Feathers Friday-Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Let’s try something new, bird studies on Fridays! We have so many pictures of birds and so many mini studies on birds. I think it’s time to share…what do you think?

Nothing brightens up the winter landscape like a Blue Jay.  The brilliant hue of these clever birds from the Crow family makes them easy to spot regardless of the background or the season.  The blue jay is between 9 and 12 inches long. It is bright blue on top and white to gray on its throat, chest and belly. It has a gray-blue crest on its head and black and white bars on its wings and tail. Its bill, legs and feet are black. It also has a black “necklace” on its lower throat.

Four sub-species of Blue Jays exist in North America, each distinguished by different coloring or size.  The lavender blue Northern Blue Jays found in central US are paler than the bright Coastal birds found in the East.  The Inland jays found in the United States are a darker blue that contrasts sharply with their whiter underside.  Florida Blue Jays are of the smallest size yet are similar in color to the Northern variety.

The blue jay is migratory and northern populations will move south in the winter. The blue jay is common in deciduous forests. It is also found in residential areas.

The blue jay is omnivorous. It eats fruits, acorns, seeds, nuts, insects, mice and frogs. Sometimes a blue jay will raid a nest for eggs and young birds. When a blue jay eats nuts, it holds the nut with its feet and cracks it open with its bill. The blue jays is a seed spreader. It often buries food to eat later. Some seeds and nuts are never recovered.

The blue jay is very aggressive and territorial. Groups of blue jays often attack intruders and predators. They often drive other birds away from bird feeders.

Captive jays have been observed using tools and strips of newspaper to rake in food pellets from outside their cages.

The Blue Jay’s coloration is not derived by pigments, but is the result of light refraction due to the internal structure of the feathers. 

This process depends exclusively on the integrity of the feather’s structure.  If a feather is crushed, it cannot refract light and consequently will lose its blueness.  A dull grey feather is the result.

 The blue jay is also very vocal. It makes a number of different calls including its distinctive “jay- jay.”  It also growls, whistles and chatters.

Listen to the Jay’s call here: http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=5

For you Scouters, here are the requirements for Bird Study merit badge:

Explain the need for bird study and why birds are useful indicators of the quality of the environment.

Show that you are familiar with the terms used to describe birds by sketching or tracing a perched bird and then labeling 15 different parts of the bird. Sketch or trace an extended wing and label types of wing feathers.

Demonstrate that you know how to properly use and care for binoculars.

Explain what the specification numbers on the binoculars mean.

Show how to adjust the eyepiece and how to focus for proper viewing.

Show how to properly care for and clean the lenses.

Demonstrate that you know how to use a bird field guide. Show your counselor that you are able to understand a range map by locating in the book and pointing out the wintering range, the breeding range, and/or the year-round range of one species of each of the following types of birds:

Seabird

Plover

Falcon or hawk

Warbler or vireo

Heron or egret

Sparrow

Nonnative bird (introduced to North America from a foreign country since 1800)

Observe and be able to identify at least 20 species of wild birds. Prepare a field notebook, making a separate entry for each species, and record the following information from your field observations and other references.

Note the date and time.

Note the location and habitat.

Describe the bird’s main feeding habitat and list two types of food that the bird is likely to eat.

Note whether the bird is a migrant or a summer, winter, or year-round resident of your area.

Explain the function of a bird’s song. Be able to identify five of the 20 species in your field notebook by song or call alone. For each of these five species enter a description of the song or call, and note the behavior of the bird making the sound. Note why you think the bird was making the call or song that you heard.

Do ONE of the following:

Go on a field trip with a local club or with others who are knowledgeable about birds in your area.

1. Keep a list or fill out a checklist of all the birds your group observed during the field trip.
2. Tell your counselor which birds your group saw and why some species were common and some were present in small numbers.
3. Tell your counselor what makes the area you visited good for finding birds.

By using a public library or contacting the National Audubon Society, find the name and location of the Christmas Bird Count nearest your home and obtain the results of a recent count.

1. Explain what kinds of information are collected during the annual event.
2. Tell your counselor which species are most common, and explain why these birds are abundant.
3. Tell your counselor which species are uncommon, and explain why these were present in small numbers. If the number of birds of these species is decreasing, explain why, and what, if anything, could be done to reverse their decline.

Do ONE of the following. For the option you choose, describe what birds you hope to attract, and why.

Build a bird feeder and put it in an appropriate place in your yard or another location.

Build a birdbath and put it in an appropriate place.

Build a backyard sanctuary for birds by planting trees and shrubs for food and cover.

How Did You Get Here?

