CHAPTER 



3 The Delightful Hobby 

 of Bird Watching 



W: 



ATCHING FOR BIRDS can give sparkle to an 

 otherwise ordinary walk through a park-- 

 it can offer an inducement for extensive hiking and it can add 

 zest to your auto trips. If you do not try it, you will miss a world 

 of fun. For children, it is one of the most delightful of pastimes. 



The best way for you to carry on bird watching depends largely 

 on the age of your children. Obviously you cannot expect a child 

 of kindergarten age to adapt himself to an excursion in the woods 

 where you hope to see the less common birds in their natural 

 surroundings; a young child is too restless to maintain the neces- 

 sary quiet. Also, since he is more interested in what birds do than 

 in what they are called, the most ordinary bird will appeal to 

 him just as strongly as a rare species. Thus you may find it best 

 to start your observations with the "everyday" birds around your 

 home. 



A small child loves to answer easy questions. And questions 

 can provide the motivation here if the presence of birds on the 

 lawn or in the park is not motivation enough. You might start 

 with some of these queries, leaving out bird names unless the 

 child is ready for them: Do the birds walk (as blackbirds do), 

 run (like robins), or hop (like sparrows) ? Do they keep together 

 in flocks (like waxwings, for example) , or do they prefer to be 

 alone? Do they seem to talk to each other, or do they concentrate 



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