The Discover Birds Program Visits Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge!

Nova Clark is an education specialist and ranger at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe, Louisiana. 

During a google search for Whooping Cranes, she ran across my blog, Vickie Henderson Art, and found the Discover Birds Activity Book and information about contacting Cyndi Routledge, in Clarksville, Tennessee, the Discover Birds Activity Book volunteer coordinator.  Cyndi arranged for the Black Bayou Lake summer camp to receive 30 books that were donated by the Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.

This Black Bayou camp session shown here was a week-long session for 3rd to 5th grade students who participated in nature walks, fishing, boating and a range of out-door activities that helped them learn more about nature.

Students completed activities in the Discover Birds book and took walks to find birds and learn about their habitat.  

A bird beak learning experience is shown above.

In her recent email Nova describes the student experiences:  

"The camp is a nature camp that runs for 3.5 hours each day for a week and we cover all kinds of nature topics, just to get kids more familiar with the outdoors. This week it is for kids who have completed the 3-5th grades in school.  We have been using the books as well as going outside and taking nature walks which also includes looking for birds and learning about habitat.  So we have looked for nests, talked about adaptations, played the migration game [Migration Mad Lib on pg 19 of the book], and had a bird-beak challenge. " 

Above, students use utensils to represent different bird beaks and try to pick up food items to demonstrate how different beaks work best with different foods.

Photo credit:  Cyndi Routledge                                             Prothonotary Warbler

Nova continues:  "We also have a challenge trail which includes two bird stations, one of of which is standing on one leg like a heron the other flapping like a hummingbird.  We will be fishing tomorrow and talk about our fishing birds. Still hoping to actually see a Prothonatory Warbler on the trail, always a challenge since we hear them but they are good at hiding from us!"

Above, camp students work exercises in their activity books after spending time finding birds in nature.

The Discover Birds Activity Book is published by the Tennessee Ornithological Society and distributed free to teacher classrooms and non-profit organizations that provide out-door activities to help students learn about birds and their environment.   The book is designed to continue the learning and excitement that students experience when they discover birds in their natural world.

A special thank you to Nova Clark for her inquiry about the book and for providing the above images and description of the camp program at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge!  Thanks also to Cyndi Routledge and the Nashville Chapter of TOS for their generous donation of books!

Our goal:  To give students an exciting experience that will spark their interest in birds for a life-time!

Discover Birds Program
Discover Birds Activity Book
Discover Birds Curriculum Guide
Nashville Chapter of TOS

Sequoyah Third Graders "Discover Birds"!

An enthusiastic group of third graders at Sequoyah Elementary School were treated to the Discover Birds Program on May 14th by the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society (KTOS).

Sixty-five students, representing the school's three third grade classes, enjoyed small-group bird walks led by KTOS volunteers.  The students spotted birds on the school campus and were treated to closer views of details through birding scopes brought by KTOS volunteers.  

Students learned to notice size, shape, feather color, eye-color and whether the bird had a crest.  Sometimes the bird's song and chirp notes could also be identified.  Listening to a bird app helped students begin to learn bird songs and sounds as they identified the bird.

KTOS volunteers were excited to learn how much the students already knew about birds.  Several could identify birds on the ID sheets before they took the bird walk.  It was fun for these students to add new information, like the orange color of the cardinal's beak, and to identify a bird's song while actually seeing its bright details through a spotting scope.

Additionally, the students rotated through a Bird Treasures presentation with hands-on objects they could see up close.  Bird nests, owl pellets, feathers and talons were among the items that children could examine as they visited this part of the program.

A slide presentation on birds rounded out the program, giving the students another opportunity to see the variety of birds that occur in Tennessee and the many different characteristics of these birds, including different beaks, feet, leg lengths and colors.

Each child received a Discover Birds Activity Book, compliments of the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.  One class was prepared with Tennessee Bird Checklists, cards with a list of Tennessee birds on which students could record the birds they saw during their bird walks.

Classroom teachers received a welcome packet developed by Billie Cantwell, KTOS president, including Discover Birds project information, a 2013 Wild Birds Unlimited calendar and newsletter, a Cornell poster of common feeder birds, Watchable Wildlife items, and a KTOS brochure.  

KTOS extends appreciation to Dian Hanisek for coordinating the visit with third graders at Sequoyah Elementary School!  

Photo credits:  All photos in this post by Billie Cantwell.

To see more of the birds that were seen and heard by students on their bird walks visit this link:  Tennessee Birds.  To find out more information about the Discover Birds Program contact KTOS.

