A Mad Bird's Life: A Division 6 Picture Guide to Canada’s Coolest Provincial Birds & Trees

A Mad Bird s Life A Division 6 Picture Guide to Canada’s Coolest Provincial Birds & Trees

Copyright © 2015 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 6, Mrs. Mehnert’s grade 3 class, at Thunderbird Elementary in the winter of 2014.

The Writers’ Exchange makes literacy exciting and accessible for inner-city kids through free mentoring and creative writing projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, so we could not exist without the support of generous donors, including Bernard MacLeod, Marily Mearns, Linda Louis, Nancy and Ted Maitland, Megan Abbott, Lindsay Mearns, anonymous donor, the Waterbury Foundation, TELUS, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union and the Vancouver Foundation. Thank you. And thank you to the amazing volunteer mentors who work with the kids in all Writers’ Exchange programs so that each child can succeed to the best of his or her ability.

881 East Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6A 1R8 To read more great student writing, visit vancouverWE.com.

Writers’ Exchange mentors: Amandine, Connie, Dylan, Jen, Joe and Paul Editorial support: Melissa Design and layout: Mauve Pagé, pageanddesign.com

Printing for this chapbook was generously donated by Hemlock.

Writers’ Exchange in-school projects are made possible by the Vancouver Foundation and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

The Writers’ Exchange is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society.

Introduction

This book was made by Ms. Mehnert’s division 6 class with the Writers’ Exchange. The kids went “bird watching” inside the classroom and each found a bird and tree to learn, draw and write about. The birds and trees belong to Canadian provinces. We hope you enjoy it!

Table of Contents 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

Newfoundland and Labrador · Adrian Yukon Territory · Chelsy New Brunswick · Cody Prince Edward Island · Edwin Newfoundland and Labrador · Enael Ontario · Gisel Northwest Territories · Ivan Manitoba · Joanna Northwest Territories · Jason British Columbia · Jo-Lynn Northwest Territories · Khoi Nova Scotia · Maria Alberta · Nelson New Brunswick · Selina Ontario · Sheila Alberta · Tanya Saskatchewan · Thomas New Brunswick · William

1

Atlantic Puffin

I can dive up to 200 feet underwater. I have waterproof feathers. I spend my time swimming. I fly up to 88 kilometres an hour. I am a good swimmer.

2  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Adrian

Black Spruce I am a small tree (5 to 15 metres).

I have needle-like leaves. I have small cones.

Newfoundland and Labrador  3

Common Raven

I’m very smart. I can do somersaults in the air and can even fly upside down.

4 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Chelsy

Subalpine Fir

I am medium size.

I have cones that are 6 to 12 centimetres.

I live in places that are high up.

Yukon Territory  5

Black-Capped Chickadee

I am a small bird. I dig my nest-holes in soft or rotting wood of trees. I eat all day long. I make a sound like “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.”

6 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Cody

Balsam Fir I am an evergreen. I am small to medium in size (14 to 20Â metres). I provide food for mice, squirrels and chickadees.

New Brunswick  7

Blue Jay I am very smart. I can live to 17 years old.

I eat bugs and nuts. I sometimes eat the eggs of other birds. I live in all kinds of forests. I really like oak trees.

8  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Edwin

Red Oak

I am a straight and tall oak tree. I grow up to 28 metres. I have a round top. I have leaves with 7 to 9 points. My leaves are 12 to 25 centimetres.

Prince Edward Island  9

Atlantic Puffin

I spend most of my time swimming in the ocean. I have waterproof feathers. I can dive up to 200 feet underwater.

I can fly up to 88 kilometres an hour. I eat fish.

10  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Enael

Black Spruce

I am a small tree. I have small cones and brown bark.

Newfoundland and Labrador  11

Com mon Loon

I have red eyes. I can play on frozen snow.

12 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Gisel

Eastern White Pine

I have needles that grow in bundles of five. I have cones that are 5 to 16 centimetres long.

Ontario  13

Gyrfalcon

I’m the largest falcon in the world. I like to eat ptarmigan. I sometimes take baths in freezing water. I don’t build nests—I use nests built by other birds. I nest on cliff edges.

14 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Ivan

Tamarack My name is an Algonquin word for the wood used for snowshoes.

I am a small to medium tree (10 to 20 metres).

