Supporting a Global Community in Their Nature Study
I have attached the newsletter download link to the bottom of my blog feed so if you are a subscriber you will receive the link to the latest newsletter at the bottom of every post for the month of January. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can still subscribe and receive the newsletter in the next post that comes to your email box. You can subscribe on my blog by filling in your email address in the subscription box on my sidebar.
Make sure to click and save the newsletter link from the email for future reference.
The OHC Newsletter is a companion to the Outdoor Hour Challenges that are posted here on the blog every Friday. There are special printable activities, additional links and ideas, as well as articles and photos from a variety of OHC participants. I invite everyone to subscribe and get the newsletter each month in your inbox.
If you have trouble getting the newsletter to download, try right clicking the link, save the link, and then open it. (The link is in the email and not in this blog post.) I am not going to be archiving the newsletters at this point. You will need to SAVE the FILE on your computer each month if you want to save back issues.
The link will be attached to every post for the whole month of January…so if you subscribed, you should get the next entry with the link.
Enjoy!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
Available Now! Watch my introductory video on YouTube.com.
The busy month of December is coming to a close and the winter months have now arrived. This month’s Outdoor Hour Challenges suggested we spend some time exploring our neighborhoods looking for signs of plants and animals preparing for winter. Taking time outdoors for nature study in December was a rewarding experience. I want to thank all the participants of the carnival for sharing your December World.
Getting Ready for Winter Edition – Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival
December World
Tricia gets us going with the first entry of the carnival, When A Millipede Interrupts Math. This entry so beautifully illustrates how being flexible and following interest lead to some wonderful nature study.
Amanda from A Thousand Words has put together the account of their outing – Winter Color: Lost and Found. Wow…love this entry! They found a lot of beautiful winter images to share and their smiles too!
Angie from Petra School has submitted their Ready for Winter entry which combines the December World and Preparation for Winter challenges. I commented to her that there are just too many great things about this entry to even list them all. I encourage you to click over and read about their Oregon Coast style nature study. Angie also shares their Winter Color Walk and hopes it isn’t cheating to include this fabulous place. I really enjoyed it and you will too!
December Nature Study in Flip-Flops! Amy writes about their unseasonably warm nature study as part of their December challenge. She shares their birds and a beautiful moth for carnival readers. She also has this entry to share Enjoying God’s Creation. Thanks Amy.
Ann from Harvest Moon By Hand shares their Go On A Nature Walk entry with carnival readers. They had snow for this day’s excursion…so very pretty.
Tricia was able to squeeze in some outdoor time this past week with her children. Read about it in their On a Sunny December Day entry to see blooming flowers, bees, lizards, and more.
This one really belongs down in the Potpourri section but I don’t want you to miss it. Julie from Homeschool Balancing Act shares a mother’s story worth reading: Brushing Off the Holidays and Getting Back to Nature. Thanks Julie.
Zonnah shares their Evergreen Investigation entry as part of the evergreen challenge posted last week. She shows us a great example of how to make nature study a family affair, even when someone is at first unwilling. She also includes some lovely images of cone scales.
Jenny Anne from Royal Little Lambs writes the story of their evergreen study. They were able to observe a pine tree up close and conclude with journal entries.
Shirley Anne from Under the English Sky sent in their Evergreens study for the carnival. It is sure fun to see their English countryside and winter evergreens.
Preparing for Winter
Amanda writes about their Preparation for Winter nature study time. Funny squirrels and beautiful birds…quail some of my favorites. Awesome images.
Rachel from All Things Bright and Beautiful submits their Insects! in December entry as part of this carnival. They used a field guide to give them some ideas of where to look for their insects preparing for winter. Great job!
Diana writes about their Preparation for Winter study in their neighborhood. Their family found some signs of winter coming and some extras too.
Barbara from A Wildflower Morning has put together a very nice entry sharing their Milbert’s Tortoiseshells in Winter…. read how this butterfly survives the cold winter as an adult. Wonderful!
Potpourri
Denise from Grace and Truth has entered their Seasonal Tree 2011 Study entry. What a visual treat! They picked a California Sycamore and a Queen Anne Palm tree for their tree work. She shares their year-long tree work with wonderful images of their trees and journals.
Janet from Across the Page has submitted a fantastic entry about their local water habitat, A Bit About Beavers. You will enjoy the images and information about their beavers and muskrats. Great pictorial of their beaver’s handiwork.
Nicole at One Hook Wonder shares their Osage Oranges entry with carnival readers. They did a very child-friendly study of a topic not covered in the Handbook of Nature Study. They also did a Palm Tree study while on a trip, making some very good observations! Okay, now how about some alligators…well the hope of alligators anyway? You can read about their alligator adventure on her blog One Hook Wonder. One last entry to share their Beaver study. Awesome beaver observing spot!
