Surrounded as so many of us are by nature I encourage my Grandkids and others to watch what is happening around them and learn. These gifts of creation are free. Hopefully we will play our part in conservation so these gifts will survive.
It's Fun to teach the Children.
There are many simple things kids can enjoy
Be it storybooks or a favorite toy,
or the park and the slides and swings.
At Nana's place there are different things,
Like moistened bread on the lawn for birds
Better than dry so someone said.
Watch them come so they can be fed.
See how many different kinds there are
They zoom down in from near and far
The message goes out there's food around
The kids watch quietly…not a sound.
High on the balcony with pencil and paper
Trying to draw them if the birds would stop their caper
There are blackbirds and thrushes and sparrows.
There's a blackbird's chasing a thrush away
Even although it's determined to stay
So it's hopping around the other way.
Now kids see the Father blackbird is very black
And the Mother's tinged blackish brown.
And Father sparrow's chest is brown
While Mother sparrow's a fawnlike grey.
The Father thrush is fawnlike too
With lots of brown spots on his breast
Looks like it has measles, they laugh and jest
Mother thrush is a darker fawn, without any spots.
Now here come some starlings
All shiny and glistening, their feathers are
Black and shimmer with green and blue.
See how these ones sort of walk almost run around
While the blackbird, the thrush and the sparrow
Go Hop! Hop! Hop! Jump! Jump! Jump!
The song of the thrush and the blackbird
is a sweet trilling whistle song
Usually they sing when they are all alone,
Their sound brings a magical feel to your heart
Right from the moment when first they start.
However when they give warning of danger near
Their beep, beep, beep almost hurts your ear.
The sparrows cheep and twitter quite a different tone.
Not sure yet what sounds the starlings call their own.
Look, now there creeps the cat, the birds won't like that
Whir, whir, whir, "though they"ve all have flown away
Lots of bird lessons there've been today.
Resulting in neat bird pictures to hang on the wall.
