Discovering Birds

Bird Watching Nature Journal

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Do you have a child that loves to sit in nature and draw?

I do. My oldest daughter loves sitting outside or by the window and drawing whatever wildlife she can find, or her impressions of nature.

I created this bird survey tool as a way for her to record and draw the different birds that she finds around our community in Northern Ontario. (Her beautiful little six-year-old drawings and observations are so cute!) It will be a special keepsake in years to come.

This birdy resource will encourage students to get outside into nature and watch and listen for the many amazing different bird species out there! It is non-specific to any geographical area, and is to be used as an interactive survey tool.

On each page students can record:

  • The name of the BIRD sighted
  • Date/Time
  • Location of the BIRD
  • Colour and any notable markings of the BIRD
  • Behavior of the BIRD (what was the bird doing?)

At the bottom of each page there is a framed box where students can DRAW their impression of what the bird looked like, or what it was doing (flying, perching, nesting, etc).

This PDF file has been designed to be easily printed, folded and stapled together, making it an easy handout to either print and make ahead of time for younger students, or have the older students assemble it themselves!

There are 12 different journal covers for students to choose from to use in their nature journals, highlighting a variety of different bird species.

Instructions on assembling this nature journal:

1) Choose 1 of the 12 unique journal covers and print on cardstock, fold in half.

2) Print inner journal pages double-sided, flipping on short edge.

3) Fold inner pages in half and insert into the cover.       

4) Put 3 staples along the fold in the cover.

What is Included in this Digital Package? (Total 18 Pages)

  • Bird Watching Journal Covers (12 pages)
  • Bird Watching Journal: Inner pages (4 pages)
  • Terms of Use/Instructions/Graphic Credits (2 pages)

**Please Note that this is a DIGITAL FILE. There is no physical product from this purchase. After purchasing, there is a link that is automatically sent to your email where you can access your new file. (Email address is required at checkout).

Click HERE to buy this Package
Bird Watching Nature Journal
$1.00

Some of our favourite birds that we have discovered in the north: (and managed to take a picture of!)

“Downy Woodpecker”

Moosonee, Ontario

“Dark Eyed Junco”
Moosonee, Ontario

(Photo Credit: Jesse Burman, my husband)

“Chickadee”
Moosonee, Ontario

“Willow Ptarmigan”
James Bay, Northern Ontario

“Partridge”
Moose River Area, Northern Ontario

“Wild Turkeys”
Muskoka, Ontario

“Whisky Jack”/”Canada Jay”,
Moose River area, Northern Ontario

Thank you for your interest in this product designed by Northbird!

**Please Note that this is a DIGITAL FILE. There is no physical product from this purchase. After purchasing, there is a link that is automatically sent to your email where you can access your new file. (Email address is required at checkout).

Click HERE to buy this Package
Bird Watching Nature Journal
$1.00

Did your kids or students make this Birdwatching Craft?

I’d LOVE to see your results!! Feel free to post to your social media account and tag Northbird using one of the links below or post in the comments!

This Free Birdwatching Survey Sheet PDF is available to download HERE.

More on “Discovering Birds“:

More Homeschooling Crafts & Activities to Check Out:

Hi, I’m Jessie!

I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

Read more about my story HERE.

Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

Recent posts from Northbird:

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure HERE.

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Fun Owl Bird Snack Recipe for Kids

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Somedays, our 3 kids remind me of little birds…one is contentedly “peeping”, while another is incessantly “chirping”, and of course there’s one that just noisily “squawks” if basic needs have not been met (sometimes constant cuddles with Mom strongly falls under this category!)

Let me just say, I love these darlings. Period. However… there are days when the constant noises of active and most-of-the-time happy kids becomes too much for my ears! (Am I right fellow parents?!)

My coping solutions to the noise?? Calming music for me (usually classical), and a good supply of nutritious snacks for these kiddos! Most of the time they can be easily distracted with food… because the majority of the time a contented tummy and full mouth doesn’t need to squack, right?!

About this Snack/Activity:

This snack was fun to make! It not only challenged the creative/artistic side of my brain, but was super tasty to eat too!

The kids and I had been learning about owls and nocturnal animals in homeschooling and this was a perfect mid-morning snack to go along with it! (The hubby was also home that day from teaching at the high school and was quite happy to get a snack that was more interesting than his usual)

Ingredients to Use:

  • Rice cakes were used for the body of the owl. Any large round one works, there are so many types and flavours! We like the plain ones best for this snack though.
  • For the base we used natural peanut butter, but you could also use other nut or seed butters, or hummus! Lather it on thick, this is the main protein part of this snack!
  • We used dehydrated strawberry chips for the owl ears, but you could also use fresh strawberries or another fruit and cut it to size. If you want to learn how to dehydrate your own strawberry chips like we did, you can check out THIS POST to find out more.

