Homeschooler Savvy

Baby Mockingbirds Update - day 3

Celebrate!  They've opened their eyes!!  We waited till the parents flew off then we peeked again at the Room With A View Mockingbird babies, and here they are....

Ready for the food - "hey Mum where are you?"

Disappointment, as they realize the noise was only a passing blogger.

Here comes Mum (with dinner) see her in the tree? (she's circled). 

Here she is closer..........

and in this one you can even see the big fat green grub (worm) in her beak that's for dinner.....(hopefully taken from our vegetable garden)...........

My definition of Summer is being able to walk barefoot in green grass and looking up into leafy green trees.....

Well, I guess Summer's here...........................

Aussie Kim

Dog food as substitute eggs in the Eurasian Collared Dove nest

Our excitement about the baby mockingbirds in the Room with a view, led us to look in the nest in the fig tree - sure enough those babies had hatched too!  The mother was dancing around us and clicking at us so we only took a very quick peek.  The kids noticed if someone made a sound near them they instantly craned their necks and opened their mouths.  Very cute! 

The next nest to peek in was of course the Euarasian Collared Dove, we watched the mother sitting on the nest in the Plum tree.  She flew off as we approached so I went up the step ladder stretched my arm out and took a photo, I climbed down and we looked at the photo. 

To our amazement what looked like three pellets of dog food were sitting in the nest.  I decided something must have gone wrong with the photo.  So I climbed up and looked in for myself.  Sure enough, there they were. The white fluffy thing is a feather caught in a sunbeam.

I guess her eggs were another near tornado victim. 

The kids asked me lots of questions which we wondered about together. 

Had she or he placed the dog food in the nest?  Did she miss her eggs?  Had they hatched already and flown off before now?  Since we had never looked at the nest before now - had there ever been any eggs in there from the start? 

Was she going to eat her dog food egg babies?  Did the dogs know about this?  Was this why the Doves always stole the dog food off the verandah?  As any parent knows, the questions go on and on.........

 

Sort of like the open mouths of the baby mockingbirds in the fig tree and in the grape vine.

Aussie Kim

Room with a View and baby mockingbirds

Baby mockingbirds!  These ones are from the Room with a View (nest on the fence). It's very exciting, since to get here they had to survive the near tornadic winds, continual rain, wishful looks from Edu-kitty and the king snake. 

Our birds are all still safely in the nest. For those of you who find orphaned mockingbirds, here is an extremely cute video of a baby mockingbird being fed.  Reminds me of some teenagers I know.....

If you find a bird on the ground, ideally just watch it for a while, the parents may continue to feed it where it is.  If there is a bush nearby, you could place it there for safety.  If the parents have obviously abandoned it, then you might want to take it in and raise it.  This is quite a commitment!  For more information on what to feed insect eating wild birds you can read this short paper.

Aussie Kim

Homeschoolersavvy OUT of this world!

Here it is, proof that this website is set to be OUT OF THIS WORLD!  You to can send your name into orbit, just check out the previous post here.  But first, read on about the landing of the Phoenix on MARS!!!  Will they find proof of life in outerspace existing in the ice samples?  I guess we'll have to wait.  In the meantime you can watch a NASA preview online here on May 22nd 12pm EDT.  Or go to their website link for more information on the Phoenix mission.

On May 25, 2008, the NASA Phoenix spacecraft will arrive at Mars. Phoenix will be the first vehicle intended to land on the surface of Red Planet since the Mars Exploration Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed in January 2004.

Phoenix is a three-legged lander that will perform its "entry, descent and landing" sequence and, if successful, will commence a three-month surface science mission. Phoenix will dig down to an ice-rich layer that scientists calculate lies within inches of the surface. The lander will check samples of soil and ice for evidence about whether the site was ever hospitable to life.

Aussie Kim

Send your name into orbit around the Moon!

Here's a way to get your kids interested in space

exploration.  NASA has invited anyone to join the lunar

exploration journey - ok, so you don't get to ride the

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), but your NAME

does! 

Imagine, sending your name into orbit!  I think it will blow a few kids minds (and adults)

 

The Send Your Name to the Moon Web site enables everyone to participate in the lunar adventure and place their names in orbit around the moon for years to come. Participants can submit their information, print a certificate and have their name entered into a database.

