Georgia Youth Birding Competition

On Sunday, April 26, the Brown Thrashers gathered at 7 AM to begin a big day of birding. Youth Birders from around Georgia compete to see which team can compile the longest list of species seen in 24 hours. (Click on post title for more information about the YBC.) The Thrashers headed off to the Newman Wetland Center in Clayton County. We checked out the feeders and came away with a RT Hummingbird, Goldfinches, Cardinals and several other species. As we started around the wetland loop, we spotted a Pileated Woodpecker high in a snag. This was a first for our birders and a great start to the day. Shortly after that we got wonderful looks at a very cooperative Common Yellowthroat. Other birds included many Canada Geese, several Phoebes, Redwinged Blackbirds. We came upon 4 deer grazing in the woods and were able to watch them for quite some time. Turtles, spiders, and snakes were of interest as well.

After completing the loop at the Wetland Center, we caravaned up to the Huie Ponds. There we got great looks at a Turkey Vulture that was hunkered down on a piling. Also, a high flying mixed group of Black and Turkey Vultures gave us a good lesson in separating those species. We also got the scope on a Great Blue Heron. "Awesome!" Tree and Barn Swallows along with Martins helped fill in the checklist. We returned to the Wetland Center picnic pavilion for lunch.

Around 1:30 pm, we loaded up and headed for Charlie Elliott about 90 minutes away. We stopped along the way to check some cattle near road, including a longhorn. Arriving at CE we took a walk toward the lakes birding along the way. We were excited to find a pair of Canada Geese with newly hatched goslings.
A turtle was also a great find. We spent some time skipping stones then headed up to the dining hall to turn in our check list (34 species) and our conservation donation total ($310).
The banquet hit the spot after the long day. At the awards, we were delighted to win 3rd place for our donation to National Audubon's Pennies for the Planet and Atlanta Audubon's Birdathon.
Many thanks to the students and staff at Knollwood who supported our fundraising efforts and also to Sarah Humphrey and Angela Gaither for driving and birding with us.

Brown Thrashers Present Program

On Tuesday, March 31, ten members of the club went to Magnolia Circle on Rainbow Drive to present a program on birds to the Seniors who reside at this apartment complex. About 20 seniors were waiting for us as we came into the community room and set up our laptop and LCD project. The students presented a Powerpoint presentation on the common birds of Georgia and told a few facts about each of the 15 birds. After the slides, the club members presented the residents with three different kinds of bird feeders and told them what birds they might expect at each one.

After refreshments, the students escorted those interested out onto the patio to look through the binoculars that we brought with us. We saw a number of birds and we able to help the folks identify a robin. We were very pleased to have this opportunity to share our knowledge. Many thanks to Kyrel's mom and Mrs. Adams for driving. Also, notice the wonderful new t-shirts. Many thanks to Woody for designing the Brown Thrasher logo!

During the next two weeks the club will be fund raising for the National Audubon Society's "Pennies for the Planet" and preparing for Georgia's 4th Annual Youth Birding Competition.

Our Big Birding Day

On Thursday, Lisa and Art Hurt, along with my birding friend Sarah Humphrey, arrived at 9:45 a.m. ready to lead the 4th grade on a bird walk around the school campus. Before going outside, Art showed us how to use the binoculars - adjusting the diopter and focusing - and how to actually see a bird by keeping our eyes on the bird and lifting the binoculars to our eyes. We split each class up into 3 groups of 8 students and 2 adults each. Most of the birds seen were at the well stocked and prepared feeds -thanks 5th grade bird club members! Both Art and Lisa are regular field trip leaders with Atlanta Audubon and Lisa is a former teacher so we had both knowledge of birds and of kids.

We had a beautiful day for our walk - sunny and about 60 degrees. The birds were active at the feeders and with Lisa's and Art's knowledge and assistance we were able to identify 18 different species between the two classes: Blue Jay, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, A. Robin, E. Bluebird, Tufted Titmouse, C. Chickadee, A. Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, Pine Siskin, N. Cardinal, Brown Headed Nuthatch, Mockingbird, Red Tailed Hawk, Chipping Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Turkey Vulture, Pine Warbler. Highlights for all birders were the Bluebirds and the Red-tailed Hawk, who were very accommodating by giving us extended views. Lisa modeled how advantageous it is to learn the bird songs and calls, impressing both the students and the teachers.

I was impressed at the checklist countdown by how many birds the students remembered by name. They didn't miss one!

Preparing for our Thursday Bird Walk

This Thursday, some folks from the Atlanta Audubon Society will visit us and lead a bird walk around the school. The Bird Club has set up and maintains 3 feeder stations around the campus. In preparation for the LABS bird walk, several of the club members worked with me making suet dough.
We used Julie Zickefoose's Recipe and mixed up enough for several weeks. The kids and I smelled like peanut butter all day!

