22Jan 2024 by catbird 1 Comment
Bird Watching Hike

Bird Watching Hike

Hike Ideas, Learning, Nature Journaling, Valentine's Day, Winter
February is the perfect time to go bird watching! It's much easier to spot birds before the trees have all leafed out, and many birds are super active this time of year. There is long held folkloric belief that February is when birds begin to pair up and make nests, which likely plays into the modern themes of Valentine's Day. They do begin to make nests this time of year as many types of birds time the hatch of their young for early spring when insects start emerging. February is also the month of the Great Backyard Bird Count– a great opportunity to participate in a citizen science project and have fun outdoors. Log the bird friends you spot to help scientists track bird’s patterns and migration. Recording bird sightings in…
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22Jan 2024 by catbird 1 Comment
Love Bird Tea

Love Bird Tea

Play, Recipes, Valentine's Day, Winter
I have always found Valentine’s Day to be kind of a weird holiday (full disclosure, its also my birthday.) Recently I have shifted my thinking about it somewhat by diving into nature and winter birds and the start of nest making season. In fact, theer is scholarship that suggests that this holiday intially came about way back when because it is when birds would pair off and start building nests. it's one of those important signs that spring will eventually be here-- the birds know! After making a variety of bird feeders, nesting material holders and other treats for winter birds we decided that we needed some treats too! What better way to celebrate lovebirds and Valentine's Day then with these easy and delicious lovebird toasts! We drank hot chocolate…
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13Feb 2023 by catbird No Comments
A Valentine for your Babies 3 Ways

A Valentine for your Babies 3 Ways

Craft Project, Foraging, Garden, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Valentine's Day
I have always found Valentine's Day to be kind of a weird holiday (full disclosure, its also my birthday.) I mean why do school children give each other valentine's about romance? I have shifted my thinking about it somewhat by diving into winter birds and the start of nest making season, but this year I wanted to make something for my own little guys too and was inspired by some research I was doing for the floriography valentines I made earlier. As it turns out moss is symbolic of maternal love-- and it makes for an adorable nature crafting material so what better jumping off point? The plants I picked out to use are: Moss: maternal love Pansy: merriment Pussywillow: motherhood Cinquefoil: beloved child Fern: fascination & magic Juniper: protection…
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13Feb 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Printable Floriography Valentines

Printable Floriography Valentines

Craft Project, Free Printable, Garden, Nature Art, Valentine's Day
Floriography is the art of communicating with flowers, with different types of flowers having particular symbolic meanings. Some form of floriography has been practiced for thousands of years across Europe, Asia and Africa, but the best known floral code today is the Victorian Language of Flowers. In the 19th century, particularly in the UK and the United States, it became all the rage to send coded messages with flowers. There were floral dictionaries published and you could convey just about anything with the flowers you exchanged. (Although there are often multiple meanings for the same plants) Floriography was the emoji of the Victorian times, and like the emoji, it can be used to send coded messages. I put together the printable valentines below from some of the words that jumped…
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04Feb 2023 by catbird No Comments
Color Changing Blue Butterfly Pea Valentines

Color Changing Blue Butterfly Pea Valentines

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Valentine's Day
We love a good color changing secret message around here... and there are lots of plants that will change color depending on pH levels. One of them is the Blue Butterfly Pea flower which turns from a beautiful deep blue to bright pink in the presence of an acid. The pink is perfect for a secret valentine! https://www.pinterest.com/pin/91831279894699638/ Color Changing Blue Butterfly Pea Valentines A fun and easy way to make valentines or valentine's day art with plants! Materials: a handful of dried blue butterfly pea flowers boiling water watercolor paper foam brush matte acrylic medium (you can also water down white glue a bit, but it will be shiny) a lemon Method: Pour just enough boiling water over the blue butterfly flowers to cover them. Let them steep until…
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03Feb 2023 by catbird 2 Comments
Nesting Materials Willow Heart

Nesting Materials Willow Heart

Craft Project, Learning, Nature Art, Play, Valentine's Day
If you've read any of my Valentine's posts, you probably already know that I like to celebrate birds around Valentine's Day. There are old folkloric beliefs to support this, people have long believed that birds in temperate climates start looking for mates and making nests in February and its' even though to be part of the reason that this time of year was chosen to celebrate love. Scientists do know that this is both a great time of year to spot birds in the absence of foliage, and the time that many early birds start to build nests. (Check out the Great Backyard Bird Count for a fun citizen science project_ Many birds time the hatching of their eggs with the emergence of insects in the early spring, some are…
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03Feb 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Red Berry Ice Heart Garland for Bird Friends

Red Berry Ice Heart Garland for Bird Friends

Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Valentine's Day
We grow a lot of different types of berries in our yard, some for us to eat and some for the birds to eat. Most years there are holly berries rosehips and winterberry holly berries all through the winter, but this year I noticed they were all gone by December. I'm not sure why berries are so scare this year, but we decided we needed to help our bird friends out. We like to learn about and celebrate winter birds around Valentine's day, there is long held folkloric belief that February is when birds begin to pair up and make nests, which likely plays into the modern themes of the holiday. They do begin to make nests this time of year as many types of birds time the hatch of…
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16Jan 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
A Valentine for the Birds

A Valentine for the Birds

Craft Project, Learning, Nature Art, Play, Valentine's Day
It probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise that we like to make valentine’s for the birds. (Both wild birds and our chickens, but our chickens are much easier to photograph) there are a ton of good reasons to celebrate birds at Valentine’s Day! 1. Even though February is often one of the coldest snowiest months for us, the days are getting lighter and the very first stirrings of spring are starting. There was a popular notion in England and France during the Middle Ages that birds started to look for their mates on February 14. The reason for this assumption is not clear, but might be related to the fact that the warbling of the first songbirds after a long winter started sometime in mid-February. Many birds also start…
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