We’re going to have some fun listening to the sounds of nature at night as we learn about bats! Everyone can get outside in the evening and use their senses to learn more about this time of day when many animals are active.
Make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the archive bat challenge for a closer look at these mammals that fly!
Join us for this exciting series of nature study topics as we work through the Summer Nature Study – Using Your Senses ebook. Don’t get hung up on the title of the ebook because these nature study topics are applicable at all times of the year. Where I live we don’t have summer or even real spring conditions yet, but we’re going to get outside in the evenings as the days get longer to make observations and learn more about things that happen at sundown.
This ebook is found in the Ultimate level membership for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
Use the discount code BIRDLOVER5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
This month we are beginning with a new series of Outdoor Hour Challenges from the Summer Nature Study ebook. These challenges incorporate using your senses alongside observing nature in your neighborhood. All children should develop the ability to use all their senses when making careful observations. Focusing on these skills during nature study is a natural way to take their learning to a new level in a fun way.
New May Printable: This month there’s a fun new printable Farmers Market activity in the Members Library. Look for it in the “garden” section of your membership!
Please note there are additional nature study ideas listed on the planning page for you to use if you have access to the newsletter library. (Right now use the discount code OHC10 for $5 off any membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.)
Using the link above to the archived challenge, you’ll find a lot of helpful information on getting started with a gray bird nature study. Pick one or two of the ideas to get you started and then make sure to get outside to observe your backyard or neighborhood birds.
An advanced study would be to do a comparative study of the pigeon and the mourning dove.
This is our last bird study from the Learning About Birds ebook. I’ve enjoyed taking a closer look at the birds in our backyard using the Handbook of Nature Study and I hope you have too!
It’s found in the Ultimate level membership for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
Use the discount code BIRDLOVER5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Things are starting to look like spring around here and we’ve had an abundance of bird sightings and animals to watch. Seeing these things inspires me to get out my nature journal and get busy. I’ve found this to be the key to nature journaling: Find something interesting in nature to put on the page whether it’s a sketch, some words, a list, or a photo.
I’m still struggling with my sketching abilities (note the ground squirrel page below) but I know that practice makes perfect.
I wrote about this dilemma in an earlier blog post:
Above all, remember that a nature journal is a personal record of your own experiences in nature. There is no right or wrong way to do it. The only mistake you can make is to not take a few minutes each week to put something down on paper. Photos are great but taking the process to the next step makes a more lasting impression.
Here are my weekly entries for April!
I’m pretty happy with my lodgepole pine nature journal page. I managed to get a decent sketch of the tree shape along with some facts and a quote. Doing the research for this page has enabled me to pick out the lodgepole pines in our forest. My eyes now see the 2 needle bundles and the dead branches at the bottom of the trunk which helps me identify this particular pine from the others.
In an attempt to get to know my local habitat better, I decided to create a simple chart in my nature journal that compares the most common shrubs in our area. It took some time to do the research but it has already helped me pick out the bitterbrush from the rabbitbrush by contrasting leaf shape and color. I may eventually add a few more shrubs to my journal on another page.
It is thrilling to identify a new bird! We often saw a bird fly up and away from the edge of the slough when we were out river walking. Many days with binoculars and time on the internet have helped us identify the Wilson’s snipe! Of course, he made it into my nature journal and I’m fairly happy with the sketch.
One day we were sitting and looking out our back window. My husband spotted the ground squirrel scurrying along our fence line. It was the first time seeing them outside their holes, which we’ve seen all over the back of our property. Since that first sighting, I’ve seen several sitting up on top of a dead tree stump in the sun.
The forest floor is starting to come alive and one of the first things to be sprouting leaves is the wax currant. The leaves are an interesting shape and the little bell shaped flowers are pretty. We’ll be watching to see the berries later in the season.
I loved working on this page from the Nature Observer journal this month. The prompt was to note one surprising thing in nature each day for a week. I may do this again in my other journal.
What’s made it into your journal this week?
Have you taken a look at my updated nature journal page? Here’s a link to see some ideas to inspire you in your journaling efforts.
Don’t forget that I’m sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal.
The birds in this week’s challenge are some of my favorite birds! There’s such a great variety of birds to choose from. To learn more, use the link above to the archived challenge. Which bird will you choose?
Woodpeckers: These are some of the most interesting birds that come to our backyard. They’re usually bigger than the rest and will cling to the tree trunk, pecking for their next meal. You can often hear them before you see them if they’re tapping on a tree or fence post.
Chickadees: Chickadees are very social little birds that have a simple to identify song. Listen for them with their chickadee call from the tree limbs. They’ll also come close to you if you sit next to your feeder.
Nuthatches: These little acrobats will climb up and down your tree trunks. They often remind me of little clown faces. They are fast!
