Identifying Birds Archives

Posted on January 11, 2023January 9, 2024 by Tricia Hodges — Leave a comment

February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

These February homeschool nature studies are great for bird watching and study. Includes The Backyard Bird Count and more!

February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

There are so many ways to enjoy bird watching this month (or any month). Here are some ideas to get you started.

Great Backyard Bird Count Resources: Everything You Need

Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!

What Is The Great Backyard Bird Count?

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.
Birdcount.org

Are you ready? Enjoy these Great Backyard Bird Count Homeschool Resources as you watch birds in your backyard this February!

Bird Watching 101: Attracting Birds to Your Yard

Here you will find all sorts of ideas for attracting birds to your yard for homeschool nature study and birdwatching. We love to watch birds and do so on a regular basis without ever leaving our backyard. We can watch from our window or our deck and see usually around 4-5 different kinds of birds each day. At sometimes of the year, we have a lot more than that and it is exciting to see a new kind in the feeders.

Fun Bird Nests and Eggs Activities for Nature Study – Enjoy these fun activities for learning about bird nests and eggs. Includes ideas for getting outside, bird resources and suggestions for follow up activities as well.

Ultimate List of Bird Nature Studies Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges

You can enjoy a simple birds homeschool nature study with these resources we have gathered for you to use in your own backyard. It is such a delight to study and learn about these beautiful creatures! Find the list HERE.

Make Bird Feeders and Bird Crafts for Your Backyard Birds

We created these amazing bird feeders in a special winter event with our sister site, You ARE an ARTiST! There are even more bird feeders/crafts you can enjoy in the replay. Find out more in this Winter Tree Homeschool Nature Study!

You might also like:

Send Nature Valentines – Free Printable

These are such fun with sayings such as: “Bee Mine”, “I’m Nuts for You”, “Owl Love You Forever” and “I Love You Deerly”. Perfect for exchanging Valentines with friends or for mailing to grandparents! (Homeschool Nature Study members have these in your Resources course and on your February Nature Study Calendar!)

homeschool nature journaling — Photo by Amy Law

Start the Nature Journal Habit

Keeping a nature journal and building the homeschool nature journal habit can be a wonderful extension of your outdoor learning time. You will find nature journal ideas for everyone from young children to the homeschool mom!

You can even start a Calendar of Firsts – such a wonderful habit that will hep your children notice seasonal changes and more.

Spring Homeschool Nature Study with Music and Art

Because by the end of February we are all ready for spring! You may even have some early spring bulbs poking through the soil! Take a peek at this Spring Homeschool Nature Study.

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

Can you believe all of these bird resources you will find in membership? You will also find a continuing series on bird nature study, bird watching and attracting birds plus all the Outdoor Hour Challenges for nature study in our Homeschool Nature Study membership. There are 25+ continuing courses with matching Outdoor Hour curriculum that will bring the Handbook of Nature Study to life in your homeschool! In addition, there is an interactive monthly calendar with daily nature study prompt – all at your fingertips!

Find Out More About Homeschool Nature Study Membership HERE!

Our family is going to be counting in the Great Backyard Bird Count! Join us! and be sure to share on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge on Instagram or Homeschool Nature Study on Facebook with your results too!

Looking For More Activities For February Homeschooling?

Groundhog Day Homeschool Nature Study Activities

Whether it is Groundhog Day or you are just wanting to learn more about these mammals, enjoy these homeschool nature study activities about woodchucks, groundhogs, prairie dogs and marmots!

Tricia and her family fell in love with the Handbook of Nature Study and the accompanying Outdoor Hour Challenges early in their homeschooling. The simplicity and ease of the weekly outdoor hour challenges brought joy to their homeschool and opened their eyes to the world right out their own back door! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at You ARE an ARTiST and Your Best Homeschool plus her favorite curricula at The Curriculum Choice.

Posted on September 30, 2022October 5, 2022 by Tricia Hodges — Leave a comment

Fall Bird Study For Your Homeschool

You can enjoy a simple fall bird study for your homeschool with Project Feederwatch! This is an activity that can help you learn more about your local birds in a way that is fun and useful to the community.

