Benedict - My First Guest Writer!

A year ago, last spring, four eager little boys ran into the house out of breath, wildly delighted to announce that they had just found this little treasure tucked away in a spruce tree in our back yard:

It was as if someone had given them the moon!  They were completely fascinated by the carefully crafted nest that encompassed the three gloriously hued Robin eggs.  With great anticipation, they inspected the nest several times a day, hoping to witness the tiny little beaks  cracking open their "cocoons", ready to enter the bright shining world.  Their hopes were realized, and sneaking out while the mama sailed off in search of worms, they quietly observed the weak little creatures freshly born.

They remained small and still for such a short time, for in just a few short weeks, they were courageously perched on the edge of their nest ready for first flight. Though the birds were only able to flutter out a few feet, they managed to land safely in the grass. 

The boys loved inching in closer on hands and knees, the curiosity in their new found friends peaked.  For me, it was such a special time, because I had so much fun watching the boys soak in the glory of nature. Our approach to science, when it comes to homeschooling, has been to get the boys out in nature in hopes that they will develop a deep appreciation and curiosity of their environment and begin to ask questions about it.  That method lends itself well to many teachable moments and naturally propels the kids into the classroom for deeper study - study that has its roots in a lively and tangible experience of the material.

Our fascination with birds continues... in fact, our oldest son, Benedict has taken a great interest this semester.  So, I have invited him to be my first guest to write on my blog.  I know you will enjoy his report!

~  Ben's Birds  ~

My name is Benedict Husband, and I like birds a lot.  I have two bird feeders in my backyard.  I fill the feeders with two different kinds of food, black sunflower seeds and thistle plus sunflower chips. Some of the birds that the feeders attract are House Finches (female also),

Goldfinches,

Robins,

White Throated Sparrows,

Cardinals (no picture yet), Blue Jays

and Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.

I do a lot of research, drawings etc. These are some of the reference books I use.

When I see a new bird, I look up the bird in the books.  The books tell me facts about the bird such as what they eat, where they nest and what region they are found in. I found out that the female birds are not very colorful, but the male birds are the opposite, they are usually the most colorful.

Now you have an idea of what I enjoy, but I would like to share how my hobby of bird watching got started.

About two months ago, I went to visit my grandparents at their home in Belleville, Kansas.  There, they have a sunroom, which is a great place to watch the birds on my grandpa's bird feeders.  I woke up in the morning and walked into the sunroom and looked at the birds.  I knew that I wanted to have bird feeders at my house too.  I found some binoculars and looked closer at the birds.  It amazed me how smart God is to make such beautiful winged creatures eating on the many bird feeders near the window.  My grandpa likes birds a lot too.  He seems to know every bird in the country!

I went home the next day and did my school work as usual.  I was studying a unit in my science book about birds, and it told me how to make a bird habitat.  It encouraged me to ask my mom if we could get a couple of bird feeders and some seed, so we did!

I have been watching birds for about a month now, taking pictures of them, and writing facts and recording observations of the birds.

Being in nature and watching the birds is relaxing and interesting.  It is a cool hobby you should try! That's my story!  ~ Benedict S.R. Husband