Wild Child: This week we saw…

This week we saw and heard Cardinals (bright red birds) and Chickadees (little bold birds) in our programs. Have you seen them too? As you play this weekend look and listen can you spot these feathered friends?

Cardinals

A male and a female cardinal face away from each other showing the differences in colouring.

Cardinals are easy to spot with their bright red feathers. But can you spot the more olive coloured female? Cardinals also have a distinctive set of calls. you can listen to them here, if you prefer watching a short video Project Bolony has a 2 min video of some of the common calls.

For more detailed information about cardinals and cool facts check out the information the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Black-capped Chickadees

A chickadee sits on a sumac branch as an example of this type of bird.

These little spunky birds are very familiar visitors to our Wild Child programs. These birds are great adaptors and have adjusted to people being near their habitat and are often the first to feed from an out-stretch hand with some sunflower seeds. Their familiar black cap, grey back and rosy white breast are easy to spot. Their call is easy to remmeber as it goes chickadee-dee-dee-dee which varying numbers of dees at the end. Less is their hey-sweetie call which you can here is late winter and early spring. They all have several other calls.

For more detailed information on black-capped chickadees click here.

Written by Tandy Morton Wild Child Outdoor Playgroup Facilitator

Snowdrops & Crocuses

An early crocus emerges from the ground next to melting snow.

A snowdrop flower starting to bloom in the leaf litter

An early snowdrop flower emerges from the thawing ground.

This week we saw snow drops and crocuses starting to pop out of the ground. Look for little shoots of green popping up taller than the grass or leaf litter. Soon they will start to show little white, purple, or yellow buds that will become the flowers.

These earliest of flowers often pop up in the first few warm days. Don’t worry if it snows again. These little flowers don’t mind the snow and cold and will add colour to the white blanket of snow.

This weekend see if you can spot all four as you spend time outside.