Summer Bird Study - Hummingbirds

This is our busiest hummingbird feeder. They also like the flowers in the pots.

We love hummingbirds. I think we pay more attention to the hummingbirds in our yard than any other bird. They are constantly at our feeders, in our garden flowers, and flying around...front yard and backyard.

There are at least three in our yard at all times, competing for the feeders and flying fast. They sit in the trees and chirp at us when we eat dinner on the back deck. They are not afraid of us when we are out in the backyard and frequently will fly right up by us as we work in the yard.

They are year round residents.

Notebook page from More Nature Study Book #4

What aspect did we focus on this time in our hummingbird study as part of the More Nature Study Book #4 Hummingbird Challenge? We started off asking questions about their feathers and how in a certain light they are very green and in then in another light they are bright red. What makes them iridescent? But then we got side-tracked asking why the Anna's hummingbird chases the Black Headed Grosbeaks out of the seed feeders. I mean they are aggressively chasing them far out of the yard. Our field guide says they defend a 1/4 acre territory. We haven't found the concrete answer to our questions yet but we have some guesses.

Maybe Flutter is like this butterfly and has an injured wing.

Also, we were fascinated this week by one hummingbird in particular. We call him "Flutter". He has a unusual sound to his flying. Most of the birds have the familiar "hum" to their wings and the Anna's Hummingbird make a clicking sound as well. But Flutter sounds like he has a bum wing...like it is not beating like the other birds. It sounds like a fluttering instead of a humming, if that makes sense. We have yet to catch him with the camera because our thought is that if we can take a photo and take a look at his wing shape, maybe he has some sort of injury.

Moonshine Yarrow - We water this once a week.

One last thing to relate about our hummingbirds this week. I was out in the yard using the hose to water a few of the bushes since it has been extremely hot and dry. I had the hose in a fine sort of mist and in the shape of an arc. Well, a hummingbird decided that it was the perfect place to fly in and out as he took a bath! It was amazing to watch and I am hoping I get to see it again some day. Our hummingbirds are quite comfortable with us right now and they will fly right up behind you and visit the feeder even if you are inches from them.

Don't forget to send in your Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival entries for the month of July. All entries using the OHC completed in July are eligible for the carnival. You can click the button and submit using the form on the Blog Carnival website.

Thanks for all your support!

Gardening for Birds - Expect to Be Dazzled By Who Comes to Visit

Our garden and our bird list is very interconnected. The birds are coming and enjoying a variety of things in our garden habitat. I learned from Angie at Petra School that it takes about twenty minutes before the birds forget that you are watching. I have tried to find a spot to sit or stand in the garden and just wait to see who will come back during that twenty minute's time.

The results?

I can confirm that she is right on! Usually after a few minutes the jays come back and the nuthatch and the grosbeaks come fairly quickly too. But some of the birds take a good long time before they reveal their hiding places in the trees and in the shelter of the bushes we have at the edges of our yard.

It is worth the wait. I decided that this week's garden/bird entry would be a photo essay with lots of colorful images and very few words. Enjoy!

Day lilies and our back birdbath

The birdbaths are a frequent stopover for the neighborhood birds.

Our little wild patch of blackberries just behind the birdfeeding station.

The blackberry bushes are a perfect shelter for birds to rest and to wait their turn at the feeder.

The leaves on our sunflowers are being eating by nibbling finches.

The sunflowers and birch trees are attracting the Lesser Goldfinches...who are eating the leaves and seeds.

Black Headed Grosbeak who visits our feeder everyday now.

The Black-headed Grosbeaks and the Western Scrub Jays are in and out of the feeders all day long.This is the best image I could get this week...they are fast in and out of the feeder. They have a sweet little song as well.

Sage, Lavender, and Butterfly Bushes

The Mourning Doves and California Towhees are pecking around under the feeders.

The White-breasted Nuthatches, House Finches, Titmouses, and House Sparrows are always found in the seed feeders.

Not sure what kind of tree this is but it sure is messy...the birds love it though.

The European Starlings and Robins are busy eating the fruits from the neighbor's tree that hangs over the fence into our yard.

Starling in our neighbor's yard with a fruit from the tree.

The birds are making a huge mess by taking the fruits all over the yard and eating them. They leave the pits behind and they are covering our driveway. This starling will leave the pit in our neighbor's grass and next year it may start to grow into a tree. I know this from experience.

