Caldwell Students Find Feathered Friends at New Bird Feeding Stations

First graders at Lincoln Elementary School in Caldwell, are welcoming some fine-feathered friends this winter, with the installation of a new bird feeding station.

Each first grade classroom now has a feeding station outside of their classroom window, providing the children with an opportunity to observe the birds up close, and the three different types of feeding stations encourage a variety of birds to visit.

The Wild Bird Center in West Caldwell provided expert guidance in selecting the feeding stations.

Purchased with funds from the Alice Long Grant awarded by the Caldwell/West Caldwell Education Association to first grade teacher Carol Macken, the feeding station was installed at Lincoln School on Nov. 26.

“The children were thrilled when they saw their first bird, and the excitement will continue in the upcoming months,” Macken said.

Students in the first grade classrooms will read a variety of books about birds to identify different species and to learn about their habitats, life cycles, and behaviors throughout the winter.

These lessons will be coupled with their own observations, and the students will identify and post pictures of their feathered visitors on their classroom Ornithology Center displays.

To welcome the birds, the students held an “Opening Day” ceremony, gathering around as the feeders were filled with food and reciting a poem about the invited winter residents entitled “Winter Guests” by Elsie Lindgren.

Pictured in the first photo: Lincoln School first grader Ryan Livelli helps first grade teacher Carol Macken hang up a finch feeder outside one of the first grade classrooms at the school.

For more information on Lincoln School, click here.