kids interested in them. You are right, you see all kinds of things you never knew existed. Keeping checklists is so fun, too. We have kept personal yearly lists, and lifelists (one big list for your whole life) Our favorite bird guide is National Geographic because all the information and pics are on one page as opposed to Audubon’s separate info/picture. We are very jealous of people who get cardinals, because we don’t and if we do, it’s one very lost bird. My favorite things to watch in the spring are the ducks. People often think there is one kind of duck: a mallard. But there are amazing colorful ducks and it’s a race to see the first ruddy duck with his bright turquoise bill returning after a long winter from some place warmer than here. When I saw your mystery bird I was pretty sure it was a grosbeak. His beak was a dead give away, but I didn’t know his whole name because they don’t come this far north. I looked him up and he’s a black headed grosbeak. Orioles around here at this time of year are a vibrant orange color. I have tons of bird stories, but right now we are dealing with a killdeer that has made her nest in the garden. She’s the one who lays her eggs in a little hollow on the ground and runs off pretending she has a broken wing when you come anywhere near her. So, I discovered her nest by nearly running over her while tilling the garden with the tractor. Missed her by inches and even tossed a little dirt on her eggs. I tilled all around her nest as quick as I could so she could get back to warming her eggs. Today, we went out to plant potatoes, and again we tried to be quick as Mr. and Mrs. Killdeer were squawking away at us while keeping their distance. She has placed her nest in a potentially prime planting spot, so I hope her eggs hatch soon, so we can get the rest of the garden planted. Have fun birdwatching and three cheers for Charlotte Mason!
We have never kept a list but it’s a really good idea. Does each of your children have their own journal where you keep the lists? We have Audubon books because they were so readily available at Costco and I had no idea at the time there were better guides but I have heard that Peterson books are really good, too. One book that we refer to a lot is Birds of Arizona. It simplifies the looking part for us.
That is so neat that you are getting to observe the killdeer so closely. I know how much you love birds. Remember that time when you had just met Russell’s family for the first time and you pulled out a dead bird from your freezer? That was our first clue that you were a die-hard bird enthusiast.
My “big” kids don’t keep lists anymore,but they each have kept their own yearly Sask. checklists. They would start a new one each year. Seth is writing down his “new finds” this year. I believe the Peterson guide is good as well, and not that there’s anything wrong with Audubon, but having pic and info together is nice and I have found that it’s easier to identify from the drawings in NG as opposed to Audubon’s photos. But, that’s just me. As far as the birds in the freezer go, I actually used them for a little class this spring. We had built some nesting boxes with my dad and some other children and then we had a “bird class”. When a bird would hit our window or something I would put it in the freezer and over the years I ended up with a decent collection of different kinds. We could see the difference in beaks, eye rings and other details that make it easier to identify a bird. It was fun with the little kids that came; making stories about Mr. and Mrs. Crossbill or whoever the dead specimens were. We are hoping to attract bluebirds, but more than likely we will get tree swallows in our boxes. If you have lots of boxes (or a few) you can number them, check their nests and eggs every day and keep a record of what’s happening. And yes, I remember Russell’s sisters laughing at my bag of freezer birds. But they have finally come in handy.
Wow, Carmen, what a great way to utilize those frozen specimen’s.
Hands on experience for sure.
Have you ever heard of the book The Burgess Bird Book for Children? It’s all about birds for children but told in story form.
I have never heard of it, but I shall surely look for it. I wanted to share one more idea: Nests. There are all different kinds of nests, mud cups, grass, sticks and feathers, messy stacks of twigs, cavity nesters, cradles….it’s really fun to try collect a whole bunch of different kinds. Chipping sparrows use horse hair. If you put strands of ribbon or something, robins will weave that into their mud cup. Red-winged blackbirds make a cradle from one reed to another by the pond, and house wrens will just make a messy stack of twigs inside a cavity. One last thing about wrens; Mr. Wren goes around and drops twigs in several potential homes and then Mrs. Wren decides which one she likes best. When my dad and I were making nesting boxes, some had natural holes in the wood besides the entrance hole we had drilled, and we would joke that Mrs. Wren would like the extra picture window. I will stop commenting now. It has been fun.
