Late Winter Delights...

The Juncos, Cardinals, Woodpeckers and probably a squirrel or two will thank us.
Take two really old bagels
slather on peanut butter
sprinkle with bird seed.
loop through with twine
hang from a tree that will allow bird watching
wait...

It was so nice today that when we were done we crunched through the remaining snow and soaked up some serious Vitamin D. I even found a lady bug that I can't imagine how it has survived through the Winter. I placed he/she on the sunny side of a tree and wished it luck.
We also put out fresh peanuts in a our mesh hanger and a suet block for the woodpeckers. I just have to clean the large bird feeder and we should be ready for Spring...now if I could find a super bird bath for super cheap, that would make the birds and this Mama thrilled. Craigslist? I'm going to go looking.
I have had such a soft spot for birds these last couple of years. It strikes me as silly since I remember as a child and young adult not understanding why anyone would want to watch birds and learn their names. Now I can't get enough. I have bird books, binoculars, and I am always plotting ways that I can entice more birds to our yard. I want to share nature and the outdoors with the children and this is an easy way to learn about the world from our sliding door. Whether or not we can get outside on a given day, this is a way that we can have nature close by. Elijah is starting to learn some of the names of local birds. I am thinking that we will do a unit of study the Spring and Summer where we learn about birds and maybe native prairie plants as well. We could do coloring pages, make paper mache birds, learn bird songs, take field trips, plant more native plants in our yard...we'll see how I do being pregnant and all...but, I am excited and interested, can't you tell?