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Alice R
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| Posted: June 20 2006 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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summer, winter, spring or fall?
Ok, well I missed the spring.  I thought summer would be a good time but my bird book said that birds are not so attracted to bird feeders in the summer because they have so much other food to choose from. 
We are getting some traffic at our bird feeders anyway.
I bought the Apologia Zoology Science curriculum. I thought we'd be studying birds this summer but now I'm rethinking. 
Do you think I'll get more activity in the winter? I thought all the birds left during the winter...I never really noticed.
I live in NJ if that matters.
Thanks!
Alice Ruth
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MaryM
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Alice R wrote:
| summer, winter, spring or fall? |
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Any and all are times to study birds - your focus and where you need to look will just change with the seasons. Winter is very good for actually getting visits at your feeders because food is more scarce and the birds that stick around need to eat. Many species do not migrate and are around all year - it depends on what kinds of food they need and if it's available to them in the winter. Birds that eat insects and nector need to migrate to climates which will still provide that, but seed/berry eaters can stick around. Fall and spring, during migration, they also likely stop at home feeders - they need to add lots of fat for their long flights. Spring is also great for bird study because of the nesting. Summer provides many more options for food sources so they don't rely so heavily on feeders, but they do still visit. Providing both food and water will entice more birds (especially here for us in the west - probably not quite so much in less dry climates like NJ) So in summer you may need to venture further than the yard and check out local wild areas and parks.
Alice R wrote:
| I bought the Apologia Zoology Science curriculum. I thought we'd be studying birds this summer but now I'm rethinking. |
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You can start and continue into the other seasons. We are going on about 7 months of studying birds - from song birds to birds of prey. We have relied alot on finding local resources that specialize in birds and offer programs and field trips. The best place to start to look for ideas on where to go and what to look for is your local audubon society. I googled and found
New Jersey Audubon - looks like they have some great programs and nature centers in several locations around the state. They specifically mention working with homeschooling families to offer programs/trips. And you are fortunate to have lots of shore birds to study in your state in summer.
They also have this Wildlife and Birding Trails guide and interactive web site.
Ask about bird banding activities in your state to see if you can visit a banding site (usually active during migratory seasons). We did that here in May. It was fascinating.
Look for Raptor education or rescue centers in your area. They offer great programs and education. Here is the Raptor Trust in NJ.
Happy birding to you!
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 20 2006 at 4:09pm | IP Logged
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Oh and here is the bird book list we have been using. Sorry they aren't linked but I haven't gotten to that yet.
Books About Nests and Eggs
Birds in Spring Steve Maslowski
A Nest Full of Eggs Priscilla Belz Jenkins
Birds Build Nests Yvonne Winer
Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City Barbara Bash
Cradles in the Trees: The Story of Bird Nests Patricia Demuth
An Egg is Quiet Dianna Aston
Bird Egg Feather Nest Maryjo Koch
Picture Books and readers
Wild Birds Joanne Ryder
Robin at Hickory Street Dana Meachen Rau (nesting)
Flap your Wings - P.D. Eastman
Are You My Mother? - P.D. Eastman
The Best Nest P.D. Eastman
The Bird Alphabet Book - Jerry Pallotta
The Bird House Cynthia Rylant
The Birdwatchers Simon James
Angelo David Macaulay
The Blackbird's Nest, Saint Kevin of Ireland - Jenny Schroedel
The Song of the Swallows Leo Politi
Chapter Books
Spring Moon (Moon of the chickarees chapter) Jean Craighead George
Winter Moon (Moon of the winter bird & Moon of the owls chapters) Jean Craighead George
Coot Club - Arthur Ransome (nesting)
Migration
Fly Away Home (video recording)
This Way Home Lisa Westberg Peters
On the Wing: American Birds in Migration Carol Lerner
Field Guides
A Field Guide to Birds' Nests - Roger Tory Peterson
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of North America - David Allen Sibley
Stokes Field Guide to Birds - Donald and Lillian Stokes
Birds of North America : A Guide to Field Identification - Chandler S. Robbins (Golden Guides)
Childrens Field Guides
Birds, Nests, & Eggs (Take-Along Guide) - Mel Boring
Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America - Roger Tory Peterson
