Cape Cod Bird Nerd

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

8.3.16 KidSummer Day Camp - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Brewster, MA

PAINTING DAY! I just LOOOVE painting bird houses! Of course, I don't paint them, the KidSummer Kids do, but I thoroughly enjoy witnessing their process and their color choice and of course, we do the painting while listening to Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" in the background. It always happens that a calm settles over our small crowd, and the paint does its magic. What I love that happens later is when bird nerd send me photos and stories of the bird houses that they've painted and mounted in their yard somewhere. We're succeeding in making the world a better place by giving shelter to the birds. While we were outside painting, one of the KidSummer Kids noticed some nearby House Sparrows taking a dust bath in the museum's mock archeology dig. They were having a grand old time! There are suspicions about why they take dust baths; to remove mites, to cool down, because it feels good... the birds are not telling. It's fun to watch them taking the dust bath, and when they flutter away, they leave tiny dust clouds when they flap their wings. GREAT observation bird nerd!

We also went for a quick walk on the Lee Baldwin Trail. We didn't get too far, but as we walked along the trail, there was a breeze. I stopped and asked our group to pause for a moment. I wanted them to hear the seabreeze as it blew through the reed grass... it's a special sound and I wanted them to notice. We tend to have better recall when we're using as many senses as possible, and when it's appreciating natural beauty, all the more reason to pause. As I asked them to stop and listen, a car happened to be speeding down Route 6A, so I joked and said that THAT wasn't what I wanted them to be listening to... but I also asked for the difference between the natural sound and the human made sound. One of the bird nerds volunteered her version of the different sounds: "The car sounds loud and annoying. The rustling of the reeds is so calm & pretty." Calm & pretty indeed, I had to write that one down to be sure to get it RIGHT! (double click photos to enlarge)

Our List:
European Starling
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
American Crow
Blue Jay

Painting Nest Boxes

Quiet beautiful work!

House Sparrows taking dust baths

I tried to get a video of this, but we got too close

and the birds stopped what they were doing.

Finished exterior decorating bird house style!

Making an entry in the Bird Log Book

Hey BIRD NERD!

I have some excellent helpers this week!

European Starling

Bird Nerd - focusing on a fascinating subject

So much to see on the salt marsh!

American Goldfinches

Happy Birding!

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

8.2.16 KidSummer Day Camp - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Brewster, MA

I LOVE surprising the KidSummer Kids with their new set of binoculars - theirs to keep for the duration of the week, and to bring home when our time together ends Friday. At first, we took advantage of the pre-opening half an hour we get in the museum by visiting the aquarium. There is a tidal pool exhibit, which when I was a kid, we were able to enjoy as a touch tank. The reason that stopped being a touch tank at the museum was that all of the chemicals we inadvertently carry on our hands began to not only contaminate the tank, but also kill the animals in it. That's one of the reasons Mudflat Mania was born! You've gotta check it out sometime!

We had a cloudy and overcast morning to work with. The colors of the sky covered in all sorts of clouds added a unique beauty to the salt marsh. There was a rain storm coming, nothing serious, but it was on the way. Somehow we were able to still see and hear so many species. Often it is the case that when a storm's a brewin'... the birds are not so active, they're seeking shelter. Well we beat the rain with our walk & to catch a glimpse of a hunting and then flying Great Egret! I like to think these bird nerds are learning the calls and songs of the birds we are seeing and hearing. (double click photos to enlarge)

Our List:
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
Herring Gull
Song Sparrow
Black-capped Chickadee
European Starling
Gray Catbird
American Crow
Great Egret
Eastern Kingbird
Laughing Gull
Blue Jay
Ring-billed Gull
Belted Kingfisher

SURPRISE! Your own new set of binoculars

We spent some time checking out the several types of fins in the aquarium

Horseshoe Crabs are a species that have existed

for more than 400 million years! This one

was doing "the backstroke".

Snapping Turtle

Sea Cucumber

The ever popular quiz board on the

lower level of the museum

Jellyfish are mezmerizing

Humpack Whale jawbone

Searching for fiddler crabs in their burrowed

out holes on the salt marsh

Song Sparrow

Using their new binoculars!

Gray Catbird

Discovering a juniper berry

Notice all the new green growth

all over the controlled burn in the meadow.

Great Egret!

Great Egret

American Goldfinch - male

Eastern Kingbird

Comparing the guide book to our bird findings on the dunes

Found feather

Comparing the found feather to our feather chart

Happy Birding!

Monday, August 1, 2016

8.1.16 KidSummer Day Camp - Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Brewster, MA

Back to the bird nerds! We have a smaller flock this week, and I'm looking forward to our bird walks, and their bird stories and learning as much as we can about our feathery friends that we hope to see and hear on our adventures! The KidSummer theme this week is Fabulous Fins. Though birds don't have fins, all nature is connected in interesting ways, so we'll be discussing how birds need and use their feathers, like fish use their fins. One of the bird nerds mentioned that penguins almost have fins, & that their wings are actually called flippers. We're off to a great start! (double click photos to enlarge)

Our List:
Northern Cardinal
Gray Catbird
American Goldfinch
Barn Swallow
American Crow
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Flicker
Mourning Dove