This is a samople of what people searched to get here:

حشررس النبي ة فmeans insect mantis in Arabic

καρυδια means walnut in Greek

Биоразнообразие means Biodyversity in Bulgarian

hintergrundbilder means wallpaper in German

phun means spray in Vietnamese

зимние деревья means winter trees in Russian

kış ağaç means winter trees in Turkish

What about you?

Celebrating Biodiversity

City or suburb dwellers frequently decide to build their dream home in the country.  They find a nice spot brimming with wildlife and trees.  They look forward to waking up to the sound of birds in the morning and seeing hares and pheasants in the yard. 

But before you can say ‘Where’s my chainsaw?’  they’ve cleared out most of the trees and levelled the land.  Within a few years, their driveway’s paved and their lawn looks almost as neat and tidy as the one they left behind in the city. They may plant some non-native ornamental trees and bushes and regularly weed their new flower beds.  Unfortunately, the hares and frogs have hopped out of the neighborhood as has much of the other wildlife.   

Does it have to be this way?  No, it doesn’t.

Wildlife and woods go together.  It’s almost impossible to have one without the other.  But woods are messy in their natural state, and most humans like to keep their environment looking neat.  However, the diversity of native plant and animal life shrinks astoundingly when land is cleared to make way for clean-cut lawns and pristine flower beds.

For example, many wild birds, such as woodpeckers, thrive in old growth forests.  When old trees are cut down, it’s no surprise that the woodpeckers leave the neighborhood.  They depend on these old trees for nests and the insect life within them for food.

Vernal pools created by toppled trees and an uneven forest floor collect rainwater and provide a habitat for amphibians and a greater variety of plants. 

The United Nations has designated 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity.  If you own land, you might consider leaving some of it in its natural state.  One simple solution is to allow wild spaces to thrive on the edge of your property.  Allowing the growth of wild hedgerows between properties provides privacy and a wind barrier between neighbors while sustaining native species of both plants and animals.  

By allowing a wild space to thrive in your yard, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the diversity of life that it will begin to attract.

We Are On For Today!

 If you are wondering about today’s hike “Winter Trees” we will be hiking. Wear boots, cold weather clothing and bring something warm to eat or drink after the hike. If you’d like a tour of the barn, we’d love to show you around (bring an apple or a carrot for the horses!).

Spots are open if you haven’t pre-registered. If you need directions, give me a call. See you in the woods!

Tracks in the Snow

As I was getting ready for tomorrow’s class on Winter Twigs, I saw eight deer run through the woods. Looking around in the woods, I found where the hoofprints were better preserved on the flatter terrain. The perpetrators were deer, who used the trail in the woods to get down to the creek from the barn.

White-tailed deer are herbivores,  grazing on most available plant foods. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Occasionally venturing out in the daylight hours, white-tailed deer are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, browsing mainly at dawn and dusk. With the harvested corn and soybean fields, we see many this time of year.

During the winter they generally keep to forests, preferring dense undergrowth, that provide shelter from the harsh elements.

Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. Male deer, called bucks, are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter.

Of course, the barn cats’ tracks are all over the place, including near these hundreds of bird tracks and more deer tracks.

The mouse  tracks fascinated me the most. Their footprints are so clear in the dusting of snow and I am amazed how far that they run across the wide expanse of snow.  

Then I found more tracks from the manure pile to the straw barn, for a total distance of at least a hundred feet.  I beg to ask, “what was  in the manure pile”?

On the way to bringing dad to work, we saw an opossum on the side of the road.  When we reached to barn for morning chores, I looked  to see if I could find any opossum tracks, because until this morning I hadn’t seen opossums wandering about.  

Next to the barn I found some prints, as if he had ventured out briefly and then turned around  to crawl back into his fallen log.  

We had seen him once before, early in the morning after the first snow, but since then it has been so cold that we have not seen hide nor hair. Until this morning. Maybe he came out to see his shadow!

Did you knw opossums are also the only marsupial in North America? This means they have a pouch on their abdomen where their young are carried and get milk. Believe it or not, they are relatives of the Australian kangaroo! Around here, they mate in March and babies are born after only two weeks. Opossums have from three to 25 young that must climb three to four inches upward into the pouch where they compete to attach to a nipple. About six or seven young survive and stay in the pouch until they are about the size of a mouse. Once they emerge from the pouch, the young hang onto the mother’s back for a ride while she forages at night for solid foods. They remain with their mother for three or four months.

