Backyard Update #5: Poems

Poems
by Emily

Okay, this isn't really about an update about the backyard. The Backyard Updates are just going to be about birds. What you are about to read is not about the backyard. It's actually a poem that I really liked. The photos are also by her. Here it is:

Birding is Fun Wherever You Are

by Kathie Brown

Acorn Woodpecker Madera Canyon 2010

 Birds are around, in the sky, in the air

Common Terns Chatham, MA 2011

Turkey Vulture Tucson, AZ 2010

Bullock's Oriole Coolidge, AZ 2008

With birds on the ground there are birds everywhere. 

Mute Swan Baker's Meadow  Andover, MA 2011

 Birds in the water,

Harris Hawk Vail, AZ 2009

 birds in the trees,

Chipping Sparrow, Concord, MA 2011

 You can see birds wherever you please!

Geese at Owen Bell Park, Killingly, CT  2011

 There are birds at the pond,

Semi-palmated Plover, Revere Beach, MA 2011

 and birds at birds at the beach,

Gila Woodpeckers in my backyard, Corona de Tucson, AZ 2008

 Birds in your yard,

Backyard Bird feeders in Connecticut 2012

Scott's Oriole, Corona de Tucson, AZ 2008

and birds out of reach, 

Great Black-backed Gull, Target Parking lot, Salem, NH  2011

 But sometimes the birds are off at the mall,


And sometimes you only know birds from their calls!

Eastern Bluebird in Park, Andover, MA 2011

 They are down by the river, or off at the park,

Mourning Dove on nest, Tucson, AZ 2008

 Nesting in bushes,

Wood Creeper at Hammonassett S.P., CT 2011

 or climbing up bark!

Pileated woodpecker, Farmington, ME 2011

Birds are nature come close-up to meet, 

Brown Pelican at Lakeside Park in Tucson 2009

 With feathers and beaks and funny bird feet!

Coot Toes 2009 Tucson, AZ

White-breasted Nuthatch at window feeder 2012 MA

 So look out your window of your house or car,

Black-throated Sparrow, Corona de Tucson, AZ 2008

‘cause Birding is Fun wherever you are!

~Kathie Adams Brown (May 3, 2012)

 

From Birdingisfun.com.

I made a printer-friendly copy for you too. Print and hang it up somewhere to enjoy.

Here's another poem I really liked too.

Pretty Hummingbird

by Ron Tranmer

Anna's Hummingbird

Pretty little hummingbird, 

You're never far from view,

Outside my kitchen window,

Sipping what I made you.

Rufous Hummingbird

Your little wings go so fast,

That they are but a blur.

God made your little needle beak

To reach a flower's nectar.

You chase away your cousins

Who come to join you there.

There's lots of room for others,

But you don't like to share.

Calliope's Hummingbird

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

So they wait for you to fly away,

While in a nearby tree,

And one by one they take a turn

After waiting patiently.

Pretty little hummingbird,

 You're never far from view.

How much fun you bring me,

I'll continue feeding you. 

Here's a document for you.

On Haitus...Sort Of

If you haven't heard,  I went back to work full time. I took over a 3rd grade class who's teacher left on maternity leave and isn't coming back. (That teacher was actually the teacher that replaced me when I left two years ago.)

So I am teaching, planning, grading and closing up the school year for her. It's only 8 weeks. Eight long weeks! 4-1/2 weeks have already passed and I am counting down!! 12 more days to go!

Because I am working, I, unfortunately, don't have time to blog. So sorry.. I know you guys think.. "Oh what a relief! I can finally catch up on all the posts she's been emailing me and clogging in my inbox."

Well.. no.. not really. I still will be posting regularly but it just might not be me. Emily has taken a liking to write about her bird stuff so I will have guest bloggers regularly. My husband might even post a few.

So when you are checking your email and surfing the net and then BAM! it hits you. You stop to wonder..."Hmm? I haven't read any of MamaCez's blogs written by MamaCez lately".. Well this is why!

Backyard Update #4: Blue Birds

"Blue Birds"
by Emily

I first wanted to tell my grandpa (Yeh Yeh) about a blue bird or blue jay. Many people see blue jays here but they actually don't. Yes it's blue and is a jay, yes it's blue and it's a bird, but it's not a bluebird or blue jay. Blue Jays are on the eastern side of the U.S. They aren't in our area. I'm going to show you the difference between a blue jay and a bluebird with a few others.

This is a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). It's the "blue jay" that everyone says they see. These don't live here in CA. About 11-13 inches in length from beak to tail. It's about the size of a small pigeon. It's very slender though. It has a light blue crest and a white face. It has a black band around its beak and around its neck like a "necklace". A pure white belly and a light blue back. The wings are bold blue with small black vertical bands with a white wing bar. The tail is bold blue with horizontal black bands. Its beak is black. Has a loud noisy call.

This is a Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana). This bird is actually quite small compared to the Blue Jay. It is only about 6-7 inches from beak to tail. Smaller than the average American Robin. It has a bright blue head with a pale blue belly. Rusty red covers the breast and around the wings. The wings are a bright blue color. Its beak is black. A shy bird that doesn't caw. Jays are more tame.

