Chipping Sparrow Nest

In my Miss Kim Lilacs...

Nature Class: Owls

Olivia had her nature class on owls.  This was an evening class. The kids learned all about the different owls we have here in Ohio. They learned about their diet, nesting habits, and listened to their calls.

The kids dissected an owl pellet. Both girls have done this before and it is really interesting. The regurgitated pellet is what the owl cannot digest properly. Lots of fur, teeth, claws, and bones in there.  The kids dug in and got to see what that owl had eaten. Olivia amassed quite the collection of bones...figuring out what bone it was, and from which animal.  Her owl had eaten a mouse...well....mice. There were a couple skulls in there!

Olivia made a nice paper bag owl. 

 While we waited for the paint to dry, the naturalist led us on an owl hunt. He had a gadget that made calls....and we waited to hear an owl return the call and fly overhead.  We saw bats....but no owls this time.

she's a nest box builder

Olivia went to a class at the nature center where she learned about bluebirds, and other nesting birds.  At the end of class they  built their very own bluebird nest box!

OLIVIA'S PHOTO HERE

Our newest pet

Olivia found a ladybug crawling in one of her toy drawers in her closet.  She received a ladybug habitat one year for her birthday, so she got that and set it up for the new guy, or gal.

We looked up info on keeping a ladybug at the Insect Lore site, from where her ladybug kit came. She has been fun watching him explore his new home.

She wants to wait to name it until she finds out whether it is a male or female.

Winter exploration

Sleet, freezing rain, snow, winds...we went out to explore what nature has created...and destroyed.

our ice covered landscape

 snow drifts are always interesting to see

trees are budding...isn't it too early?

 finding tracks in the snow

doing a penguin belly slide

relaxing and soaking in the beauty of the season

improvised game of hockey

they found sticks from downed limbs,

cut them to their desired length,

used ice blocks as pucks, slid around on the ice.

(I'm in two of the photos, too...do you see me?)

they are so creative

We saw a red squirrel come out of here!

 saw a lot of limbs down...

we added some to their stick shelter (not pictured)

this was NOT fun to clean off

the tires were stuck in the layer of

ground ice!

January Junior Naturlalist



Georgia had fun at her Junior Naturalist class at the nature center.  Today was about "Stories in the Snow". They hunted for tracks in the snow, and other tell-tale signs of animal activity. She had fun!

Walking to the Prairie

Tomato hornworm

Found someone creeping in our garden.

his camoflauge is perfect

We researched all about them, and their enemy...the parasitic wasps. We made a home for him in an old coffee can, with soil, and a screen top.  He metamorphosed and became a GIANT moth.



Freezing Fog