Follow the Birdie

Describe some of the birds that live near you?

Include those that visit your bird feeders or backyard.

What color are they? How big or small?
What are they doing in your yard?
What are they eating?
What songs are they singing?

 

American Tree Sparrow

Rafi Wilkinson

Think of the bird you see most often. Even if you know the name, create a new name for that bird that describes its coloration, song or habits and then draw that bird in its habitat.

 

 

Great Horned Owl

Rafi Wilkinson

You should not approach a bird nest during nesting season which is usually during the spring. But nesting can also extend into summer. What are some of the reasons that bothering a nest would be bad for the bird family?

 

Peregrine Falcon

Joe Barnes

How are you at math? Here is a math problem using one of the fastest birds on earth, the Peregrine Falcon. Convert the rate of miles per hour into the metric system like the international scientists do.

If a falcon reaches a speed of 200 miles per hour while diving, how fast in kilometers per hour is it traveling? Hint: 1 mile = 1.6 kilometer

 

Sometimes bird species become rare and hard to find. Their populations may get so low they become endangered species.

Places like national parks can help endangered species survive.

Can you name two birds which were once or are still endangered that visit Indiana Dunes? How do places like Indiana Dunes help these species?

What can you do to protect birds in your neighborhood and in the park?

 

What excites you most about birds or other animals?

 

Now that you are putting in some thought about birds and maybe some other animals in nature, try writing up a short verse on nature using the writing tool called a haiku.

A haiku is traditionally a Japanese poem consisting of three short lines that do not rhyme. But, a haiku is considered to be more than a type of poem; it is a way of looking at the natural world and seeing something deeper, like the very nature of existence.

It should leave you with a strong feeling or impression about nature after writing it. Look at the following examples of three-lined haikus using 5-7-5 syllable sentences.

Oh, old silent woods... A bird sings from the treetop, Woosh! Silence again.

OR

Birds are so pretty... They fly over clouds and dunes, I wish I were one!

Please share your haikus on the National Park’s Facebook page.

 

Write a short story using the birds you mentioned above or about your poetry:

To learn more about birds, check out Cornell University's excellent website or download their free bird identification and information Merlin app.

Great places to watch birds at Indiana Dunes National Park include: Great Marsh, Miller Woods, Cowles Bog, Dune Ridge trails and the Indiana Dunes State Park.

 

Great Marsh, Summer 2019

Wesley Butler

Do you have questions to ask the rangers about birds or animals?

Email your questions and we will try to answer them. If you would like to submit this completed form to us, please send it to this email address (copy and paste): [e-mail]
We enjoy hearing from other bird watchers.

 

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