During the daytime, opossums hide in hollow logs, trees, brushpiles, road culverts, rock and stump crevices and under buildings. Their habitat range is from 20-40 acres. They will eat almost anything including small mammals, birds, worms, crayfish, snails, frogs, insects, fruits, grains, roadkill, including other opossums, and garbage.

See you in the woods!

 

Happy World Wetlands Day!

Environmental Concern’s Wetland Learning Center

“There are people all over the world working for wetlands. On World Wetlands Day, celebrated on February 2 each year, these people collectively stand up and proclaim the benefits of wetlands.

“On February 2, 1971, countries around the world came together and signed the Convention on Wetlands (an Intergovernmental Treaty) – the first ecologically focused convention – Ramsar, Iran. Since then, 158 countries have signed the Treaty, including the U.S., and 169 million hectares of wetlands (1828 sites) have been designated as Wetlands of International Importance. In the U.S. there are currently 25 designated sites. The U.S. National Ramsar Committee (USNRC) was formed to support the goals and objectives of the International Convention on Wetlands.”

• More information

• World Wetland Day Fact Sheet [PDF]

Some fun things you can do to celebrate World Wetlands day are:

1. Write a short book titled “All About Wetlands.”

2. Make a poster or series of posters showing how wetlands can be preserved, enhanced or restored.

3. Construct a mobile which shows the important parts of a wetland.

4. Develop a cluster, Venn diagram or other chart to share information about wetlands.

5. Write a rap song about the value and importance of wetlands.

6. Build a tabletop diorama of wetland types with labels and explanations.

7. Write a letter to an organization, government department or business involved in wetland activities outlining your ideas on conservation.

8. Read a biography about a person involved in conservation and share information about the person in poem, poster, lifeline or report.

9. Collect five items related to wetlands. Put the items in a box or can and write an explanation for each item.

10. Simulate a letter to a landowner persuading them to protect their wetlands.

11. Produce a mural on wetland preservation, restoration or enhancement and add captions to explain your mural.

12. Write an essay that compares two perspectives about the values and uses of wetlands.

13. Make a map of a wetland restoration plan and write an explanation of your plan.

14. Create a poem about wetlands and their value to you.

15. Write several journal entries from the perspective of a creature living in or around a wetland during a time of change (wetland damage or restoration).

16. Produce a newspaper featuring articles about wetland events (the newspaper can be written from the perspective of organisms living in the wetland.)

17. Create a series of pictures telling about a wetland event or explain important information about wetlands.

18. Create a picture book to teach younger children important concepts about wetlands.

19. Write a story about a wetland and things that happen in and to it.

20. Interview someone with special knowledge of wetlands and share what you learned in a report, newspaper article or poster.

21. Write a script and perform a play or puppet show about life in wetlands.

22. Write about an event that has happened or could happen in your life that is similar to events happening in a wetland.

23. Research a wetland organism and share information in a report or poster.

Send me your ideas to post here as well!

Make It Monday-Field Bag

You are gonna love this one because you can use that pair of pants the kids tore a hole in when they were running through the underbrush in the woods and now Salvation Army has said no thank you to them…

It’s nice to have a small field bag for nature walks — to hold your nature journal and field supplies and also to bring home any treasures you might find.

An old pair of pants can yield 2, 3, or even half a dozen bags depending on the size. We’ve made many  field bags from an old pair of jeans. I made this bag out of an old pair of khaki camo pants youngest child had outgrown.

(Denim and khaki are great materials for a field bag because they are tough, durable, and hold their shape without a lining.)

First, find an old pair of pants. Any size will do!

We thought that knee pocket would make a great detail on the front of the bag.

 These back pockets would also make a great bag front. If you are using jeans, you can use the front pocket as the front of your bag and the back pocket for the back!

Mark where you want to cut your fabric, and make sure your sketchbook will fit inside your finished bag!

Right away you’ll notice one great thing about making a field bag out of your old clothes — you won’t have to sew very much, because you can take advantage of the seams that are already there. We cut this bag out of the middle of one leg, so we sewed the bottom and around the top. If you used the bottom of the leg, and the bottom hem of the leg became the top of your bag, you would only have to sew one seam!

 Cut along the marks you made. Since we cut out of the middle of the leg, we now have a tube of fabric.

 Turn your material inside-out and sew the bottom seam. We triple-sewed ours for extra strength.

Fold over the top and sew around, making the top seam. You can pin it in a couple of places if you are worried about it moving around on you, but uneven seams give extra “character.”

 We like a matching strap, but you could also make the strap out of any old ribbon or woven tape you have in your stash.

 We cut a strip of fabric about 2 1/4 inches wide and then used that strap to cut out another.