Other links and resources:
To find out more about birds and hear their songs visit Cornell's All About Birds and type in the name of the bird you want to see.
Sequoyah Elementary School
Knoxvile Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Tennessee Ornithological Society

Sevierville Primary School Second Graders Discover Birds!

The Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society enjoyed a Discover Birds visit with Sevierville Primary School, in Sevierville, Tennessee, on April 12th, to present Discover Birds Activity Books to the school's second graders.

Thirteen classrooms representing approximately 215 students participated in the three-part program:  a slide presentation showing a variety of birds and nests; a bird treasure program showing bird-related items like nests, bird talons and feathers for up-close viewing; and bird walks giving the students opportunity to find and identify birds and view them through scopes and binoculars.   

Above, Oliver Lang shows students a ground nest located in the school yard and encourages them to think about ways to help protect the nest from trampling and mowing.

The program lasted from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 allowing time for classrooms to group together and rotate through each of the three sections of the program.  Above, Billie Cantwell, KTOS president, introduces a group of students to the variety of bird colors, sizes, beaks and feet, and eggs and nests with her slide presentation on birds. Below, three students examine the contents of owl pellets, one of the many items included in naturalist Paula Schneeberger's section on bird treasures. 

 

Below, several classrooms join in the bird walks.  KTOS members Oliver Lang and Chris Welsh help students divide into small groups and distribute bird guide sheets showing some of the birds they will likely find on their walks.  

Students checked their bird sheets to see which birds they already knew and tried to remember the names of new birds they might find.  Chris Welsh, below, coaches students on what to expect and encourages them to be his "bird spotters".  When they find a bird, Chris will try to get the bird in his scope so they each can take a turn looking through the scope.  A quick look allows the child to notice size, color, beak and tail shape, and then its time to let the next student take a look.  When the bird flies, the students spot the next bird they want to see.   

Birds were readily available in the Sevierville Primary School yard.  Below, a pair of Tree-swallows rest on top of a nest box erected at the school. The school's teachers have worked with scouts in the area to build and erect nest boxes and boxes are located at the edges of grassy areas around the school building.  Many of the nest boxes are up for their second year and are being investigated by Tree-swallows, Eastern Bluebirds, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees and Starlings looking for a cavity for nest building.  

Above, Tree Swallows sit on top of one of the nest boxes (viewed from the back).  The creek that runs beside the school is a great attraction for water birds like a chattering King Fisher, Great Blue Herons and a Mallard that was swimming in the current.  Other birds seen included American Robins, Downy Woodpeckers, House Finches, Mourning Doves and White-breasted Nuthatches.  Below, an Eastern Bluebird investigates a nest box.

Above Doug Schneeberger leads a group of students on a walk near the creek.  Below, Chris Welsh talks with another group of students about cavity nesting birds.  Students spotted a robin's nest in a shrub and were able to get good looks at a female robin incubating on the nest through a scope without disturbing her.

Below, Oliver Lang shows students the field guide that he carries in his pack while birding.  The field guide helps him identify the birds he sees.  He carries other things in his pack--water and snacks!  

Cowbirds were one of the more curious birds found perched in the trees giving leaders opportunity to talk about parasitism.  How does a bird that doesn't build a nest or use a cavity have a place to raise young?  By waiting for another bird to leave their nest and laying eggs in that bird's nest!  The nesting bird raises the cowbird young along with their own.

Back in the classroom Sarah Green, second grade teacher and recipient of the Tennessee Environmental Education Association Teacher of the Year award, passes out Discover Birds Activity Books to her students.

Billie Cantwell visits with a student below and discusses the birds on the back of the activity book's cover.

Each classroom teacher received a welcome packet developed by Billie Cantwell, including Discover Birds project information, a 2013 Wild Birds Unlimited calendar and newsletter, a Cornell poster of common feeder birds, Watchable Wildlife items, and a KTOS brochure.  Activity books were sponsored by KTOS club member contributions.

KTOS extends appreciation to Principal Harriet Berrier for welcoming us into her school, and to Sarah Green for coordinating our visit with the second graders at Sevierville Primary School.  

To see more of the birds that were seen and heard by students on their bird walks visit this link:  Tennessee Birds

Other links and resources:
To find out more about these birds and hear their songs visit Cornell's All About Birds and type in the name of the bird.
Sevierville Primary School
Knoxvile Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Tennessee Ornithological Society