National Audubon Society First Field Guide to Birds - Scott Weidensaul
Smithsonian Kids Field Guides: Birds of North America Jo Kittinger
Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists Latimer/Peterson
Birds of Prey
Songbirds
Backyard Birds
Vultures
The Sulky Vulture - Sally Grindley
Animal Scavengers: Vultures Sandra Markle
Owls
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark Jill Tomlinson
Owl Moon Jane Yolen
The Barn Owls Troy Johnson
Little Owl - Piers Harper
Owl Babies Martin Waddell
The Barn Owl Bert Kitchen
Owls Gail GIbbons
Eagles
Eagles: Hunters of the Sky Ann Cooper
Eagle Boy Richard Lee Vaughan
Eagles: Lions of the Sky Emery & Durga Bernhard
Challenger: Americas Favorite Eagle Margot Raven
Soaring the Wind: The Bald Eagle Gail Gibbons
Added 2/25/12:
Hatch (Roxie Munro)
Fun picture book about birds. Each section begins with a picture of some eggs and a fact about about the bird that laid them. So you can try to guess what hte bird is. When you turn the page you find out and read additional informationa obut that bird (with big, bright illustrations)
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MacBeth
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| Posted: June 20 2006 at 5:29pm | IP Logged
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Nice list, Mary!! I love book lists!
We bird year round, but I like spring, before the trees have leaves, so we can see what's making all that noise. My last visit to Mexico was so frustrating, as we'd be hearing all kinds of bird sounds in the jungle, yet could not see a single bird!!
I just want to add Cornell Lab's new owl recordings. I have not heard them, but friends in the know are very enthusiastic about it. I posted a blurb here.
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 20 2006 at 6:41pm | IP Logged
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Hi Alice,
Like many here, we are avid birdwatchers, and have been for years! And I can honestly say each season has its share of joys and discoveries. I often think of winter as being the perfect birding season, as it makes for wonderful nature study when you are stuck inside due to the weather (though the same could be said for summer heat too!). Like Mary said, in the winter food is harder for birds to come by so they are more likely to visit your feeders, but to be honest we are getting just as much traffic now! Spring has nesting time, and fall migration ...
Whenever you do it, it is so much fun!! I hope you keep us posted on your studies! 
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Alice R
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| Posted: June 23 2006 at 11:02am | IP Logged
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Thanks!!!!!!
I just started to get into the bird feeder. We had one on Long Island but never saw any birds really.  It was pretty much a waste of time and the kids were disappointed.
Im in NJ now and my land is next to about 240 acres or preserve. Needless to say, we have birds!
Thanks for the information!
Alice
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Donna
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We keep our feeders stocked year round. Some of the bird's colors are much more vibrant in the summer..especially the gold finch.
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mary
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be sure to add thornton burgess' burgess bird book for children. oh, and get a smallish poster of common feeder birds, have it laminated and then velcro it to a wall near your feeder. if your dc are old enough to handle a digital camera, they could make a field guide of birds in your yard.
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momwise
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| Posted: June 24 2006 at 9:31am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
I just want to add Cornell Lab's new owl recordings. I have not heard them, but friends in the know are very enthusiastic about it. I posted a blurb here. |
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New from Cornell: June 2006, Ithaca, NYWhat goes wac-wac and lives in a tree? Surprisingly, the Great Horned Owl. Owls have a rich repertoire of sounds for communicating in the dark. They scream, chitter, squawk, squeal, bark, moan, trill, whine, chuckle, and clap their bills. And, yes, they hoot...
We found this out the other night when 2 owls(probably barn owls)flew directly over my dh and me while we were standing in the yard, first clicking and then screeching, then clicking again. It was amazing!
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Dawn
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mary wrote:
| if your dc are old enough to handle a digital camera, they could make a field guide of birds in your yard. |
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Great idea, Mary!  We've been snapping pictures of every bird possible since March and as I look back at them, I see a great picture of the year's rhythm. This would be a great ongoing project.
