summer camp guide - Orlando Family Magazine

Bird Watching – Connecting with Nature is a HootParents, take advantage of your toddler and tween chickadees’ natural curiosity. Turn your family on to thefascinating world of birds and watch them develop great observation skillsBy Margie SloaneCan you name a recreational activity that can be enjoyedwhether standing in your backyard, riding in the car, ortrekking through a rain forest on the other side of the planet?If you guessed bird watching, you’d be correct. According to the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, there are over 51 million birders in the US. That’sa lot of people gazing out their windows or standing around peering atthe sky and the treetops! Allan Jahner, co-owner of Wild Birds UnlimitedNature Shop in Winter Springs, believes that the increased interest he’sseen in birding may be related to the economy. “With the price of gas andairfares so high, more and more people are staying closer to home,” hesays. “Birding gives them something inexpensive they can do as a family intheir own backyard or in a nearby park.”For the uninitiated, watching birds might seem like a snooze fest. Butthe reality is, avid birdwatchers tend to be excitable fanatics. I confess topulling over to the side of the road on more than one occasion, getting outof my car, and spending 30 minutes staring up at the trees, convinced I’dseen a flock of cedar waxwings or a great horned owl swooping into thebranches. It’s a real thrill for both adult and child to be able to focus on abird, and identify the species based on field markings, such as size, color, beakshape, song, flight pattern, etc.Getting kids interested in the joys of watching our feathered friendsis easy because kids’ natural curiosity make them eager learners when itcomes to looking for a cute burrowing owl, or hearing a tiny Carolinawren’s impressively loud “tea-kettle, tea-kettle” call. So, gently pry themaway from their electronic devices, get them out of the nest, and introducethem to the wonders of nature. Here are a few tips to get your familystarted:~Introduce little ones to birds by reading picture books together withstories about adventuresome birds.~Visit a pet store where caged birds can be observed up close. Point outcolor markings on the body, the color of the legs, or the shape of the beak.Listen to the different sounds they make.~Start birding in your own backyard. Hang a feeder where kids can watchbirds come and go. Put out a bird bath and have the kids change the waterdaily. Birds need access to water, especially during the hot summer.24ORLANDO FAMILY MAGAZINE APRIL 2011