The Anna's Hummingbirds are everywhere. They still come to the feeders but they also are in the trumpet vine, the roses, the bee balm, the butterfly bushes, and several of my potted plants.

The neighborhood Great Horned Owl is heard once it is dark and still outside. I envision him hunting the rodents that get into my birdfeeders.

The mockingbird sings all the time...almost round the clock. 

Additional bird notes:
We have heard the Steller's Jay and their "shook-shook-shook" several times in our neighborhood but we have yet to see one. This would be a new to our neighborhood bird.
We have heard the Nuttall's Woodpecker lots of time but only once in our back tree. I need to remember to fill the suet feeder.
The Starlings come everyday now which is new for this year as well. Their buzzing sound is now a familiar backyard bird sound.
The Black-headed Grosbeaks are also a new every day bird. Their flash of color at the feeders is beautiful.



Jami's Tuesday Garden Party meme is open from Tuesday to Thursday so there is still time for you to jump in and participate!

You may be interested in reading my entry, If You Build It, They Will Come, entry that shows the butterflies that are frequently found in our yard.

What are you doing to make your yard attractive to birds and butterflies?

OHC More Nature Study Book #4: Hummingbirds and Nests

More Nature Study Book #4
Hummingbird Study - Summer Birds

This week is bird watching week!

You may find that your family likes birds so much that you decide to keep a running list of birds you see this summer. You can see Outdoor Hour Challenge #5-Keeping a List for more ideas. You can print a notebook page to record your birds or use your nature journal. 

Here is a video that will inspire you to start your own hummingbird feeder station in your yard:
Hummingbird Station

  
Inside Preparation Work:

• Read pages 115-117 (Lesson 29) in the Handbook of Nature Study. There is also a section on pages 46-47 (Lesson 7) that focuses on The Study of Birds’ Nests in Winter. Read for information and highlight questions you can use in the future when you observe a bird’s nest.
• You absolutely must watch this video of a Hummingbird Building a Nest. Most of us will never experience this in person so a video is the next best thing! You can also read the previous Outdoor Hour Challenge for Hummingbirds where we focused on their beaks. Read online: Burgess Bird Book for Children: A Butcher and a Hummer.
• Advanced Study: Use a local field guide to familiarize yourself with birds you may see in your neighborhood. You can also use this tool on the Great Backyard Bird Count: Explore Results By Location. Enter your town and the site will generate a list of birds seen during the count. Note that you may see different birds during the summer months but it will give a starting point to use with your field guide. Ebook Users: Print several of the Bird Nature Study Observations sheets included with the ebook (used with permission from HeartsandTrees).

Outdoor Hour Time:

• Take your outdoor time for this challenge early in the day and look for birds before it is too hot. If you have hummingbirds in your neighborhood, spend some time observing their behavior. Watch for any birds that visit your yard or at your feeder. Compare any birds you have to the hummingbird: size, beak, tail, food, color, flight.
• Advanced Study: Ebook Users: Use the Bird Observation sheets included with the ebook to make a careful study of any backyard birds you view for this challenge.

Follow-Up Activities:

• Use a field guide to identify any birds you observed during your outdoor time. Complete a nature journal entry for any bird you observed. If you would like to complete a notebook page for hummingbirds, the NotebookingFairy has some very simple free pages for you to print.
• Advanced Study: Complete a nature journal entry for a hummingbird you have in your local area. Use a field guide for more information. Ebook Users: There is also a notebook page in the ebook for recording more nest and beak information.

Additional Links:
YouTube: Hummingbird Chirp
YouTube: Mama Hummingbird feeds her Babies (in the nest)

Fun Facts on Hummingbirds 

Nests and Beaks Links for the Notebook Page:
AllAboutBirds—Scroll down to Nesting

World of Hummingbirds

All the summer challenges for 2012 are included in the new More Nature Study Book #4 Summer Sizzle ebook. The challenges in the ebook are the same challenges that will post every Friday here on my blog. If you want to follow along with notebook pages and coloring pages, click over and learn more about the ebook.








 

Robin Nature Study - Where Have They Gone?

We have studied Robins in the past.

