This week we're starting our unit on birds, so what better way to celebrate than to get outside and start looking at birds in your neighborhood. Here's what I want you to do this week....
1. Go outside!
2. Look and listen for birds- in your yard, in your neighborhood, wherever you might like to spend some time outside.
3. Over the week, your goal is to find and identify 5 different birds.
4. For each bird, record
- the time of day
- the location of you and of the bird (ex. my backyard, bird was on the bird feeder)
- a physical description of the bird (size, coloration, beak shape, if you can see it, any identifying characteristics)
- the name of that species of bird if you can find it (try to find it- I have field guides in the classroom to help you)
- the bird's behavior- what is it doing? (sitting, hopping, vocalizing, feeding, flying, nesting, etc.) There may be multiple behaviors during the observation.
- If you are able to snap a picture, email it to me (ldavis@rsu1.org), and I'll post it!
It's a Sunday at about noon. I can see 2 little robins running on the front lawn and pecking at the ground. They are pretty big, the back and tail is a dark black/brown and they have a reddish-orange chest with a little white band of some sort on the chest. One of the robins just found a worm in the ground and ate it. I can hear a chickadee out in the back yard but only every so often. I could also hear seagulls but I can't hear them or see them anymore. I can hear all sorts of bird calls but can't identify them. One sounds like a long trill while another is a bunch of short chirps for a quick period of time. I can hear a crow somewhere but can't spot it. There are just too many noises to concentrate on!
ReplyDeleteYesterday afternoon, I heard a Duck in my back yard. A neighbor has a pound, and they come every year. The ducks, are pretty big. There heads, are green. They were walking around in the field. I also saw a Eagle, and another bird but I couldn't tell what it was, in the sky, it looked like the bird was going after the Eagle? There was a Robin running around on the front yard, probably looking for a worm. Then it flew off into the tree were they've been having there nest for the past few years. (which we found one on the ground) During p.e on friday, We saw a Osprey flying around, then it went into the nest.
ReplyDelete1. 6:30AM - My backyard - Yellow beak, 8in long, red stomach, grey back, head, and winds - Robin - Hopping around pecking at leaves and the ground (looking for worms)
ReplyDelete2. 6:30 - My backyard - short black beak, black spot on head, white/black/grey coloring - Chickadee - Pecking at a rosebush.
3. 1:30PM - My front yard - small, Grey/black/white back, small pitch black eyes, and small beak - Dark eyed Junco/Goldfinch - Pecking at the ground
4. 6:00PM - Gardner High School - small, all black and sleek, diamond shaped tail feathers - Raven?? - Running/flying from dog
5. 6:00PM - Gardner High School – large, black, and sleek - Crow - Flying around school
I saw 2 blue jays on thursday flying around.
ReplyDeleteI saw a cardinal on thursday also flying around.
I saw 2 robins on tuesday they were eating.
I saw an osprey on wednesday it was also flying.
And I saw a bald eagle Sunday it also was flying.
I can't describe the places I saw them because they were just random places with no landmarks to make reference to.
But they were all between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm
The first bird I saw was an osprey. It was flying around its nest, which lies on top of a telephone pole near the tennis courts. The bird was far away, so I couldn’t see many distinct features. However, I was able to see that the bird was quite large, with white coloration on its bottom and dark brown on its top.
ReplyDeleteThis week I heard a chickadee. It was right outside of Morse’s front door. I didn’t see the little guy, but its recognizable call allowed me to identify it instantly.
One morning before school I was looking out the window into my back yard, and I saw a blue jay. It was perched on a tree, quite close to my house actually. It had beautiful coloring, bright blue with white. Although many parts of the blue jay were both blue and white, the wings had the most blue, and the stomach had the most white.
Another morning in my back yard I spotted a crow. Not the cutest bird in the world, but nonetheless a bird. The crow was mid sized and had glossy black feathers. Its beak was very prominent, and dark like the rest of its body.
