Happy New Year! I haven't blogged for a bit. Not that I didn't have anything to say, just nothing interesting to say. BUT - E and I have embarked on a little project this year so I will be updating this blog with our progress. Here's what we're doing...
So, as a science teacher I like to end some topics with a movie. Not a documentary always, though my students love those, but an actual movie movie with real actors :) So I searched and searched for a movie for the end of our bird unit. As we were leading up to winter break I wanted something fun. I came across the movie "The Big Year". Starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. I had little to low expectations of the movie. So did some of my students. The premise is three avid birders competing to see who can count the most bird species in one year. These guys are maniacal in their search. One loses his family due to his birding, one gains perspective on what's important in life, the other strengthens his relationship with his father. And we learn a little about birds.
So, I ended up loving this movie. We learned about birding and life. It was awesome. The students really enjoyed it. The highest compliment; "This is a lot better than I thought it would be." I ended up buying the video.
I also watched it with Ella at home. She loved it too and we decided that birdwatching might be kind of fun. We decided to have a mini big year of our own. We started yesterday, January 1st, 2015.
I decided our big year needed a big hat.
We started to traveling to a friends to pick up a pair of binoculars. I can't find mine. Bad way to start. We started our count right out the door.
1. 3 American Crows crossing Roosevelt St.
2. 1 Chickadee singing in the friends pine tree - identified by Ella
3. 1 Nuthatch at friend's feeder.
On our way to our designated spot.
4. A Pileated Woodpecker flying along Main street.
We finally landed in our chosen spot - the bridge over the St. Croix River in Prescott, WI. This is where the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers meet and is a serious flyway for many species. This is what we saw:
5. Hundreds of Buffleheads
6. 3 Trumpeter Swans
7. Lots of Canadian Geese
8. 2 Bald Eagles
9. 2 Red Tailed Hawks. We named them Lennie and Margaret. Because, why not?
The smaller dots in the background are the Buffleheads. Here's a google image so you get a better idea:
We really wanted to get ten species our first day out. We decided to keep our eyes peeled for some turkeys on the way home. We didn't see any but we got our number ten.
10. 3 Common Grackles. Sad.
But our day has lead to where we go next, what types of landscapes we need to visit and some specific spots we should try. We are both still trying to decide what bird we really want to see. I'm a fan of any owl, Ella just likes the adventure. She has already declared that she will be the best birding partner and that when she gets older she wants to go on a real Big Year and I should start saving up to finance her. Right.
So, if you have a spot you think we should try, an active bird feeder or just want along for the ride to wherever we go next let me know. But you should know, If there was a word to describe incompetent amateur, that would be our motto.
As an added incentive - all adventures end with a cocktail for mom. Yesterday was a bloody mary. Not interested in birding but interested in cocktails? You can be the scouting party for the mom cocktail.
As an added incentive - all adventures end with a cocktail for mom. Yesterday was a bloody mary. Not interested in birding but interested in cocktails? You can be the scouting party for the mom cocktail.
