Explore Outdoors ~ a Field Trip to Sapsucker Woods

Last week I walked around Sapsucker woods (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). This is a great time to see trilliums (trillions of trilliums flowering across the forest floor), fiddleheads, mayapples just beginning to bud. The air was filled with the songs of birds and frogs. So today I'm sharing some of the things we noticed. Can you see the robin?

Explore Outdoors ~ Nests Revealed

 The forsythia growing on the east side of my house is untamed - a wild mess of branches that, every summer I threaten to cut back. I never do, because in the winter I discover all the bird nests that had been hidden within the leaves.

I am not the only one with a wild forsythia ... shrub? ... tree? A few years ago, Katharine Kresge wrote about  her forsythia: "Catbirds, mockingbirds and cardinals build their nests in it every year. Robins and hummingbirds frequent the bush and rest on its branches..."

This week, take a close look at the forsythia - and other bushes and shrubs - around your yard and neighborhood. Do you see any nests hiding within the tangle of twigs? Who do you think built those nests?

Explore Outdoors ~ deserted domicile

 Once the leaves are gone I find all sorts of interesting things in and around the forsythia. This time, a tiny nest that could easily fit in the palm of my hand. I love the mix of textures: twigs, melting-refreezing snow, bumpy bark. When I look up into the taller trees, I find squirrel nests.

What treasures do you find in the trees and shrubs in your neighborhood? Look up. Look in. Explore the colors and textures.

Get Ready for Nesting Time!

Spring is on its way, and that means songbirds will be winging their way back to their favorite nest-building sites. To celebrate that, I'm sharing Randi's newly-hatched book:

The Nest That Wren Built  
by Randi Sonenshine; illus. by Anne Hunter
32 pages; ages 4 - 8
Candlewick, 2020

theme: birds, animal families, homes

These are the twigs, dried in the sun, that Papa collected one by one to cradle the nest that Wren built.

Page-by-page, verse-by-verse we watch Wren and her mate make their nest from things found in the forest. Twigs, moss, feathers, thread – all used to make the nest. And then… there are eggs and, soon, a family safely together in the homey nest.

What I like love about this book: The text is rhythmic, patterned on “The House that Jack Built” and fun to read. It’s clear that author, Randi Sonenshine has closely studied what goes into a wren nest, and reveals each treasure in such a delightful way.  Anne Hunter’s ink-and-colored pencil illustrations bring softness and warmth to each page.

And there is Back Matter! Wren facts for curious readers and a brief glossary that clarifies words used in the text – perfect for kids who want to know the difference between a hatchling, a nestling, and a fledgling.

Does Randi love wrens? I caught up with her the other week to ask her that Exact Question!

Randi: As you can probably guess, I love birds! They are such fascinating, entertaining creatures. I love photographing them, listening to them, and watching all their avian drama unfold at my feeder and in my yard. I hate to say I have favorites, but, alas, I do! Carolina wrens have captured my heart. They are tiny, but sassy, smart, and steady; they are always nearby. Even if I don't see them, I hear them... singing, scolding, and sometimes warning each other.

One spring, a pair of them built a nest inside a bike helmet in my garage. Later that season, they built one inside a cloth grocery bag on a shelf in the garage. This astounded me. Later, when I looked at the abandoned nests, I was intrigued and impressed by the ingenious design and the assortment of nesting materials they used, so I started to research (a little obsessively, actually!). I discovered the most amazing details in my research, particularly the scientific facts and theories regarding their choice of nesting materials. I knew this had to be a subject of a picture book, but I wasn't sure how to frame it. Then one morning I woke up with the title in my head, and that was it!

Beyond the Books:

Get to know the wrens who live in your neighborhood. What they lack in size and flashiness, they make up for with their big personalities. Check out this article by Audubon, and this page from Cornell.

Listen for wren calls. Here’s a house wren, and here’s a Carolina wren.