The last bird I saw was a yellow-legged gull, commonly known as a seagull. I saw the seagull in the Shaws parking lot. The seagull had white with a gray back and wings. Its beak and legs were bright yellow. These are the types of birds typically found on beaches who like to steal sandwiches from children.
On sunday afternoon I purposely was looking for birds around the barn I go to, and I saw barn sparrows and cowbirds flying around and perching inside, I saw a robin outside perching on a fence, a blue jay flew by me as I was walking outside, I saw crows just on the ground, and I saw a goldfinch in a tree very quickly because then it flew away.
ReplyDeletebird one: around 2 pm. In the road/path where albin and i were walking. It had a reddish orange belly with a dark grayish black back. It flew away before i could tell what the beak or anything else looked like. I believe that this bird was a robbin. It was hopping across the road/path, then flew away from my dog.
ReplyDeletebird 2: around 6 pm. Sitting at the bird feeder in front of my house. It is all blue with a white belly, it has a black ringish thing around its neck. It was a blue jay. It jumped down onto the ground and started hopping around pecking the ground.
bird 3: around 6 pm. Sitting at the bird feeder in front of my house. Has a light brown back with a white belly, has long tail feathers, and a black stripe on each side of its face. I believe that this bird is a swallow. It was on the ground pecking around in a bunch of seeds, then moved into the bird feeder.
bird 4: around 6 pm. Underneath the tree where my bird feeder is. Has a dark gray back and a light gray belly, its beak was very small and oval shaped. I have no clue which bird this is. It hung out on the ground pecking at seeds, it never went in the bird feeder or tree until a blue jay dive bombed it...
bird 5: around 8 am. Sitting on my bird feeder devouring seeds. It had a black chin and black top of the head, its belly was white and so was its back, except for a few black stripes. This was a chickadee. It sat in the bird feeder for about an hour, then flew and sat in another tree.
About 1:00 PM
ReplyDeleteIn the apple tree in my backyard.
The bird had a greyish blue back with a big yellow splotch at the base of its neck. It had a yellow throat and white belly. There was white on its wings, too. It was near a chickadee and it looked like it was about the same size.
I think it might have been a female Parula Warbler.
It was hopping around in the tree, maybe vocalizing, but I was inside and couldn't hear it.
About 2:00 PM
In my neighbor's yard.
The bird was all white with a red breast. The same size as a robin.
I couldn't find the bird in a book, but when I looked online, I found that it was an albino robin.
It was sitting in my neighbor's yard looking for food with other normal colored robins. I opened the door to take a picture, and it flew into a tree.
About 7:15 PM
In the apple tree in my backyard.
The bird had a black head and the top part of its back was black, but faded into orange. It had an orange underside and black and white wings. Its tail was black and orange.
It was a Baltimore Oriole.
It was hopping around in the tree eating the flowers and the oranges my mom had put out.
About 11:00 AM
At the feeders on the front porch.
It was a little green bird with a bright red throat and white underside.
A Ruby Throated Hummingbird
It was drinking from the hummingbird feeder on the porch.
About 4:30 PM
In the apple tree in the backyard.
A little grey bird with a pointed tuft on its head. It had a light colored underside.
A Tufted Titmouse
It was hopping around in the tree, probably trying to stay out of the rain.
I was near Rogers Neck one day in the early afternoon and spotted a bird perched on a telephone wire. It is counter-shaded with a dark top and white underside. Its beak and feet are a dark gray, as well as the feathers on its back. The beak is long and thin and there is a white ring around the bird's neck, leading me to think that I have spotted a Belted Kingfisher.
ReplyDeleteEarly one morning at a friend's home in Phippsburg, I saw a bird at the feeder on the porch. It had a vibrant, orange stomach with black feathers on the back and wings. However, the wings were also patterned with white streaks. The beak and feet were gray. I believe the bird I saw was an Oriole.