Towhees: You will pretty much find towhees under your feeder and not perching at the feeder itself. They have a funny way of scratching around under the feeder to find their seeds. My favorite are the spotted towhees!
Pick one of the birds in this challenge to read about and then go outside and look for them!
This black and white bird challenge is from the Learning About Birds ebook here on the Handbook of Nature Study. It’s found in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
Use the discount code BIRDLOVER5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Bonus Notebook Pages!
I am including two bonus notebook pages to all subscribers this month.
Make sure to save this email or download and save these pages now for future use. I will be eliminating the link 604/26/18. All new subscribers will get these two notebook pages in their follow up email after confirming their subscription.
I was born and raised in California and California spring is all I’ve ever experienced until this year. Central Oregon has rocked my conception of what March and April weather should be and how it should look. Usually by now, I’m in the thick of spring wildflower season, taking hikes to see the lupines and poppies. Not this year.
April has been a subtle changing of the season. Our landscape is just now starting to show some signs of green and I actually spotted my very first dandelion in my yard. Our temperatures are getting warmer and we had some rain this week rather than snow so maybe, just maybe, we are headed to spring.
This new version of spring has not stopped us from getting outdoors. In fact, my husband and I take a daily walk to check out our river and the changes that are happening there.
Changes in Our World
We’ve spotted more birds, including new ones for our life list like the Wilson’s snipe, the wood duck, and the common goldeneye. Also, we spied our very first rufous hummingbird scouting out our backyard. I had an inkling that they were around so I’d just hung our feeder and sure enough, they visited while I was watching. I’ve been super happy with the Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell. This is a free app that helps you identify a bird without the use of a field guide. I find it very easy to use and pretty much every time, I can use the app to find out a bird’s name.
We’ve been observing the Belding’s ground squirrels with binoculars. I’d noticed activity around the holes out back and one afternoon they made their appearance. They’re such busy little creatures as they scratch around on the ground looking for something to eat. They’re smaller than I thought they should be and their tails are much shorter than expected. But, there is something quite entertaining about these ground squirrels and I love their cinnamon color.
We’ve been talking about taking the kayaks out on the river and today it was so sunny and warm that we just did it!
We’ve started exploring our area some more and all of its many lakes. My son and I drove up to the Twin Lakes, stopping to hike completely around South Twin Lake. What an enjoyable mile or so hike! There are some gorgeous ponderosa pines along the trail and we saw quite a bit of green manzanita just starting to blossom. It’s great to have my hiking buddy living with us for now…hoping to find some more trails to explore soon with this guy.
I’m eagerly anticipating a great upcoming month of outdoor time as the spring weather really hits. It’s like awakening from a long winter’s nap to find a new world to observe with new plants, animals, birds, and insects to get to know.
How are you enjoying your spring?
Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.If you’d like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
The birds in this week’s challenge are some of the more common birds most of us see during our daily activities. The challenge is to take a few minutes this week to observe and learn about one of the birds listed above. Currently, we have starlings and red winged blackbirds in our birdfeeders so we might do a compare and contrast of these two black birds.
The secondary part of this nature study challenge is to focus on looking at a bird’s eye color. Many times eye color is a field mark in identifying a particular bird. For example, some of the blackbirds in our feeders have a gold eye. This helped us to determine that we have brewer’s blackbirds and red winged blackbirds.
Note: There is a fantastic crow video in the archive link above so don’t miss it!
This black bird challenge is from the Learning About Birds ebook here on the Handbook of Nature Study. It’s found in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
Use the discount code BIRDLOVER5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
Spring Wildflowers with the Outdoor Hour Challenge
Don’t miss the giveaway below!
Here in Central Oregon we haven’t experienced many wildflowers yet but I know they are coming! I’m trying to support the Charlotte Mason homeschoolers who are following the Ambleside Online’s nature study schedule so I’ll compile some ideas for studying wildflowers. As you observe the wildflowers in your neighborhood, check with the Handbook of Nature Study (the book and my website) for information and inspiration.
Here are some of the main wildflower links for you to use here on the website.
Gardens Tab at the top of the website. This page lists all of the wildflowers we’ve studied here with the Outdoor Hour Challenge in the past. You will find them listed by ebook and then at the bottom of the page in alphabetical order. These links are available to everyone.
I hope these links help you locate the wildflower study that your family is interested in completing this season. There are so many to choose from so don’t be overwhelmed. I decided when I first started out identifying wildflowers with my children that we would take each flower one at a time. We aimed to learn a new flower each time we took a walk and that strategy helped us not be overwhelmed. Take it one flower at a time and use the Outdoor Hour Challenges to help you dig deeper and then follow up with a nature journal entry of some sort.
