“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” - Maya Angelou
The beauty of birding on Drummond Island is that it is a well-defined space, yet the wealth of the northern avian world is apt to be living there. What you don’t find in winter, moves in to breed during the summer. Even more birding possibilities migrate through, both spring and fall. What better place to introduce a child to the wonders of the birding world?
A child’s constant need for knowledge and facts can be satisfied instantly by a trip into the woods or neighboring open lands to observe the birdlife. Why do birds sing? How do they fly? Where do they go in winter? Why are their eggs speckled or blue?
Bird names, songs, behavior, and relationship to the rest of nature – all of these facts add up to a knowledge base that logically ties into history, geography, art and science. These days, children have less time to stop, look and listen; birding offers a wonderful opportunity to take part in these simple pleasures.
For kids, birds are especially fascinating because they can fly! Avid model airplane builders and fans of flight will be fascinated with the aerodynamics of wing shape and speed. This particular trait is obvious in birds of prey because they are so large and visible as they cruise the updrafts and scout their prey from high above the ground. For a child, this is an astonishing feat of nature.
The next time you head to Drummond make sure you take along a pair of binoculars and a birding guide - you never know what you will find!
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