family fun
Building Birding Kids Getting your kids into birding can create a lifelong passion, an interest in science, and a great chance to get outside together. by Melanie Lynch
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t’s spring and the birds are on their way back to our yards, parks and skies. Birding can be a very spontaneous pastime, requiring very little financial investment, and it’s a great hobby to share with your children. A field guide, some binoculars, a notebook (if you don’t want to mark up a field guide like I do), and a little patience are all you need. GETTING STARTED For beginning birders, there is one book in particular that I highly recommend, “Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds: Eastern Region” by Donald and Lillian Stokes. National Geographic also has a good field guide, along with the well-known Roger Tory Petersen guides, but if you really want to go for the gold, “Sibley’s Guide to Birds” has become the birders bible. As for binoculars, finding some that fit your kids is key. For the toddler set, any sturdy set from a toy store will do. As children get older, weight is an important factor to consider, as kids won’t enjoy lugging around heavy binoculars. Have kids try out the binoculars to make sure they’re comfortable.
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chesapeakefamily.com
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M ARCH 2019
FEED THE BIRDS The easiest way to see birds up close is to bring them to you. Choose a bird feeder that’s small and, most importantly, squirrel-proof. Squirrels will not only eat all the seed but will not allow the birds to come to the feeder. Birds in our neck of the woods all love sunflower and safflower seeds. You can buy hulled sunflower seed if you are concerned about having to sweep up discarded sunflower hulls or live in an apartment where being a good neighbor is important. Woodpeckers and blue jays love peanuts, goldfinches love thistle seed. Bluebirds find mealworms a real treat. Another small and inexpensive feeder option is a suet cake. The suet snaps into a small hanging cage (preferably hung from a post rather than a tree) and attracts birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers. Suet is an important energy source for birds in the winter. It may take a few days for the birds to discover your feeder, but once they do you will find the most activity will be in the mornings or late afternoons or in bad weather.
