We've been planning for weeks to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The event started last Friday, but we had the Mini Town field trip all day and then swim practice. Saturday we were at a swim meet for 12 hours, so we were never home during daylight. On Sunday by the time we went to church, Sunday School, and had dinner, I was dead tired and opted for a nap. So that left today, the last day of the event. And it was a bee-yoo-tee-ful day! Perfect for being outside. On any given day we can see plenty of birds in our backyard. So what happens when a mom tells her kids they're going to spend the day watching birds?
Silence.
Hello, anyone home?
Your home looks like it belongs in Narnia, but I bet you're really pretty.
By now the kids had given up on seeing any real birds and went off to play in the woods. Defeated, I headed back to the house. But then...
Finally!
Someone took pity on me. I'm guessing she's a mom too, so she understands days like this.
So I hope that dispels any notion some of you had that I am a bird watcher. I'm sure Charlotte Mason would be shaking her head in shame.
I also have an excellent bird resource to share. My friend Carrie, who sometimes comments on my blog, first showed me this book, and I was immediately captivated by its beautiful illustrations and the ability to hear the call of each bird. We gave it to Anna for her birthday, and she has spent hours pouring through it. I will give a warning, however -- your kids will love to play pranks with this book. One night I almost fell backwards down the stairs when I heard a screeching sound come out of her room! It does have a volume control though, so don't let the sound thing be the reason you don't buy this book.
If you did the bird count, I hope your bird watching went better than ours!
Kellie, it took me YEARS to be a bird watcher with lots of flops. Do you have any feeders and a bird bath? I find it helps to place them so that I can view them from inside my house. If you start NOW and get to know your birds, then next year, you might be ready for the big day!
ReplyDeleteThat makes me feel a little better. : ) We do have a feeder on our back porch that we can see from the kitchen table. Normally we see birds all day long there, but for whatever reason they were scarce on Monday. I also put seed on a tree stump in our front yard, but no birds came. So then we went out into the woods and sat on a blanket for a while, but still nothing. LOL, today they've been everywhere!
ReplyDeleteWe do need to study up more on our local birds -- I was thinking about studying a bird a month with the kids. And next year we will not wait until the last day of the count to get started!
Thanks for your comment,
Kellie
Ya know I think that if Charlotte Mason was living today she would have included photography into her nature sketching ideas. I am more of a photographer than a sketcher. lol!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are gorgeous! and what a nice mommy bird. : )
Thank you, Beth! I wish you lived nearby so you could teach me all your neat Photoshop skills though. : )
ReplyDeleteKellie