I was in Woolwich one morning looking around in the woods when I spotted a Cardinal. I could tell instantly because of its bright, red feathers.
I was in Sebasco one day and spotted a bird sitting on top of a wooden structure. It had a very short beak. The feathers were white on the underside and dark blue/black on top.The tail had both colors on it. I believe this bird was a Swallow.
The same day in Sebasco I spotted a bird in the water. It was white on the back and neck with black feathers and a black tail. There were traces of white on the tips of the wings. The neck was white but the head black; the bird had a yellow beak. I think this bird was a Common Eider.
1.Sunday May 8th about 5:30 am, Putting the horses in the field I spotted three or four goldfinches flying around eachother. they were bright yellow with alittle black
ReplyDelete2. Sunday May 8th about 7 am driving to a horse show in Hollis. I saw a medium sized black bird with a bright yellow and red patch on the wing. I identified this bird as the red-winged black bird. It was flying when I saw it.
3. Monday May 9th around 3 oclock in the afternoon I saw two Mourning doves sitting in my drive way. They were just kinda walking around with eachother. I snapped a picture just before they flew away
4. Thursday May 12th about 6:45 am I was eating breakfast and looked out my window and saw a small round bird sitting on my hot tub. It had a cream colored tummy with a dark brown ish colored back and wings. It had white and black stripes over its eyes and a red tuft on its head.
5. saturday may 7th I saw some sparrows flying in and out of the barn. they were making nests in the rafters.
1. 6:00 AM- Right outside of my bedroom window. Black with a white underside. V-shaped tail and wing formation. The bird was a barn swallow. A whole group of them seem to believe it is okay to build nest on the side of my house and do it loudly
ReplyDelete2. Around noon- In a tree by the large pond in front of my house. White underside and head, with a brown band around the eyes, ruffled feathers on top of its head. Brown wings. Rather large inside. This bird was identified as an osprey. It was just sitting in the tree resting.
3. 3:00pm- Around the pond- A slate blue bird, with a white neck stripe and small patch of white on the wings. A tuff of feathers on the head was visible as well. I was able to identify this as a Kingfisher. It was flying around the pond seeking for fish to scoop up.
4. 4:30pm- In the cattails behind my house. A good sized bird. Black with red on it's wings. Identified as a Red-Wing Blackbird. There were multiple birds just hopping around the bushes.
5. 6:00pm- In the sky above the house. A large bird. Brown, white, and black checkered. Two large pointed ears on top of its head. I believe this was a Great Horned Owl. It was carrying a mouse possibly.
7:30 - I saw this bird in a tree on my walk to school. I was making short quick flights between different branches. It was small, almost entirely brown, with a long thin beak, and darker stripes on the birds lower wings and tail. I believe this bird was a House Wren.
ReplyDelete2:30 - Walking home from school on Lincoln street I spotted a bluejay in someone's yard. The bird had bright blue coloring with a darker blue black circle around its face. The bird had a prominent head crest with black markings on the face and black feet. The bird was bouncing around and then quickly took off in flight as I got closer.
3:30 - I was driving past the Taste of Maine restaurant, and on the top of the pole there was an osprey nest. The osprey was circling around its nest. I could only see the silhouette of the osprey, but the massive wing span and underbelly was very identifiable.
4:00 - On the lacrosse field during practice I looked up and I saw various seagull's gliding in the air above the field. These birds had white and gray backs and wing, yellowy legs and a yellow beak.
5:30 - Pulling into my driveway, I saw a small bird jumping around on the grass peaking at the ground and walking around whipping its head back and forth. The bird had a white stomach with brown and golden striped wings. It had a distinctive red head and a gray crown and a black beak. I believe this incredibly small bird was a House Sparrow.