The database will be placed on a microchip that will be integrated onto the spacecraft.

The deadline for submitting names is June 27, 2008.

For more information about the LRO spacecraft and its mission, visit their website.

Nature walks with kids: Bird tornado victims

Nature walks done on a regular basis are like a nature reality show. Tornadoes came awfully close to us on Saturday night, luckily we just got high winds, lightning and thunder, a deluge of rain and some small hail.  Unfortunately, The Room with Perfume (the red cardinal nest in the rose bush) has lost its eggs.  We first spotted this nest about 2 weeks ago, and have checked on it regularly.  We suspect, that since the rose bush flowered, the weight of the flowers opened the bush up, and then the strong winds blew the nest around and flung the eggs out.  However, since we couldn't find the eggs we can't rule out Mr. no shoulders (snakes).  It wasn't Edu-Kitty, since she has been locked inside since we discovered the eggs.  We are wondering if the red cardinals will have another family this season? 

Aussie Kim

Nature walks and backyard birding with kids

Nature walks with children are alot of fun.  Right now is the perfect time (right now is always the perfect time, no matter where you live!).  I recommend this for "science" for kids up to grade 2 at least. If you don't have any background knowledge of nature yourself, buy some local reference books on the birds and trees in your areas, and go out bird and tree spotting with your kids.  If you aren't stuck out in the country, then find a local park with trees you like to go to. Enjoying nature is one of the best introductions to science you can give your kids. 

If you live in the northern hemisphere, it's spring now.  So what's happening out there now?  The plants are coming out of dormancy and growing!  Trees are growing leaves back at incredible speed.  How about taking photos of a particular leaf or tree each day?  This is a very impressive visual project for anyone - especially kids. 

Bees do it, birds do it, let's fall in love....yes, it's nest building and egg laying time of year.  A quick walk around our yard with the focus on bird nests found 10 different nests.  We were able to peer into 4 of them.  Make sure you do this quickly and caution the kids that sometimes, if the nests smell too much of humans the birds don't come back (this helps to give the birds some room from the kids).  Take the camera, and the kids later can learn to identify the eggs that match different birds. 

Put out some nesting materials - bright colored yarn cut up into short lengths looks awesome in a bird nest!  Put out bird feed, building nests and laying eggs is hard work, this encourages the birds to stay around, and the kids will become familiar with the names of the different birds. 

Here's A ROOM WITH A VIEW (Mockingbird in the grapevine nest on the fence);

A ROOM WITH PERFUME (Red cardinal nest in the Rose bush). ...........

a pair of Eurasian collard doves have nested in the plum tree (A plum position!);

Some sparrows have nested in our old electricity meter box (SPARROWS IN THE SPARK BOX) (we heard the babies);

and we have a nest in the fig tree we haven't FIGured out the owners yet....

Aussie Kim

Free Science Space Education for your kids

I get emails from NASA, yes, they also go out to x-thousand other subscribers I'm sure, but anyhow, sometimes I just feel like they are too good not to share!  So this post was emailed to me, and I am posting it to all y'all.  (Note southern lingo).  Enjoy!

As part of NASA's 50th anniversary celebration, the Digital Learning Network will inspire students across the country with a five-part series highlighting the contributions of each NASA center to a specific topic in NASA history. The DLN will take students on a journey into NASA's past while linking them to the vision for space exploration. A look at past, present and future goals of the space program will offer a unique connection to student participants as they are invited to be a part of the future of space exploration.

Each live webcast will link participants to two of NASA’s centers with programs focusing on NASA's past, present and future efforts of space exploration.

All series segments will include discussions of the past, present and future of each center’s topic.

Go Flight!

May 13, 2008, 1 p.m. -- 2 p.m. EDT

The year was 1958 and nothing would ever be the same. For the first time, the United States sent a man-made device into space. This new frontier of exploration required ingenuity and creativity. Much of the effort made to make space exploration a success was expended at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Kennedy Space Center. Join this webcast to re-live the incredible past events at these two centers, realize that the future milestones of NASA will be accomplished by the students inside today's classroom!