If you were a bird, what kind of nest would you build? Collect some materials and build a nest.

Want to help nesting birds? Here’s how.

Randi Sonenshine is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ Nest Watching

Great Blue Heron, by Scott Kinsey

Wherever you live – city, suburbs, country – birds around you are constructing their nests and raising families. And if they’re building those nests near your home or office, or even a local park you visit, you can help scientists by reporting nests to the NestWatch project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

NestWatchers report nest location, the species using it, and number of eggs. The nest-watching citizen scientists can also report other important milestones, too, such as times they such as observations of adult birds raising and fledging their young.

"Every year, scientists use data collected by NestWatchers in published studies," says Robyn Bailey, NestWatch project leader. "For example, in 2018, two studies examined the effects of spring temperatures on the timing of nesting activities, and showed that birds nest earlier when spring temperatures are warmer. Such studies help add to our understanding of how climate change can affect the lives of birds."

Great Horned Owl by Georgia Wilson

What do you get out of it? Besides that great feeling of being a part of scientific discovery? You get to witness the start of new life and help to preserve it with your valuable information. It doesn’t matter whether you’re reporting a massive web of sticks like the Great Blue Heron's nest, the compact twiggy cup nest of a Blue Jay, or a pair of bluebirds in a nest box – NestWatch observations are more important than ever in this changing world.

You can register for the project at NestWatch.org and learn more about how to monitor nests without disturbing the birds. You can download the NestWatch app in the Apple App Store or from Google Play.

photos used with permission by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Octopus Escapes and a House in the Sky

Today I'm featuring two books about animals. Both were published by Charlesbridge this year.
themes: animals, humor, homes

Octopus Escapes
by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer; illus. by Frank W. Dormer
32 pages; ages 2-5

Octopus waits. 
Guard closes gates.

What happens at the aquarium after everyone leaves for the day? In this story, octopus escapes. He slips and slides down hallways, turns and hides from the security guard.

What I like about this book: I am a big fan of "night at the museum" stories... and of octopuses. They are clever mollusks, able to open jar lids and squeeze through tight spaces. This midnight romp through the aquarium features fun to read aloud rhyming couplets.  The back matter (you knew I was gonna mention back matter!) is all about the amazing behavior of octopuses. They are brilliant problem-solvers and, YES, there are documented cases of octopuses escaping their tanks and cruising through aquaria since the 1870s. Though I don't think any of them went bowling...  The simple, cartoonish illustrations add to the charm.

A House in the Sky
by Steve Jenkins; illus. by Robbin Gourley
32 pages; ages 3-7

Animals, like people, often need a cozy place to sleep, a hideaway for escaping danger, or a sage place to raise a family. They need a house.

Steve Jenkins highlights fourteen different animals and their homes. From nest to shell, he shows a diversity of ways animals solve their housing problems.

What I like about this book: Each page features large, easy-to-read text telling something about an animal and its home. Perhaps the home is a shell that was found, or a case that is built of stick or stone. Some animals nest in trees, some underground, some build with clay, and one lives on the back of a whale! Short sidebars provide more information about the animal. For extra-curious kids (or parents who need a quick answer to all those questions) there's more information about each animal in the book.

I also like the realistic watercolor illustrations by Robbin Gourley. They invite one to linger on the page, searching for details.

Beyond the Books:
Visit an octopus. If you can get to an aquarium, check out the octopus tank. If there's no aquarium around, check out this video of an octopus escape.

What examples of animal homes can you find as you walk around your neighborhood or through a park? With leaves falling off trees, it might be easier to see bird nests. Perhaps there are wasp nests, holes chipped into trees, and other homes. Learn more about animal architecture here.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. We're also joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Recently hatched Bird Books!

Geese started flying north overhead a couple weeks ago! So I figured it's time to share some new books that feature birds.
themes: nonfiction, birds, poetry

For the youngest readers, a couple of board books that introduce colors paired with photographs of common birds.