Since there is no pattern for this project, you don’t need to worry about how wide your strap ends up being — there is no right or wrong!

 Sew the two long sides of your strap — but not the ends! Because next you need to turn it inside out.

Sew the strap onto the bag! We went back and forth a few times for extra strength. We are expecting this bag to get some heavy outdoor use.

All done! Wasn’t that easy? While we were at it, we made another one:

You can decorate your finished bag by sewing on patches, sticking on your favorite pins, embroidering them, or anything else you can think of.

Then fill them up and take a hike! Can’t think what to bring? This is our list:

1. Sketchbook. This is a great one. It has heavy paper so you can watercolor in it and the pages won’t fall apart. But any sketchbook will do — you can even make your own. I like a journal about 5 x 7″, because you only need a small bag to carry it and your supplies, but the page is big enough to draw a whole scene as well as details.                                                                                                     Pay attention to how the journal is bound — spiral obviously allows you to work flat. If the binding is sewn it may also lay flat — you don’t want a journal with a spine that won’t open all the way and allow you to use the whole page.
2. Pencils + self-enclosed pencil sharpener + white eraser. Ideally you will have a few pencils of different hardness, e.g., . These are sold grouped together inexpensively at the office supply store. But again, ordinary pencils are fine, too.              
3. Pencil case — hard or soft, as long as it protects everything in your bag from being covered with pencil marks and your pencil leads from breaking.
4. Watercolors + brush. Any old watercolor set will do! They usually come with a brush. I personally like Prang because they are very good quality, last a long time, and the colors are bright and clear. You can buy Prang watercolors at any department store; you don’t need to go to the art supply store.You can get a little fancier by buying a few extra watercolor brushes of different sizes. It’s nice to have at least one extra brush in case you lose yours. Again, you can buy a few brushes bundled together at the art supply store for a few dollars.
5. Water bottle. Again, any old empty water bottle or soda bottle will do. Fill it up about three-fourths of the way. Fancy: I like these water-bottle clips that fit over the neck of the bottle and allow you to clip them to your bag or belt loop. But you can also carry it inside your field bag.  
6. Ziploc bag or small plastic case for holding treasures. Pinecones, leaves, and seed pods will take a beating if they’re just thrown loose in your bag or stuffed in your pocket. Keep one ziploc bag (freezer type is best — they are heavy duty) and reuse for each trip.
7. Field bag to carry your supplies. If you want to do some extended walking or exploring before you draw and paint, it’s nice to have your hands free.
8. Extras: A folded paper towel (for drying your brush or taking up paint), a white crayon (for resist work), a black or other color crayon (for rubbings; a soft pencil also works), and that’s about it! Camping cups — the ones that telescope or lie flat — are nice for pouring water into (as bottles are generally tippy).

 

Sometimes You Wonder

You sit here and write and publish and wonder, where does it go? Who really reads this stuff? Am I making a difference?

Today, this is what I found when looking at what people search to come to this blog:

#205 Събота, 12 Септември 2009, 17:44

petiai , не знам дали има точни препоръки.  В института стъклата бяха от долу до горе. Птици с различна големина имаше налепени на всеки квадратен метър – метър и половина средно. Не съм се интересувала дали са следвали някакви препоръки или просто така са решили, но работеше безотказно.
Аз лично съм “поправяла” поостарели и напечени от слънцето “птици”. Изрязвах ги от черно самозалепващо се фолио и ги лепяхме отвътре, но нашите стъкла не бяха много огледални, а леко само.. При теб ако са силно огледални стъклата, може би трябва да са бели или светли и да лепиш отвън? ред: Сега погледнах какво пишат из нета. Препоръчват да има контраст между стъклата и птиците, т.е. ако стъклата са тъмни да се сложат светли птици. И то на сокол – причина: птиците се страхуват от соколи и гледат да не ги доближават.
http://tugatnature.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/hawk-silhouettes/ http://tugatnature.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/flying-falcon.jpg

Being me, just seeing that someone had linked to my site, was not enough..I had to know what they were saying. I went to Google Translator to find out.

This is what they are saying:

Re: Living in harmony with yourself – 5

# 205 Saturday, September 12th, 2009, 17:44

petiai, I do not know whether there are specific recommendations The institute came from the window below to above.. Birds of different sizes were coating every square meters – meter and a half on average.. I am not interested whether they followed any suggestions or just so decided, but worked flawlessly.
I personally “repaired” outdated and napecheni sun “birds”. Cut them out of black tape and stick them inside, but our windows were not very reflective, but only slightly. Where if you are highly reflective glass, maybe we should be white or light and glue the outside?

