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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy watch birds? It is a simple and fun way to learn about the world around you. Affiliate links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Children Learn at the Bird Watching Station<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A bird watching station brings academics and life skills into one activity that can be re-visited year round, at any time of the day. Children may learn how to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Observe and record data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pay close attention to detail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Compare and contrast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use reference materials to identify species.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Discuss findings with others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
How to Set Up the Feeder for the Educational Bird Watching Station.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The best placement for your bird feeder is more than 10 feet (15 feet is better) from any tree branch, house or other structure. Low bushes provide birds a cover and protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place it within view of the window so kids can view the bird watching station from inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, and most important, every bird watching station needs a bird feeder.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We have tried several kinds. The simple wooden feeders<\/a> are my favorite style, but the squirrels take a flying leap from our roof (10 feet away) and occasionally land on the platform. They have nearly destroyed the wood on the platform that holds the seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Squirrel Buster Wild Bird Feeder<\/a> on the other hand, is very expensive. Just be warned. BUT, it is so worth the investment. We save lots of money on seeds and replacement bird feeders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We use a mix of seeds, heavy on the sunflower seeds because we often have cardinals visit. If you truly enjoy bird watching, then this is the feeder for you. We loved it so much that we bought one for both my parents and my in-laws one Christmas. They all have raved about how wonderful it is (so it\u2019s not just me.) Ours does have the weather guard<\/a>, which is sold separately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also had a wire suet feeder<\/a>, but the squirrels literally RAN AWAY with it this week. My parents use a large clip to hold theirs on, which is what we are going to resort to \u2013 once we get another one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every bird feeder needs some place to hang.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We use the squirrel baffle pole<\/a> to hold up our feeders. It\u2019s one more way to combat the squirrels getting up to the feeders from the pole. My kids think its silly to see them climb up and try to get around it. We have not seen a squirrel successfully climb over the baffle in the 4 years we have had the pole. Set your feeder 15 feet from a tree or roof area if possible. This will also reduce the amount of squirrels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider adding a place for birds to bath and drink<\/u>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We have a pedestal bird bath<\/a> that was around $30. It\u2019s light weight, holds water, and has held up ok. I did splurge and add in a solar fountain<\/a>. Right now, I\u2019m not super impressed. It floats around even when I\u2019ve tried to anchor it with rocks and only works in direct sunlight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Totally not needed, but fun and a great springboard to discuss renewable energy options with your children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may even want to consider setting up a Hummingbird feed with this recipe for Homemade Hummingbird Food<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow to Set Up the Educational Part of the Bird Watching Station<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Purchase a <\/u>bird identification guide<\/a> for your area.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
First, purchase and add a bird guide to your bird watching station. You can check a few out from the library to see which one you like the best, but it is worth the investment to own one. Many of these guides are not written and published for children, rather bird watchers of all ages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you have purchased them, teach your kids how to use one based on how your specific book is organized. Learning to use a reference material is an important academic skill. Demonstrate how to find the size of the bird. The difference between the male and female and other features that can be helpful in identifying birds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding this book will bring literacy (written text), math (size, number of eggs, days of incubation), science (comparison, adaptations, diet, migration patterns) and geography (map).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Learning to use a reference material is an important academic skill.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Include a set of binoculars for an up close look.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We have tried inexpensive plastic binoculars like this one<\/a>. They really didn\u2019t work well and broke soon after we received them. We\u2019ve also tried the kid binoculars. They are much easier for little hands to manage. My parents gave us their old binoculars and the kids seem to enjoy using \u201creal\u201d tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have helped them to learn how to focus for a clear picture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place in a basket or other container along with the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t forget a ruler!<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You would be surprised at how often the kids use it to help them figure out what bird is on the feeder. My children use the ruler most often to figure out which woodpecker comes to eat. They are all similar in colors and markings. The Downy Woodpecker is 6 inches and the Hairy is 9 inches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love looking over and seeing one of the kids holding up their ruler trying to decide which one it is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A notepad or other journal may encourage kids to write down their observations.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I like to rotate between a plain notepad and an educational prompt, such as observe the feeder for 15 minutes. Record the number of birds you see every 5 minutes. Or a tally chart with some of the most common birds to frequent our feeders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the spring, you may also encourage the whole family to participate in the annual backyard bird count.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kids need a place to sit.<\/u><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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