For the Birds

Before we left for Spring Break, the children drew our attention to an exciting development outside our window.  A pair of mourning doves had begun to build a nest in a nearby pine tree.  Although we couldn’t see the actual nest, we could see all of the interesting bits the birds were bringing to construct it.  This discovery prompted the children to notice the birds milling around on the rest of the playground.  Within two minutes, they had spotted a cardinal and a robin, as well.

With the growing interest, I pulled together my favorite stuffed birds and a bunch of identification guides.  You have probably heard the children imitating the sound of the mourning dove.  Sadly, this is the only one I am capable of imitating.  However, our plush birds do a great job of twittering and tweeting their sweet songs for the children’s listening pleasure.

Yesterday, we identified our favorites from our backyard bird collection.  After we read a bit about each, the children turned to their journals to record one thing they had learned about their most beloved bird.

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