Day 26 - Fri Oct 12: I found myself on a pumpkin picking trip with my daughter's kindergarten class this morning. Birding with 20 five-year-olds can be more than a bit daunting but I took a few openings.
On the hayride to the pumpkin patch, I actively scanned (sans bins!) for familiar silhouettes. The first species to soar into view was our most common buteo. I eagerly pointed out the Red-tailed Hawk to the students and other parent chaperones. Even the most "energetic" little one stopped to gawk at the sizable raptor soaring over the fields. Over the next few minutes, the parents were asking questions about hawks and birds in general.
Later in the day, a nice group of swallows were dipping and banking over the fields. Again, I seized the moment and shared it with everyone around. Several of the kids got a real kick out of watching these mini-jets doing their thing!
Are the kindergarten student now birders? Of course not! However, they really enjoyed watching the birds. A cinder has drifted into their consciousness. With a bit more effort, it could spark their interest!
I plan to be sending in a bird book basket for the class in the next few weeks = )
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