Is it important to know each flower’s name?
I recently took a hike with a friend and she was hoping I could teach her the names of the wildflowers we saw as we walked. I told her that once you know a flower’s name, you think of it as a friend, the kind of friend you look forward to seeing. She laughed at first but later realized that it does change your view of a wildflower once you know its name.
My Best Hint: Take lots of pictures for future reference!
It’s much easier to identify a wildflower with a field guide if you have an image of the flower, its leaf, and its stem.
Some Links to My Past Wildflower Studies You May Want to View for Inspiration:
California Poppies: We have spent many hours observing the poppy and its many interesting features.
Hike to the River – Spring Wildflowers: When we lived in California, we had our favorite trail to the river and at this time of year it was full of wildflowers. Be inspired to take your own walk!
Spring Wildflowers: Here is another one that is full of our California wildflowers.
I’m giving away 5 copies of each of my wildflower ebooks. I will randomly draw 5 winners to receive Set #1 and Set #2 of the new wildflower ebooks here on the Handbook of Nature Study.
Use the Rafflecopter gadget below to enter.
I’ll be picking the winners on 4/14/18 so enter today.
“Anyone who attempts to recognize birds by sight alone misses much of the pleasure that comes to those who have taken the time and pains to learn bird songs and use them as a means of bird recognition. It is true that not all people have a talent for music; but everyone interested in birds can learn to identify the songs and most of the call notes of common birds.” Handbook of Nature Study, page 42
Use the ideas and resources in the challenge linked above to learn more about the birds in this week’s challenge. In addition, make sure to listen to the birds singing in your neighborhood. The mourning dove is a particularly easy bird to identify by its cooing sound. Listen here: mourning dove song.See if your children can imitate this common backyard bird.
This brown bird challenge is from the Learning About Birds ebook here on the Handbook of Nature Study. It’s found in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships for you to download and use with your family. If you would like to gain access to this ebook, you can purchase a membership now and have instant access.
Use the discount code BIRDLOVER5 for $5 off an Ultimate Naturalist Membership.
1. Begin to use the Nature Observer journal every day to keep track of my nature experiences. Use the journal prompts included in the book to inspire my outdoor time. Don’t expect each page to be perfect but create a personalized record of my outdoor observations and adventures in 2018. I’ve been faithfully entering my experiences each day in the journal. At first, I thought this would be too much for me but it has proven to be a huge inspiration for me to get outside nearly every single day. I highly recommend this journal so put it on your wish list for next year!
2. Find two books to help me learn about the local habitat. I’m happy to say that I found one book that has been added to my library that has loads of helpful information about my local habitat.
(This is my affiliate link and I will be writing a review of this book soon!)
3. Take one new local hike with my family. We hiked the Chimney Rock trail at Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River. It was a super warm day and we enjoyed the new hike with its awesome views of the river and surrounding mountains. We’ll be back to this special area!
4. Visit the High Desert Museum and possibly buy a family pass. Look at the gift shop for books. We visited in January and purchased a membership! The highlight of our first visit was the river otter exhibit. What amazing animals! The docent was very knowledgeable about the otters and her enthusiasm made us eager to visit again. We have another visit scheduled this week to see the raptors.
5. Visit the nature center at Sunriver. Ask about volunteering. We visited the observatory but not the nature center at Sunriver. We’ll be adding it to our 2nd quarter goals.
6. Continue to participate in Project Feederwatch. We’ve continued to participate for the whole first quarter, observing over twenty different birds during that time.
7. Participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge by completing the reading in the Handbook of Nature Study, taking the walk, and doing a follow up journal page (or something else appropriate). If needed, I will also look up the topic in my local field guide to see if there is additional information. This is an ongoing goal that I really need to focus on better. I do all the preparation work and take the walks every week. The follow up journal page is not always completed. I take note of my thoughts and observations in the Nature Observer journal.
I’m ready to make my new quarterly goals!
Nature Study Goals 2018
2nd Quarter – Get Outside and Experience Spring
Continue to use the Nature Observer journal to keep a record of my nature study experiences. Focus more on sketching!
Keep a record of the wildflowers that grow in my local habitat. Note the day they start to bloom and where we see them for future reference.
Visit the High Desert Museum each month, each time focusing on a different exhibit.
Visit the Sunriver Nature Center and ask about volunteering. In addition, make note of their garden and the native plants they have growing there as a reference in planning our backyard garden.
Take 3 new hikes. This may be ambitious but the weather should be warming up and this will give us an added incentive to hit the trail.
Get the kayaks out in a new place locally.
I’m truly looking forward to real spring here in Central Oregon. Creating nature study goals and working at achieving those goals helps me get outside and inspired to do more.
