Spring is in the air here on the coast in British Columbia, well in truth it has been for several weeks, but I didn’t want to rub it in if you are still snowbound somewhere or experiencing frigid temperatures. The good news is that if your spring flowers are not in bloom yet and the trees are still bare, then this post will have you prepared and ready to go when the time comes. For the rest of you, time to get a move on!
With the rapid loss of habitat and environmental degradation for many creatures of our world, give the birds a break this spring with this fun birding activity. It can be done as a class project or with your own children, or both! The nice thing is that it is an ageless project that can be easily adapted to even the youngest toddlers. This project comes from this fantastic kids book on birding.

Materials:

• Tray or individual dishes
• Scraps of wool, yarn, string, twine etc. cut into short lengths
• Dried grasses, small twigs, dried leaves, straw
• Moss
• Wet mud
• Dryer lint

Arrange the materials in either individual dishes or on a larger tray. Place the tray in a less traveled corner of your yard protected from the wind so they don’t blow away and leave it undisturbed. Watch from a distance to see which birds find your offerings, which items they favour and whether the males or females do the collecting or both. Don’t forget to refill the popular materials. If you use colourful yarn, maybe you’ll be able to spot the nest somewhere close by!