Astronomy: Bringing the Past to Light

May 14, 2008, 1 p.m. -- 2 p.m. EDT

May 14, 2008, 3 p.m. -- 4 p.m. EDT

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are combining forces to bring the rich history and science of telescopes to light. This interactive learning event will peer back through time to "first light" for Galileo's refractor, highlight the evolution of the telescope into today's large mountaintop reflectors, and focus in on the present and future promise of NASA's space-based Great Observatories. Witness the inspiring trek of innovation and discovery as NASA continues to explore.

Advancements in Aeronautics

May 20, 2008, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EDT

Fly away with NASA's Langley and Dryden Flight Research Centers to learn about their roles in the development of aeronautics during NASA's 50 years. Combined, the two centers have been studying aviation for more than 90 years. Participants will learn more about this fascinating area of science and how NASA's advancements have benefited mankind.

Propulsion: Past, Present and Future

May 20, 2008, 1:10 p.m. -- 2:10 p.m. EDT

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Stennis Space Center were built to examine Newton's three fundamental laws of motion through testing large-scale engines used for propulsion, engines that would eventually take man to the moon. In recent years, both centers were key to the development of the Space Shuttle Program, from the conceptual stages to the last flight in the coming years. Today, as the shuttle is about to be retired, MSFC and SSC look to a new era of space exploration taking man back to the moon and beyond to new frontiers.

Wind Tunnels and Their Use in Aerospace

May 21, 2008, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EDT

May 20, 2008, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT

A design for a new aircraft or rocket may look great on paper, but if the craft is built, will it fly? Learn how scientists and engineers at NASA have answered this question over the past 50 years without leaving the ground. Take a journey with the DLN and see how NASA uses wind tunnel facilities for aviation and aerospace research.

For more information about this series of webcast events and to submit questions to be answered during the events, visit this site.

Aussie Kim (and NASA)

Saga of the enourmous king snake and the birds

Living out in the country as we do, every now and then we are treated to some amazing views out our windows....

How about this to put some life into putting the washing away!!  I called and the kids came running.  The snake could not hear us (or technically, could not smell us through the glass with it's tongue), but at the sound of their excited chatter, it froze in this position.  Like a kid looking into a candy store right?

I explained to the kids that this was a harmless snake, despite its size, it would try to get away from us.  So as long as we left it alone it wouldn't hurt us....

"Hello, anybody in there?"

So we watched it slither away, and disappear into the pine tree....all 5 and a half feet of it....

Then later, there was a disturbance outside, I saw a group of different birds all congregating in the same area, intent on something in the pecan tree in the front yard....we went out for a look...there was the snake again, this time, climbing vertically up a tree - what an amazing feat!!!

Where were our guard dogs who live in the front yard?  Had the snake got past their ultrasonic intruder detection measures? 

The mockingbirds were surprisingly agressive.  This one would dive at it and it almost looked like it would flick the snake off the tree (at which point we would have run away, very fast)...

We decided to leave nature and return to the school books...inside...away from the snake over our heads.  A short while later, we noticed the birds had shifted their attention to the another pecan tree.  We went outside to look, and watch the mockingbirds successfully foil the snake's attempt to climb the tree.  At this stage, the Man-of-the-House came home, we pointed out the snake, and told him we had been carefully observing the harmless snake.  He told us, yes it was not poisonous, but this was not the type of king snake we wanted in our yard.  He had a friend who had to go to hospital after being bitten by one just like this - as the bite was quite messy. 

One of our dogs began to sniff around (not yet seeing the snake poised to strike at him)...he saw it after it struck at him, but the snake only got a mouthfull of fluffy hair (thanks to the winter coat).

After this we decided the safest thing for the children and dogs that roamed our yard in bare feet was a dead snake...disection 101 later....Aussie Kim

Mississippi River silently rises further south

The Mighty Mississippi has finally started to recede at the Helena Bridge, but of course, this water is all moving further south towards the gulf, contained by the levee.  Here are some photos from Roger Carter (Louisiana Crop Consultant Extraordinarie) of St Joe from the air.  Since the water is up the levee bank, the town is effectively looking up at a huge quantity of water. 

Now it's obvious why it's called the MIGHTY Mississippi!

Aussie Kim