This week's Outdoor Hour Challenge was to do a robin nature study...but where were the robins? Just a few weeks ago we counted six for our Project FeederWatch count. We saw forty-two during the Great Backyard Bird Count this year in February. This week....zero. We have been vigilant about looking but they are gone from our neighborhood now. So what to do?

We were out looking for any birds this morning and we were surprised to see that our neighbor's trees were full of Cedar Waxwings! We have learned that they visit us on their way south and then again northwards. The interesting thing, according to our family's records, we usually see the big flock come through during the GBCC in February. We did not see them this year at all until now. What does that mean? Not sure but it will be interesting to see what happens next year.

Would you like to see our Cedar Waxwings?




They filled three trees and were munching on the "nuts" from the pistache tree that have lasted all winter...just waiting for them to come and polish them off before the next growing season. What a wonderful provider they have!



Yes, we had very gray skies this morning but it wasn't very cold. They sat resting and eating for quite some time and I was able to get up close to take a few colorful photos of them as they sat in the tree. Don't you just love their yellow-tipped tails? I could really hear them making their very unique buzzing sound. Do you want to hear? Here is a link to AllAboutBirds and you can click over and hear what I heard...click the "high pitched hissy whistle" and that is exactly it.



Then in a blink of an eye, they were off again. I was amazed at just how fast they flew away in a flock. What a great experience we had this morning! I am forever grateful for the Outdoor Hour Challenges. I know that if I had not started this adventure with all of you that I would have missed out on so many deeply memorable times with my family.

It spurs me on to get outside and this month I have enjoyed joining in with Debi at Go Explore Nature and her #GetOutside project...a photo scavenger hunt. This simple project has already brought such joy to our family. It has encouraged us to think about how we can incorporate outdoor time each day in the month of April. I hope you will consider jumping in with us and take a few minutes to read more about the way it works on her blog. You can see all my entries in my Flickr Set: April GetOutside Project.



Another great week of nature study with my teenage sons.


Don't forget to share your April Outdoor Hour Challenge blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.You can submit entries directly to me if needed: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

First Day of Spring: Sierra Foothill Garden

After all the rain we received in the last five days, it was nice to have a dry day today. It would be stretching it to say it was warm and sunny but it was pretty close. We were able to all get outside this afternoon to enjoy a look around the garden. The boys were on their scooters, the Kona dog was rolling in the grass, and I had my camera and nature journal.

The first things we noticed were the colors.

After that we noticed the delicate scent of the alyssum flowers which are starting to fill in all under the rose bushes.

Next when we sat still in the chairs for a few minutes it was the bird song and the bees buzzing in the dandelions. A spider swung by on a web...not sure where he came from but he was swinging down and floating in the breeze. The border bugs were skittering across the river rocks in the sun.


The trees are coming alive too....maple keys, buds bursting. The garden is full of sprouting, unfurling, and greenness. 

So much to be thankful for on this first day of Spring 2012.


Today's bird list on this first day of spring:

• House finches -singing sweetly in the plum tree.
• Nuttall's woodpecker in the suet feeder (looking out at one right now as I type this entry)
• Mourning doves scratching around under the feeder.
• House sparrows
• White-crowned sparrows
• Western scrub jays - back to their bullying role at the feeder
• Oak titmouses
• Dark eyed juncos (a dozen of them)
• Spotted towhees
• California towhees
• Anna's hummingbirds (flew right by my ear when we were sitting outside)
• White-breasted nuthatch
• American robins

So what did you see? How is spring shaping up in your part of the world?

It is not too late to print and complete the First Day of Spring printable from yesterday's entry.




Jami's Tuesday Garden Party meme is open from Tuesday to Thursday so there is still time for you to jump in and participate!

Birdcage Press Wild Cards- Review & Giveaway

Birdcage Press Wild Cards - Cards, Activities, and Instructional Booklet

Wild Cards - Backyard Birds is a great learning tool for nature study loving families! They are beautiful to look at and full of information that has helped us get to know our backyard birds a little better. The quality of the cards, the images, and the informational booklet has impressed me!

Wild Cards - Backyard Birds
For a bird-loving family like ours, this set of cards and accompanying book is a perfect fit! We have had more fun quizzing each other with these colorful and informative cards.