This is a Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica). These birds are the birds you see that are "blue birds." Western Scrub-Jays have no crest and are often confused with the Blue Jay by inexperienced birders. They are average jay sized. (11-13 in) Having a white belly and splotchy chest with black around its eye and face. Starting from the top of its head to the lower neck is blue with a small gray part in the middle of its back. With blue extending from the rest of its body down to its tail. Many Jays will act similar: cawing loud noisy sounds.

This is a Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri). With a crest like the Blue Jay, people who haven't seen a Blue Jay will confuse this with a Blue Jay because of the crest. Average jay size. A Steller's Jay will have an entire black crest mixing into a black at the neck, turning from black to a bold blue. Of course acting like a Jay.

Now you know how to identify "blue birds".

If you set out peanuts of the jays, you will more likely attract the Western Scrub-Jay. I took a video of it taking a peanut.

Sorry bad footage. I took it. You can see other birds in the background. You might hear the TV in the background. It took a while just to choose one peanut. It chooses which is the heaviest then it flies off. Probably a secret stash of peanuts. It eventually takes all of the peanuts so it really doesn't matter which is the heaviest. Silly Scrubbie. (Western Scrub-Jay nickname) If you are going to offer peanuts, it shouldn't be roasted or salted. Just plain raw.

Hungry...Waiting

I was driving home and saw these on my neighbor's roof.

They look like statues don't they? They were huge!

Apparently these turkey vultures were waiting their turn to chow on a dead raccoon that was located behind this house. Their wings were open readying themselves to swoop down at the right moment I guess. There were quite a few of them flying around our area.

These houses are located behind a regional preserve called Tulle Pond so it attracts all kinds of animals, insects and birds.

Lucky for Emily!

Open House 2012

Every year at KHA, each grade prepares for Open House. It's a big deal at the school because this is the time where the students (or parents) can display their creativity in regards to making a school project. It is also a time where the parents can go visit all the other classes in the school to see what the students are learning or to just check out the next year's teacher or grade for your own child.

Every grade has a theme: Kindergarten is Farm Animals; First Grade is Rainforests; Second Grade is Oceans; Third Grade is Space; and Fourth Grade is CA Missions/Gold Rush/Transcontinental Railroad. For the Middle School (5th - 8th), it's a mix of displayed materials: such as their US State Models and reports (5th grade), International Cities (6th grade), World Architecture (7th grades),  Pig Dissection and Roller Coasters (8th grade) and visual media (they create their own videos such as reenacting a passage from one of their literature books or reenacting an important battle/war in history).

This year Emily made her Open House project in class (her State model was already made in November). Thank you God.. says her Daddy! All he had to do is to help Hannah with her Ocean project.

Hannah's 2nd grade Open House animal she chose was the clown fish.

We are thankful that she did not choose the whale since it is supposed to be 'life-size'. You might think that this is completely made by her daddy... it actually cannot be. You need to take pictures documenting the making process with the child so she actually has to help make it. This is a part of their report. Then she gives an oral report on how she made it to the class.

Matthew makes a significant effort in having the girls have ownership of their projects, age-appropriate of course. He designs it and 'enhances' it where needed.

Below are some of the girls previous projects which are still displayed in the house or in the garage somewhere.

Emily's Kindergarten Theme was Animals so they made a diorama in class.

When Hannah got to Kindergarten they changed it to Farm Animals and it had to be in a form of a puppet. She picked the horse.

S

In 1st grade Emily made a Macaw.

When Hannah got into 1st grade she picked the Amazon pink river dolphin.

For Emily's 2nd grade project she chose the leafy sea dragon and Hannah made her clown fish.

For  3rd grade, Emily made a constellation, the Big Dipper.

4th grade, she made a Transcontinental Railroad. Can the railroad tracks BE anymore straighter?

For 5th grade, she chose her state report to be on Rhode Island, because it's the smallest state in the U.S. of A.

So much more for Hannah to look forward to. And so much more for us to store in our little home. And no, we will NOT be storing a dead dissected pig in the house!

Backyard Update #3: Birdbaths

Splish Splash Taking a Birdbath

by: Emily

A lot of birds like using my bird bath. Well sort of... It's actually a tray for planters. It's a little shallow but it will do for a small yard. Lots of birds like drinking from it.

California Towhee

Lesser Goldfinch

The occasional American Robin.

Mourning Dove and American Robin.

 Sometimes birds like to bathe in it too. Below: Golden-Crowned Sparrow

Splashing around a lot. Well that's what birds do. They need to get water all through their feathers and on their backs. Then they start to preen.

Mourning Dove Preening. When preening, birds take each feather and hold it with its beak stroking it from top to bottom. They need to preen to take out all the dirt, dust, or parasites. It will be healthier, and easier for them to fly.

Here are some videos of birds taking baths. They are soaked. They don't seem to care about privacy much!

 

House Sparrow Bathing.

Here's a White-crowned Sparrow drinking. It steps into the water and drinks. Then it walks around in it. I wouldn't do that. Would you?