Listening, Looking and Learning About Birds

Thursday 10th September 2026

Over the past few weeks, our conversations have been inspired by the birds we hear and see as we explore our local community. Our discussions began with the arrival of magpie season and grew into a broader inquiry into the many different birds that share our city. Educators introduced a beautiful collection of bird books and, with binoculars in hand, the children became bird spotters, carefully looking, listening and sharing their ideas about the birds they noticed. It was wonderful to hear children drawing on their own experiences, talking about where they see different birds, from seagulls at the beach to magpies in the park.

These conversations naturally flowed into our drawing space, where bird books became a provocation for children to look closely and begin representing their own birds. Children shared their ideas about how to start, where to place the eyes and beak, how to create wings and feathers, and what details might help their bird come to life. There was a beautiful exchange of knowledge as children watched one another, offered suggestions and shared different ways of approaching their drawings.

This became co learning at its best, with children and educators learning alongside one another through observation, conversation, research and creative expression. The children's drawings became another language for communicating what they know, notice and wonder about, allowing their theories about birds to take shape on paper while our shared inquiry continues to grow.