  • For the eyes, we sliced on fresh “banana dollars“. (My kids love their bananas!)
  • The wings were made using dehydrated peach slices, which could of course be substituted for fresh slices of peach. Apple or pear slices would work great too!
  • Raisins are the decorative part that tie it all in. You could also sub in cranberries, or other dried berries for this part.

Activities to do with this Owl Bird Snack:

Kids can not only have fun putting this tasty snack together, but they can also use the following resources for learning more about owls.

Craft Activity:

Cut out and paste shapes to create an Owl. You can download this free pdf HERE.

Educational Videos:

This is a a super fun video for younger learners, lots of energy, diagrams and some amazing facts discussed about owls.

This video is longer, at 14 + 1/2 minutes, and probably better suited for grades 1 and up. It is a very well done video by BBC Earth, and shows some baby owlets hatching! It also answers some questions such as “How can Owls fly so quietly?” and “How does an Owl’s hearing work?”
As a heads up: there are some mice that you see getting gobbled up!

How to Make this Owl Bird Snack:

Supplies Needed:

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Spread the peanut/seed butter or hummus on the rice cake nice and thick.
  2. Place the Strawberry slices as ears, banana slices as eyes, and peach (or other) slices as wings.
  3. Place the raisins for additional feathers, a beak, and in the center of the banana eyes.
  4. Eat!!!

Made this Recipe?

I’d LOVE to see your results!! Feel free to post to your social media account and tag Northbird using one of the links below or post in the comments!

More Desert & Snack Recipes:

Posts on “Discovering Birds”

Hi, I’m Jessie!

I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

Read more about my story HERE.

Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

Recent posts from Northbird:

Owl Bird Healthy Snack for Kids

  • Servings: 1 Owl
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Jessica Burman, 2025 © The Northbird Blog. https://www.thenorthbirdblog.com

Supplies Needed:

  • Paring Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Spreading Knife

    • Ingredients

  • Round Rice Cakes (Body)
  • Natural Peanut Butter, Seed Butter or Hummus (Colouring)
  • Strawberry slices, dried or fresh (Ears)
  • Round Banana slices (Eyes)
  • Peach, Apple or Pear slices (Wings)
  • Raisins (Feathers, Beak, Eyeballs)

    • Directions:

    1. Spread the peanut/seed butter or hummus on the rice cake nice and thick.
    2. Place the Strawberry slices as ears, banana slices as eyes, and peach (or other) slices as wings.
    3. Place the raisins for additional feathers, a beak, and in the center of the banana eyes.
    4. Eat!!!

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    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure HERE.

    Birdwatching Binocular Craft with Bird Survey Printables

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    Birds: A Natural Homeschooling Inquiry…

    Learning about birds in our homeschool studies is one of the easiest topics to investigate in my opinion, simply because it is on-going, and the kid’s curiosity is spring boarded from seeing “who” comes to our bird feeders!

    This is such a natural discovery process that leaps into questions of:

    “Where do the birds go when it is raining or snowing?”

    “What do birds eat when we forget to fill up the bird feeder?”

    “Why are the birds chasing each other in the sky?”

    Even though questions from these little treasures may be nearly constant some days, I am learning to pray for patience and view them as a golden opportunity for the kids to learn.

    A “Whisky Jack”/”Canada Jay”,
    Moose River area, Northern Ontario

    Honestly, there are so many days that we have dropped the math or language arts lessons to simply go stare out the window for several minutes to watch the various feathered creatures fly around, eat at our feeders, scratch for worms and bugs, or pick up grass for their nests.

    There is always something to learn from watching birds, even if it is to realize our need to sit still, and step away from whatever business is in our lives while we quietly observe these beautiful creatures. Birdwatching is so calming, both for myself and also my very busy children!

    I love how one can almost hear a pin drop if they are watching the birds from our window. They have learned to be as quiet as they can and not move so the birds don’t get spooked!

    A downy woodpecker hanging on to have a snack.

    One of our favourite types of bird feeders is the clear plastic one above  ↑ (The Window Cafe, similar to THIS ONE available on Amazon) that suctions right onto the window glass!

    A “Whisky Jack” eating from one of our homemade bird feeders.

