Bird watch!

We always enjoy joining in with the RSPB Schools Birdwatch! I apply online and we were sent super images of UK birds for the children to look at and notice any details, as well as really age appropriate data collection sheets. We gathered up some items to make our own feeders too, and walked up to Forest School where we always see a wide range of birds. We alsways feed them, as love to watch them hop through the hawthorn or come down from the trees.Firstly we threaded Cheerios onto pipe cleaners. The children are able to thread independently and hang them onto our up cycled Christmas tree. We also covered some fir cones in lard and rolled them in the seed, they were hung too.The children sat beautifully to watch the birds come down to feed. As we often spot the different types of birds, they are already great at naming each correctly, definitely the Robin and the Blue Tits as they are frequent visitors. The children represented each number as they saw them. I totalled the amount up to make an hour and I sent in our findings. We saw Robins, Sparrows, Blue Tits, Blackbird, Crows and of course Seagulls! You can then download a certificate which the children enjoy showing their parents. This also encourages the children to take part in this weekends Birdwatch too.Not only are the children learning the names of birds, they are learning how to care for them, why we need to care for insects for the birds to eat to as well as why hedgerows and trees  are important spaces for birds to live in. Around Forest School and our pre school building we have a variety of nest boxes and feeders which the sparrows always use and we see fledglings in the Spring.