Monday, March 10, 2008

Impromptu Nature Study

Music to my ears...

"Thane! Hurry up and get me the bug jar!" I hear Magnus yell from across the yard.

"Magnus, what are you trying to catch?" I ask.

"A bee!"


What?! Is he trying to get stung? Then I remember, he is afraid of stinging insects. More power to him if he wants to overcome that fear and study an insect!

"Mom! I got him!" shouts Magnus! "And I see his pollen sacks on his hind legs! They're red!"

I grabbed my Handbook of Nature Study to see what Anna, we're on a first name basis now, has to say...
pg. 392 under The Worker "...the hind leg has a pollen basket, which is a long cavity bordered by hairs wherein the pollen is packed and carried."
pg. 393 un
der The Drone... "He has no pollen baskets on his legs..."

So, we ded
ucted that this was a worker bee in captivity.

Magnus requested to sketch it in his Nature Journal. I'll have to add the picture later since Collin has the camera...(in his suitcase with him on the plane as I write this! Yeah!).

Gotta love it when learning "just happens"!

3 comments:

Tina in WA said...

YEAH! That is adorable! Don't you just love their excitement?

Today we watched a squirel knock down our bird feeder. What a topic that brought up. :o) I love learning this way.

I love how you call Anna by her first name now. That gave me a good chuckle. :o)

Can't wait to see the pictures posted. But have dh/daddy home is #1! I am happy for you all.

Oh I don't think I have ever played pickleball.

~Tina

Lisa~ said...

The slide show is great! I need to do that with "all" my photos!

I have a great book to suggest to you! I'll mail it to you even... its called Hummy and the wax castle by Elizabeth Ernst isbn 0-932766-14-5.

Its a grek book about a boy who discovers a bee and finds out everything he can about this bee.... it reminded me of your boys!

I cant wait to see and here more...

Lisa

Barb said...

Gotta love this....perfect, perfect, perfect.

Thanks for sharing this with us,
Barb-Harmony Art MOm