Now what writing looked around the net. Recommended to have a contrast between glass and Bird,. if windows are tinted to put bright birds.. And then a falcon – reason: the birds are afraid of hawks and not watch them closely.
http://tugatnature.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/hawk-silhouettes/
http://tugatnature.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/flying-falcon.jpg

Last modify: Saturday, September 12th, 2009, 17:52 by Qubit

I don’t know where I’m going, but someone is interested in reading. Have a wonderful day!

Winter Fun in Northern Illinois

I can hear it now:  “Winter in Northern Illinois?  You’re kidding, right?”

So, I’m not kidding at all when I proclaim that Northern Illinois can be a wonderful place in the winter.  I think all of us remember the excitement of the first snowflakes in the winter. I still think it is exciting and I just want to get out and play in the snow. Winter is a great time for family activities

Chicago, of course, offers much for the traveler regardless of the season.  You can spend wonderful winter days and nights enjoying the cold along the lakefront, ice skating outdoors downtown, and window shopping along State Street and Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, but that’s just not for me and my family!

I’m talking about the area where I live, about 50 miles south of the city.  I’m talking about the little towns, forests, prairies, and scenic river valleys that offer a special magic in this season of snow.  

Still skeptical?  Then I invite you to join me on the little tour of Kankakee and surrounding counties.  Let’s play in the snow!

There are about 10 state parks within a hundred miles of my home.  When people think of rural Illinois, most envision flat cornfields stretching to the horizon.  However,if you seek out topography, you are likely to be surrounded by forests of pines, maples, and oaks hugging scenic river valleys.  Away from the rivers you will see remnants of rolling tallgrass prairie, the landform that earned Illinois its nickname, “The Prairie State”.  The many state parks in this region protect both the forests and the prairies, and offer a variety of recreational opportunities, even in the winter.

Closest to home is the Kankakee River State Park. Stretching for 11 miles on either side of the river six miles northwest of Kankakee, the park had its origins about 12,000 years ago when the Kankakee Torrent broke through the Minooka and Tinley moraines to form the river valley. The moraines, which held back water left by the melting of the Wisconsonan Glacier, are still visible on the north side of the river upstream from the park.

 This is a particularly magical place in the winter, when the bike trail is covered with snow, it makes a perfect place for cross-country skiers.  It is especially nice to finish your day with a hot,  cooked winter meal. Don’t forget the cocoa!

Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings 

Serves 6.
Chicken: 

2 rotisserie chickens, meat taken off and pulled into pieces (or turkey)
2 tbsp canola oil
2-3 tbsp butter
Mix of herbs such as chopped rosemary, parsley and sage
1-3 tsp cayenne
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1 ½ cups carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3-5 cups chicken broth
salt/pepper
1-2 tbsp flour, to thicken

Dumplings:
4 cups of Jiffy mix
1 1/3 cup milk
1 tbsp butter

 1. Build a good fire in campfire and pull off some glowing coals when they are hot enough, placing them on the side away from the fire.

2. Place Dutch Oven, lid on and pre-seasoned, over the coals and begin heating.

3. Add canola oil after 30 minutes or so, then butter. When you see bubbles, add onion, celery, carrot, shallot, salt/pepper, herbs of choice and cayenne. When they begin to soften, add a small amount of broth, mix and place the lid on top for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are soft.

4. Add the chicken and enough chicken broth to cover. I pulled more coals to the bottom and a few on the lid, with a shovel, at this point to really heat things up. Allow this to reduce a bit and heat the chicken, then you might need to add some flour to thicken, stirring it in the entire time.

5. Make dumplings in a bowl until you have a chunky mix and plop them over the chicken mix, 6 to 8 dumplings.

6. Place lid back on and cook 10-15 minutes or until the dough is cooked through. Ta-da

Another favorite is Starved Rock. The park is best know for its fascinating rock formations, primarily St. Peter sandstone, laid down in a huge shallow inland sea more than 425 million years ago and later brought to the surface. The Illinois River Valley in the Starved Rock area is a major contrast to the flatland. The valley was formed by a series of floods as glacial meltwater broke through the moraines sending torrents of water surging across the land deeply eroding the sandstone and other sedimentary rocks. During early spring, when the end of winter thaw is occurring and rains are frequent, sparkling waterfalls are found at the heads of all 18 canyons and vertical walls of moss-covered stone create a setting of natural geologic beauty uncommon in Illinois. Some of the longer-lasting waterfalls are found in French, LaSalle and St. Louis canyons.