• This set of 36 cards with clear and beautiful images introduces six types of birds: Tricksters, Songbirds, Woodpeckers, Hummers, Little Chirpers, and Waterbirds. 
• The 32 page booklet not only gives more details for each bird in the set but it actually teaches you how to identify birds by looking at different attributes. 
• The combination of cards and booklet will give beginning birders as well as experts a fun way to learn more by using them to play games with your family (instructions included).
• The booklet also gives additional ideas for online learning with your cards. 

Big thumbs up from our family for Birdcage Press Wild Cards! 
We are going to purchase more of these sets to have on our nature shelf, in our nature pack, and with our card game collection. Fun and learning go hand in hand with this product from Birdcage Press. The Backyard Birds set is only one of thirteen sets available on Birdcage Press. You can click over and see more for yourself: Birdcage Press Wildlife and Nature Products.

Giveaway and Free Shipping Offer

If you would like to order from the Birdcage Press website, you can use the free shipping code until 3/31/12. Shipping code is good for purchase of ANY item on their website.
Free Shipping Code: IN12

Now for the details on the giveaway for one set of these amazing cards! If you don't see the Rafflecopter widget in your email subscription, you will need to click over to the blog to enter by leaving a comment. There are other ways to get additional entries. Also, I have teamed up with several other blogs in reviewing Birdcage Press products of all kinds. See the bottom of this post to links to additional reviews and giveaways! Please feel free to enter for ALL the giveaway items...including my review and giveaway on Harmony Art Mom for a set of gorgeous art cards!

If you are new to my blog, I invite you to subscribe to receive each of my nature study related entries in your inbox and my free monthly newsletter with lots of nature study ideas and free printables.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Reviews and Giveaway Opportunities for Birdcage Press Products: 
Spell Outloud -- Choice of Egyptian Art Cards or Battle Cards-Military Jets
Finding Joy -- Choice of Wild Cards – North American Birds or Art Ditto Game.
Jimmie's Collage --Choice of Impressionist or Renaissance Art Game
Mama's Learning Corner -- Renaissance Art Game
Harmony Art Mom -- Choice of Go Fish for Art or Art Close-Up Cards
The Curriculum Choice -- Art Ditto Memory Game
Hodgepodge -- Go Fish for Wildlife – Sea Creatures
The Traveling Praters -- Choice of Go Fish for Van Gogh and Friends or 52 Amazing Places-National Parks 
Get Along Home -- Choice of Wild Cards, Backyard Birds or Renaissance Art Game

Great Backyard Bird Count 2012 - Complete!

What a great weekend of bird watching we had as we participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count! We have finished our counting and I thought I would post our results.

1. Western Scrub Jay 2
2. Oak Titmouse 2
3. White-breasted Nuthatch 2
4. Spotted Towhee 2
5. White-crowned Sparrow 10
6. Dark Eyed Junco 11
7. House Finch 10
8. House Sparrow 14
9. California Towhee 1
10. American Robin 42
11. American Crow 3
12. Anna's Hummingbird 3
13. Nuttall's Woodpecker 1
14. Mourning Dove 5
15. Northern Flicker 1
16. Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
17. Western Bluebirds 4
18. Lesser Goldfinches 4

You can see more images of our backyard birds in this post: December Bird List with Two New Birds .




We compared our numbers to the last three year's numbers and there is virtually no change. The only significant bird missing from our list is the Cedar Waxwing. We usually have a flock come through during the GBBC weekend and this year we did not. We were talking about why that may be and the only piece of information that may be significant is that every other year we have had at least one day of snow on the GBBC weekend. We have not seen the flocks of Cedar Waxwings that we usually see this time of year come through yet. What does that mean? Maybe nothing but it is worthy of noting.

Our family really enjoys the bird count each year and now that we are participating in Project Feederwatch we have become very good at recognizing our feeder birds. Learning to identify your backyard birds is easy and you can take it one bird at a time. Don't get overwhelmed and make it fun for the family.

Bird Outdoor Hour Challenges
There is a series of bird nature study challenges here on my blog. Each challenge helps your family get to your own backyard birds. I invite you to use these free challenges as a way to develop a love of birds in your family.


There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).

• You can also follow them on Facebook .
• You can download their FREE Homeschool Guide to Project Feederwatch.  
• Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.

Reminder: Great Backyard Bird Count!

Junco, Norther Flicker, and Nuttall's Woodpecker

Here is your great big reminder that the Great Backyard Bird Count starts this Friday, February 17, 2012! I am anxious to count birds with my family and to compare our results with last year. I am wondering if our unusual winter weather will effect our numbers and species.

