Checking the boxes...week 4. It feels like opening gifts on a birthday :)
One of the boxes held a new beginning today. That box held 5 baby eggs! Everybody was shocked to see 5 eggs. As the class was approaching the box, the mommy bird bolted out of the box when seeing us. . After the mommy bird flew out everybody was so excited. We hope to find the little birds on our windowsill safe and sound later in the year. HB Our First Observation: Day One Three of our boxes had nests in them. Mrs. Parker was surprised because one of the nests wasn't a bluebirds nest AND in one of the boxes there hadn't been any nests the previous year. How did we know one of the nest wasn't a bluebirds? It had moss and usually a bluebirds nest has dried leaves, grass,and straw (SEE PICTURE ON LEFT). Things We Learned About Observing Bluebirds: 1. Don't stand in front of the box because the bird can hit you flying out as it escapes. 2. Before opening the box, knock gently so if the bird can fly away it can. 3. Cowbirds are one of the bluebirds enemies. It will build its nest right on top of a bluebirds nest. Also it can knock a bluebird's eggs right out of the nest. 4. You shouldn't build the boxes on trees because squirrels and snakes can get to the nests/eggs. 5. Wren can kill bluebirds. 6. Last year they had a black snake hanging around Box 3. We're keeping our eyes peeled. Some of us want to see the snake, others aren't crazy about the idea (Mrs. Parker). AP with whole class We took chart paper and we wrote was we THOUGHT we knew about bluebirds. Some examples were: they are blue, orange, and white, the males have brighter feather color, they live in America, they nest in trees, they migrate, they can be food for snakes, and their eggs come in a variety of colors. We'll see if we are right!?!?
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AuthorWe are a group of 5th grade students that are monitoring the Eastern Bluebird boxes on our school property. All of our data will go to the Cornell
Ornithology Lab. dhttp://www.birds.cornell.edu/ Archives
May 2011
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