Program 4 ~ Jamie & Brett learn about Ducks Coots, and Geese at Mueller Park in Austin, TX.
Filmed on February 8th, 2012.
Click on words above to see the pictures.
Rainbow Castle Lessons are now available on television programs on Channel Austin 11. Mueller Lake Park is a great place to take your children to play.
When children play outdoors, they are developing mentally, emotionally and physically. Having fun is one very important part of unstructured outdoor play, but it's not the only part. In many ways, outdoor play helps children to grow into healthy adults.
When kids play outdoors, they stay far more active than they would otherwise, which keeps them healthy and in shape. When they're exploring and playing in nature, they stay fit without even trying. Rainbow Castle encourages families to go to the parks and have fun together.
Why did the geese come on the shore and honk at us?
Was it because they wanted food?
or were they chasing our dog Gideon away?
We went to an Austin public library and checked out some books on birds to learn more.
"Honk Honk Goose" by April Pully Sayre helped us discover that geese establish nesting sites in the early Spring. The males defend their site by honking and hissing loudly, bobbing his neck and chasing off other animals and even other geese.
Male and female Canada Geese stay together for life. If one mate dies, the surviving goose may look for another mate. Geese eat leaves, seeds, berries, insects and small fish. Some adult geese sleep while paddling on one foot.
A 100 years ago many people thought geese would disappear forever. People took action to save the geese. They released geese at lakes and ponds at many city parks. These places have low grass near ponds just the kind of habitat that they Canada Geese prefer. Today the goose population is doing well.
Mueller Lake park in Austin is a popular place to watch the geese.
This black bird with a white beak is not a duck or a goose. It is a COOT. They are also called a "Mud Hen". Coots are fresh water birds and are vegetarians. They swim, dive, dabble which means they dip their heads underwater with just their tails sticking up. They wade and graze on land to find plants to eat.
In many places like Mueller Lake Park Coots can be found living peacefully with ducks and geese.
Read more: Why Is Outdoor Play Important for Children? eHow.com
Kids Play Parks.com
Rainbow Castle television is an
educational program for children.
Program 3 - Rainbow Castle The Storybook - February 2012
Program 1 - February Issue Just 4 Kids Magazine.
This Television Program is sponsored in part by Chipotle's Mexican Grill at Mueller Retail Center