Fall Bird Study For Your Homeschool

You can even extend your fall bird study into winter with this fun citizen science project. You can participate as much or as little as you desire. It only takes a few minutes on two consecutive days each week to participate. If you miss a week, that’s okay too…just pick up when you can.

What Is Project Feederwatch?

“Project FeederWatch can turn your love of feeding birds into scientific discoveries!” Read an overview about the project, the app you can download, the tools you receive (a participant welcome kit) and the way the data is used in the Project FeederWatch program overview.

Project FeederWatch runs from November 1 through April 30. This is a perfect fall bird study because come February, there is the Great Backyard Bird Count to participate in as well.

Here are details on how to participate.

Who Can Participate in This Fall Bird Study?

Anyone – all ages – can participate in Project FeederWatch. The video, below, shows how this really is something everyone can participate in, even with young children.

Weaving a citizen science project like this into your lives is so rewarding. We have several feeders we can see from our windows and keeping them filled with seed is easy. Those feeders become the focal point of our bird observations because for Feederwatch you only count birds that come to eat.

Project Feederwatch is a perfect match for our lifestyle. It’s something that I can participate in that doesn’t take a huge commitment of time and I can do it right from my own home, even if I’m wearing my pajamas.

You simply:

Choose your site
Count the birds that visit
Enter your data online

Great Backyard Bird Count

Similar to Project FeederWatch, The Great Backyard Bird Count has you counting the birds coming to your feeder. However, it takes place over a much shorter time – and in February.

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.
Birdcount.org

Top Feeder Birds

This is a great beginner’s list of birds to know and be able to identify. Use the links above to take a peek at these common birds that may be visitors to your neighborhood. Make sure to scroll down to the “similar species” section for each bird and that will give you additional birds to look for if you don’t have that particular bird in your neighborhood. Also, reading the “Backyard Tips” and “Find This Bird” sections will give you some clues and hints for actually viewing this bird in person.

More Bird Nature Studies for Your Homeschool

Studying birds in your Outdoor Hour Challenge time and bird watching is such a wonderful activity! You might also like these resources:

Homeschool Bird Study for Different Learning Styles
The Ultimate List of Bird Homeschool Studies Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges
Homeschool Bird Study with Chalk Pastels
I Drew It Then I Knew Homeschool Bird Study (free fall blue jay art lesson)

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

Join Homeschool Nature Study Membership Today!

Be sure to share on social media and tag @outdoorhourchallenge on Instagram or Homeschool Nature Study on Facebook with your results too!

You can enjoy a simple fall bird study for your homeschool with Project Feederwatch! This is an activity that can help you learn more about your local birds in a way that is fun and useful to the community.

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Barb — 6 Comments

New Bird in My Nature Journal – Fox Sparrow

We have had a new regular bird under our birdfeeders this past Project Feederwatch season. I wasn’t able to identify it right off the bat since sparrows are some of the more difficult birds to distinguish in my feeders. I was finally able to take a really good photo of him and that certainly helped.

He is actually a Sooty Fox Sparrow which is found here on the West Coast. This was the bird that kept flying into my back window…in fact I got to look at one really close because it was dead on my back deck from a crash into the window. (That was a sad day!) I used a photo of the bird this time in my journal just to make it easy. I followed the prompt from last month’s newsletter Nature Journal Topper to list at least five things we observed about our bird. My rule is to get the page done in your journal and not worry about how fancy or creative it is…

This website has some excellent images of this bird: Sooty Fox Sparrow.

Have you observed any new birds yet this spring?

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Barb — 1 Comment

Project Feederwatch and Autumn Birds

Time for Project Feederwatch to begin for the season! I am ready to go this year and have me days planned for observing our feeders. It only takes a few minutes on two consecutive days each week to participate. If you miss a week, that is okay too…just pick up when you can.

Watch a video on how to get started.

I love weaving a citizen science project like this into our lives. We have several feeders we can see from our windows and keeping them filled with seed is easy. Those feeders become the focal point of our bird observations because for Project Feederwatch you only count birds that come to eat.

