Winter Fun with Kids: Christmas Bird Count

In a former life, back when I was a DINK (Double Income No Kids), I used to travel and go birding quite a bit. The Good Apple and I would grab our spotting scope and jump into the car to see if we could spy Wood Ducks or a Northern Shrike. My love of these quirky creatures was incorporated into my science teaching and now, my son is turning into quite a birder.

Example? Three days before Halloween he announced that he wanted to be a a Peregrine Falcon for Halloween. Had I not been such a nut for details with a Biology background, I could have whipped something together. Instead I said, "No" because I couldn't picture how I would manage to construct true wings in this time period complete with detailed primary, secondary, and tertiary feathers. Seriously, this is what crossed my mind. It is an illness I assure you.

In addition to the costume, his first word was "Quack" and he can identify: eagles, hummingbirds, owls, cardinals, towhees, quail, peacocks, toucans, parrots, herons, kingfishers, juncos, waxwings, flamingos, gulls, puffins, cormorants and more. Now I am bragging, but I am his mom and that is my job..and this is my blog. So there. {giggling}

While he isn't ready for his first "Big Year", I think he is ready for his first Christmas Bird Count...and you and your family could be as well.

Really, you can do this and you will have an incredible time outside, during the winter, with your kids. During this time when we are most likely to be inside, it is nice to have an excuse to bundle up and create a family holiday tradition for years to come.

Get involved.
http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count