Angie from Petra School has written up their Maple Hunt adventure, the one where she is humbled and we all get to enjoy her beautiful photos. Excellent.
Bethany from Little Homeschool Blessings gives carnival readers their Rainbow Scarab AKA Dung Beetle entry to view and read. She sets a very good example for the rest of us by digging a little deeper and uses What’s That Bug? to figure out the insects identity.
Robin from Harris Homeschool shares their Bird Count entry....comparing visitors to their suet feeder and their sunflower seed feeder. What a simple and fun idea!
The winner of the December Giveaway (chosen by Random.Org) is Nicole from One Hook Wonder! She will receive a copy of my soon to be released More Nature Study Book 2 Winter Wonder! Thank you to everyone who made an entry to this edition of the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival.
See you all next month! Remember that January’s Newsletter link will be for subscribers of the blog only. You will need to subscribe by entering your email address in the subscription box on the sidebar of the blog.
What kind of camera do I use for the photos on my blog?
First posted on May 1, 2008 and updated on December 29, 2011
I get asked this question a lot in comments and email. I have shared before that I really don’t use a fancy camera but one that I can take with me everywhere in my pocket or in my backpack with no worries.
So what do I use? For most of my everyday shots I use the Nikon CoolPix S3300 (Point and Shoot). I also take some of my bird photos with my son’s really old Canon Rebel with a zoom lens. I would say 90% of the photos on my blog are with the inexpensive point and shoot Nikon. Purple of course!
My point is that you don’t need a fancy, expensive camera to take a good photo. If you learn a few tricks and practice taking photos, you will have more success.
Honestly, I use this camera for all my regular and macro photos with minimal cropping on the computer. I rarely, if ever, mess with anything other than that. If I do make any adjustments to a photo, they are done on Picnik (through my Flickr account).
Here are my tips for taking a good photo.
1. Take lots of photos. If I am trying to get a good photo of something for the blog, I will sometimes take ten photos of the same thing. I’m not kidding…with digital it doesn’t really matter how many you take since you can delete the ones you don’t like once you get home.
2. Learn to use your camera. I know those manuals are intimidating but you can skim through to find things that will help you take a better photo. What I did to take better photos was to learn what all those little symbols on the back of the camera meant and that immediately helped me take a better photo. I love the little flower setting….better known as macro. I can take close-ups of flowers or bugs now and they are truly in focus. I decided at the beginning of 2011 to read one page in my camera manual everyday and then practice what I learned. This was an easy way to work through the ins and outs of the camera and show me what it could do. (This photo I took many years ago. On this day, I think I took 50 photos to get this one keeper.)
3. Pay attention to composition. Take that extra second to see if there is something weird in the background, to make sure your subject is framed in a pleasant way, and that you are not taking the photo directly into the sun.
4. Watch shadows on faces if you are outside.
5. Remember your flash typically doesn’t work farther than about 5 or 6 feet.
6. Take flower shots early in the morning or later in the afternoon and not during the glare of mid-day. 7. Take photos from different angles. Get low and look up. Get high and look down. Go child level. Sometimes an interesting photo is just one that comes from a different perspective than normal. 8. If you are taking a close-up photo, steady your arm or hand on something solid like a table or a fence post. Before pressing the shutter, breathe in and hold your breathe so you are as still as possible. This has made a huge difference in the quality of my close-up photos.
Taking a good photo is sometimes just a matter of being in the right place at the right time with your camera in your hand so take it everywhere you go.
For tax purposes, I am holding off the release of the new ebook until January 1, 2012. I promise it is ready and will be posted this weekend! I know that many of you are waiting for the release so you can start planning your term’s nature study so I appreciate your patience.
Here are the topics that will be posted started January 6, 2012:
Winter Wonder – winter weather/silent walk
Chickadee or other winter bird
Tree study – focusing on twigs and/or buds
Sheep with a focus on wool
Mullein or other winter weed observations
Galls and gall dwelling insects – signs of insects
Quartz study or starting a rock collection
Magnets and Compass
Moon names
Pansy or other early blooming flower
I have made them all easily adaptable to your neighborhood. Many of the challenges can be done inside if you are experiencing really cold weather. As always, the challenges encourage to actually get outside but I know this is not practical for many during the winter months. The ebook includes 28 notebooking pages this time and suggestions for older or advanced students for every challenge. We continue to take it to the next level!
Other Up-Coming Events Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival – December Newsletter Edition: It is not too late to fit in a nature study and blog entry for this edition of the carnival. You can submit your links here: Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. The deadline is 12/30/11 and the carnival will be posted 12/31/11.
Handbook of Nature Study Newsletter – The January edition will be available on 1/1/12. You need to be subscribed to this blog to receive the link to download the monthly newsletter. It takes a few seconds to enter your email address in the box on my sidebar and you will receive the link in the 1/1//12 email footer.
