South Dennis, MA
It's the first day of Spring! Yes, it was windy out there, but I was excited to get the bird nerds outside today in the warm sunshine. Last week, I noticed a tree that had fallen and I wanted to inspect why it happened, its root structure, why we thought the tree had not survived a recent storm... so many questions! That's what I love about science and nature. I was curious about it myself, but I was even more interested in checking out this tree with the bird nerds to find out what we could discover. I also brought my "Nature Shapes" ( recycled pizza box cardboard wrapped in duct tape - they last forever ) along for our walk. I am often reminding students, and whomever may listen, that "...we are all connected...". When I mention this, I mean every living thing. The Nature Shapes can be used as a sort of a frisbee, and we discuss the organisms and specimens we discover within the shape wherever it lands...a tiny measurement of ground... and how what we find, relates to birds and their healthy (sometimes unhealthy) ecosystem.
There was one bird sighting in the crazy winds... a lone Ring-billed Gull. (double click photos to enlarge)
Which birds do you want to learn about?
Examining all that they could see within the Nature Shape
How can you resist climbing a tree?
"...like a flower..."
White pine, uprooted by a storm,
though previously attacked by beetles & covered in lichen
What/who made this hole in the tree bark?
Noticing beetle trails on the underside of the tree bark
Roly poly bug on the edge of the bark... trying to shelter him/herself
Doing her/his best to stay out of sunlight, for safety
how we are all connected... even the tiniest space
can define how healthy an ecosystem is.
Nature Shape discoveries
Identifying natural occurrences in the Nature Shape
Happy Birding young Bird Nerds!
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