Black headed Grosbeak
Thanks, Jana. I was hoping you would comment and tell me what it was.
P.S. …and yes…we’ve done a lot of “twitching”. Next step in keeping the birds around…a shallow bird bath to accommodate a happy bathing and thirst quenching experience after eating!…but don’t go there if your schedule is already full. We now have seven and I change them every day…sometimes twice a day. Having done this for several years, the migrating birds now know to stop by for rest and relaxation on their arduous journey thus giving us the pleasure of spotting a rare bird once in awhile. A great post Elizabeth.
I’m amazed! 7 bird baths! What a great thing to have those birds come by for you both to enjoy. A little bird haven.
I’ve been wanting to get a bird feeder but haven’t found one that I like so far. We have 2 cats and they were waiting for an opportunity to snag one of the bird’s so I’ve had to move the feeder to a place that’s inconvenient for them to lie in wait. I hope I’ll be able to find a good spot for the bird bath as well.
Another thought…Remember the violinist Joshua Bell playing in that busy square and the children wanting to stop and listen yet their parents were trying to hurry them along to keep up with their “important” scheduled events?
Yes, I remember. So true of my life many times. This also reminds me of the book, “Tyranny of the Urgent.” We’re many times ruled by the urgent (what we think is so urgent) and the important things slide.
I had to go get a book we got Caleb a couple years ago out that is called A Backyard Birdsong Guide, and has the sound for each bird, because you had my curiosity up. It does look more like the Oriole but like you mentioned the beak is different. The other one that it resembles is the american goldfinch, in the picture they look a brighter yellow but it says their winter plumage can be duller. Well, that’s my contribution but not sure if it is right
We put a finch bird feeder out a couple years ago and I was amazed how many we had come and this spring I was anxiously waiting for them to return. It makes washing dishes more fun when I can watch them out the window 
I have my birdfeeder where I can see it while I’m at the sink, as well. Do you not have birds year-round at your feeder?
Our “mystery” bird does have resemblance to the American Goldfinch but this one’s head is solid black. Things can get tricky when their winter and summer outfits change and then you have the female looking different than the male…
I love watching birds or twitching. I vividly remember going to a marsh in grade school on a nature hike and sketching birds and insects. We have hung a bird feeder in past winters, but have sort of forgotten it (still hanging – empty) Our homeschool group had a bird watching club several years ago that I wanted to be part of but they met 50 min away from us and very early mornings so it never worked out. We have quite a few different birds the yard and every once in awhile we have to pull the bird guide to identify one. Hmmm….think I’ll go add “birdseed” to my grocery list.
We went recently to hear a man talk and slide show of a bird watching trip he had made to Brazil. We all came away realizing how passionate people can be about this hobby. I had no idea.
I’m finding that the birds are starting to go through the birdseed faster and faster. Cowbirds are our latest sighting.
Good to hear from you. xoxox
Oh how we love birds (and nature)here in the Dominguez home!!! Here at the house we moved to, we have LOTS of birds. We have some nesting right under our window and Melody’s been naming them all and watching their every move every day. Josiah and I got the grand “pleasure” of watching a Sharp Shinned Hawk eat an unfortunate baby bird right up close in the pine tree. I drew him in my nature sketch book. Then, Melody watched that same hawk attack and kill a mourning dove a few days after. That was very sad. She was very mad! She wanted to go upstairs and get Josiah’s bb gun and shoot it. She’s pasted feathers in her nature notebook of the dove. It made me tear up to hear it’s mate literally mourn the loss for days after. I love my doves! Then there’s the mocking bird. That bird has driven Lydia crazy and made Grace laugh! The critter don’t have a song of his own it seems, but he sure does sing with every bit of breath there is in his little lungs. Our birds have been quite a source of artistic inspiration lately
Wow, you are really having some up close nature encounters – a little of the dark side of nature.
I’m sure your nature sketchbooks are awesome; you all are so artistic.
I wouldn’t know a mocking bird if I heard one but that is one bird I would like to see since it seems to be quite “talented”.