According to the DNR website,  ”Ice climbing is allowed at Starved Rock in French, Wildcat, LaSalle, and Tonty Canyons. Ice climbers must sign in and out at the park office. No equipment rental is available. The park staff decides when there is enough ice to climb.”

Cross-country skiing can be enjoyed at nearby Matthiessen State Park. Cross-country ski rentals are available at Matthiessen Dells Area on weekends December through March.

Near Starved Rock is Buffalo Rock State Park, whose frozen waterfalls are also spectacular!

The trails at Baffalo Rock lend themselves to an old sport that is experiencing a revial, here in IL-snowshoeing! Snowshoeing can be a bit challenging, but don’t let it keep you from renting a set and getting out there. Just like hiking in warmer seasons, you can look for signs of winter animals. You will be surprised at what you can find in the winter; mouse tunnels, deer beds, animal tracks and so much more! Don’t forget to dress to be outside.

Snowshoes are a development based on the observation that snowshoe hares, with their large, oversized feet, were better able to stay on top of the snow than animals with smaller feet. The traditional snowshoe as we know it is an invention of the North American indigenous peoples, and was especially commonplace in more northern tribes where travel through deep snow was a regular occurrence. Interestingly, each tribe developed its own shapes and sizes and structures for their snowshoes according to where they lived, what they had available, and what they needed to be able to do while wearing them.

The longest belonged to the Cree, and were nearly six feet (1.8m) long and turned up at the toe. They were used for hunting, and the slightly heavier weight of the larger shoe was offset by the greater surface area resulting in less sinkage (the amount the shoe sinks into the snow being referred to as its “flotation”), and therefore less effort to take each step; important for longer trips. Tribes that inhabited the boreal forest, where maneuverability was more important, tended to have narrower and shorter shoes. The current form, resembling a tennis-racquet, is a more modern adaptation apparently developed by lumberjacks in the 1700s. Europeans, especially the French voyageurs (fur-trappers and traders), were quick to adopt the snowshoe for their own transportation.

The Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail can be accessed across the road from Buffalo Rock. This trail is one of our favorites reguardless of the season.

Ever wanted to try ice fishing? A great place for a family outing is the Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area. Ice fishing is easy and a wonderful way to spend the day outside with the kids. Don’t forget the fishing licenses and if you’d like a few ice fishing tips before you go, here are 10 by Steve Ryan, who fishes throughout the Midwest.

One last park, Illini State Park is the perfect place for winter fun. The park has an ice skating pool and plenty of hills that are ideal for sledding. There is also a shelter, where you can start a fire in the fireplace, for warming fingers and toes. Don’t forget the hot cocoa!

 

Why Does It Rain?

This past weekend was a false Spring. We had two days of above 40 degreesd and rain! It was a warm rain that melted all the snow and we had muddy river-lets leaving the pastures in all directions.

In many areas around the globe Spring means that rain will fall more often than usual. And, the rain in Spring is important as our beautiful World needs it for its survival as we know it. Without Spring rain our beautiful flowers wouldn’t grow, the trees would begin to suffer and our land would become dry.

Just dirt is pretty irresistible, but when you add something to splash and make mud with, then you’re talking hours and hours of fun. Not just that, but there’s lessons to be learned (like what floats and what sinks, how to skip rocks, and many other interesting things), and playing with the water provides all kinds of opportunities for imagination. Another advantage water and dirt has over other kinds of toys is that there really isn’t any shortage of it or anything special about one bit of dirt over another.

Children love being outside… they love running around, discovering nature and playing which helps exhaust their never ending energy a bit. But, when they are in the house they can’t do this. When the weather is bad for many days on end children begin climbing the walls and our stresses as a parent begin to climb.

As long as the rain is warm and the storm is not an electrical storm there is really no danger in letting your children get wet. As a matter of fact with the right kind of rain clothes your children can not only really enjoy themselves out in the rain, but they can also learn a lot from it.

Remember children have an easier time learning things when they are using more of their senses. They can learn a lot about the reason for rain, where the rain goes, why it is raining in the first place when they can experience it with all of their senses…. When they hear it, when they smell it, when they see it, when they feel it and possibly even when they taste it.

But Why Does It Rain? The Sun’s heat causes moisture from oceans and lakes to evaporate into the air, forming water vapor. The vapor rises, cools, and condenses (turns into a liquid) into tiny water droplets, which form clouds. If the clouds continue to absorb moisture, they become saturated. The water droplets in the clouds collide and become bigger and heavier until the air can no longer support them. Then they fall as rain.

