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The children at Colby Primary School are writing
a nature diary about their school grounds. This time they write
about the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.
Each year the RSPB do a survey to find out which
birds are coming into our gardens. Last
year our most frequent visitor at Colby was the starling.
Mr Ted Fenn, who works at the Nancy Oldfield Trust
and is a keen ornithologist, came to help us. He brought some binoculars
for us to use.
We made the potting shed into a bird hide for the
day and put paper up at the windows. We left a gap for our eyes
so the birds couldn't see us moving about.
Each class spent an hour with Ted, watching the
garden, and identifying and recording our bird visitors.
Making our own bird feeders
We also had help from Mr Roger Pindar, from the
RSPB. He came to the school to tell us where to put our bird feeders
and what type of food we need to attract birds into our garden.
He suggested we hang up some peanut feeders and
fat balls. He told us to hang them up in the hedges and trees to
make the birds feel more secure while they are feeding. We
are making sure there is plenty of food and water for the birds.
We recently made some of our own bird feeders using
plastic bottles and CDs.
A fizzy feeder fits into the bottle top and the
birds can sit on the CD and peck at the seeds. The top of the bottle
makes a shield to stop squirrels eating the seed. We
have hung these up around the garden.
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Number of birds
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Type of bird
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1
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blackbird
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2
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bluetits
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1
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chaffinch
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2
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collared doves
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3
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dunnocks
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1
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greenfinch
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5
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house sparrows
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1
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robin
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8
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pigeons
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2
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crows
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Results of the Colby Big Garden Birdwatch
The table shows what Class 2 saw in our garden.
When up all the birds spotted in the school it
came to 129 and included a wren, a magpie and a woodpecker. We are
sending the results to the RSPB.
Phenology at Colby
Martha explained what was on the Colby nature
table.
"I brought in my collection of feathers, conkers
and a pinecone. My family went on holiday to Swanage and we went
to the Swanage festival. On my way back I made my collection and
brought it in for the nature table," she said.
Emily found a pine cone in the woods, which had
been gnawed by a hungry squirrel. She brought it in for the nature
table.
On the school field the oak tree and one of the
cherry trees are showing sins of swelling buds. In the more sheltered
garden area the newly planted Ash trees are showing little sign
of growth.
We'll have to wait and see flowers - on the field
the daffodils we planted in the shape of Colby School are showing
about 10cm of leaf. Beside the willow tunnel they are taller and
some are in bud.
The bluebells under the Library window are pushing
through the ground and a cyclamen is already in flower. The roses
and clematis are showing signs of growth so we are hoping that we
don't get any sharp frosts to damage these plants.
If you would like to find out more about phenology
and record the signs of spring in your garden there is a new 91热爆
Springwatch survey that you can take part in www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch
Colby school will be showing three wildlife
films made in their school grounds at the 91热爆 Wild in Your Garden
event in Chapelfield Gardens in Norwich on Monday 30 May, 2005.
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