Westhampton+Elementary+School+(MA)

What's in our neighborhood?
How would you describe your neighborhood to someone who has never visited? Brainstorm about 10 phrases to describe your habitat, such as lots of trees, some tall buildings, many trees, blacktop everywhere, etc. 1. school building next to playground and soccer field and parking lot 2. lots of grass 3. playground/soccer field ringed by backyards 4. tall pine/spruce hedgerow to the northeast 5. small mature forested area to the south 6. flat and windy 7. a few tall, deciduous trees near school building 8. small shrubby garden area for birds 9. semi rural town 10.large play structure = =

** Write an overall description of your habitat, including a photos if you can. **
==Our habitat is characterized mainly by the open grassy fields ringed by backyards. There are many trees along the edges of the school property within a couple hundred feet of the school building. A quarter acre, or so, of mainly deciduous forest lies a couple hundred feet to the south. Within a quarter mile are hundreds of acres of mainly deciduous forest, along with homes and a large gravel mining operation. There is no water body or stream on the property. We have several 20 - 40 foot tall oak and maple trees near the school building and a bird garden with cotoneaster, viburnum and winterberry shrubs. The school site is open and windy.==

** What features make our neighborhood a suitable place for birds? **
Think about the availability of food, water and shelter. The extensive forest to the south is a refuge for all the typical forest species in our area. The school area lends itself to a more suburban collection. We have some cover, no water, and mostly grass on site. Our small garden area does provide a bit of protection and diversity. The adjacent hedgerow, treeline, and forest provides cover and food. Birds must traverse a couple hundred feet of open terrain to get to our feeders.

** What birds do you regularly see on your bird counts? **
You may want to record data from your "Count Birds for Science" lesson. In our winter observations we have seen about 20 or so species. Of these, goldfinches and juncos are the most numerous. Species such as downy and hairy woodpeckers, red breasted nuthatches, am. tree sparrows, purple finches, typically show up as one or two birds. We sometimes pick up groups of pine siskins, and red polls but not every year. We have had carolina chickadees, and red bellied woodpecker. Otherwise it is mostly chickadees, w.b. nuthatches, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, house finches, etc. In spring we sometimes pick up white throated sparrows, cowbirds, song sparrows, maybe a fox sparrow.