Winter Birds

One of the most fun nature study activities to do during the winter is to observe birds at a birdfeeder. If you haven't already hung one up this winter,  you might consider hanging one up now observing the birds that visit this week.

If you do not already have a bird feeder, you might want to make your own. Keep a tally of the different kinds of birds in your feeder. 

This is a great little book to use to identify the birds at your feeder.

Observe one species of bird for a week and then record in your nature journal the unique behaviors of that bird, such as whether it only eats seed from the ground, pecks at the seeds, perches and fluffs his feathers each time, chases other birds out of the feeder, only comes to feed in the early morning, etc.
 

Take a plastic plate and an empty bottle such as an apple juice bottle. Cut out holes in either side of the bottle and then glue gun the bottle to the plate. If you do not have a plate you want to use for this, you can instead piece a hole in either sides of the bottle at the bottom and insect a dowel through these hole to form a perch for the birds to stand on while they are feasting.

Pour birdseed into the bottle. Run a wire through two small holes made in the top of the bottle. Now you can hang it.

Another homemade birdfeeder instructions can be found here at Nurture Store.

Another option is to make suet balls.

"Don and Emily watched intently as Bob poured some sunflower seeds and cracked corn into a bowl. He invited them to roll two lumps of suet in this 'breakfast' mixture, instructing them to press the mixture into the suet. Both children seemed to like getting their hands into the sticky stuff. When they finished, each ball was a bumpy mass of seeds and corn. Bob wrapped string around each one, tying them like a package. " -A Pocket Full of Pinecones, Karen Androlea

or this lovely strand of cranberries, apple slices and walnut shells filled with peanut butter and bird seed.
Instructions found at Natural Kids