We have participated for the last two years and it is interesting to compare our numbers from year to year.

We are already seeing some of our winter residents arriving from their summer migration areas.

What are you seeing at your feeders this month? Are you anticipating the return of any birds to your feeders?

Here is what we had at our feeders this week:
Dark eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finches
Anna’s Hummingbirds
Spotted Towhee
Western Scrub Jays
Titmouse
Starlings (in the trees, not the feeder though)
Goldfinches
White-breasted nuthatches

Plus a NEW BIRD!!!

This is the first time ever I spotted a Bewick’s Wren in my backyard! I was out trying to capture my Spotted towhee when this little guy caught my eye. He was flitting around in the shrubs and he ended up on the lilac branches in my butterfly garden. I wasn’t sure if I could get him because he was fast! But, there he is and the image is clear enough that I was able to go in and identify him using WhatBird? and AllAboutBirds.com. He is new on my life list and he will be going into my nature journal soon.

I will be sharing my bird lists each month and if you do the same you can drop me a comment and I will come and take a look.

You may be interested in following my Nature Study-Birds Pinterest board!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Barb — 2 Comments

Things We Learn with the Great Backyard Bird Count – Our 2013 List

This is our fifth year of participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count in our Northern California home. It is the highlight of our February nature study and has led to our becoming better birders every year.

Things We Learn With The Great Backyard Bird Count

Learning to identify our backyard birds-an obvious skill that comes directly from recording our observations.
Refining our skills as observers-knowing the difference between male and female specimens, subtle differences between species like the House finch and the Pine siskin.
Careful record keeping-counting and tallying each bird for the best data to share with the GBBC
Better at understanding changes over time-comparing numbers of birds from year to year, anticipating migratory birds, knowing a new bird
Learning to use our binoculars better and to take better bird photos
Becoming part of an online birding community-reading other family’s experiences and lists, seeing their photos
Value of contributing to a citizen science project- realizing our small part in this really important big project as a partner with Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Our2013 List of Birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count

Western Scrub Jay 2
Oak Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Spotted Towhee1
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Dark Eyed Junco 6
House Finch 15
House Sparrow 4
California Towhee 1
American Robin 20
Anna’s Hummingbird 2
Mourning Dove 4
Lesser Goldfinches 2
Northern mockingbird 1
Steller’s Jay 1
Pine Siskin 4

Not the impressive numbers we usually have and a few of our old favorites are missing like the woodpeckers and flickers and Cedar waxwings. We did have two new birds this year which was a thrill. The Steller’s jay and the Pine siskin are newcomers to our GBBC list.

I of course spent lots of time running from window to window to try to capture some of our backyard bird visitors….this is normal behavior from me at all times but especially during the GBBC. But this time I didn’t get an really super images so I will indulge you with my Mourning dove and California towhee….some of our regular year-round residents.

Did you count birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count?
Feel free to share your GBBC entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival this month or you can leave a comment here in this entry with the most exciting or interesting bird you saw during the GBBC.

Don’t forget that everyone who enters the OHC Carnival this month is entered to win a DVD from Crowe’s Nest Media – either the Monarch Butterfly or the Backyard Bird DVD! They are both wonderful resources for your nature study that your children will want to watch over and over again.

Our February Blog Sponsor….Thanks to the Crowe Family for providing such wonderful DVD’s and study guides for our science and nature study!

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Starting a Bird Life List

Outdoor Hour Challenge:
For this challenge, I encourage you to start a life list of birds. A bird life list is a cumulative list of birds that a birder sees and identifies.There are a variety of ways to do a life list including a handwritten list in your nature journal, using a pre-made book, checking off birds and noting the dates in your field guide or from a checklist, keeping an online list at eBird, or using an app on your phone.

Don’t get stuck on picking the “perfect” way to keep your list. Review the choices and then get started. My only regret is that I did not start my personal life list sooner.

I have found that I like to keep multiple lists including one for our yard and neighborhood (by month), by location when you travel (like my Oregon and Yosemite lists), and perhaps even lists by the month or season. You can see my entry on Nature Journal Organization for more information.

