Spring watch

[FloraDora]

We have a camera in out nest box and when we switched it on yesterday the female blue tit was busy tidying the nest.
We had just read the book, the New baby, as most of my LO's are expecting a sibling soon and I started the preparation...
As we were talking about it, and equating it to getting the new baby's room ready, which is currently what is happening in their homes- she flies out, comes back in, moves around the box which was different to her constant organising in the top right corner, and then fluttered her wings, sat in the top right hand corner for a second and flew straight out the box....leaving an egg! The excitement was wonderful....one LO spent a lot of time in front of the screen waiting for it to hatch, despite me telling her that it will be a long time ( it's going to be along two weeks! ) others were constantly looking, wanting more to hatch. Fantastic enthusiasm and focus, leading to lots of discussions.

I am sat here on my day off awaiting the second ...and it came at almost the same time as yesterday, so hopefully she will always lay then as its a great time for the children. She lay one a day for 8 days last year.
I am so looking forward to this activity watching again, this is the third year I have had a camera and I forgot again how wonderful it is to watch nature happening in front of you!
We are reading you will soon grow into them Titch book tomorrow as it shows a mum expecting, a tree getting all its new leaves and a birds nest with eggs hatching...all the activities we are currently watching.

I recomend you put a bird box camera on your wish list for next year!

[lollipop kid]

Another inspirational thread, FloraDora! I want to be one of your mindees.

(I've just put up bird houses, too, but haven't as yet got a camera. Adding one now to the wish list for next year - thanks!)

PS: Your book sounds fantastic. I'm putting in an order for that today.



All the best,

L

[skatie]

I'm really bummed that I've probably missed my chance to do this this year and have to wait a whole year before trying it out :-(. Where would I get a bird box camera from?

[FloraDora]

I'm really bummed that I've probably missed my chance to do this this year and have to wait a whole year before trying it out :-(. Where would I get a bird box camera from?

Mine was given to me as a gift 3 years ago and entails a vast amount of cable to view it on the tv screen in the living room

We have loved it so much we gave my DH one for Christmas with a DH made bird box :

We bought ours from the RSPB but it is the same make as this one on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...rch_detailpage

It is wireless, so no cables everywhere, but does need to be able to be plugged in, so you need to drill a hole through, which means the box has to be positioned so that you can do this.

I set up a pretend birds nest last year and intend to put it out next week : I put in a new plastic egg everytime she lays one so that it matches the nest on the screen and gives us an opportunity to count them and talk about which one was laid first etc.. I have two puppet blue tits ( the puppet company Amazon £3.50) one sits on the nest the other next to it. They loved it last year and it generated lots of talk and encouraged them to keep viewing.
Though this year I am giving them an actual nest box (DH has made one witha hole big enough for the small puppet ) so mum will be inside and dad out. I have ordered some smaller eggs, fingers crossed they will fit as my current hobbycraft easter ones are a bit too big, especially if she has 16 which is the max a blue tit lays!

[Maza]

Lucky, lucky children.

At DD's school the reception classes always have hens eggs to observe, as do many schools around the country. DD is now in year 1 and was disappointed that the eggs weren't in her classroom. However, they also had a little camera and the other classes were able to watch them hatch on the smartboard in their classrooms. I remember when I dropped her off that morning she got grumpy with me because I was slowing her down wanting my usual kiss and a hug. Normally she is the one who lingers before she goes in but that morning she didn't give me a second glance! Not quite the same as seeing it happen in the 'wild' though like your children.

[FloraDora]

Lucky, lucky children.

At DD's school the reception classes always have hens eggs to observe, as do many schools around the country. DD is now in year 1 and was disappointed that the eggs weren't in her classroom. However, they also had a little camera and the other classes were able to watch them hatch on the smartboard in their classrooms. I remember when I dropped her off that morning she got grumpy with me because I was slowing her down wanting my usual kiss and a hug. Normally she is the one who lingers before she goes in but that morning she didn't give me a second glance! Not quite the same as seeing it happen in the 'wild' though like your children.

Life cycle live always seems to catch children's interest.

My best ever was when we hatched ducklings at school. It was hard work and the ducklings had to come home with me at the weekend ...but they followed me round everywhere....like your daughter the whole school got involved .we took it in turns to have the ducklings in our class or go to our outside area..and we were all very sad to see them go to an agricultural colleges farm. A few years later I found out that they had to give them away to a small holder because they were so naughty! Because they were a gang of 5 together they ruled the roost!
Every year I have wanted to repeat..but finding a home for them after is the problem....my official retirement move will be to somewhere I can raise ducks I think.

[FloraDora]

PS: Your book sounds fantastic. I'm putting in an order for that today.

Read it today, lots of interest - but changed 'pants' to trousers and ' sweater to jumper' - language more familiar to my LO's ( it's American version )