 Look and Learn: Birds
24 pages (board); ages 2-5
National Geographic Kids, 2017

Splashy, splash, splash.

A red bird is taking a bath. Simple language introduces youngsters to colors, bird sounds, feathers and features such as a crest of feathers. Bright photos bring birds close to the reader. Fun and engaging, with some interactive components: touch the bird's feathers. I would have liked text to introduce the common names of birds.

My Colors (Early Birds series)
by Patricia Mitter
24 pages; ages 1-3
Cornell Lab Publishing Group, 2017

The Early Bird board books aim to introduce young children to nature and concepts. This one pairs colors to common birds children might see in their neighborhood.

What I like about this book: Each page features a bird, as well as a natural feature. For example, cardinal is paired with red berries. Text also describes the birds' calls. Tabs allow young children to grab hold for easy page-turning. At the back is a spread of all the birds introduced and QR codes linked to the sounds the birds make.

Bird Builds a Nest
by Martin Jenkins; illus. by Richard Jones
32 pages; ages 4-6
Candlewick, 2018

It's a beautiful day. Bird is up early - she's got a lot to do.

Breakfast, collecting nesting materials, and building a nest ... that's a long "to do" list. But Bird sets off, and soon she's found breakfast. A worm!

What I like about this book: it's about birds, sure. But also about physics and the forces Bird uses in her life. She pulls worms; they resist. She gathers twigs in her beak and, as she flies up, gravity pulls them down. When she builds her nest she has to push twigs and pull twigs to weave her home. Front and back matter include information about forces and some simple activities kids can do to explore them.

A Place to Start a Family, Poems about Creatures that Build
by David L. Harrison; illustrated by Giles Laroche
32 pages; ages 5-9
Charlesbridge, 2018

For thousands of years people have built shelters, writes David Harrison. Many animals are builders, too.

In this book he and illustrator, Giles Laroche, introduce readers to birds and other animal architects, and the cool shelters they construct.

The poem about Red Ovenbird is a list of questions: How do you hide your nest like that?  There is one about white storks and their nests high on chimneys. Poems also introduce wasps, spiders, moles, prairie dogs, and more.

What I like: that the poems raise questions for readers to consider. And I love the layered artwork. Laroch combines drawing, cutting, painting, gluing.... up to seven or eight layers in each illustration. Makes me want to get my fingers busy with art.

Beyond the Books:
Go on a bird walk! All you need is your legs, a place to walk, and a pair of binoculars. Take along a notebook so you can draw birds you see or write notes. Maybe you will hear an interesting song, or notice a nest. 

Make a list of the colors of birds you see. Learn a bird song.  

Make a nest! Gather some nesting materials and build a nest. Write down a poem about the shelter you built. Draw a picture of it.

Make your own layered art inspired by birds living in your area. Check out this post to learn more about how Giles Laroche does his artwork. Then have fun!

Today we're joining other reviewers over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies from the publishers.

Birds on the Brain

Birds are returning to our hill and staking out nesting sites. This is a great time of year to be watching birds, and here are three books for kids with birds on the brain.

theme for the day: nature, birds.

Duckings (Explore my World series)
by Marfe Ferguson Delano
32 pages; ages 3-7
National Geographic Kids, 2017

It's a wood duck!

High in a tree, a wood duck mother checks her nest.She sits on her eggs to keep them warm. Then one day, peck, peck, peck. Ducklings are ready to hatch.

What I like about this book: it is perfect for preschoolers, with large words or simple phrases that set off sections of a baby bird's life. Crack! They hatch. Jump! They leap out of the nest and down, down, down ... to a pond. Text describes the life of a duckling, and photos invite us right into their day, from learning what to eat (bugs are good) to following mom everywhere. Back matter includes comparing ducks with other animals that hatch out of eggs, "ducky details", and how to be a duckling.