    You can check out THIS POST if you are interested in seeing how we made these easy & seedy paper roll bird feeders.

    About this Craft:

    This bird-based inquiry craft is an easy set up, inexpensive, and can be completed as simple or fancy as you like!

    I must give credit to my sister-in-law “L” for first having the idea several years ago and making two quick sets for our toddlers to decorate with stickers when they were having trouble getting along with each other!

    I hope you and your students have fun making this simple fun birding craft!

    Watch and Record!

    Don’t forget to watch and record what types of birds your kids can find using their new birdwatching binoculars!

    You can download this Free Birdwatching Survey Sheet PDF HERE.

    Have a student that loves to record and draw?

    My daughter loves drawing! I created this bird survey tool as a way for her to record and draw the different birds that she finds around our home in Northern Ontario. It will be a great keepsake in years to come.

    This birdy resource will encourage students to get outside into nature and watch and listen for the many amazing different bird species out there! It is non-specific to any geographical area, and is to be used as an interactive survey tool.

    On each page students can record:

    • The name of the BIRD sighted
    • Date/Time
    • Location of the BIRD
    • Colour and any notable markings of the BIRD
    • Behavior of the BIRD (what was the bird doing?)

    At the bottom of each page there is a framed box where students can DRAW their impression of what the bird looked like, or what it was doing (flying, perching, nesting, etc)

    This PDF file has been designed to be easily printed, folded and stapled together, making it an easy handout to either print and make ahead of time for younger students, or have the older students assemble it themselves!

    This Bird Watching Printable Journal is available to purchase and download from my store on Teachers Pay Teachers HERE.

    How to Make Paper Binoculars

    Supplies Needed:

    Decorating suggestions:

    Directions:

    1. If you are using paper towel rolls, first cut them in half. If using toilet paper rolls, make sure they are completely bare!

    2. Cut coloured paper into strips for a background, then wrap around and tape in place.

    3. Cut a different colour of paper into thinner strips and also wrap and tape into place. (*Note: it helps to have all the tape along one side, so that when you staple it together, the tape can be hidden)

    4. Staple together the two rolls where they touch when held together, (tape side in), stapling twice both at the top and bottom.

    5. Use a single hold punch, make a small hole about 1/2 inch below the eye hole top, opposite from the staples (see picture).

    6. Insert string into hole and tie a large knot at the end of the string to hold it in place.

    7. It’s time to begin using the binoculars!

    Made this Craft?

    I’d LOVE to see your results!! Feel free to post to your social media account and tag Northbird using one of the links below or post in the comments!

    More Homeschooling Crafts & Activities to Check Out:

    Hi, I’m Jessie!

    I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

    Read more about my story HERE.

    Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

    Recent posts from Northbird:

    Birdwatching Binocular Craft

    This is a fun bird inquiry craft to make at home: Kids can make their own binoculars and decorate them as simple or as decorative as they like!



    By Jessica Burman © 2025 The Northbird Blog http://www.thenorthbirdblog.com

    Supplies Needed:

  • String or Twine
  • Scissors
  • Stapler
  • Tape
  • Single Hole Punch
  • Coloured Paper
  • Inside cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towel rolls


    • Decorating Ideas:

  • Paint
  • Markers
  • Stickers (These watercolour bird stickers are gorgeous!)
  • Coloured Ribbons
  • Washi Tape

    • Directions:

    1. If you are using paper towel rolls, first cut them in half. If using toilet paper rolls, make sure they are completely bare!
    2. Cut coloured paper into strips for a background, then wrap around and tape in place.
    3. Cut a different colour of paper into thinner strips and also wrap and tape into place. (*Note: it helps to have all the tape along one side, so that when you staple it together, the tape can be hidden)
    4. Staple together the two rolls where they touch when held together, (tape side in), stapling twice both at the top and bottom.
    5. Use a single hold punch, make a small hole about 1/2 inch below the eye hole top, opposite from the staples (see picture).
    6. Insert string into hole and tie a large knot at the end of the string to hold it in place.
    7. It’s time to begin using the binoculars!

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    How to Make a Simple Bird Feeder

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    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure HERE.

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    “Birding” as a Homeschooler…

    With spring right around the corner, we are looking forward to many things, and one of those is more birds coming to visit!

    Many of our winter days have had temperatures around -30 to -40 degrees celcius, which means less feathery visitors to our bird feeders during those chilly days.

    However, through the winter we have still had a steady visiting flow of black-cap chickadees, whisky jacks, pileated woodpeckers, crows, and the occasional sparrow.

