Birds of Prey

We have been studying Birds of Prey this school term in our Nature Study. We read/research/discuss/narrate on Thursdays and hike/sketch on Friday afternoons. Our special focus has been on Owls, Falcons and Hawks. Our primary resource has been The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

We have been blessed to have Rum Village Nature Center nearby. They have a roosting pair of Owls in residence. We were able to observe them at our last Charlotte Mason Nature Club meeting. The female was in the nest the whole time, but we could see her moving around from time to time. The naturalist told us that they had eggs in the nest. We're looking forward to observing the babies soon. The male spends quite a bit of his time hunting. I was able to collect 9 owl pellets from under the tree the male likes to perch on. We could already see a lot of bones sticking out of the pellets and even some hair. Our CM Nature Club will be dissecting Owl pellets this Friday and sketching what we find. Here is a link to an owl cam I found: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/view?cameraID=C100160

South Bend is home to a pair of Peregrine Falcons. Guinevere is the female and Zephyr is the male. Aren't those cool names?

The pair were a part of the DNR's reintroduction program. They are fascinating to watch as they swoop from the tall building they nest on in the downtown area. If you have a pair in your area it is well worth seeking them out and spending time in observation. These are beautiful birds and so graceful in flight. They are the fastest animals in the world. They can achieve speeds of 200 mph. Our friend, Bob, helped install the camera and said that they are expected to lay eggs very soon. Bob sent us this link: http://www.southbendin.gov/falcam/

This Cooper's Hawk was perched on the backyard fence. We found remnants of his dinner in our driveway.

We spent the afternoon observing it and taking pictures. The Hawk did not seem in the least concerned about us.

We will be meeting the "Owl Lady" next month. She rescues injured birds and rehabilitates them. She plans on showing the kids her refugees and sharing important information about Birds of Prey.

I will post pictures from our CM Nature Club meeting and you can see what we learned.

Here are some additional resources:

http://www.lapbooklessons.com/OwlLapbook.html

http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/nocturnal_animals.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3mTPEuFcWk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcec12qMoMM&feature=response_watch

http://thecraftyclassroom.com/ThemeBirdCraftsOwlCraft.html