This afternoon while I was out walking I saw a couple of small birds with black and white faces with grayish wings and back which were chickadees land and sit on a tree. When I was walking back home I noticed a slightly bigger grayish bird with a long pointed tail sitting on the wires which was a mourning dove, and I've been hearing a lot of noise from them my backyard lately. When I was with my friend at her house this afternoon we saw two bright red birds with some black on the face land on the lawn, and her mother told us what they were but I can't remember the name. In my friend's backyard earlier this week I also saw a small blue, white, and black bird in her yard which was a blue jay, and I have been seeing robins and crows all over the place this week. I also saw an big brown and white osprey in Brunswick earlier this week as it flew back into its nest on top of a telephone pole.
ReplyDelete4:49 pm
ReplyDeleteNequasset
Yellow back, small.
American Goldfinch
Flying around in a tree.
4:52 pm
Nequasset
Black top, Dull colors on botton.
Black-capped Chickadee
Hopping around on tree branches.
2:29 pm
Waterfront
White with some gray coloration. Yellow beak.
Seagull
Flying around the water.
7:06 am
Outside my house
White chest, brown-grey back. Small beak.
Eastern Phoebe
Flying around a nest it made in a tree.
7:28 am
In my garage
Orange belly with and blackish back
Oriole
It was flying at the window to try and get out.
First bird: I was riding in the passenger seat of my car, we are heading to my house which is on high street, it is about 3 o-clock, we see a crow and it is eating a dead squirrel that must have been roadkill. The crow is fairly big in size for a crow, and the bird is all black.
ReplyDeleteSecond bird: I was standing on my front lawn hitting rocks with a wiffle-ball bat and I see a bird fly by. The bird was blue, white and a little bit of black. I think it was a blue bird but it might have been something different. WHO KNOWS :P this was probably around 5 o-clock.
Third bird: I was playing in a baseball game when a big white bird was flying above us. The bird was all white and I know it was a seagull. The seagull just kept flying around in circles above us and then randomly landed in the outfield probably 15 feet away from one of our outfielders. this was probably around 4:30.
Fourth bird: I was playing in another baseball game. I was at second base and I see this bird fly out of a nest. The bird wasn't a small bird. It looked like some kind of hawk but I am not sure what kind it was. The bird was brown and black with a very large wing-span.
Fifth bird: I was in one of my classrooms and it was 12:59, I saw a Cardinal. The cardinal was all red with black around its beak. There were at least three different shades of red. there was light red, just red and dark red. The bird was fairly big for its kind. I have never seen one before but it was a pretty cool looking bird.
Crow!
ReplyDelete3:00PM
By a bridge right beside my house the crows were eating in a yard by Maritime apartments. Normal size for a crow and it was black and shinny. It was feeding on what I do not know, there was another with it, it looked like a lookout.
Robin!
3:45PM
It was in my yard on top of the decorative well in our side yard for a while but kept switching between yard sides. When I fist saw it it was perched on top of our well though. Much smaller than the crow that’s for sure! Red chest dark back bright yellow beak. It started out with just sitting then it went to the ground to look for food. Finding non it flew to our tree and seem to just relax there for a while. Eventually it flew away, but came back about 3 minutes later and searched for food in our front yard.
Seagull- gross.
4:27PM
First I would like to start with Seagulls are gross! It was flying over the water at the waterfront here in bath then landed and kind of just stood around. I think it was looking for food? It was odd because you normally see them in groups but this one seemed to be alone. It was white with gray and ugly! Ha-ha okay that was mean, I just don’t like them because they poop everywhere! They are also not very kind to their own type when it comes to food. Which is what I think it was doing, lucky for him he seemed to be alone.
Duck
3:00PM
I was walking in the oak grove graveyard and there was two ducks swimming in one of the ponds! They were just swimming happily. My friend threw them some bread wich surprisingly they didn’t come for right away. I guess they were full. They were brown and gray and their beaks looked black. I shall not lie I didn’t have my glasses on so I’m not a hundred percent sure. But what I am sure of is that one of them dunked in the water! It was so cute!