You can also start a bird “wish list” and keep track of birds you would like to see in the future. This is especially helpful if you are traveling and can do some preparation before you leave noting the birds you may encounter.

Special Activity:Life List Printable

Bird Life List Printable
I have attempted to create a Life List Printable that will be flexible for you to use in your nature notebook. I am in the process of testing it out in my everyday bird sightings.

Your list can be as detailed as you wish.
Things to include: Date and Time of Day. Location. Gender. Weather. Bird Sounds. Number of birds seen.

Additional resources:
Printable Checklists by Country or Region (updated the link with one that should get you started)

Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #5. I love the quotes in this challenge from Charlotte Mason. Remind yourself that you are the key to a successful outing and follow your child’s lead as much as possible. After your outdoor time, start or add to your running list of birds you see in your backyard. You can use the notebook page from the ebook for further information.

You can see and download a sample challenge and notebook pages: OHC Getting Started Ebook Sample.

Please note that this ebook is included in every level of membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Save

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Barb — 2 Comments

How to Be a Better Birder: Learning Bird Calls

“When a bird sings, it’s telling you what it is and where it is. Learn bird calls and open a new window on your birding.”
All About Birds website, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

It all started last year with our visit to Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology…a desire to be a better birder. I have known that my listening skills are not as sharp as they could be and I made it a goal to learn more of my local bird’s songs and calls, one bird at a time.

We have been at it for about ten months and I have found that just paging through The Backyard Birdsong Guideand listening to the songs has greatly helped me learn to distinguish between a House sparrow and a House finch, a Titmous and a Nuthatch. I think it is like learning a whole new language and as you work on it your ears get accustomed to hearing subtle differences.

This page on All About Birds has some wonderful tips for learning to recognize bird songs: Songs and Calls. I highly recommend it for anyone who is trying to learn this skill. My boys pick up on it faster than I do so don’t hesitate to share the tips with your children.

Last summer I was able to identify a Hermit thrush during our Oregon camping trip by listening and repeating in my head the song he cried out in the forest. I followed the advice to put the bird song into words that I could remember. I now can immediately identify it with no question.

The Steller’s jay that has moved into my neighborhood in the last few months can be heard easily and distinguished from the Western scrub jay with ease.

The titmouse, the Spotted towhee, the Cedar waxwing…all are easily identified now by their sound.

It feels good. You can do it too by taking one bird at a time and making your own memory or aid to remembering.

During my recent trip to Florida, I used my camera video to capture some bird calls for later identifying.

Do I think it is worth the effort to learn the various bird songs of my neighborhood birds? Yes! It has given our family so much more enjoyment in our birding and has helped us to be more skilled at listening. You can use the ideas in last week’s challenge to help you get started: Birding by Ear.

Do you know any of your local bird’s songs?

Amazon.com Widgets

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Barb — 6 Comments

Backyard Birds – Hawks and Their Calls

Bird watching year after year, you begin to have favorite birds that visit your feeders. You know the comings and goings of the common feeder birds as they stop by to eat each day; sparrows early in the day, scrub jays perched on top, the titmouse speeding in and out.

But sometimes you have birds that bless you with a rare visit…not even to the feeder but still close to your yard and within binocular range of your front window. We have had several hawk visitors over the years that we have observed in this way. This week there was a bird on the telephone wire across the street from our house. I spotted it from the window and then grabbed my binoculars. I grabbed my “big” camera with the really good zoom lens and stepped outside and across the street to see if I could capture him in an image.

It was as if he was posing for me. The look on his face was cautiously curious. I snapped away and here are a couple of frames that really give you a feel for this beautiful hawk.

I think he is a Red-shouldered hawk, both from the description in my field guide, looking at AllAboutBirds, and listening to him as he later soared up in the sky.

Isn’t this a magnificent bird? Look at all those colorful feathers and the patterns are amazing. All hawks are beauties but this one is especially beautiful…I am in awe.