One of the feeder stations is outside a media center window. I have a hopper feeder and a suet feeder hanging from an Eastern Red Cedar and a small wooden/plastic feeder hanging on the window. We also spread sunflower seeds on the window sill. The bird activity at the feeders is quite an attraction all day as children come in and out of the library media center for lessons or checkout. The birds come up to the window and are quite bold. We have a brown headed nuthatch that will tap on the window when the seeds in the feeder get too low! This winter's cold spell has brought a good variety of species, including a large flock of pine siskins.

Science Lab #5

During our scheduled library time last week, I showed two movies from BrainPop on migration and hibernation. On the pre-test, a good many students confused the two concepts. We talked about neo-tropical migrants and the difficulties and hazards of long-distance migration. Afterwards, the classes worked again on their field guides.

The science lab this week was a whole class activity in the computer lab. We first worked through the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's on-line migration quiz. Every right answer would bring Wanda the Wood Thrush closer to her home in Maryland. This would be a great activity after reading Flute's Journey: the Story of a Wood Thrush by Lynne Cherry. Following the quiz, the class played Mission Migration by Audubon New York. Mission Migration is a game in which the student chooses a species and help its flock maneuver around obstacles and past hazards. The students became very engrossed in getting their flocks north safely.

The lab ended with a brainstorming session on the role humans can play in helping protect birds, particularly migrants. It was apparent that the children had learned alot from the games. We worked up about 12 slogans that they will use on posters. Cats Indoors, Bell Your Cat, Prevent Window Strikes, Be Careful with Pesticides, Clean Your Feeders, Stop Global Warming, Learn About Birds, and Support Bird Conservation Organizations were some of the poster ideas.

Science Lab #4

For the lab session on adaptation, I arranged for three activities. One group played the on-line camouflage game I had intended to use in the libary.

The second activity centered on the "What is your Wingspan?" banner that I borrowed from Tim Keyes at the Department of Natural Resources. The science lab coordinator managed this activity which began with a closer look at wing shape and differences. After that, the students spent some time measuring the wingspan of different birds using tapes and rulers in meters and centimeters.

I led an investigation of bill shape and purpose as a form of adaptation. I used an analogy with kitchen implements and the students quickly made the connection between the tools and particular types of food. We were fortunate to have 3 bird specimens on loan from Fernbank Science Center to compare bill shapes. We noticed that although fish was an important food for all three birds (Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, and Hooded Merganser), their manner of catching the fish called for a differently shaped bills. We compared the birds with different ways in which people use tools to catch different kinds of fish - hook and line, nets, spears/harpons.

Personal Field Guides are Progressing

When the classes came to the library this week, I taught a brief lesson to prepare the students for their lab, which focuses on physical adaptation this week. On the pre-test many students missed the question on camouflage. After defining camouflage as a physical adaptation, I had intended to play an online game. Unfortunately, the game would not load but serendipitously, I spotted a site selling camouflage for hunting and I was able to illustrate the point using clothing. We talked about why both predators and prey might need camouflage for survival.

After the short lesson, we continued working on the field guides. Some of the students noticed that their field guides had both male and female when the species were dimorphic. That observation led to another discussion of camouflage being important to female birds. I observed most students using the field guide indexes to locate information.

Science Lab #3

This week, due to the Presidential Inauguration on Tuesday and Honors Day on Thursday, the classes were not able to come to the library. However, I was able to have a little extra time with each group in the lab before we started dissecting owl pellets. We spent about 15 minutes discussing the food web of the barn owl and the reasons an ornithologist might want to discover what the owls were eating.

I've dissected owl pellets with 4th graders several times, so I was prepared for some of the reactions. "No, it's not poop! It's throw-up!" I most admit that this year's group was not the least squeamish about touching the pellets. Each student had their own pellet along with tweezers and a stick, a bone chart and a vole skeleton chart. Once the students had separated most of the fur from the bones, I asked them to color in on the skeleton what bones they thought they had discovered. One thing I have learned from previous dissections is that not all pellets are created equal. Some have very few bones. After it's obvious which students did not get a very prolific pellet, I went around with my bag of bones from last year and gave them a handful.

One student discovered a bird skull in her pellet. The second class had more pellets containing skulls. If there is only one activity you can do with a class studying the food web, dissecting owl pellets is the one to choose!

Science Lab #2

The Thursday lab sessions focused on ecosystems and food webs/chains. Because the teachers were covering the general concepts about ecosystems in the classroom, I decided to concentrate on food webs and chains in preparation for our owl pellet dissection next week. I planned three activities this week. The first group went into the computer lab with the classroom teacher and played a on-line game called Chain Reaction. The second group met with the science lab coordinator andwatched a movie on ecosystems from the Web site Brainpop.
I worked with the third group using cards to sort different living things into producers, consumers (herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores), and decomposers. We had just enough time to rotate each group through the three activities.