Otis the Owl
by Mary Holland
32 pages, ages 4-9
Arbordale Publishing, 2017

Otis is a barred owl. When he grows up, he will have brown stripes, or bars, on his feathers.

Beautiful, detailed photos take us right into the first few months of a baby owl's life. Otis, and his sister, are the cutest, fluffiest sad-eyed babies you've ever seen.

What I like about this book: It shows all aspects of a baby owl's life, from hatching to eating voles, mice, and the occasional chipmunk. Sometimes Otis and his sister fight over the food their parents bring. Other times, he and sis are best friends, preening each other's feathers and standing watch at the nest hole. Back matter includes information on owl pellets, a guessing game, and details on owl anatomy. 

Birds Make Nests
by Michael Garland
32 pages; ages 4-8
Holiday House, 2017

Birds make nests. 

Two-page spreads show a diversity of birds and the nests they build. Some nest in trees, others nest on the ground. Some use grass to make their nest, or animal hair, spider silk, lichens. Others use sticks and mud. Some nests open at the top; some nests open at the bottom.

What I like about this book: It introduces readers to common and uncommon birds. Kids might recognize some as visitors to their back yard or local park. Others live half-way around the world, giving parents an opportunity to show on a globe or world map where those birds build their nests. It doesn't matter how big or how small a nest is, it serves an important purpose. I also like Garland's images, created using woodcuts and digital tools.

Beyond the books:

Do the "Ducking Dance" (adapted from Ducklings):  Shake out your feathers. Shake, shake, shake! Swim in the water. Paddle, paddle, paddle! Go for a walk - waddle, waddle, waddle! Then spread your wings and flap! flap! flap!

Learn to talk like an owl. You might have to go on a night walk or open your windows and listen for owls. Here and here are pages with information on barred owls and recordings of their calls. And here's a nest cam so you can watch owlets in Indiana.

Look for bird nests. Here are photos showing different kinds of nests you might find. Remember to be respectful of the birds - their nest is their home. Here are important tips for nest watching.

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.We're also joining the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copies from publishers.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ Find a Funky Nest!

Hummingbird nest on metal artwork. Photo by Marshall Raintich ~ Celebrate Urban Birds

The Funky Nest contest is back! Maybe you've found a bird nest in an odd place, like on the tire swing, traffic lights, in a barbecue grill, on the wind chimes, in an old boot .... anywhere. Now you can take a photo of a nest built in a quirky place and enter it in the Funky Nest contest.

"Wherever you find a nest, send in a picture, video, poem, or artwork about it," says Karen Purcell. She's the project leader of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology citizen-science project "Celebrate Urban Birds". The contest isn't just about bragging rights; there are prizes, including binoculars, bird feeders, posters, and more.

Nesting season is well underway, so now is a good time to head outdoors to enjoy nature and, if you're lucky, discover nesting birds in unexpected places. And there's lots of time - the deadline is June 30.

Who can enter? Anyone: all ages, individuals, a class, a scout troop or after school program. People all around the world can enter. More information, and link to upload entries here.

Click here for suggestions on how to approach nests when observing and photographing them.

Want to know more about kinds of nests and how to find them? Check out this page.

Call of the Osprey

The Call of the Osprey
by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent; photos by William Munoz
80 pages; ages 10 & up
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015

This is another in the brilliant "Scientist in the Field" series. Patent and Munoz focus their sights on University of Montana scientists studying a pair of Osprey they have named Iris and Stanley. The book opens with the team fixing a bird camera prior to breeding season.

Bird cams are wonderful inventions - you can check some out here. Every spring we watch a pair of red-tailed hawks that nest up at Cornell University. The cameras, located close to the nest, allow us to watch the eggs hatch, the parents feed nestlings, and first flights. But I never thought about the work that goes into placing and maintaining the cameras.

Like "our" red-tailed hawks, the U of M osprey nest high in the tops of dead trees. Or on light posts - wherever they can find a platform to build their nests.

