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| "Wow - a Blue Jay!" |
Grade 3 students at Louis Riel School were excited to explore their local neighbourhood looking for birds. We arrived with Wlad, our local bird expert and headed out to a nearby green space.
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| Learning to Use Binoculars |
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| Black-capped Chickadee Scoping for Nest Site |
This was the first time using binoculars for many of the students. It took a little practice, but before long they were able to bring the birds into focus.
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| The Song of the Male House Finch Filled the Air |
The air was alive with the sound of birdsong. We enjoyed finding birds that had spent the winter here in Calgary as well as migrants who had recently returned.
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| American Robin - we're over here! |
What a thrill when Wlad noticed a Peregrine Falcon in the distance. We learned that these are the fastest animals on the planet and that they have returned from the brink of extinction.
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| Learning more about the Peregrine Falcon |
Wlad heard the song of a White-crowned Sparrow who has recently returned from down south. We watched it flit around in the bushes and were thrilled when it came out onto the grass so we could all have a closer look.
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
Over the course of two days with these students we also spotted many flocks of Franklin's Gulls flying overhead, a Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawks and a pair of Evening Grosbeaks. Those, along with a Northern Flicker, a Merlin, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens made for a great first eBird checklist for this new crop of Citizen Scientists. And how could we forget the Tree Swallows, House Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-winged Blackbirds and Yellow-rumped Warbler? It's amazing what you might spot in your own community if you just stop and pay attention!
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
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