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Angel
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mary wrote:
| be sure to add thornton burgess' burgess bird book for children. oh, and get a smallish poster of common feeder birds, have it laminated and then velcro it to a wall near your feeder. if your dc are old enough to handle a digital camera, they could make a field guide of birds in your yard. |
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My 7 yo dd, who happens to be bird crazy right now, likes to take the digital camera around, too. But she detested the Thorton Burgess Bird Book! Apparently she doesn't like it when the birds talk. She wanted facts, and in the TBBB, all the facts are buried in the story, so it was hard for her to ferrett them out. (She also has a thing about stories where people and birds are friends, because she says that doesn't happen in real life and it only got her hopes up unrealistically.)
We moved to upstate NY last year from Missouri, and I had sort of planned to do a bird study in the wintertime, setting up feeders, etc., to watch winter birds. I had no idea that there are VERY FEW winter birds here all winter! So our best time for bird watching is definitely in the spring LOL.
NJ is warmer, though.
--Angela
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mary
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Angela, Burgess is really hit or miss, isn't he? We read nothing last year but burgess books and have planned a vacation around the burgess nature center - my kids fell in love with the characters and the idea of being naturalists. I'm sorry your dd didn't like them.
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MaryM
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Adding a book we just read.
Hatch (Roxie Munro)
Fun picture book about birds. Each section begins with a picture of some eggs and a fact about about the bird that laid them. So you can try to guess what the bird is. When you turn the page you find out and read additional information about that bird (with big, bright illustrations).
So, it's been a long time since this thread was active - 6 years...there are bound to be lots more new books and resources to add. Love to hear them, please.
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jawgee
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| Posted: Feb 27 2012 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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One of our favorite books for this time of year is Backyard Birds of Winter. We love it so much that this summer we'll likely get Backyard Birds of Summer by the same author.
Another book we read this fall - about migration - was Flute's Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush. Excellent book. We were able to get it from the library.
One of the benefits of winter bird watching is that birds are so much easier to pick out with no leaves on the trees!
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CrunchyMom
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This recent thread from the picture book forum has a lot of good Bird Books listed, specifically ones that include the sounds of the birds. (One of which were in the box of Christmas gifts from grandparents that was lost, so we never got it )
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Angel
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It was funny seeing this thread pop up again. After 6 years, my dd is still bird crazy and she did eventually read the Thornton Burgess book on her own... *after* she had learned enough facts to satisfy her initial thirst for knowledge!
I just ordered a book for my younger boys, What's That Bird?, which is a big, "beginner's guide" (not a picture book) to backyard birding. Big glossy photos of common backyard birds, along with sections on various bird facts and tips for making your yard a bird-friendly environment. Haven't used it much yet, but I know my dd would have loved this book six years ago!
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MaryM
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| Posted: Dec 13 2012 at 10:55am | IP Logged
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Alice R wrote:
summer, winter, spring or fall?
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Just read this very sweet photographic picture book - Tea with Lady Sapphire and wanted to recommend it! Figured it fit here with this seasonal question about bird study. It is set in the winter in a snowy yard with lots of feeding stations. Describes a family watching from their window waiting for all the different birds to join them for their "tea party" (that they are having inside). Many different birds fly up to the different feeders - the chatting of the family identifies the birds and shares things about their behaviors, habitats, and feeding preferences. It is really sweet and informative. Has about 20 birds it ends up identifying and includes a picture ID in the back as well. The photography is stunning. Includes a recipe for Gram's Snickerdoodles from the "tea party." Oh, and Lady Sapphire is the Pileated Woodpecker they are waiting for.
Other books by this team have been recommended in the past - Stranger in the Woods is one.
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MaryM
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Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard great for beginners at backyard birding...any time of year. A fun read and resource book on the topic.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward
Fun book for the younger crowd - includes side text with more detail. Love the Steve Jenkins illustrations, as usual.
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Mary M. in Denver
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Should you study birds in the...
