Bear Snores On
Karma Wilson & Sara Chapman

Beloved book of Bear's continuing sleep while the animals have a party in his cozy den.

For ages 4-8, pre-2:

The Far-Flung Adventures of Homer the Hummer
Cynthia Furlong Reynolds
illus. Catherine McClung

Following the adventures of a ruby-throated hummingbird from Michigan to Costa Rica.

For ages 4-8, K-4:

How Do Birds Find Their Way?
Roma Gans
illus. Paul Mirocha

For ages 8 and up, grade 3 and up:

On the Wing: American Birds in Migration
by Carol Lerner

Includes colorful maps of migrations and ranges.

February/March 2016

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Wildlife Wednesdays with Juliet and Nancy

10:30-11:00 a.m. on first Wednesday of the month

Juliet D’Souza and/or Nancy Ocken host a monthly series called Wildlife Wednesdays at the Freeport Public Library. During the program, there is a special story time followed by an activity related to the theme. Appropriate audience is 2—7 year olds. The theme on Feb. 3^rd will be “Bears and other hibernating animals” and March 2^nd will be “Spring Weather.”

Upcoming Events for Kids & Families

First Day of Spring Hike at Oakdale Nature Preserve

Saturday, March 19^th, 10:00—11:30 a.m.

Open to all ages. Celebrate the first day of spring by being outside! We will provide binoculars for the kids to use to see which birds have returned to the area. We will look for other signs of wildlife and any emerging plant life ready for spring.

Dress appropriately for weather! Sign-ups are encouraged — please use Facebook or call Juliet at 201-233-0946. Call if weather is questionable. Meet in the parking lot of the Newell Tract, found on the West side of Cranes Grove Road.

Elkhorn Creek Woodcock Watches

Tuesday, March 15, 7 p.m. — Leader Mary Blackmore, 815-938-3204
Wednesday, March 23, 7 p.m. — Leader Anne Straight, 815-938-3263
Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m. — Leader Mary Blackmore, 815-938-3204

Join us for any or all of these evening outings to watch and listen for American Woodcocks performing the “Sky Dance!” When and if this begins is an educated guess – so be sure you call the leader before you make the trip!

American Woodcock
Scolopax minor

The very well camouflaged brown-mottled American Woodcock searches on the forest floor with its long bill in hopes of finding earthworms. This plump little shorebird lives in young forests and shrubby old fields just like our Elkhorn Creek Biodiversity Preserve! It is hard to spot except in the springtime at dawn or dusk, when the males show off for females. Conservationist Aldo Leopold wrote about this amazing sky dance in his book, A Sand County Almanac. He called the “meep” sounds “peents.” Here is a description of what he saw:

“Up and up he goes, the spirals steeper and smaller, the twittering louder and louder, until the performer is only a speck in the sky. Then, without warning, he tumbles like a crippled plane, giving voice in a soft liquid warble that a March bluebird might envy. At a few feet from the ground, he levels off and returns to his peenting ground, usually to the exact spot where the performance began, and resumes his peenting.”

Fun Facts*

Some people call the American Woodcock the timberdoodle.
Its large eyes are located behind its ears, which allow it to see all around.
Our Audubon chapter will hold three Woodcock Watches: March 15, March 23, and March 31. All happen at 7 p.m. at Elkhorn Creek; see our Feb./March Newsletter.
The flight behavior of the males is called “courtship” which is the behavior of male birds and other animals aimed at attracting a mate. “Courtship” is one of our Naturespeak words discussed in the Feb./March Newsletter on page 5.
They eat earthworms and other invertebrates they find in the soil, including snails, millipedes, spiders, flies, beetles and ants.

* Some information taken from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Check it out!

Can you spot the Haiku poem about the Woodcock in our Feb./March issue of the newsletter? I’ll give you a hint...it’s on page 2!

Children, Nature and You Resources to help you give the children you influence the awe and wonder that only the natural world can inspire

Freeport Park District Information on all the Freeport parks

Freeport Public Library More than books on a shelf...visit the Freeport Public Library

Freeport Outdoor Experience Events located in Freeport and Stephenson County

Getting Kids Involved (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Includes bird information, tips, and more for kids and families

Jane Addams Recreation Trail Ride or Hike the beautiful Jane Addams Trail

Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots A program of the Jane Goodall Institute offering a variety of programs and resources

NASA Climate Kids to tell the story of our changing planet through the eyes of NASA missions studying Earth and provides games, activities, and articles that make climate science accessible and engaging for children

National Audubon for Kids provides resources for classroom curriculum, DIY activities, and bird activities for children at home

National Wildlife Federation Many family-friendly articles; Ranger Rick family magazine

Resource Guide Supplement to Last Child in the Woods Designed for parents, teachers, and community leaders to help them encourage children’s enjoyment of the great outdoors.

Severson Dells Nature Center Located near Rockford, IL.

Sierra Club Outdoors The program's goal is to give every child in America an outdoor experience.

World Migratory Bird Day Learn about the importance of migratory birds and how to celebrate birds any day of the year!

Play a Migration Game

Several family members or friends can pretend to be a flock of migrating birds—perhaps in a V-shape as with geese. Have them rotate position so the lead bird can go to the back for a break and another moves into leadership.

Birds call to signal each other – you can make this fun by having the lead bird call back things like, “You getting too tired, Jack?” or “How are you doing, Livy?”

Make a Bird Bath

As migration brings more birds to our area, you can welcome them with a homemade bird bath as well as commercial ones. They can drink and bathe and fluff their feathers after their long journey. You can simply use a garbage lid. Or use large plant saucers or shallow bowls placed on tree stumps. The water should be no more than 3 inches deep. If it is deeper than that, you can put gravel or stones in the bottom—which is a good idea anyway to anchor it more firmly.

Be sure to change the water and to keep it clean; you can hose it down for a quick cleaning; occasionally wash with warm water and soap and a brush; scrub it vigorously, then rinse thoroughly. An adult can add a little bleach to the water; in that case, take special care to rinse thoroughly. Put your birdbath near shrubs or trees.

Decorate Windows to Prevent Birds from Crashing into Them

Use sparkly ribbons or strips of black garbage bags; the glitter and flutter will help to warn birds away.
Or you can draw flowers or squiggly lines with tempura paint.