We began with a brief discussion of the Mohawk people, and then read a Mohawk story: Sacred Song of the Hermit Thrush, by Tehanetorens. It’s the story of how each bird got its song, the hermit thrush winning the loveliest song of all. We found (among the bird identification cards I’d scattered on the table) a few of the birds pictured in the book, including a hummingbird and the hermit thrush itself. We also listened to the actual song of the hermit thrush via Audubon’s neat little app.
Then, we braved the cold! And cold it was… The idea was to hear some birdsong in the woods, but the birds were all too smart and stayed inside. I played a few more recordings, we talked about what we did hear, and the kids were all great sports. Finally, we beat a hasty retreat back across the field! Brrr.
