Birding

In this final lesson of the year, students will use their observation skills to identify birds using binoculars, bird books, and checklists for recording what they've observed. Continue to encourage wonder and curiosity about birds, and openness to other explanations of what the bird species they are observing actually is (they make wild guesses and like to be "right" - help them use tentative language - such as "I think maybe" or "it might be" and then use the books and further observation to test their ideas. The books have maps showing where bird species are found and at what times of the year, measurements for size, details about behavior, etc, which you can point out to the students. It's not a contest to see how many birds you can see, but an activity to help them learn more and observe more closely the birds they do see. They can share their discoveries at the end. Help them make connections to birds they have seen, their importance in the ecosystem, and how they can look for birds on their own in the future, in their own back yard or wherever they are!

RULES:

• ALWAYS keep strap around your neck

• ALWAYS stand still/plant your feet when looking through the binoculars - NEVER walk while looking through them.

• Do NOT swing binoculars or they will be taken away

• NEVER look at the sun - especially with binoculars - it can damage your eyes and vision

• Remember the silent signal (point with one hand, shhh signal with the other) when you see something, so we don't scare it away!

TIPS:

1. Use your eyes to find the bird first, then bring the binoculars up to your eyes while watching the bird

2. If the bird flies, do not follow it with the binoculars, follow it with your eyes, find it again, and repeat step one above. If you follow it with the binoculars, you will likely lose sight of it, but more importantly, it might fly in front of the sun, which could damage your eyes.

3. Be quiet, patient, and move slowly; listen for birds, then look.

How to Adjust the binoculars to your eyes:

• Pull the Eye Relief cups out if you do not wear glasses, or push them in if you do.

• Adjust the width of the eyepieces to match your eyes, so there is no black area blocking your view

• Adjusting the binoculars to your vision - NOTE, WE DO NOT DO THIS WITH STUDENTS (but you may find it helpful) If they have trouble, you might turn their right eye-piece adjustment to the center setting for them in case it got previously adjusted)

  • Close your right eye and use the focus knob on top to bring something into focus for your left eye.

  • Now keep looking at that same thing, but close your left eye and turn the knob around the right eyepiece to bring the same thing into perfect focus

• Open both eyes and you will only need to use the top focus lever from now on!

The Birds in the Classroom Program was created by Eastern Sierra Audubon members and 3rd grade teachers Sara Steck and Rosie Howard at Bishop Elementary School in the 1990's, and has been enjoyed by 3rd grade students and Audubon volunteers in Bishop for over 20 years! Starting in 2015, we combined Birds in the Classroom with the 3rd grade Taking Root field program, and moved the birding location from the Bishop City Park to the Tribe's Conservation Open Space Area (COSA) that is right behind Bishop Elementary School. This program, along with the Birds in the Classroom component in May, is currently coordinated by the Outdoor Education/Science Specialist at the Inyo County Office of Education (ICOE) office. In the 2017-18 school year, the Taking Root program was expanded to the rest of the Owens Valley, bringing birding classroom and field lessons to students from Lone Pine to Round Valley.

The Birds in the Classroom program consists of two to three classroom sessions and one field trip for each participating class. Prior to the field trips, Audubon volunteers will present a slideshow (created by ESAS member Phil Kiddoo) about birds and their amazing diversity, migration, and habitat needs, and students will have an opportunity to discuss, share their own experiences, and ask questions that they may have. Another classroom visit prior to the field program is to teach students to correctly use and care for the ICOE binoculars, with tips on finding and pointing out birds they see.

The class field trips to the COSA in Bishop, and for Round Valley, Big Pine, Owens Valley school, and Lone Pine, the areas near their schools they've been visiting all year with Taking Root, are scheduled during spring migration in May for maximum viewing of birds. ICOE provides binoculars for the students and training in their proper use for each student during the field trips. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about and use birding field guides.

Volunteers are needed each year in spring to help with field birding. If you are interested in volunteering to help students learn about birds, either in the classroom, in the field, or both, or if you want more information about becoming a docent for our Taking Root or other ICOE field programs, please contact the Inyo County Office of Education Outdoor Education / Science Specialist, Maggie Riley, at mriley@inyocoe.org or 760-873-3262 ext. 2131.

Mission San Juan Capistrano's famous Swallows

The 4th graders at Bishop traveled to Mission San Juan Capistrano in March 2018, and so did Cliff Swallows, migrating all the way from Argentina, as they do every year in March! (And the 4th graders thought getting there from Bishop was a long trip!) Read more about these famous swallows in this story: Swallows on a Mission.

• Cornell - Bird Sleuth Lessons and Activities (K-12)