Flying Wild…something to crow about.

This is an exhibit at the Ward Museum where kids can measure their wingspan compared to various birds.

This week I took the Flying Wild educators training course at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art. The Maryland Park Service and Maryland Coastal Bays along with the Ward Museum are city partners in bringing this program to the Mid-Atlantic region.  Flying Wild is kin to the Project Wild and Project Wet programs–basically, these are resources to help educators by providing them with games and activities that are able to fit into lesson plans incorporating math, science, and writing.

Flying Wild is specifically focused on birds and birding. The book even has all you need to know to put on a birding festival in a school.  The games we played were very creative.  One was Design a Bird. We were given balloons and pipe cleaners and colored paper and other crafty ingredients to build a bird.   Once we designed the bird we were told to describe its habits and where it lives, what it eats, and its behavior.  It was a fun way to think about all aspects of bird biology.

The girls from Assateague National Seashore designed an anklebiter bird that frequents visitor centers, eats dead skin cells and lint, and has very large broods because the offspring are always getting stepped on by visitors. The call for their bird was the sound of chimes just like one hears upon entering a visitor center.  Funny!

One of the other activities was a migration flyway game where you are the bird migrating. You picked a bird species to be, then rolled a giant foam die to move ahead along laminated papers–a giant board game! Along the way you might run into obstacles such as tall glass buildings. If you collided with one, you hurt your head and had to count to 45 before moving again. You might get caught in a bander’s mist net, where you would wait to get an orange plastic band before advancing.  Many of my fellow travelers were eaten by cats or shot by BB guns.

There were also fantastic feeding spots to help the weary travelers reach their hoped-for destination.  At the end we discussed who made it and who didn’t and why. I was a horned grebe and I made it alive to my breeding grounds. I felt it was a fun, effective way to help kids understand the perils of migration. Then there was a birding Jeopardy game. It was amazing how competitive we all were.

When  you complete the course you receive a manual to take home as well as a disc of all the printouts from the book.  This is a cool new addition because no matter how hard you try to get a good copy out of the book on the copy machine it never is perfect. With all the pages on disc all you do is print and copy. Technology is grand.

I am very excited to hold my first educator training course. Helping kids think about birds is one of my passions–the Flying Wild program makes a bit easier and more fun.

Bird versus Human Vision Game

The Military in Mexico

We had the best day in Juamave, Mexico watching the Military Macaws that come into town to eat the pecans that grow through out the town.  The people were all so delighted to share their birds in their Macaw Sanctuary.

Skywatch Friday: Big Sit Sunrise–Green Flash

During our Big Sit at the Cape Henlopen Hawkwatch this year just before sunrise Jeff took a break from counting birds to set up his camera hoping to catch the green flash– a very noble but difficult goal. We all patiently waited. FLASH! It was an instant. A wow moment. I don’t think Jeff got the photo but it was an amazing sight that is in my mind’s memory card. That is one of the best things about being married to a fantastic tour guide. He adds so much to my world.  He not only gives me the moon but shares with me the stars and planets and various celestial phenomenon.

Jeff during the Big Sit 2008.

Visit Skywatch Friday–it’s a cool blog to visit to see many other celestial photos from around the globe.  I find it fascinating to see other viewpoints on something we all share.  Enjoy.

Wild Delaware…Wife Delighted

Wild Delaware is a coffee table book designed to promote the vanishing wonders of Delaware. Kevin Fleming–no relation–is a slower Delaware native that work fro National Geographic for many years. He decided to embark on this project to help other people see the beauty that lower Delaware has to offer. It is a fine tribute to this small state. The essays by Jim White, Derek Stoner, Jean Woods, and of course Jeff are a perfect compliment to the gorgeous photos.

For information on how to order a signed and numbered copy from the Wild Delaware website or come see us Saturday November 22, at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth for a book signing and meet the photographer and the other contributors.

Panther Chameleon

My old blog is still located at www.elizabird.com.  So if you are interested and you would like to see more of my world…check it out.

The Panther Chameleon is my new favorite blue lizard.  I am so enamored with this little guy.  I love how slow he moves and his feet are smiply fascinating. Madagascar, where he comes from, must be a fabulous place.  It is high on my list of places to go.  Hmmmmm–Travis is a senior this year…