This time of year you, if you love birds like I do, you are making sure your feathered friends have plenty of food and water. Your decorative birdfeeders are full of seeds. Nesting boxes and decorative birdhouses are clean and ready to protect birds from wind, rain and snow. Heated Bird baths are keeping the water from freezing. All is good in your backyard!!!!!

This winter is a great opportunity for sharing your love for birds with your children. I found lots of activities and resources on the internet. Birding is fun while providing a lot of opportunites for children to learn

What you need:

1) Binoculars

2) A good beginners bird watching book
 

• Stokes Beginner's Guide West BookDonald and Lillian Stokes offer novice birders a fine introductory guide -- a pocked-sized book that provides instant access to the most commonly sighted species in the western half of North America.
• Stokes Beginner's Guide East BookDonald and Lillian Stokes offer novice birders a fine introductory guide -- a pocked-sized book that provides instant access to the most commonly sighted species in the eastern half of North America.
• Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bird FeedingWant to attract birds to your home? Here's how to make your yard inviting. Info on bird seed, feeders, and outsmarting squirrels. Many color photos.
   

3) A journal or notebook to keep track of your activities, sightings and sounds. Journaling is a great experience that enables you

• To keep record of birds that your children see and hear.
• To keep a record of your experiences to look back at in the years to come
• To make time for a shared activity with your kids a priority

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