Nature Study: Spring Weather and Clouds

Our Nature Study this week was to study the up-and-down weather of early Spring in Maine, and to study the different types of clouds and the water cycle.

We learned about the water cycle and filled out notebook pages from Kidzone and Enchanted Learning.

S's Water Cycle

C's Water Cycle (J Did the Same)

We made Cloud Finder wheels to help us identify the types of clouds we see.

A Cloud Bank - Storm Rolling In

Snow Clouds (Stratus)

Little Puffy Clouds

Cloudless Sky

Soft, high clouds (Cirrus)

We made poster-paper sundials using the instructions and templates here, comparing the sundial times to actual time. It was QUITE accurate (considering the wind was blowing and the paper was bent).

J Showed C and S how to Find N on a Compass to Line up our Sun Dial

10 o'clock!

We read these books - some for information and some for fun - during our study:

And we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Magic School Bus: Wet all Over.

I'm linking up with The Outdoor Hour, Wilderness Wednesday and Science Sunday to share our Nature Studies. Check out other Nature Studies by clicking on the sidebar buttons.

Tweet and See: March 2011

March 2011

Blue Jay

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Dark-eyed Junco

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Red-wing Blackbird*
Common Redpoll*
American Robin* 
Mallard Duck*

Red-wing Blackbird - Migrator from Canada

Dark-eyed Male Juncos Ground Feeding

Master List
Red-winged Blackbird
Black-capped Chickadee
American Crow
Pileated Woodpecker
Bald Eagle
Blue Jay
Common Redpoll
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove
Wild Turkey
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Tufted Titmouse
Gray Jay
Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Mallard
Herring Gull
American Goldfinch
American Robin


*denotes new species this month

Nature Study: Squirrels!

We have an abundance of Northern Gray Squirrels. A whole bunch! And they're feeding antics are QUITE interesting! So, this week's nature study focused on our backyard SQUIRRELS.

Squirrel Eating Seeds and Nuts from the Ground

6 of our Regular Squirrel Visitors

Gray Squirrel Tidbits

• they weigh approximately 16-18 ounces and are 12-21 inches in length 
• their gray bushy tails are "bordered" by white
• their daily movements are within 200 yards
• females have 1-2 litters each year with 2-3 young born in each litter
• each squirrel may bury up to 1000 nuts a year
• they are primarily herbivores
• they may live up to 6 years in the wild
• they prefer to live in woodland

Look-out Squirrel

Climbing down the Tree

Jumping to the Ground

Eating Food from the Feeder

During the week we noticed one of our larger squirrels had a missing tail! S/he has a 2-3" stump so the kids have affectionately called it "Stumpy". We talked about how important a squirrel's tail is to its survival - balance, agility, warmth, protection - and wonder how it'll continue to thrive.

And had a few QUICK glances of our fleeting, timid little red squirrel.

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel Sharing a Feast with a Blue Jay

We also observed a flock of MALE Dark-eyed Juncos, 7-8 Blue Jays, a few Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice, and our lone male Northern Cardinal. We were happy to see our beautiful Cardinal again! And a new species: a Red-wing Blackbird! We're VERY excited to see this bird as he's a migrator and a sure sign of Spring!

Our Books for this Study

J's Notebook Page

C's Notebook Page

S's Notebook Page

Special Snack for our Friends - it Took 30 Seconds to be Found

Check out other nature studies (and Science fun) at The Outdoor Hour Challenge, Winter Wednesday, Nature Connections, and Science Sunday! Click the sidebar buttons!