December Bird List – Our Family’s On-Going Record of Our Bird Sighting A Life Project
We have had a busy and full month watching birds in our yard and as part of our December travels. Project Feederwatch has become a natural part of our weekly routine and helps us take a few minutes two days a week to count birds that come to our feeders. First a few interesting photos and then this month’s bird list!
First off, our sweet and fabulous White-breasted nuthatch resident…or at least one of the three that entertain us everyday with their acrobatics on our backyard tree trunks. Ups and downs and lots of pecking are observed as we watch out the window. They also have a very distinct bird sound that they make and we are alerted to look up when we are outside and they are present. If you click the link above and click the Pacific song, you will hear what our nuthatch sounds like (there is an Eastern song as well).
I had to zoom this one in and crop it to show you this cute little guy and his expression.
Our beloved California Towhee in the feeder….usually he scratches around under the feeder but today he showed up for pictures. Isn’t he interesting with his pink-orange rump and pink-orange around the eye? There is always a pair in the yard and they don’t ever stray very far from each other. We learned that the colored patch under the tail is called the “crissum”.
Here is the other half of the pair….up on the branch, waiting for a turn in the feeder. (Males and females look alike.)
Since we started participating in Project Feederwatch, we have seen three of these Spotted Towhees in the yard. They are strikingly beautiful birds and since they are not year-round residents we try to enjoy them while they are here.
I love the way this bird friend is clinging to the twig and posing. You can see the dried up blackberries on the vine that we left from the summer garden. The birds are seen frequently stopping by for a purple snack.
The Western bluebird enjoys a little bath this time in our front yard. I still get excited when he comes to visit. They usually come in a small bunch and then leave all at the same time. Lovely.
Here is the very best shot of the Anna’s Hummingbird at our feeder that I could capture to share. The flash accidentally went off but that really shows his beautiful ruby/pink/iridescent color. We have one or two at a time in the feeder these days, usually a male and a female. There might be more than two since the feeder is emptied frequently even at this time of the year.
In Our Yard – mostly at the feeders
Spotted towhee
Dark-eyed junco
House sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Mourning dove
Western bluebird
Mockingbird
Western scrub jay
American robin
White-breasted nuthatch
California towhee
House finches
Lesser goldfinches
Anna’s hummingbird
Oak titmouse
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Acorn woodpecker
Out and About:
American crow
Northern flicker
California quail
Steller’s jay
Wild turkeys
Brewer’s blackbird
Pigeons
White-tailed kite ***New to our life list
Red-tail hawk
Barn swallow
Bewick’s wren ***New to our life list
Downy woodpecker – hanging on a tall weed (more on that later)
There is a wealth of birding information on the internet but I have not found a more homeschool-friendly site than the ones sponsored by Cornell University. I would love to encourage you all to subscribe to their homeschool blog (click the logo above to pop over there now).
I would love for other families to join ours in watching your feeder birds. It is super easy and you just need to devote a few minutes a week to getting to know your feeder birds one bird at a time. Email me with any questions you have about the program.
So which bird photo did you like the most? I think I like the California towhee in the feeder the best since it is one that I have been trying to snap for awhile now.
Take a short walk through your neighborhood and notice the evergreen trees and bushes that you have near your home. Use the December Newsletter suggestions from the Study Grid and the Printable Bookmark if you would like to some more direction to your nature study.
Allow time for a nature journal entry or use the notebook page from the December Newsletter to record anything you discovered or found interesting. You can also start a Year-Long Tree Study if you haven’t already. You can find a simple Seasonal Tree Study notebook page on my free downloads page.
Note: The December Newsletter is still available to subscribers of this blog. Please enter your email address in the box on my blog sidebar and you will receive the link in the footer of the next entry.
I post lots of photos on this blog of our adventures, gardening, and nature study. You can only imagine how many images I don’t share….perhaps thousands (30-40 a week adds up especially when you add in longer trips). I decided to share ten of those images that didn’t make the blog for your viewing enjoyment.
#1 This was from an amazing day at Yellowstone…totally unplanned and we were on half-speed since both my boys were really sick with some sort of sinus cold. We had planned a glorious day of hiking at Teton National Park, but since they were sick we altered plans and opted to drive the short distance up to Yellowstone and take a leisurely day and let things happen. Sometimes you just need to be flexible and this was one of those times. It was a great day with some great images… this was the same day we saw the grizzly bear and cubs driving back from Yellowstone to Jackson.
#2 Roosevelt Elk in Northern California are such majestic animals…very powerful. This photo reminds me of a great camping trip full of boy stuff, including lighthouses, long deserted beaches, crazy long hikes in the redwoods, and roasting monster size marshmallows over the campfire.
