ALL ABOUT BIRDS

Check out this great online resource on how to make your yard into a bird habitat....https://patterson.audubon.org/programs/bird-friendly-communities

HOW TO ATTRACT A WIDE VARIETY OF BIRDS TO YOUR YARD...

I put up a birdfeeder station with lots of different kinds of feeders to attract lots of different kinds of birds....

Platform feeder with mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, mesh bag with thistle for finches, regular feeder, suet cake for woodpeckers, water bowl, and of course a baffle under it all to keep the squirrels out.

 Hummingbirds are coming!  How to attract them, how to make a toy bird, and how to eat like one!

Here on the east coast, we might see ruby-throated hummingbirds heading in April.

JourneyNorth by MonarchWatch has an interactive map showing where ruby-throated hummingbirds have been sighted.  If you see one, you can add your sighting to the map. https://journeynorth.org/hummingbirds

Here is  a website telling all how to make sugar water for your feeder... https://www.thespruce.com/hummingbird-nectar-recipe-386573

Art Activity:  Sock-bird

Materials:  Old socks (clean, of course), don't have to match!
                  Scraps of foam, felt, fabric, etc., for wings
                  Feathers - real, fake, dyed, any color, for wings and/or body decorations
                  Warm glue gun, warm glue sticks (safer than hot glue) and/or needle and thread
                  Google eyes, buttons, sequins for eyes
                  Filling - cotton stuffing, polyester stuffing, beans, cornhusks, etc. (unless you decide to make a puppet instead)
                  Pipe cleaners or wire for legs
                  Pistachio shells, seashells, foam scraps, or any odds and ends, for a beak
                  String, shoestrings, ribbons, twist ties, rubber bands, etc. (optional) to close end of sock
                  Photos of real birds for ideas - Look at all the different kinds of feet, beaks, wings, bodies.  Think about which feet are best for climbing, perching, walking on the ground, etc.  Think about which beaks are good for pecking, making holes in trees, tearing up rabbits, eating fruit, etc.  Fun Fact:  Did you know that the birds in New Zealand used to walk on the ground, and many flightless birds have gone extinct because of pet dogs killing them?
Be Creative!  You can make your bird realistic, or you can invent a unique one.  You can even make a monster or alien if you want! Or a different kind of animal altogether.

Instructions: 
1. Stuff the old mismatched sock with stuffing or beans.  Tie a knot at the open end.  (Or tie a string, ribbon, rubber band, etc., around it to keep the stuffing in.
2.  Choose some eyes.  Glue or sew them on.  Cut wings from foam or other materials.  If you want the wings to be the same size, use one as a template and trace around the first wing on the material with chalk or marker, then cut the second wing out.  Glue or sew on.
Make feet from pipe cleaners, one for the leg, then twist into 3 or 4 toes, always going back to the leg and wrapping around.  Do you want long legs like an ostrich or flamingo, or short legs like a chicken or quail?
3.  Add feathers on the body.
4.  If you decide to make a puppet instead of stuffed animal, be careful not to glue one side to the other.  You could cut a piece of cardboard or paper plate to put inside the sock while you are gluing things on.

Post your creations so we can see what you made!  (Add as a comment.)

Creative Snack: Eat like a Bird

Materials:  Bamboo or metal straw, chopsticks, large and small spoons, ladle, salad tongs, toothpicks, skewers, etc.
                   Seeds, nuts, fruit, berries,  raw edible grains (millet, rolled oats, cereal), juice, gummy worms

Instructions:  Pretend you are a bird.  Try to eat different foods, using different kinds of beaks.  Don't worry about making a mess;  cleaning up is almost as much fun as making the mess!  In this nice weather, you can eat outside and let the real birds clean up after you!

Website with bird beak activity:  https://adventuresinmommydom.org/bird-beak-experiment/