Woodland Bird Feature:  Stanford Merthyr Infants School Celebrate National Bird Week

Stanford Merthyr Infants School celebrated National Bird Week by kicking off their Woodland Birds program with two visits from our Project Officer Meg. In preparation for future woodland bird education and activities, the students turned their focus to the most important skill in a bird lovers toolkit – OBSERVATION.

The school’s year 1 and 2 classes came together to learn about some of the birds local to the area, and discussed how to take the time to spark curiosity through observation. The great thing about observing birds is that they are everywhere. Birds are all around us every day – in our school yards and backyards, on our footpaths and in our local parks and bushland. No matter where you are, birds will be there – it is just a matter of noticing them.

The students learned to stand quietly and observe the birds that they saw, making note of their size and shape, and any notable details that might distinguish them from other birds they have seen. Is there a coloured patch or stripe on the birds face? A pretty pattern in its feathers? What shape is its beak? Are its legs long or short? By soaking up these details, the students worked on their ability to describe the birds that they saw, giving them tonnes of clues to help identify the bird. They also had lots of fun observing how the birds behaved, wondering what they were doing and why. After practicing their bird observation skills, the students worked on creating their own Bird ID guides for some of the common birds they would see in the schoolyard or nearby woodland.

Following this initial class, Meg returned again later in the week to help the students put their observation skills to the test by participating as citizen scientists in the Aussie Bird Count. Together, they spotted 8 different bird species with a total of 24 birds sighted. A wonderful achievement for our budding birders!

In the coming weeks, the students will be participating in more education/activity sessions focussed on the precious woodlands of the Cessnock region, and the unique habitat they provide for birds such as the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.