YouTubeVideo Explanation

Here are some links:
What is the GBBC?
How to Participate.

I encourage you to participate this year!

Feeder friends...

You may want to complete the Winter Bird Challenge as part of the GBBC.
Some extra goodies for you: Spell Outloud's Bird Writing Center Ideas

Winter Feeder Birds - Our Sierra Foothills Friends

If you would like to know how to make your own photo collage, click over to my daughter's blog Hearts and Trees and read about her new digital magazine. The first edition gives a tutorial for making a photo collage on Picnik.

We spend a lot of time observing feeder birds as part of Project Feederwatch so this week's focus on winter feeder birds is a perfect way to dig a little deeper. We have developed quite a list of backyard birds as part of this project. You can see our list here: Handbook of Nature Study - December Bird List. We have never seen a chickadee at our feeder but we still did the research as part of this Winter Bird Study Challenge.

• We stared our nature study time focused on Chickadees as suggested in the More Nature Study Book 2 challenge. We pulled out the field guides and looked up to see what kind of chickadees we may see in our area. 
• My son also used Cornell's All About Birds site to read more on the Mountain Chickadee which appears to be the only chickadee we may possibly observe. He completed the advanced notebook page from the ebook using information from the website.

We have heard the Mountain Chickadee on hikes up the mountain but have never actually seen one that I can remember. You can be sure we will keep our ears and eyes alert when we are out in that area again.

Since we didn't get to observe a chickadee this week, I gave them the option to chose one of our feeder birds to learn a little more about and complete a notebook page recording their findings.


I chose the Mourning Dove which is a regular visitor to our front and backyard feeders. If I see one dove, I always look for the mate. They travel in pairs and seem to look out for each other as they bob along eating seed that has fallen from the platform feeders. I used a coloring page from Cornell's Feeder Bird coloring book. I always feel so clumsy when I try to sketch a bird so having the simple outline to work from makes my journaling more enjoyable.

There is a past Outdoor Hour Challenge for brown birds including the mourning dove here: Outdoor Hour Challenge- Gray Birds: House Sparrow, House Wren, and Mourning Dove. Our entry for the challenge is found here: Brown Birds.

My son did my Project Feederwatch bird count with me today as part of this challenge. He looked up three additional birds in the field guide to complete his winter bird study.


It is not too late to join us for this new series of nature study challenges using the Handbook of Nature Study. All of the challenges for this series are gathered into an ebook format along with custom made notebook pages. Click over and see the details and join us this week for a new posted challenge on Friday.

Handbook of Nature Study - December Bird List with Two New Birds!

December Bird List - 
Our Family's On-Going Record of Our Bird Sighting 
A Life Project

We have had a busy and full month watching birds in our yard and as part of our December travels. Project Feederwatch has become a natural part of our weekly routine and helps us take a few minutes two days a week to count birds that come to our feeders. First a few interesting photos and then this month's bird list!



First off, our sweet and fabulous White-breasted nuthatch resident...or at least one of the three that entertain us everyday with their acrobatics on our backyard tree trunks. Ups and downs and lots of pecking are observed as we watch out the window. They also have a very distinct bird sound that they make and we are alerted to look up when we are outside and they are present. If you click the link above and click the Pacific song, you will hear what our nuthatch sounds like (there is an Eastern song as well).


I had to zoom this one in and crop it to show you this cute little guy and his expression.



Our beloved California Towhee in the feeder....usually he scratches around under the feeder but today he showed up for pictures. Isn't he interesting with his pink-orange rump and pink-orange around the eye? There is always a pair in the yard and they don't ever stray very far from each other. We learned that the colored patch under the tail is called the "crissum".



Here is the other half of the pair....up on the branch, waiting for a turn in the feeder. (Males and females look alike.)



Since we started participating in Project Feederwatch, we have seen three of these Spotted Towhees in the yard. They are strikingly beautiful birds and since they are not year-round residents we try to enjoy them while they are here.



I love the way this bird friend is clinging to the twig and posing. You can see the dried up blackberries on the vine that we left from the summer garden. The birds are seen frequently stopping by for a purple snack.


The Western bluebird enjoys a little bath this time in our front yard. I still get excited when he comes to visit. They usually come in a small bunch and then leave all at the same time. Lovely.


