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Nest Boxes and Bird Surveys
7 th January 2006
This months activity was about learning how to identify the different birds we might see in our gardens and to help make nestboxes for Boggart Wood.
We started with an introductory fun game playing 'catch the mouse' with a bird theme. Everyone sits in a circle and when it's your turn to catch the 'mouse', you say your name and also the name of a species of bird. Everyone gets a turn and learns each others name and maybe some birds you've never heard of before.
After our game, everyone went outside to the bird feeding area with binoculars and telescopes to watch the birds.
Everybody learned to identify the types of birds and also what type of food attracts them.
Information sheets and recording sheets were given out for the Big Garden Birdwatch which takes place on 28 th and 29 th January 2006. Hopefully everyone will spend an hour watching their garden visitors and log the highest amount of birds and of different species. The result sheets can be handed back to the Watch Group leaders at the February meeting and they will be sent off the to RSPB.
Then we all returned to the classroom to make nestboxes for Boggart Wood.
The children split into 4 groups, and with a leader's help, created a nestbox from a length of wood, following the instructions. Everyone had a go at measuring, sawing and hammering until we had 4 completed nestboxes. Some boxes had 28mm entry holes designed for blue-tits and small birds and some had 32mm holes for bigger birds such as chaffinches or great tits.
These boxes will be positioned in the Wood at next month's meeting where they then can be observed for any nesting activity in the coming year by the group.