#3 The real story of hiking with boys is shown in this photo. How do they always find something to climb on, over, or through? This gate leads to a fantastic little spot that we discovered this year and have been back in just about every season, including January with about four feet of snow.
#4 There is not nearly enough time and space to share all my wildflower photos with you on this blog. These are along the roadside inside Yellowstone National Park. Honestly, if I didn’t always have boys waiting for me I could get stuck on just taking photos of flowers.
Prepare yourself for a different sort of image….
#5 Yep, this is one of my boys’ favorite images of all 2011. They spent quite some time posing this salmon head for a photo. Mr. A had his camera phone out and was snapping away before I even took any images. Gross but sort of cool when you examine it….I think it looks like a fossil. Later they found a really funny looking dead fish but I will spare you the images.
#6 You must click over to Flickr and look at this one really big…the texture of the feathers is awesome. Do you think I will ever learn to identify more kinds of ducks. Mallards are the only ones I can name for sure…something to work on in 2012.
#7 I planned on writing a post that included this image and sharing how much I HATE brussel sprouts although they are really quite interesting to look at. Who likes brussel sprouts anyway?
#8 This is a combo I am thinking about for my yard. Isn’t it pretty? Love the white of the birch and the yellow of the yarrow together.
#9 My daily friend who visits our feeder. There is a pair that sits on the utility wire across from our house and they make the most amazing sound when they fly….mourning doves are a great bird.
#10 This is what my family sees me doing a lot….gazing out the window at a variety of things, mostly birds.
If you would like to see my Flickr set with my favorite images from the blog from 2011…here you go:
“I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel when introducing a young child to the natural world. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil.” -Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder
Guide them – This is something you do together.
Introduce them – One plant, one bird, one tree at a time.
Just another day of perfect December hiking and taking in the challenge to find some color. Our winter nature study is shaping up to look more like fall….warm temperatures and dry, dry, dry. We looked at each other after lunch today and everyone was in agreement. We needed to be outside.
I quickly filled the backpack with water, snacks, and camera then we were out the door. The parking lot at the trailhead was about half full of vehicles and most of those were trucks with horse trailers, a few with bike racks. We opted to hike since the Kona dog wanted to take a swim at the river. It was that warm.
The trail starts off on a downward slope and if you look in the distance you can see our landmark “lollipop” tree (farthest hill with a single tree). We aim for that tree and know that the river is somewhere over there. It is an easy hike with several trail options. We took the Long Valley Trail down to the river and the South Fork Trail back up.
Along one section of the trail we observed lots and lots of goldfinches having a seed feast. Amazing yellow color in real life…our first real color of the hike. We also stopped to observe another little bird who sat on the cattails in the ditch. It was a new bird and we took the time to really look with the binoculars, noting shape, size, color, eye-stripe, beak shape, tail shape, and song. (We identified back at home as a Bewick’s Wren=new to our life list!)
The river was running high and we had the place to ourselves, except for some barn swallows swooping overhead and a couple of fellow travelers on horses. This is a gorgeous section of the river all lined with oaks in the winter sunshine.
Kona took a swim right off the bat and I decided to rest on the rock overlooking the river. She splashed and retrieved sticks for the next half hour. One man in a canoe and one woman in a kayak went past. I was happy to be dry up on my rock but I waved a friendly wave as they floated past.
I soaked in the sun, watching the water rush by, and contemplated the beauty.
I was grateful. My heart felt refreshed or maybe just cleansed of the everyday.
The view from my rock spot was enjoyable and it is easy to get lost in your thoughts as the water rushes by you. So much power and so much potential…wondering where the water will end up at the end of its river journey. I even thought for a few minutes about the rocks just under the surface of the water, the rocks the kayaker succeeded in navigating around on her trip down the river. We all need to know where the rocks are.
Here is my favorite image of the day showing the winter color of my world. The shore of the river is always changing but these multi-colored rocks keep the river from eroding the banks away except in the highest storm waters. What are your favorite colors found in the rocks? The green? The pinkish orange? The speckled? The white? I put one in my pocket and now it is sitting on my shelf as a reminder of my winter color walk afternoon to the river.
We had to drag Kona away from her beloved stick fetching and started back up the hill towards home. Along the way we watched two birds in flight over the rolling hills…stopping to hover over some prey. We used the binoculars but were unable to really identify this second new bird of the day. We noted behavior, wing shape, size, color. At home we identified this new bird as the White Tailed Kite. How exciting is that?
It was a very good day.
My December nature journal entry in progress…notes and things I want to remember about this month….to be continued as the month rolls along.
Join us this week for a simple December Color Walk.
Here are some ideas:
Outdoor Time:
Pick a color to focus on during your outdoor time. Look for things both natural and manmade that are that color. (The Hodgepodge Family recently took a red and green walk.)
Give your child the camera and let them snap photos of the different colors they see during their outdoor time.