Around the world, rainfall patterns vary widely. In some regions, rain falls almost daily. In deserts, it may not rain for years. The tropics are generally wet, while the polar regions are dry because moisture there is locked up in the form of ice.

The water on Earth is constantly recycled between the oceans, land, and atmosphere. The water cycle, or hydrological cycle, is driven by the Sun’s heat. Life-giving rain feeds streams, rivers, and lakes. It waters plants so they can grow, and gives animals and people vital moisture.

Clouds are visible masses of moisture, made up of tiny ice crystals or water droplets, which are so light that they float. Clouds form in the troposphere (the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere) when water vapor rising high into the sky cools and condenses.

When the Sun shines on seas and lakes, some of the water in them evaporates into the warm air. If air currents blow the warm air over land and it rises over mountains, or if cold air pushes beneath the warm air and forces it upward, then the warm air cools. Cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, so the water vapor condenses to form clouds.

The way clouds form depends on their height above the ground and on the movement of air. Wispy cirrus clouds form high in the troposphere. They are made of ice crystals drawn into strands by the wind. Rapidly rising pockets of warm air cause fluffy, mid-level cumulus clouds to form. Low-lying stratus clouds are formed by air that rises slowly over a large area.

Rainy Day Activities – Inside and Out

• Puddle Jumping – What child doesn’t like jumping in a puddle? And, as long as the rain is a warm rain…. let them. As a matter of fact…. jump in the puddles with them.
• Slip-n-Slide – Drag out the Slip-n-Slide that you are storing away until summer. Hook it up and let the children have a Rainy Day Slip-n-Slide party.
• Fishing – Take the kids fishing in the rain. From what I understand the fish bite better in the rain anyway.
• Blow Bubbles - Bubbles can be a lot of fun in the rain. Plus your kids won’t be all sticky from the bubbles because its stickiness will be washed off from the rain.
• Tub Toy Fun – Grab some of the kids’ bath tub toys and bring them outside in the rain with the kids. Let the children use their imaginations to figure out how to play with them outside in the rain.
• Hunt for Rainbows – One thing that is common in Spring and Summer time rainfalls are rainbows. Take the kids out in the rain on a sunny day and look for rainbows.
• Rain Painting - Help the children grab some rain water in bowls then help them carry the rain water to a covered porch. With paintbrushes let the children get artistic with the rainwater (not paint) using the porch’s floor as their mural. What kind of cool designs did they create?
• Water Balloons - The kids are already wet from the rain, so what is a little more. Bring out some balloons fill them water and let the kids throw them at one another.
• Mud Pies – Kids love getting dirty. And, making mud pies is the perfect way for kids to be creative and get their hands dirty. All the kids need to make their glorious mud pies is aluminum trays, mud, water and other miscellaneous ingredients such as sticks, pebbles and leaves. Just remember these Mud Pies are not edible. They are just extremely fun to make.
• Float away – Set a pot out in the rain and let the kids float things in it. See what floats and what doesn’t float. Do rocks float? Do leaves float? Do sticks float?
• Play Ball – Let the kids play some football, soccer, kickball or any other ball sport in the rain. The games are not only more challenging in the rain, but getting wet and possibly even muddy is an added bonus for any child.
• Walk in the Woods – Take the kids for a walk in the woods (as long as it is not a thunder/lightening storm). Ask the kids if they notice how the rain sounds against the trees. Ask them if they notice the difference between walking in the woods on a dry day and walking in the woods during the rain. Is it more difficult to walk in the woods in the rain?
• Powder Paint Art - This Rain activity is so much fun!! Put some powder tempera paint into shaker bottles. Outside on a porch let the kids sprinkle the powder paint on poster board and let the kids set the poster boards out in the rain. Depending how hard it is raining will determine how long you will leave their powdered art work outside in the rain. Once the artwork is where the kids want then to be bring them inside to dry. Beautiful, huh?
• Rain Olympic Challenges – Make a fun competition day by using the rain as part of the fun. Come up with clever competitions for the children to participate in such as hula hooping, water balloon toss and obstacle course fun. All of these activities being done in the rain. Super fun and super challenging. Sounds like a win-win event to me.
• Make a Wet Land – Take out some plastic creatures like toy dinosaurs, toy animals, toy soldiers and action figures. Create a wetland and let the plastic animals and beings have a blast.
• Save the Worms – When it rains worms come to the service and you will find them all over the sidewalk. The problem is that once the sidewalks dry up the worms that don’t make it back to the grass will die. So, why not pick up the worms you see on the sidewalks during the rain and place them back on the grass where they can survive.
• Roadway and Construction Site - Why not let the kids take their little cars and big trucks outside in the rain. Let them create roadways in the rain and build construction sites with their Tonka trucks. Tons of fun to be had with that.
• Swimming – Again, I want to preface this with you have got to make sure that the rainstorm is just a rainstorm. This activity should not be done if there is a chance that the storm is an electrical storm (lightening storm). There is nothing like a hot summer rain while swimming in the pool. The raindrops make a nice soothing sound on the pool and since you are already wet you don’t have to worry about getting more wet, right?
• Rain Catcher – Make a rain catcher to see how much rain has fallen during that particular rainstorm.
• Crock Pot Cloud – Using a crock pot you can teach your children a little bit about what the clouds do and how it rains. Fill a crock pot half the way with water. After the water has been in there for a couple of hours and you see the water condensing on the lid bring the children over to the crock pot (being extra careful that they keep their distance from the hot crock pot). Once the children are in watching view of the crock pot show them the condensation on the crock pot and let them know that it is the same as a cloud being full of raindrops. Lift and tilt the lid and show them what happens – the rain begins to fall.
• What Floats? – Let a pot fill up with water outside while it is raining. Have children place an object in the pot filled with water to see if certain things floats or sinks? Let them tell you what they think will happen to that object before they place it in the water. Were they right?
• Evaporation – Evaporation is the process of water becoming vapor. This process can be confusing for children. But, one way to explain it is to perform this easy activity. Help your child pour water into a jar or glass. Take a marker and mark a line where the water is. Place the glass on the windowsill. Have the child check the glass every day. What does the child notice is happening with the water level? This is a great time to explain evaporation in further detail.
• Rain in different Lands – Go to the Library or search the internet with your children about different areas around the World and the amount of rain they get. Show them pictures of the different ways people have to live because of the rain in their area. For example, people who live in the Amazon compared with people who live in Asia.
• Dirty Rain – Collect Rain in two different containers. Place a coffee filter on top of the one container and the 2nd container use nothing covering the top. When it is done raining bring both containers in. Show the kids what the filter looks like on the one container. It will probably be pretty dirty depending on where you live. The larger the city you live in the dirtier the filter will be. Explain to them that raindrops start off clean, but get dirty when traveling through our atmosphere because of all the air pollution.
• Rain Changes Things – It is true. Rain does change things. During a nice spring or summer rain take a walk with your children and have them take notice of things during the rain. Tell them to use all of their senses to experience the changes.
• Be a Water Spy – Let the children investigate the rain and see if they can figure out where the rain goes during and after a storm.
• What do Animals do? - Let the children investigate to see which animals don’t mind the rain and which animals hide from the rain 

