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As I write this opening at the beginning of February, we're having a school snow day. I'm sitting in my office of many windows, in my PJ's, sipping coffee and watching the bluejays fight over bird seed. The way they're wolfing it down tells me it will be a fill-twice day. The cardinal pair keep teasing me with quick appearances from time to time, while the ravens look down at me through the skylights, waiting for me to get up and leave the room to refill my coffee cup before approaching the feeders. I'm itching to grab my camera and just stand in the windows for hours. . .
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but I'd never get anything done!
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There have been several small snowstorms in Maine since Christmas break. Unfortunately, none has given us snowman snow. Hearing the pitter-patter of sleet on my skylights today, I'm hopeful we'll have proper snow to play in. You know the kind, slightly wet, easily formed into snowballs for snowball fights, snow angels, snow people, snow bunnies. The possibilities are endless!
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Speaking of snow, students in one of my classes have begun reading Mystery of the Lost Lynx. It's been so much fun to hear their reactions to the story in the moment, especially the predictions they make. Shannon (our ELA teacher) has been implementing some amazing connection activities around Maine winters, dog sledding and pets, which I'm adding weekly to my website's Teacher Resources Page. (Many of the activities can be used by parents reading at home, too.) As we make our way chapter by chapter, students take Doodle Notes. You can read more about this engaging form of note taking below. You'll also discover one of my favorite winter photography activities, see a book recommendation and get a report on my latest backyard visitors.
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Click the Cooper and Packrat adventures below to learn more about Mystery of the Lost Lynx, including where to find it.
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Snow People!
I enjoy using my camera all year long. When I owned the campground, I could just step outside and into a pair of snowshoes to explore our forty acres for wildlife photo opportunities. It's how I discovered a newly dug fox den, monitored the eagle's nesting progress and stalked an otter.
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But now that we've left our beloved property, and because I work full time in the winter, I don't get as many opportunities to use my camera this time of year, unless of course the subject wanders into my backyard.
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I remember feeling a bit blue about all this during our first winter in our new location. But then I came across some clever social media winter-themed posts in which photographers were creating cute winter photo shoot settings. There were photos of squirrels having a tea party (imagine tea cups full of bird seed). Backyard wildlife gathered around wrapped Christmas presents. My favorite was an acorn man made from items from nature, who had adventures in the woods with wildlife.
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I can do something like that! I thought.
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So I started setting up colorful little photo shoots of my own on the weekends.
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Sometimes my photo shoots attract more than just the birds!
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Then one day, while taking a break from shoveling after a two foot storm, I quickly built a little snowman on top of our picnic table. (We had soooooo much snow at the time, you couldn't even see the table itself!) Next, I filled the bird feeders, stopping to drop a bit of seed in front of of my creation. I used the seed to give it a face, chuckled at my whimsy and went back to shoveling.
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It wasn't until I'd gone inside, taken off my snow gear and poured a cup of coffee, that I realized the birds had already found my snow person! I snapped photo after photo, went out to add more seed, and snapped some more. Later, when I poured through the files, I saw that I'd captured some cute images.
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Building snow person photo shoots is such a big part of my winter photography now. I find myself gathering a box full of "supplies" in the fall while putting my yard and gardens "to bed".
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Each snow person ends up having its own personality. I don't think I've ever had two turn out exactly alike, even though I've tried. Outfitting each little person is super fun! The arms might be maple twigs, or the dried stems of iris from the summer before. The hair could be grasses, hemlock branches or dried flowers from last fall's Autumn Sedum. Eyes, nose and mouth might be tiny pine cones, seeds or berries. Sometimes I add a pretty background, or foreground too. Bonus points if I can find a flash of color!
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Even more exciting, is when I discover I've captured a fun series of photos like this one!
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Try making little photo shoots in your own backyard. It doesn't have to be snow people. It could be snow bunnies, or creatures made from nature! It's also a fun way to get outside and play!
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Read And Read S'more!
I'm really enjoying Mack Moon and the P.E.T.S!
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Mack's days are full of thoughts of space, and he'd like to be the first kid to go there. His friends laugh at the adventures he dreams up, but then . . . . he discovers his pets are undercover agents from Planetary Enforcement, Tactics and Stealth. Aaaand, they're tracking the True Form of Evil, a ferret named Barbara, who's now here to take over the Earth.
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This funny, clever graphic novel is written by Dan Jolley, Illustrated by Russ Cox and published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. I can't wait to share it with my students!
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Doodle Notes
In The Classroom
Shannon and I have been reading Mystery of the Lost Lynx to our students. Shannon is a big fan of Doodle Notes in the classroom and I am too! Studies have shown that doodling with intention, and color, helps students retain the story. It also helps to keep their minds from wandering while listening to a chapter book.
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First, create a unique worksheet for students to doodle on, as I did below for Lost Lynx.
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At the beginning of every chapter, students receive this worksheet. We carefully explain that the main rule of doodle notes is to only draw what you hear or read. So if we’re reading about the characters ice fishing, we need to draw what they are seeing, doing, or talking about if it is important to the story. Students can use words, symbols or drawings.
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As we read aloud, we model the notes they should be taking. Shannon and I like to do this on large white paper, so we can save it to refer back to with students. But you can also create on a white board, and take a photo of it.
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Notice the characters are stick figures, each drawn with a different winter hat. In other books, we might use different items to tell one from the other, or the first letter of their name above their heads. But we keep it simple, so they're easy and quick to draw.
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We also encourage students to number their events.
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Here are some examples of our students doodle notes!
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Wight House Wildlife Sightings
This month, I have tons of backyard birds to show you!
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Blue Jays are quite common at my feeder - and dominate it at first light.
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I couldn't identify this bird for the longest time, not even on my app. A picture submitted to Merlin told me it was a Carolina Wren - uncommon in Maine during the winter.
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A tufted-titmouse likes sunflower seeds, but eat peanuts too.
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This nuthatch takes a nut from my new feeder. I enjoy the splash of color it adds to my bird photos.
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Chickadees are one of my favorites photography subjects!
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We've had a robin stay close to the feeders this winter. We always have a nesting pair in summer - I wonder if this is one of them.
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The crows who watch me through my skylight.
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This female cardinal waits for her turn at the feeder while the sleet falls.
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Bluebirds showed up for February Vacation! I snapped over 500 pictures!
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Bluebirds really enjoyed the bird bath, even dunking themselves underneath the water a couple times. Here you see a difference between the male and female coloring.
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The bluebirds and cardinals tolerated each other on the platform feeder.
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Sadly, as I finish writing this newsletter the end of February, the bluebirds seem to have moved on. I'm so glad they chose our winter break to visit. Now excuse me while I edit a few hundred photos.
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Follow me on social media
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writing news and wildlife sightings!
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