We have been enjoying a local nature class. A Master Naturalist/Homeschool Mom has been taking us on a tour of our county, showing us all things nature. We have learned a lot!
Sibling Love
Nature Class
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Category Archives: Nature
Great Backyard Bird Count
Today we went to a local wildlife sanctuary to count birds for the Great American Backyard Bird Count. Wow, this was so much more difficult than I would have thought. The place where we went was a 1/2 mile plus board walk over water. We were with a group that was also counting birds. We thought it would be pretty easy but, I guess I didn’t think the plan completely through. We had counted birds a couple days here at the house before we went out to the sanctuary and this was easy because we just sat in one place. This is a better idea. Out there in a huge bird sanctuary, the birds are moving around a lot more, nesting, and all sorts of stuff. We were moving, the birds were moving, it was quiet confusing. We wanted to be useful scientists but this proved very difficult! We did the best we could and if we had any question at all about the type of bird or if we might be counting the same bird twice we simply didn’t count that bird. This is also what it said to do on the GBBC’s website. I think, over all, we did a pretty good job. I hope to do it again next year as well. Next time I plan to stay in one place and let the birds come to me each time I count. Here are some of the birds we spotted on our adventure.
Anhinga nest - Mama and babies
Great Blue Heron on nest
Ducks
Not a bird but still photo worthy, don't ya think?
Not sure if this is the male or female coming back to the nest with nest fixings
Anhinga (snake bird) in the water
My spotters
Anhinga nest - Mama and babies
Pie Billed Grebe
Tri-Colored Heron
Red-Headed Wood Pecker
April
waiting for Beluga in ballet
Indie and I sometimes walk the fitness trail
We love this game.
Beluga getting in on the skateboard action.
Helping Mama cook dinner
garden field trip
We joined the YMCA so mama can get a work out! Here they are hanging out in kid watch, drawing.
Lately, Indie's new obsession is Lego Star Wars. Here, he's made his own ship
Ahhh, Indie is adding new items to his diet weekly these days. Finally! 🙂
family Fun
This winter Indie really gained in confidence with his reading. It's awesome to catch him reading to his sister.
Playing dress up. Here they are "marring" each other. They are really dancing. 🙂 Cute.
More dress up.
Bought this b-ball goal from a neighbor for $10. Daily fun!
Indie has lost 4 bottom teeth and now, his top two teeth are loose. 🙁 Growing up so fast!
Butterfly Field Trip
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Budding photographers in our group
- Sparkling violet ear hummingbird (I think)
Oh the butterflies! Thousands of them!!! I have a whole new respect for these little creatures. How neat they are! I could have sat for hours watching them. We also met a bunch of neat birds including humming birds.
Indie and a Grecian Shoemaker Butterfly
Wish you could see of the butterflies around us.
Blue Morpho
Possibly a Tree Nymph Butterfly
Monkey Jungle – Miami
We took a day trip to Monkey Jungle today. What a place. Guess they moved about 5 years ago to their current location and it’s a great place for a field trip with kids. Especially in February. The weather was perfect! We are adventuring out on field trips in South Florida this week because they are giving great discounts to homeschoolers all week. A great benefit to us!
Watching a trainer hanging out with an orangutang
Petting and feeding kangaroo!
up close with crocodiles
group shot!
wow! petting a monkey.
uh oh, starting to get tired.
reading selection for the car trip home
Strawberry U-Pick Field trip
We learned about good and bad bug in an organic garden and how to control them. We got to pick a pint of strawberries, hang out with friends and we got a sweet treat at the end of our adventure. 
learning about lady bugs
4-H Mud Flat Birds
Everyone listening to our guide
Today we met up with fellow 4-Hers at a state park to learn about mud flat birds. We also learned about local vegetation, some about the first Fl. settlers, local wild life and so much more. Nature is one of Indie’s favorite things to learn about. He loves going on nature walks and exploring new parks. We had a great time and it was extra special that Papa could come along. Today is presidents day of he had the day off.
looking for shore birds
Doesn't Beluga look like Wall-E?
Look at all of those shells!
A little windy and cold but it was great!
Bike Ride
New Year’s Eve we took our first big, out and about, bike ride. Since both kids can ride bikes, Beluga still on training wheels, I’ve been wanting to take them out to a park some place to ride. We also have Florida State Park Passports that need to be stamped. This day, we accomplished both, and had a really nice time.
Getting the bikes out of the van
We spent about 5 hours in the park, we ate lunch next to the intercostal, watching the boats go by, and had a nice nature walk on a trail leading to the beach.
I hope we can do this at least once a month. We have so many nice parks here in South Florida, and it’s so nice to be outside on an adventure with the kids.
Hard to take a self portrait while riding. 🙂
Taking a juice break, half way though our ride.
Nature walk
Our passport
There are pages for each State Park with a place to get a stamp, and to for notes.
Nature
Yesterday, we took a nature walk in a South Florida Wildlife Refuge. We’ve been here a few times and love it. This is the best time of year to go. Many animals to see, even a few gator. During the summer months you have to get out there pretty earl to see much wildlife… today we were there at lunch time which is a much better time with little ones. Indie kept saying, “this is the best day, Mama.” I think he could do this kind of thing every day. He is our nature boy. I’m right there with him and could take long nature field trips every day…. we used to much more often when the kids were younger. It’s harder this year trying to get school lessons in. I should really try to commit to something nature at least once a week. It’s so refreshing!
I was happy to see so much going on out there in the Everglades today. It’s only recently that I’ve notice we really are recovering from hurricane Wilma and previous tropical storms that caused so much havoc in our area. The trees and scrub areas are so much fuller, giving the animals a place to live again. It’s nice to see!
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- Still a little small yet. I bet next year he’ll have no problem looking though this. He’s able to with my help.
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- Isn’t this beautiful!?!
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- not sure what kind of plant this is. we plan to look it up. Beluga loves flowers
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- Airplant
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- The second of 3 gotor we spotted. This was about 10-15 yards from us down an embankment.
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- vulture, i believe
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- the only one of these we saw was alligator… we found 3.
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- watching a family of birds up in the trees.
80 degrees and perfect!
I asked the kids this morning what they would want to do today of they could do anything. They said the beach so here we are. We only live a couple miles from the beach.
They are having a blast digging in the sand and running around while I relax. My only tiny complaint is the few little blue man-a-war as have to watch out for.
I have meatballs and sauce in the Crockpot and after dinner we’ll head to our local Christmas festivites.
Merry Christmas!!!
