Tweet tweet! Come birdwatching with us!

Over the past three weeks, our Year 5/6 mathematicians have been preparing to take part in this year’s Garden Bird survey with Land Information New Zealand and the Department of Conservation. Before collecting official data, we have been practising the important skills needed for successful birdwatching and scientific observation.

On average, we have completed birdwatching sessions three times a week. During each session, the kids spend 10 minutes carefully observing and recording what they see. We have been collecting information about the time, weather, location, and bird sightings while also learning how to correctly identify different bird species.

One of the biggest learning areas has been developing focus and patience. Birdwatching requires us to slow our bodies down, stay still, and carefully train our eyes to notice movement, colour, shape, and sound. We quickly discovered that the more calm and observant we were, the more birds we were able to spot. It has been really positive to see students becoming increasingly attentive to the natural world around them.

At school, we have identified many familiar resident birds including tūī, pīwakawaka, thrushes, blackbirds, sparrows, magpies, and starlings. We also visited the beach to explore how coastal habitats can affect the types of birds that live there. During our beach trip we spotted oystercatchers, three different species of seagull, and pīwakawaka. This helped the kids understand that different environments support different bird populations.

This project is also strongly connected to our Maths learning. Once we begin contributing our official data to the July garden survey, we will use the findings for a wide range of statistical investigations. We will categorise bird sightings, discuss data reliability and human error, create comparison graphs, and calculate the mean, median, mode, and range of our data.

We will also apply measurement and geometry skills by calculating the perimeter and area of our birdwatching zones. Later in the term, we will design birdhouse blueprints using scale drawings and budgeting skills. We will also explore probability and prediction by investigating which birds are most likely to appear under different conditions. If you are interested in contributing to the Garden Survey, or are keen to learn more about birdwatching, have a look at this website. Happy birding!