Lesson plan: Birds in the winter Before I post this lesson plan, I have a confession... I am a closet birder.

I love watching and learning about birds. I feel like birding is kind of an old couple thing, so for some reason I'm embarrassed to admit this. Birds are so interesting to me, though. Last summer, I took my kids to this one wetland about 20 times just so I could check out the birds that live there.

So, that being said, I think we've done about 4 nature school lessons on birds over the past year +. They are fun in the spring because they are busy building nests, collecting grass and twigs, and finding mates, in the summer because of the baby birds (especially the waterfowl!!), and in the fall because they are migrating and flying in v's. Here in the Seattle, I think the winter is equally, if not more, interesting! We have all these unique waterfowl that migrate from Alaska and Canada and make their winter home here in Seattle. You can't see them in the spring, summer, and fall because they migrate back North, so we have this exciting opportunity to go see them tomorrow. I'm excited!

Here is a link to the lesson plan- Birds in the winter lesson plan Here is a link to the "birding with kids" handout- birding with kids handout

Nature School, Jan. 23rd, 2012 Birds in the winter Seattle wetland area Welcome Song Letter of the day: W for winter and wetland What happens to birds in the winter? The migrate! Facts about birds: What do birds eat? -insects (insectivores) -worms, spiders, mice (carnivores) -berries, nuts, seeds, grasses (herbivores) baby birds hatch from their eggs by cutting their way out birds have feathers birds have wings ad can fly birds have beaks birds do not have teeth birds have a special bone in their tongue Listening and Watching Activity:

Give each child the Birding for kids handouthttps://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=13MA_iyWAwFcNsXsc2X_nOpunNuatNWMuqwU9q7OA_sI Encourage the kids to stop, look and listen. Birds sing, they protect their territory, they attract mates, they hunt for food. This behavior is fascinating to watch. Make sure the children in your life notice these things. Ask the kids to listen to the bird songs and see if they can distinguish one from another. They may enjoy imitating the bird calls. Ask the kids to find a quiet spot and watch for birds. What different colors did they see How big were the birds they saw? What did their beaks look like? Role Play: Act out the day in the life of a bird with the duck puppets Games: Duck, duck, goose Songs: Little bird Little bird, little bird, fly through my window Little bird, little bird, fly through my window Little bird, little bird, fly through my window Find molasses candy Through my window, my sugar lump Fly through my window, my sugar lump Find molasses candy Bluebird, bluebird.... Hummingbird, hummingbird.... Woodpecker, woodpecker..... Let the kids tell you their favorite bird (this song can be sung along with a game. Have the children stand in the circle holding hands with their arms up in arches to form windows during the song. One kid is the little bird who flies in and out of the arches or windows. During the second verse, the bird chooses another child by patting him or her on the shoulder. The next child becomes the bird who flies through the window.)

Little Bird (sung to "Up on the housetop") Most of the bird have gone away On this cold, dark winter day, But here is one bird I can see. Looking for something to eat. Little bird, I'll feed you Till the cold winter's through

And all your friends come back to play, On some bright and warm spring day.

How can we help take care of birds in the winter? Craft: Toilet paper bird feeder. Take a toilet paper roll and spread shortening on it, then roll it in bird seed. It can be hung on a tree by simply sliding it onto a tree branch.

Union Bay Natural Area Winter Birding: Winter is waterfowl season at the Fill. We routinely get Mallard, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, the occasional Eurasian Teal (same guy who's been coming for the past two years), American and Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, overwintering Cinnamon Teal, Canvasback, occasional Redhead, Ring-necked, Greater and Lesser Scaup (good opportunities to compare), Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, and Ruddy. Three Trumpeter Swans who grew up here a few winters ago now return each year with their mates. We usually host overwintering Virginia Rails, Marsh Wrens, Green Herons, and Savannah Sparrows. Winter is the time when Western Scrub-Jays appear, along with other winter rarities such as Redbreasted Sapsucker (a male who makes the Fill part of his circuit), Varied Thrush, Western Meadowlark, Band-tailed Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Pacific Wren. In late 2011 we had our first Barred Owl. Also, back from who knows where, Short-eared Owl. If you're lucky: Distinct possibilities in 2011-2012 are Tufted Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Western Screech-Owl, Cattle Egret, Rough-legged Hawk, any longspur, Snow Bunting, Tropical Kingbird, both redpolls, Snowy Owl, Northern Wheatear, Lewis's Woodpecker, a wagtail, Bohemian Waxwing, and Palm Warbler.