Here is the very best shot of the Anna's Hummingbird at our feeder that I could capture to share. The flash accidentally went off but that really shows his beautiful ruby/pink/iridescent color. We have one or two at a time in the feeder these days, usually a male and a female. There might be more than two since the feeder is emptied frequently even at this time of the year.

In Our Yard - mostly at the feeders

1. Spotted towhee
2. Dark-eyed junco
3. House sparrow
4. White-crowned sparrow
5. Mourning dove
6. Western bluebird
7. Mockingbird
8. Western scrub jay
9. American robin
10. White-breasted nuthatch
11. California towhee
12. House finches
13. Lesser goldfinches
14. Anna's hummingbird
15. Oak titmouse
16. Ruby-crowned kinglet
17. Acorn woodpecker

Out and About:

1. American crow
2. Northern flicker
3. California quail
4. Steller's jay
5. Wild turkeys
6. Brewer's blackbird
7. Pigeons
8. White-tailed kite ***New to our life list
9. Red-tail hawk
10. Barn swallow
11. Bewick's wren ***New to our life list
12. Downy woodpecker - hanging on a tall weed (more on that later)

There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).

You can also follow them on Facebook .
You can download their FREE Homeschool Guide to Project Feederwatch.  
Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.

I would love for other families to join ours in watching your feeder birds. It is super easy and you just need to devote a few minutes a week to getting to know your feeder birds one bird at a time. Email me with any questions you have about the program.

So which bird photo did you like the most? I think I like the California towhee in the feeder the best since it is one that I have been trying to snap for awhile now.

Handbook of Nature Study - November Bird List

Our front yard feeder has been busy, busy, busy the last few weeks. The colder nights and mornings seem to draw the birds out to our feeders and it is a joy to watch each day from our front window. I joined Project Feederwatch this year for the very first time and I am thoroughly enjoying counting birds two days a week...just a few minutes a day.

We have had some wonderful bird visitors to enjoy and it makes me happy to see them spending time in our yard plantings and feeders.


Here is our beautiful Western bluebird in the Pistache tree. We don't see these regularly so it is a treat when they flock into the trees to snack and then sun themselves.


Our most exciting new friend is the Ruby-crowned kinglet. We have nicknamed him Rudy the Ruby. He looks much like a little goldfinch but there is a bright orange patch on the top of his head...the feathers sort of ruffle up to show the color. These images are taken through our living room window when Rudy was sitting in the bushes looking into the house right at me. He came four days in a row and landed on the same branch....I loved being able to get a really good look at him up close. Thanks Rudy.



Here he is with his feathers down. Interesting huh?



This is the first year we placed a birdbath in the frontyard and I am always amazed at how many birds each day come to bathe and drink from this water source. I highly recommend putting out a birdbath to attract bird visitors. We found that if we put a few rocks in the middle of the birdbath, making the water a little more shallow, more birds actually bathe. Don't they look like they are having fun?


Now for our November Bird List:
Yard and Feeders

1. California Towhee
2. American Robin
3. Western scrub jay
4. House sparrows
5. House finches - really pink right now
6. Lesser goldfinches
7. Anna's hummingbird - still several birds that come everyday to the feeder
8. White-breasted nuthatch
9. Spotted towhee
10. Oak titmouse
11. Dark-eyed juncos
12. White-crowned sparrows
13. European starlings
14. Western bluebirds
15. Great horned owl - hooting 5 AM
16. Mourning doves - sweet pair
17. Ruby-crowned kinglet - new to our life list!

Travels around town and to the Sierra

1. American Crow
2. Canada geese
3. Brewer's blackbirds
4. Steller's jay
5. Pigeons
6. Turkey vulture
7. Snowy egret - flying
8. Red-tail hawk
9. California quail
10. Bald eagle!
11. Mallards
12. White-headed woodpecker
13. California gulls
14. Osprey
15. Common raven

This was the best birding month in a very long time. My field guide has been busy and our bird list is always handy.


There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).

You can also follow them on Facebook .
You can download their FREE Homeschool Guide to Project Feederwatch.  
Of course, my favorite resource is their AllAboutBirds website which is a great tool for identifying and learning more about birds in your own neighborhood.

We also are submitting this post to Heather's Tweet and See link-up.