Article by Ms. Seitz in Today's New York Times!

A Girl and her Butterfly

Red-Tailed Hawk Sighting!

I could hardly believe my eyes. Perched on a neighbor's shed, adjacent to the back of my yard, stood a gorgeous red-tailed hawk clutching a male house sparrow with its talons. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me...after all I do teach the food chain to fourth-grade students and I know that this kind of behavior isn't mean or bad, it just keeps nature in balance.

So I ran to the dining room, unzipped my camera bag and pulled out my trusty Canon Rebel. It was freezing outside but I went out barefooted and in my pajamas because I didn't want to miss an opportunity for a close look and a great photo! I walked slowly toward the hawk, noticing the teardrop design of its breast and the stern expression of its yellow eyes, and the hawk just stood there unfazed by me. When I got close enough, I stopped and just watched. The hawk pulled at the bird's innards, devouring bits and pieces, and I just kept snapping.

When my feet started getting numb, I went inside to warm up, happy to have these pretty cool photos of a red-tailed hawk in my backyard. Wishing you many adventures in nature -- Ms. Seitz

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Cams

One of my anonymous viewers has asked for the link to the bird cams. This is the camera in Ithaca and this is the link to the overall site which has several cams you can check out!

Life at the Feeders

During winter, it can be difficult for birds to find the food they need to survive. That's why I've put up a bird feeding station in my yard! It has four feeders. One of them is a suet feeder, which woodpeckers like, but I haven't yet seen a woodpecker.

Female Cardinal

 I was inspired to build my own station by the bird feeder cams on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's allaboutbirds.com website. The cameras are focused on a bunch of bird feeders in Ithaca, NY and Ontario, Canada. Right now, my fifth-graders at the Brooklyn School of Inquiry are tuning into the Ithaca feeders and recording their observations. These observations will inspire questions that they can investigate on their own. For example, "What types of seeds do goldfinches prefer?" or "What time of day is busiest at the bird feeders?"

Male House Sparrow

These photographs feature some of the birds that have visited my backyard feeders so far. I plan on diversifying my food options to see if I can attract some other species, so stay tuned! Right now, I'm featuring black sunflower seeds and suet. No one has noshed on the suet yet.

White-Throated Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

Blue Jay

White-Throated Sparrow

Meet George!

This Thanksgiving weekend, we hosted a special guest at the Miller-Seitz home....George, the Russian Tortoise. Isn't he handsome? George belongs to one of my students at BSI and is currently living in Room 409. Not wanting George to be all alone for four days, I carried him home and he's settled nicely into his corral in the dining room. It's especially fun watching George eat lettuce. He stretches his neck out so long and just chomps away.

Russian tortoises make great pets. They don't get any bigger than 9 inches, with males smaller than the females. They also live 50+ years! They are able to recognize their owners, which makes for a nice relationship.

The Beauty of the Black and White Warbler

One of my favorite migrating birds is the black and white warbler. I think it's because they're easy to spot! I get all confused with the yellowish and greenish warblers that are flying through right now en route to their wintering grounds. They look so similar, but the black and white warbler stands out! At this time of year, the black and white warbler is heading to northern South America. What a long trip for a tiny bird! Be safe little warbler.

The black-and-white warbler is the only member of the genus Mniotilta, which means “moss-plucking” and refers to the bird’s habit of probing for insects. It you know what a nuthatch is, well, this bird behaves a lot like a nuthatch, creeping up and down tree trunks and along limbs while probing between bark fissures in search of insects and grubs. With unusually long hind toes and claws, these birds are well adapted to climbing on tree bark. Ya gotta love those ADAPTATIONS!

Interestingly, these warblers build their nests on the ground—at the base of a tree, rock, stump, or fallen log, or under a bush or shrub.

While still pretty common, black and white warblers are slowly declining in population mostly because of habitat fragmentation. And because they migrate at night, they frequently crash into windows, towers and wind turbines. Also as insect eaters, they are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning.To hear its beautiful song, CLICK HERE

A Sense of Wonder Continues........

        It has been a while since I've written on the blog. Starting at a new school has occupied a lot of my time.
          I also wondered whether or not to continue the blog as it was so connected to my time as a teacher at P.S. 230, a school that has shaped me as an educator and whose students will always be close to my heart.
          I believe in the interconnectedness of everything, so the blog will continue--preserving the link I already share with former students at P.S. 230 and establishing a relationship with my new students at The Brooklyn School of Inquiry.
          So, if you already know me from P.S. 230, check in from time to time and if you are new to the blog, welcome. Visit often and indulge in a sense of wonder.