I laugh to myself now at the title as I believe there is a store in our Historic Properties with the same name. 🙂
Yesterday it was such a beautiful day (again thank you!) that after swim lessons we decided to go to our favourite park. Xman wanted to start another trail and write down the route again. He is becoming very keen on recording these things and I find it fascinating. I did however, suggest to him to perhaps this time try drawing the route instead as we only had so much time to stay. I showed him an example from our Earth Adventures book and he agreed.
It took a bit of time to get started as we were naturally distracted by the ducks on the pond at the entrance to the park. I had brought along some great print-outs to differentiate between some duck species. The boys had a fun time really looking at the ducks to tell the difference. They already knew for the most part how to tell a drake mallard from a hen but we didn’t know until we read this blog post that drakes can sometimes look like hens! I think we may have found an American Black Duck as the bill was more of an olive colour but I couldn’t get a picture of it. Maybe next time!
Female:
Female? Hmmm…or Black Duck? I think it’s a female due to the eye line but the bill is a kind of yellow green and the wing tip colour is edged in black. What do you think? Pop on over to this post to try and figure it out!
Working hard on the map! I can’t show you the map as it isn’t finished just yet…
The dragonflies are getting a little slow in the cooler weather and we found many of them warming themselves on the rocks in the sun.
While waiting, Stephen and L found their way under one of the bridges and also found some of these:
A male mallard.
A family of boys and girls!
We had a lot of fun identifying the ducks and look forward to next time. We also kept an eye out for that blue heron that visits the park but still a no show for us. We will keep looking!
We had a great time on a beautiful day. I’m sure X will be continuing his map making on another day – a future cartographer perhaps?
Are you a nature lover or trying to become more of one? Seen any flying friends lately? Maybe some big winged bugs or green bulgy-eyed insects? Pop on over to Mud Puddles to Meteors for some natural inspiration!
Happy weekending!
Looks like a really great walk!
I am so exited you used the Duck ID sheets!
We saw a lot of Mallard/black duck mixes when we were there!
It is awesome that X is so into map making. Wonderful way to noticed the details of a place!
Thanks for the Mud Puddles shout out.
xo
We loved using the Duck ID sheets. It was great fun and learning that way sticks! 😉 Hopefully next time we will see a black duck or two – and maybe a heron!
I am excited by X’s interest in maps and writing descriptions. That reminds me that if you are going for the Brave Writer there is an amazing exercise in there regarding oral descriptions vs written to bette explain things we cannot see. I am excited to try it with the boys! Love Brave Writer!
As far as Mud Puddles go I think it is a fabulous idea and I love seeing the kids in the posts – miss you all!