Each fall, the osprey head south, and each spring they return from their winter home in Belize. The osprey nest along rivers, as they are fishing birds. They are well-adapted to that life, with rough spines on their feet that allow them to hold onto their slippery, flopping prey as they fly back to the nest. Osprey don't have many enemies - except for nest predators - and they're pretty tolerant of human activity. The biggest danger they face comes from loss of habitat and environmental contaminants.

Whatever chemicals - insecticides, herbicides, petroleum products - end up in the environment eventually get washed into the river. Whatever gets into the river gets into the fish. And whatever gets into the fish ends up in the osprey, whether it's DDT or heavy metals. So, as the scientists band the osprey, they collect samples of blood and feathers. They also spend a lot of time removing plastic baling twine from the nests. Unlike jute baling twine, the plastic doesn't degrade, and chicks can get tangled up in it, strangled, and die. There's a sobering photograph of twine they removed from a single osprey nest - stretched out it measures a quarter of a mile! 

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy from the publisher.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Nest Building is For the Birds - but you can help

This is construction season for birds – and they’re busy searching for nesting material. Whether they make simple nests or elaborate cottages, birds are looking for building materials that will help keep their eggs warm, protect their young, camouflage the nest from predators and protect the babies from rain and weather.

Birds may use a variety of materials to build their nests, from twigs and leaves to strips of plastic shopping bags. Here are some other materials birds use to build their nests:

• Grass clippings or dead grass
• Yarn, string or thread
• Human hair or animal fur
• Feathers
• Cattail fluff
• Moss or lichen
• Pine needles
• Mud
• Spider web silk
• Straw or other plant stems
• Dental floss
• Shredded paper
• Broom bristles or mop string
• Cotton balls

You can help your backyard and neighborhood birds by providing some nesting materials. How?

• Drape bits of string, thread, ribbon and cloth over trees and shrubs.
• Loosely fill a suet cage with bits of nesting material and hang it where the birds will find it.
• Fill a mesh bag or small basket loosely with materials and hang it where it won’t get wet. 

If you plan to put out extra materials, try to keep them natural – cotton or silk instead of plastic and polyester. And look for natural colors that won’t advertise a nest’s presence to predators.

 Remember to check out other cool science resources at STEM Friday.

Wordless Wednesday

Checking out Bird Nests

This is a good time for a walk around the neighborhood, to check on which birds have returned and are busy building nests. Our phoebes have returned and are cleaning up their old digs, and I see other birds flying off with bits of grass grasped tightly in their beaks.

Birds like messy yards… places with tall grass, brush piles and shrubs to hide in. Our forsythia is a favorite place for nest-builders. The birds use all sorts of things as construction materials: dried grass, twigs, pine needles, leaves, lichens, tufts of fur – even strips of foil and pieces of plastic bags.

Gather some nesting materials and build your own nest. When you're done, test it out by putting some chicken eggs inside. Then go check out who is nesting in your back yard - and what they are using to build their nests.

Check out what's happening at STEM Friday.

The Secret Lives of Great Blue Herons

Today the Cornell Lab of Ornithology put another live BirdCam online. This one peeks into the nest of Great Blue Herons. Folks at the Lab can see the nest from their staff lounge – and now, thanks to nest camera technology, we can too.

According to the Lab of O folks, the herons started building this nest in 2009. This year they returned to the nest in mid-March and soon began courting: bringing twigs, standing side by side in the nest, clattering their bills, and nipping at each other.

Last night at around 7:30 p.m., the heron laid her first egg. Great Blue Herons typically lay eggs every two days, sometimes three, until the clutch is complete. After that it will be 25–30 days before the chicks hatch, and they will spend another 7–8 weeks in the nest before they fledge.

To get good views of these large birds, the Lab of O installed two cameras, one from above the nest and the other at nest level. My BirdCam button links to the site where you'll find tabs for each nest. Soon there will be a whole egg carton full of nest cams to view. Have fun.