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How to Be a Birdwatcher: Big Schools’ Birdwatch

Calling all young citizen scientists! Our friends at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) have commenced their annual BigSchools’ Bird Watch. Hurry, because schools have until 2 February 2020 toregister, and results can be submitted any time until 21 February. Plus, theRSBP will share the results so you can see how your school is contributing totheir scientific research.

The UK has many interesting bird species from the tiny Goldcrestwhich is just 9cm long, to the UK’s largest bird of prey, the White-tailedeagle which has a wingspan of up to 2.4m! Fancy yourself a nature detectiveon the lookout for the UK’s most interesting birds? Here are some fascinatingfacts about following our feathered friends and helpful hints to get youstarted.

Whatis a birdwatcher called?

Picture of three older children crouched on a wet city street watching pigeons.

Image - Getty Images

If you’ve sat in a park or stared out of a window and watched birds fluttering around, you’re definitely a birdwatcher. Birds are fascinating animals and many people enjoy watching them. Birdwatching is a peaceful easy hobby and you can start it today at home in your garden, in your local park, when you’re walking in the city, or better yet when you’re out in the woods.

Some people take birdwatching a lot more seriously and theycall themselves birders. These citizen scientists know their Robins from their Sparrows!They enjoy spending time spotting, observing and listening to these featheredcreatures. They may make detailed notes, take photos and travel long distances –even around the world - to observe birds in the wild.

Scientists who study birds are called ornithologists. They collect scientificinformation, study birds in detail, and play an important role in protectingour bird populations.

Whatdo you need to watch birds?

Picture of a young girl wearing a red jumper holding a handful of birdseed and her arm is outstretched and two birds are eating from her hand.

Image - Getty Images

The best equipment to observe birds are your eyes and ears. Watchingbirds through a window or heading out into the garden or your local park isquick, easy and free. All you need to do is choose a quiet place, sit verystill, and observe what’s going on around you. Look up at the birds in thetrees. Are they different colours? Notice if some are larger than others.

Binoculars are a birder’s most important piece of equipment andcan make a big difference when you’re watching small animals. Our Geosafari®Jr Kidnoculars® have been designed especially for young children – eventoddlers. They’re easy to use and let kids see at 2x magnification. (Mums anddads, Kidnoculars have focus-free, comfortable eyepieces specifically designedfor small children’s pupillary distance, a durable design and a breakaway neckstrap for safety.)

PrimaryScience® Big View Binoculars let young explorers see faraway objects upclose at 6x magnification. This real working science tool does exactly what agrown-up scientist’s binoculars do and are suitable for young adventurers aged3-7.

Close up image of a young boy using Learning Resources Kidnoculars Extreme to look up into the trees..

Older explorers will love GeoSafari®Compass Binoculars. Great for budding scientists aged 5-10, take them alongon a camping trip, wilderness travel or simply a trip to the park. With theseeasy-grip, durable real working binoculars, you’ll be able to see objects at 4xmagnification. Plus, it includes a compass so you can practise map reading,orienteering and even make notes about the location of the birds you’ve spotted!

Close up image of a young boy using Learning Resources Kidnoculars Extreme to look up into the trees.

When you’re watching birds, think about what they soundlike. Each bird species not only looks unique, but sounds unique, and birdersoften knowbirds by sound as well as sight. Our GeoSafari®Jr. Kidnoculars® Extreme™ let you hear what you see with earpieces thatamplify sound so you can watch birds, and listen to their calls and songs.

Why not check out more of our excellent range of fun, easy-to-use and educational Bird Watching tools?

How doI attract birds to my garden?

Picture of a mother and toddler in the garden putting birdseed into a bird feeder.

Image - Getty Images

January might be the middle of winter, but there are lots going on in nature. The days are slowly getting longer, and birds become bolder as they head out and look for food to keep them going during the cold months. Entice them to your garden with tasty bird treats you can make at home.

The easiest way is to put out birdseed in a bird feeder. Youcan also have a go at making a birdseed cake. Here’s a video from the RoyalHorticultural Society that shows you how – it’s quick and easy and will beready for your bird restaurant in a few hours. All you need is lard, birdseedand a few other items you likely have in your kitchen. Ask a grownup to helpyou with the difficult parts.

Birds love fruit and you can make a quick and easy apple bird feeder using a soft apple and unshelled sunflower seeds. Download the instructions from the RSPB here. You’ll need a soft apple, apple corer, unshelled sunflower seeds, string and short sticks – ask a grownup to help with coring and inserting the sticks. Or try your hand at making the RSPB’s super speedy bird cake recipe. You may not think mixing cheese, lard, raisins and seeds sounds tasty, but birds think it’s lovely!

Birds don’t all eat the same things, so try various types offoods and seeds to see which different kinds of birds you can entice. Whichevertasty bird snacks you put out, remember to regularly check and top up often sobirds don’t waste precious energy looking for food when there isn’t any.

Another way to attract birds is by having plants birdslove to eat. Plants such as ivy and honeysuckle attract insects, whileothers like holly and sunflowers produce berries and seeds birds like to eat.

How willI remember which birds I’ve seen?

Picture of a young boy sitting in the woods making notes on a writing pad.

Image - Getty Images

Just like a real scientist, the best way to remember whichbirds you’ve seen is to write them down. Make notes about their size, coloursand call. Are they small or large? Do they have bright colours? Ornithologists keep detailed notes about whatthey’ve seen and heard when observing birds. You can start your scientific notesby asking your parents or teachers to download and print out these worksheets fromthe RSPB.

Do you have a tasty recipe that brings interesting birds to your garden? Leave a comment below and share your recipe.

