Nature Net News
Your source for nature tips
& tricks for exploring nature with your kids
October 2010
Migration
"There is symbolic as well as actual
beauty in the migration of the birds... There is something infinitely
healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn
comes after night, and spring after the winter..."
Rachel Carson
Dear Reader, I remember countless hours of craning my neck up to the skies to see the first "V" of geese--a sure sign, in my young mind, that Autumn had arrived. I also watched for swarms of smaller birds that perched in my tree and made a cacophony of noise that woke me early in the morning. Migration is a big part So why don't you migrate too? Get out and learn about our migrating species using some of the links in this edition of Nature Net News! Enjoy! Kathe & Sarah |
Hawks and other birds that soar prefer to travel in daylight, inland. They do not like to go over water because they use rising columns of warm air that spiral upward and lift the birds so they don't have to flap. These columns, called thermal updrafts, only occur on land. Insectivores also travel by day--they have their own fast food stations!
However, most songbirds travel at night.
What to Do This Month:
Look for "V"s of geese migrating South!
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Migration Stations
There are places where you and your child can go observe birds in migration.
*The Madison Chapter of the Audubon Society has bird watching fieldtrips
*Horicon Marsh
*George W. Mead Wildlife Area
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Why Migrate?
There are many reasons why some birds migrate. Here's just a few:
*Food: Some birds eat bugs and seeds that become scarce during winter, so they follow their food.
*Reproduction: Some birds migrate to different places to raise their young.
*Winter: Winter is cold and harsh--not very good for delicate birds that enjoy heat and the insects and flowers that come with it.
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
International Crane Foundation
The International Crane Foundation (ICF) works worldwide to conserve cranes and the wetland and grassland ecosystems on which they depend. ICF is dedicated to providing experience, knowledge, and inspiration to involve people in resolving threats to these ecosystems. ICF maintains a collection of captive cranes, which allows
them to pursue two vital techniques for crane preservation: captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild.
Their work also demonstrates endangered species management for the public, and facilitates breeding and education efforts with cranes elsewhere in the United States and
abroad.
Window Watcher--Keep migrating birds from
hitting your windows!
What you need: construction paper, markers, tape.
1. Cut out shapes out of paper. They can be any kind you want: hearts, stars, birds, anything!
2. Decorate your cutouts with markers.
3. Tape your cutouts to your windows so birds know that something's there and to avoid it!
Suggested Reading:
"Migration" by Heinemann (all ages)
"Why Do Geese Fly South for the Winter?" by Kathy Allen (4-8)
"The Peregrine's Journey" by Madeleine Dunphy (4-8)
"How Do Birds Find Their Way?" by Roma Gans (4-8)
"Pie Leads the Migration" by Titi Ola Diallo (9-12)
"On the Wing: American Birds in Migration" by Carol Lerner (9-12)
"Whoop Dreams: The Historic Migration" by Jane Duden (9-12)
