Construction is NOW IN PROGRESS. The site was a bee hive of activity with each worker taking on tasks that matched their abilities. Construction on our winter shelter is going according to plan with a few changes. Describe the layout of the site for your families including what your job was today. Give an update of what got finished and what's next. Hearing the hum of handsaws, the bite of the shovel, huffing of haulers, and "TIMMMMBERRRR!". Yes, Raccoon and Chickadee decided to take down a half fallen tree with just their muscles. Safety practice and surprise inspections kept everyone on their toes. What was the most fun for you?
It seems that our Tulip tree has been invaded by alien cocoons. We expected Promethea moth larvae, tightly wrapped in dried leaves, to fall with the wind. Did they? Why not? Did this moth design some new kind of SUPER GLUE? Nature is amazing!
It takes some sneaky skills to catch small prey. You needed to find this prey before getting your snack. Did you use any sneaking strategies, like watching other predators, or circling the area? Maybe it was pure luck or some great teamwork. Who took Mickey the tiny field mouse home? I wonder what Mickey and Bob will get up to this week? Maybe there will be a different prey that is even harder to find next week.
Having worked up a good appetite, it was a treat to eat at the winter shelter jobsite so we could admire the progress that was made in the morning! Thanks to Dragonfly and her crew of stone gatherers, wood collectors, and diggers, we were able to stay cozy by our new firepit as we tucked into the hearty lunches that parents had lovingly packed for us.
Just as we are changing the way we dress and adjusting what gets packed for our lunches at this time of year, the birds in our area have also been making some changes. Tell your families who may be at your feeder this winter.
The next question we were hoping to answer was “How do the birds who stay in wintertime survive?” In small groups, we examined pictures of Chickadees, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Downy Woodpeckers in the summer and then compared these pictures with photos of them in the winter. We were amazed to see all the different ways these birds adapt to our cold, snowy winters! Blue Jay noticed that all of these birds fluff up their feathers. Can you remember how this helps them? Lynx noticed that they change what they eat in the winter. We all noticed that each of these birds makes sure they have a warmer shelter in order to survive the cold. What other adaptations did your group notice?
In our ‘Feeder Frenzy’ game, we transformed into birds who frequent winter feeders and experienced it through their eyes. Which bird did you become and what was it like at the feeder? Which common 4-legged predator was the biggest threat? Talk about one way humans can protect the birds in our backyard from this common pet.
We were ready to make our own feeders to attract birds in our neighbourhood. The next step will be to find the safest place to hang it. Do you already have some ideas? Next week, you will get a small bag of birdseed so that your “Chickadee Cafe’ can be open to ‘customers’! Those of you who already have bird feeders at home reminded us how important it is to keep refilling the feeders because the birds will be counting on those seeds and nuts to help them survive the winter.
In the side yard, we ended the day by sitting quietly and observing the activity at Coyote’s birdfeeders. We were amazed at how many birds we saw! Which bird visited the most? Think about how the Blue Jay waits then grabs and flies off. We also spent some time letting the birds get used to us. If we keep doing this, we are hoping that we might be lucky enough to hear the whirring of wings as a chickadee lands on our hand before grabbing a beakful and flying away! A winter without birds just wouldn’t be the same.
It's starting to get frosty out here....Jester noticed and Squirrel did too, did you?.
What do you love to do most at nature school? Now think about what's ahead starting in January 2025. We will be asking you about your dreams for this magical new season.
Thanks Beaver for the special touches to our day, Hawk for being ready to pitch in and Dragonfly for always making everything MORE FUN! See you in December Forest Friends:)
So long to our friend Gus who is moving closer to his human friend Lorna. We will miss him!
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