Again, the students were engaged and enjoyed the activities. However, because the ecosystem concepts are complex, I hope the teachers will continue exploring them in the classroom.

Field Guides

During library last week, I taught both classes the fundamentals of using a field guide. Our research project for LABS will be to create a personal field guide of the 15 common birds found around the neighborhood. Using the index of a book is a fourth grade reference skill, and I was able to have the students practice this with the field guides. I pointed out that birds with a two-part common name, such as Northern Cardinal, are looked up by the second part much like a person is looked up by their last name. Each student was given a set of the common bird pages that I acquired from notebookingpages.com Students will complete the page for each bird, then we will use the spiral binder to create the field guide. The assignment for the week was to fill in the common and scientific names, then color the picture appropriately.

Brown Thrasher's Bird Club News

On Friday, January 9, the bird club put up 4 Blue Bird boxes on the school grounds and moved around several of the bird feeders. We've seen many Blue Birds around the school and hope that we will get a nest in at least one of the boxes. The feeders were located in front of a large window. We were worried about window collisions, but discovered that there was too much activity near that hallway window and we didn't see very many birds at all. We moved the feeder closer to a pine tree about 25 yards from the window and hope to see more action. Two fifth graders and five fourth graders helped out. Mr. Gaither, a parent, assisted with the mounting of the boxes.

Science Lab #1

The first LABS session was devoted to learning the parts of a bird's body and starting to identify the 10 to 15 birds that are seen frequently in our school neighborhood. I set the lab up as 4 activity centers and with 3 adults this worked out nicely. The teacher in each of the two classes provided the students with an opportunity to learn the bird's body parts. We used the materials from the AAS LABS box.

I ran activity #2, which was bird song identification. I had two devices that use batteries and one book with a built in speaker for selecting songs-The Backyard Birdsong Guide by Donald Kroodsma. I would highly recommend this book for a listening activity with students. I was prepared to use my iPod with Bird Jam but felt that it was too complicated for the amount of time we had available. The objective was for students to understand that each bird has its own particular song and that this is a good way to identify birds in the field.

I set up 2 lap tops for activity #3. I had previously created a simple Powerpoint to help the bird club members learn the common birds. The students were able to manage the activity on their own. This activity seemed to be the students' favorite.

Activity #4 was run by the science lab coordinator. She played a memory/concentration game from the LABS material with the students . Students were asked to identify the bird after turning over the first card. Students spent about 8-10 minutes at each activity and were nicely engaged at each stop.

Data Collection

To provide data as to the effectiveness of the LABS model, I established a pre and post test framework. This past week during each class's scheduled library time, I administered the pre-test which consisted of 9 questions that were similar or identical to questions 4th graders will find on the CRCT in life science. (Criterion Referenced Curriculum Test for Georgia). For the tenth question students were asked to write down the name of every bird they could identify in their neighborhood. Most of the children struggled to come up with 4 or 5 birds, the most common being "robbin" and blue jay. Many others would be able to identify a flamingo, penguin, or ostrich should they appear in their backyard! Three students threw in bats for good measure. Of the 49 students, the mean number of birds named, both specifically (blue jay) and generically (eagle) was 4. The high number of birds named was from a student in the bird club who had 11, all specific. Of the nine CRCT type questions, the mean number correct was 5. Two questions referencing ecosystems were most often missed along with a question about migration. Many students were unable to identify "owls that live in the arctic are white" as an example of camouflage.

What is Learning About Birds?

Learning About Birds (LABS) is a curriculum based instructional package put together by the Atlanta Audubon Society and distributed to teachers and environmental educators willing to lead young people through activities that provide an understanding and appreciation of birds. (Click on the post title for more information about LABS.) As a birder/birdwatcher for many years and a library media specialist at an elementary school in DeKalb County Georgia, I united my avocation and vocation by starting a bird club in 2005 with a group of 5th grade boys. When the LABS program came to my attention, I took advantage of the support, training, and activity box that AAS offered, expanding the club to include 3rd and 4th graders.

In the spring of 2008, I wrote a successful grant application to the Georgia Association of Educators and received funding to implement the LABS program for the fifty-five 4th graders at my school. The framework for the instruction is tied to the 4th grade life science standards and will supplement the in-class instruction by offering the LABS activities during a scheduled science lab period beginning in January 2009.  There were 5 objectives listed in the grant application:

1.  Students will recognize the 15-20 common birds of Georgia that frequent our school and neighborhood. 
   
2.  Students will understand the basics of migration, the food web, the importance of habitat for survival, adaptation, and camouflage.
   
3.  Students will recognize that they are capable of enhancing and protecting the environment for the benefit of birds and other wildlife.
   
4.  Students will participate in a citizen science project, submitting observations and counts online. 
   
5. Students will use information sources such as field guides, online databases, and reference books for investigations. 
   

Posts to this blog will document the 6 weeks of instruction and also provide an opportunity to share some of the bird club activities online.