CAS CLASS

Student-Created Columbia Audubon Society Birding Movies

Through July my class at Fairview Elementary learned about birds and observed and identified over 20 species in the Columbia Audubon nature Sanctuary.  Below are movies students created about some of the birds we observed.  The students completed research online and in guide books to put together movies in order help other citizen scientists learn about birds.   Enjoy hearing about what they learned in our short time together.  Great job, kids!

 Indigo Bunting by Jenna and Sylvia

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by Katherine

Downy Woodpecker by Chelsea

Northern Parula by Emma

Northern Cardinal by Kai

Red-bellied Woodpecker by Caden

Turkey Vulture by Ethan

Red-winged Blackbird by Ella

Birding Resource Links

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Birds of North America

Audubon Guide to North American Birds

National Geographic Birds    (jnies@columbia.k12.mo.us    audubon1)

Peterson Field Guides

Columbia Audubon Society

Week 3

Bird games to play during research breaks:

http://www.mybirdz.org/for-kids/bird-puzzles/

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/kids/soundquiz

http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-community/bird-games/memory-game.aspx

Week 2

Families, as a make up for the "storm day" last Tuesday, school will be in session on Friday, July 25.
This week, our birders were in the field every day.  Below is the list of birds we have identified so far. Students are starting to choose a bird to make a documentary on.  At the end of next week, the list below will be linked to student made movies about each bird.

Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Parula
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
House Sparrow

Week 1

Field Day 1:
We had a successful day 1 in the field today.  Birders observed birds such as the Red Bellied Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and more.  We are trying to decipher between Chimney Swifts or Cliff/Barn Swallows!  We saw our state bird, the Eastern Bluebird, in a nesting box!  Emma also identified a few butterflies such as the Little Wood Satyr and the Common Buckeye.

Scavenger Hunt:
Students appreciated the challenges of birds in flight as they had to go under "windows", "fly" around "buildings", pass through "wires", make it to "habitats", pass through "fields" of pesticides and make it past the "cat"!

Quiet Birders:

We practiced our quiet birding and scientific observations at our feeder.  The day before the storm there was a "storm" of birds>  The day after, birders easily observed there were almost no birds at our feeder! But we did see a hawk being chased by smaller birds!