Hanging With The Birds

We went on a recent field trip to a really fun place in our area. There were ponds and a lot of different birds. We have been learning a little bit about birds and my sister and her children have been working on a really fun unit study on birds. Her children were very helpful in teaching my children a few interesting facts about birds. We were lucky enough to get there just in time to see a lot of ducklings and goslings.

Luke was very disappointed all of the ducklings weren't yellow. There was quite the variety of ducks.

The littles found feathers for their natures books and had fun learning all about them. Their cousins told them how ducks use their feathers, why they preen, why they are waterproof and a lot of other information. It was a great addition to our bird unit from earlier in the year.

There were great trails and some not so great trails for strollers but Pinky was happy to help push Gremlin down the bumps and ruts. Gremlin really enjoyed the ride.

Peaches and Leia enjoyed walking along the paths and looking at all of the different plants. The Brain and her cousin also enjoyed the sights.

We happened upon a snow goose nesting. She popped her head up and thoroughly chewed us out for getting too close. My sister and I have had experience with mad geese and promptly guided our children away from the worried mother. We also saw a lot of other beautiful birds. After our trip we went home and looked some of them up on the internet to learn more about them.

We also learned about moss and some of the other plants in the area.

My sister and I had received the news that our grandfather had passed away that morning. He loved nature and especially loved birds. He had a great respect for animals and nature. We took the opportunity to teach our children about their great-grandfather and share some memories. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful reserve so close to home. We didn't have to travel far to see the beauty nature has to offer.  I think Gremlin wanted to stay and swim with the ducklings.

This was a great, free fieldtrip. Be sure to find the inexpensive and free sights and events in your area. Not only was this a fun learning experience but it was a great way to make memories and share memories of our loved ones. Happy homeschooling!