Main Image: Getty Images

Share this post
How to Be a Birdwatcher: Big Schools’ Birdwatch

Calling all young citizen scientists! Our friends at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) have commenced their annual BigSchools’ Bird Watch. Hurry, because schools have until 2 February 2020 toregister, and results can be submitted any time until 21 February. Plus, theRSBP will share the results so you can see how your school is contributing totheir scientific research.

The UK has many interesting bird species from the tiny Goldcrestwhich is just 9cm long, to the UK’s largest bird of prey, the White-tailedeagle which has a wingspan of up to 2.4m! Fancy yourself a nature detectiveon the lookout for the UK’s most interesting birds? Here are some fascinatingfacts about following our feathered friends and helpful hints to get youstarted.

Whatis a birdwatcher called?

Picture of three older children crouched on a wet city street watching pigeons.

Image - Getty Images

If you’ve sat in a park or stared out of a window and watched birds fluttering around, you’re definitely a birdwatcher. Birds are fascinating animals and many people enjoy watching them. Birdwatching is a peaceful easy hobby and you can start it today at home in your garden, in your local park, when you’re walking in the city, or better yet when you’re out in the woods.

Some people take birdwatching a lot more seriously and theycall themselves birders. These citizen scientists know their Robins from their Sparrows!They enjoy spending time spotting, observing and listening to these featheredcreatures. They may make detailed notes, take photos and travel long distances –even around the world - to observe birds in the wild.

Scientists who study birds are called ornithologists. They collect scientificinformation, study birds in detail, and play an important role in protectingour bird populations.

Whatdo you need to watch birds?

Picture of a young girl wearing a red jumper holding a handful of birdseed and her arm is outstretched and two birds are eating from her hand.

Image - Getty Images

The best equipment to observe birds are your eyes and ears. Watchingbirds through a window or heading out into the garden or your local park isquick, easy and free. All you need to do is choose a quiet place, sit verystill, and observe what’s going on around you. Look up at the birds in thetrees. Are they different colours? Notice if some are larger than others.

Binoculars are a birder’s most important piece of equipment andcan make a big difference when you’re watching small animals. Our Geosafari®Jr Kidnoculars® have been designed especially for young children – eventoddlers. They’re easy to use and let kids see at 2x magnification. (Mums anddads, Kidnoculars have focus-free, comfortable eyepieces specifically designedfor small children’s pupillary distance, a durable design and a breakaway neckstrap for safety.)

PrimaryScience® Big View Binoculars let young explorers see faraway objects upclose at 6x magnification. This real working science tool does exactly what agrown-up scientist’s binoculars do and are suitable for young adventurers aged3-7.

Close up image of a young boy using Learning Resources Kidnoculars Extreme to look up into the trees..

Older explorers will love GeoSafari®Compass Binoculars. Great for budding scientists aged 5-10, take them alongon a camping trip, wilderness travel or simply a trip to the park. With theseeasy-grip, durable real working binoculars, you’ll be able to see objects at 4xmagnification. Plus, it includes a compass so you can practise map reading,orienteering and even make notes about the location of the birds you’ve spotted!

Close up image of a young boy using Learning Resources Kidnoculars Extreme to look up into the trees.

When you’re watching birds, think about what they soundlike. Each bird species not only looks unique, but sounds unique, and birdersoften knowbirds by sound as well as sight. Our GeoSafari®Jr. Kidnoculars® Extreme™ let you hear what you see with earpieces thatamplify sound so you can watch birds, and listen to their calls and songs.

Why not check out more of our excellent range of fun, easy-to-use and educational Bird Watching tools?

How doI attract birds to my garden?

Picture of a mother and toddler in the garden putting birdseed into a bird feeder.

Image - Getty Images

January might be the middle of winter, but there are lots going on in nature. The days are slowly getting longer, and birds become bolder as they head out and look for food to keep them going during the cold months. Entice them to your garden with tasty bird treats you can make at home.

The easiest way is to put out birdseed in a bird feeder. Youcan also have a go at making a birdseed cake. Here’s a video from the RoyalHorticultural Society that shows you how – it’s quick and easy and will beready for your bird restaurant in a few hours. All you need is lard, birdseedand a few other items you likely have in your kitchen. Ask a grownup to helpyou with the difficult parts.

Birds love fruit and you can make a quick and easy apple bird feeder using a soft apple and unshelled sunflower seeds. Download the instructions from the RSPB here. You’ll need a soft apple, apple corer, unshelled sunflower seeds, string and short sticks – ask a grownup to help with coring and inserting the sticks. Or try your hand at making the RSPB’s super speedy bird cake recipe. You may not think mixing cheese, lard, raisins and seeds sounds tasty, but birds think it’s lovely!

Birds don’t all eat the same things, so try various types offoods and seeds to see which different kinds of birds you can entice. Whichevertasty bird snacks you put out, remember to regularly check and top up often sobirds don’t waste precious energy looking for food when there isn’t any.

Another way to attract birds is by having plants birdslove to eat. Plants such as ivy and honeysuckle attract insects, whileothers like holly and sunflowers produce berries and seeds birds like to eat.

How willI remember which birds I’ve seen?

Picture of a young boy sitting in the woods making notes on a writing pad.

Image - Getty Images

Just like a real scientist, the best way to remember whichbirds you’ve seen is to write them down. Make notes about their size, coloursand call. Are they small or large? Do they have bright colours? Ornithologists keep detailed notes about whatthey’ve seen and heard when observing birds. You can start your scientific notesby asking your parents or teachers to download and print out these worksheets fromthe RSPB.

Do you have a tasty recipe that brings interesting birds to your garden? Leave a comment below and share your recipe.

Main Image: Getty Images

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