Sorry--didn't mean to send all of Tweeters my e-mail update.

But as long as I'm here--I'm wondering about the experiences others have had
birding with very small children. My little girl is 2 1/2, and very able to
learn bird names, identify birds she sees ("It's a CANADA Goose," she
informed an innocent passerby at the Fill, who said "That's a big birdie,"
to her), and even knows many vocalizations. Of course, kids this age are
sponges, and readily absorb so much information. I don't really think her
knowing birds is much different from her young friend who points out
"mini-vans" and "SUVs"--just a matter of exposure.

But what strikes me as interesting is her seeming need to categorize every
bird she learns. She doesn't just say a bird's name, but also its general
kind: Osprey-hawk, Eagle-hawk, Mallard-duck, etc. When we see coots she
says, "That's a coot. It's NOT a duck." It's the same when looking through
the bird book. "Now I'm looking at gulls, now I'm looking at
sparrows...This is Anna's Hummingbird. It's a kind of hummingbird." She's
very strict about it. So I'm wondering whether learning birds (plants,
insects, etc.) in terms of their taxonomic relationships is somehow a
"natural" or innate way of learning, or if it's just what makes sense to
this particular toddler. Any observations?

Lyanda Haupt
Seattle, WA