    Our kids love watching birds from our front window, and one of our favourite types of bird feeders is a clear plastic one (The Window Cafe, similar to THIS ONE) that suctions right onto the window glass! It lasted on our window for several months until we had several super cold days in a row, fell off and wouldn’t suction anymore…Oh well, we’ll try again when it’s warmer!

    A downy woodpecker hanging on to have a snack.

    When I was younger and also homeschooled, my mother kept several nature books in the sunroom (probably still does), and whenever an interesting bird, insect, or animal was spotted, out came the identification books to discover the name and nature of what we had found/observed.

    Of course, special mention must also go to my godfather “Ernie”, who was like a living, walking encyclopedia of knowledge. He was a retired science teacher and loved spending time with my siblings and I to teach and discover many things about the natural world around us. We didn’t even need to grab for our bird identification book if we were out on nature walks with him, we could just ask him! (Of course sometimes we got more information than we needed, such as the latin names and classification of species.)

    I’m sure Ernie will be mentioned on this blog more than once, as he was a very dear and memorable character, and had much knowledge and enthusiasm to offer young learners.

    About this Craft:

    On a recent family holiday weekend to a bush cabin, the kids and I developed this easy bird feeder idea, using leftover bacon grease and some sunflower and pumpkin seeds that I took from our trail mix. We spread the mixture onto a toilet paper finished roll, let it harden/freeze, then tied it to the porch railing. We had a lot of fun over the next few hours watching the whisky jack birds fight over our homemade bird feeders.

    A smart squirrel also noticed the tasty hanging treat and helped himself a few times. Eventually he figured out how to chew through the string and took off into the bush dragging the paper roll with him!

    Our pup may have snuck over a few times to sample the bacon grease…!

    There are many ways to make this simple bird feeder, based on what you may have available in your pantry. As I mentioned above, when we made it a few weeks ago we didn’t have any bird seed, just a few seeds in our trail mix that I sifted out. It would definitely be easier with smaller bird-feeder seeds!

    Have fun making this and don’t forget to watch and record what types of birds come to visit!

    Here’s a short video of making this easy bird feeder (and a few shots of the feathery/furry visitors that came to eat!)

    How to Make a Simple Bird Feeder

    Supplies Needed:

    • Leftover bacon grease (You can also use peanut butter, lard, or butter)
    • Bird seed
    • String
    • Scissors
    • Inside cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towel rolls

    Directions:

    1. Pour seeds into pan of bacon grease and stir well. Let bacon grease cool in pan.

    2. Using a spoon, spread mixture onto paper roll. (Or, if your seeds are small enough, first spread grease/peanut butter onto paper roll and then dip/roll in a bowl of the bird seed.)

    3. Let harden on a plate if needed (we stuck ours outside in the BBQ overnight to fully harden without animals eating it!)

    4. Cut string to desired length (we used about 3 feet length), and thread through roll.

    5. Tie string ends to make a loop and hang near a window so you can watch the animal activity!

    More Homeschooling Crafts & Activities to Check Out:

    Hi, I’m Jessie!

    I’m a Wife and Homeschooling Mom living in a remote town in Northern Ontario, Canada. I love making wholesome meals for my family from scratch, homeschooling our girls and learning more about natural living.

    Read more about my story HERE.

    Subscribe to Northbird’s email list to get weekly posts on: tasty recipes, activity ideas for kids, natural living tips, and some genuine mom thoughts and encouragement!

    Recent posts from Northbird:

    How to Make a Simple Bird Feeder

    Looking for an easy craft for a homeschooling bird inquiry? Save that leftover bacon grease and toilet paper rolls to make your own hanging bird feeders!



    You can also use peanut butter, other nut butters, lard, or butter to replace the bacon grease.

    Supplies Needed:

  • Leftover bacon grease
  • Bird seed
  • String
  • Scissors
  • Inside cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towel rolls

    • Directions:

    1. Pour seeds into pan of bacon grease and stir well. Let bacon grease cool in pan.
    2. Using a spoon, spread mixture onto paper roll. (Or, if your seeds are small enough, first spread grease/peanut butter onto paper roll and then dip/roll in a bowl of the bird seed.)
    3. Let harden on a plate if needed (we stuck ours outside in the BBQ overnight to fully harden without animals eating it!)
    4. Cut string to desired length (we used about 3 feet length), and thread through roll.
    5. Tie string ends to make a loop and hang near a window so you can watch the animal activity!

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