Make Yummy MudPies-

• Oreo cookies (about 26)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 pt. chocolate ice cream, softened
• 2 pts. coffee ice cream, softened
• 1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped
• 1/4 c. chopped nuts (pref. walnuts)
• 1/2 c. hot fudge topping

Roll cookies into fine crumbs; mix with butter. Press crumb mixture into bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Evenly spread chocolate ice cream into cookie crust. Scoop coffee ice cream into balls; arrange over chocolate layer. Freeze until firm. Serve topped with whipped cream, walnuts, and hot fudge. 8 servings. Can use other favorite flavors of ice cream as well!

 Other Water Cycle Posts

http://tugatnature.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/water-cycle-watersheds/

http://tugatnature.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/water-cycle-mini-study/

 

Try a Rain Party–For the best Rain Party, you’ll want to try to give your kids a place to play. Using your manicured lawn may not be a good idea. Directing the kids to the dirt patch in the yard is not a good idea either (water + dirt = mud, right?!).

A Rain Party may best be centralized on a paved driveway, a sidewalk, or perhaps a grassy part of the yard that you won’t mind see getting chewed up a bit should your kids decide to run around there in the rain.

Rain Parties may be fun, but they can be dangerous when lightning interrupts.

If you can see lightning, bring the kids in right away.

If you can hear thunder, end the party and get the kids indoors.

Be sure to seek enclosed shelter and not a tent, but a house or building with durable roof and closed windows and doors. Once the thunder beings rolling and the lightning is crackling around, wait at least 30 minutes after the last boom of thunder or visible lightning to let the kids resume their fun in the rain.

Lightning can seem to come from out of nowhere and can cause injuries — even death. The first strike is often the most dangerous because few people have been prompted to seek shelter with the lack of previous lightning and thunder.

Before allowing the kids outdoors for a Rain Party, you should check your local online weather to see if lightning has already been detected in your area.