I have pink bark. My needles turn from bluegreen to bright yellow in the fall. I have small cones (1 to 2 centimetres). I am very good at living in the cold (up to –65°C).

Northwest Territories 15

Great Grey Owl

I look like I’m wearing a bowtie. I can’t move my eyes, so I move my head. I’m the biggest owl in Canada. I have a wingspan of 1.5 metres. I don’t build my own nest. I take nests from hawks and ravens.

16 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Joanna

White Spruce I’m a large tree with a narrow top. My needles go in a spiral around the twig. The needles smell really bad when they’re young.

Manitoba 17

Gyrfalcon I like to eat ptarmigans. I take nests from other birds. I nest on cliffs. You can find my nest by looking for white poop. I take cold baths. I am rich.

18  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Jason

Tamarack

I am a tamarack larch that is cool.

Northwest Territories  19

Steller s Jay I like fruits and mice. I can sound like a cat. I am dark blue and black with white on my head. I am also very smart. I take people’s food.

20 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Jo-Lynn

Western Redcedar

I am an evergreen tree. I am very large (65 to 70 metres tall). I can live to be 1,000 years old. My cones are slender and long and have scales.

British Columbia  21

Gyrfalcon

I am the largest falcon in the world. I can be found in cliffs. I sometimes take a bath in freezing water. My wings can grow as long as four feet. I have white poop. I use nests made by other birds.

22  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Khoi

Tamarack I have wood that can be used for making snowshoes. I am small to medium and I grow 10 to 20 metres. I have pink bark.

Northwest Territories  23

Osprey

I am a bird of prey.

I eat live fish.

24 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Maria

Red Spruce

I am an evergreen tree. I can live to be 450 years old.

Nova Scotia   25

Great Horned Owl

I live in North America. I hunt at night.

I eat rodents, squirrels, skunks, hares, birds and sometimes fish. I catch prey by flying high and diving. I only have one enemy—it is other great horned owls.

26 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Nelson

Lodgepole Pine I am a large tree with a narrow top.

I have needles that go in a spiral around the twig. I smell really bad when I am young. I smell better when I am bigger.

Alberta  27

Black-Capped Chickadee I am a small bird. I am around 12 to 15 centimetres.

I dig my nest-holes in soft or rotting wood of trees.

I eat all day long. I also collect and hide food to eat up to 28 days later. I eat bug eggs and bugs like spiders and lice.

28  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Selina

Balsam Fir

I am an evergreen tree.

I am small to medium in size (14 to 20 metres).

My cones are 1.5 to 3Â inches long. I provide food for moose, squirrels and chickadees.

New Brunswick  29

Common Loon

I have red eyes. I live on lakes and large ponds.

I can’t live on frozen water. I have a black head with a white and black stripe around my neck.

I dive underwater to catch fish.

30 A Mad Bird’s Life

By Sheila

Eastern White Pine My needles need to grow in bundles of five and are 5 to 13 centimetres long. My cones are 8 to 16 centimetres.

In old age I can be 250 years old. Some of us can live to be 400 years old. I am the tallest tree in North America, at 50 metres.

Ontario  31

Great Horned Owl My only enemy is other birds like me. I can move my head to look around. I live in North America all year. I eat rodents, hares and other stuff. I hunt at night. I fly high then swoop down and grab my food. I fly very high.

32  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Tanya

Lodgepole Pine

Soooo, I am a lodgepole and that guy is a very koo koo pine cone. I am round at the top and look flat. My branches are hard to break. My cones have prickles and are 3 to 7 centimetres long.

Alberta   33

Sharp-Tailed Grouse

I am a relative of the chicken.

I have yellowish eyebrows.

If I am a male, I have pinkypurple air sacs on the side of my neck.

34  A Mad Bird’s Life

By Thomas

White Birch I am a deciduous tree. I can be up to 18 metres tall. I can live to be 140 years old. My bark is white. Moose love to eat my birch bark in the winter.

Saskatchewan  35

By William

Black-Capped Chickadee I am small. I am 12 centimetres. I dig nest-holes in rotting wood. I collect and hide my food. I eat it later. I eat bug eggs.

I like bugs like spiders and lice. I eat all day long.

36 A Mad Bird’s Life

New Brunswick

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