Here is what AllAboutBirds.com says about the call of the Red-shouldered hawk:

“A Red-shouldered Hawk’s most common call is a plaintive, rising whistle that sounds like kee-ahh. The call tends to be repeated 5–12 times, with each note lasting about half a second. Hawks use it to claim their territory and when alarmed.”

So now that I can listen for the two syllable call (kee-aah) of the Red-shouldered hawk, I will easily be able to identify it when I hear it while on hikes. There are several other hawks I hear from time to time and they are much different:
Sharp-shinned hawk – which says kik-kik-kik.
Red-tailed hawk – which says keee-eeeek-aar (like a scream)
Cooper’s hawk – which says cak-cak-cak-cak-cak

Do you have hawks in your neighborhood? Can you identify them by their call?

According to the Cornell website, many hawks are now stalking backyard birdfeeders and finding a meal of smaller birds to be much easier than hunting in the wild. I thought that was interesting.

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Barb — 4 Comments

European Starling Mimics a Hawk

We were out for our afternoon walk with the dog when we thought we heard a red-tailed hawk. We stopped to listen and take a good look but what we saw were two smaller dark birds in the top of the evergreen. They were chattering and I was thinking it was a myna bird….somewhere I had heard one before and I remembered its distinctive whistles and calls.

I tried to zoom in and get a good look but they were too far away. They flew away.

We continued on the trail and then we heard the chattering again. This time I was able to get a little closer and take another photo. I cropped this one so it is a tad blurry but you can see what the basic shape is for this bird.

When we got home we pulled out the field guide and it told us that the starling and the myna are related. What was the most fascinating fact we learned is that the starling will mimic the red-tail hawk. You can hear it on AllAboutBirds.org:
European Starling (scroll down and listen)
This is exactly what we heard!

Still learning after all this time!

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Barb — 10 Comments

Meet My New Friends-The Goldfinches

We have had a hard time attracting goldfinches to our yard. We tried thistle feeders before but the goldfinches never came. I decided two weeks ago to try again and this time….they arrived right outside my window!

I can’t tell you how thrilled we were to see them in the feeder, lined up along the branches, and sitting in the top of the tree. Their bright yellow color is amazing to see flash across the yard and their sweet little song is so beautiful coming in the windows.

Mr. B came in yesterday with a gift for me.

He found a goldfinch feather under the feeder and brought it in for me to see. Doesn’t it look as if someone dipped the tip in yellow paint?

This is going in my nature journal! We found the goldfinch in the Handbook of Nature Study and now we are going to read up on them and do some of the suggestions in Lesson 10.

“Goldfinches are seen at their best in late summer or September, when they appear in flocks wherever the thistle seeds are found in abundance.”
Handbook of Nature Study, page 57

Hopefully they are here for awhile so we can get our fill of finches.

Tag: Identifying Birds

February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

February Homeschool Nature Studies Great for Bird Watching

Great Backyard Bird Count Resources: Everything You Need

What Is The Great Backyard Bird Count?

Bird Watching 101: Attracting Birds to Your Yard

Ultimate List of Bird Nature Studies Using the Outdoor Hour Challenges

Make Bird Feeders and Bird Crafts for Your Backyard Birds

Send Nature Valentines – Free Printable

Get Your Printable Nature Valentines!

Start the Nature Journal Habit

Spring Homeschool Nature Study with Music and Art

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

Looking For More Activities For February Homeschooling?

Groundhog Day Homeschool Nature Study Activities

Fall Bird Study For Your Homeschool

Fall Bird Study For Your Homeschool

What Is Project Feederwatch?

Who Can Participate in This Fall Bird Study?

Great Backyard Bird Count

Top Feeder Birds

More Bird Nature Studies for Your Homeschool

Join The Homeschool Nature Study Membership for Year Round Support

New Bird in My Nature Journal – Fox Sparrow

Have you observed any new birds yet this spring?

Project Feederwatch and Autumn Birds

Things We Learn with the Great Backyard Bird Count – Our 2013 List

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Starting a Bird Life List

How to Be a Better Birder: Learning Bird Calls

Backyard Birds – Hawks and Their Calls

European Starling Mimics a Hawk

Meet My New Friends-The Goldfinches

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!