Every Thursday, TriangleMom2Mom focuses on outdoor activities and recreation.

Today, we hear from Liz Baird, director of school programs for the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

I love this time of year, when I can go to bed with the windows open and wake up to the sounds of birds singing in the yard. There are some songs that I recognize, not necessarily because I know which bird is singing, but because I have heard the pattern time and time again.

Ornithologists, or scientists who study birds, learn bird calls as a way to identify birds hiding in the woods or shrubs. It takes lots of skill and patience to learn the call of each species. With your child, it does not have to be so daunting. A fun task is just to learn the calls of one or two birds that are regular visitors to your yard.

Head outside and listen for a recognizable call. Talk with your child and see if you can come up with the “English” translation of what the bird is saying. For example, I usually hear a bird that goes “Cheerios, cheer up, cheerily, cheerio” every morning. I do know what that bird is (an American robin), but with your child it is more important to learn to recognize that the same type of bird is calling every morning – not necessarily exactly what the bird is at first.

For a child to simply know that the “cheerio” bird is calling is plenty. You have to listen carefully to catch the rhythm of the call and think creatively to come up with an English phrase that might match it. One of my favorites (suggested by an adult) was that red-winged blackbirds are saying “Hot Grits! Hot Grits!” and now, when I walk through a marsh, images of breakfast invade my mind!

With younger children, simply recognizing the “Cheerio” bird is calling might be enough, but usually older kids want to learn more.

It is easiest to see if you can see the bird singing (which takes lots of patience) or to see what birds are around when you hear the song. Then head to a field guide (such as Peterson’s Guide to Eastern Birds) where you can compare pictures and read their description of the call. You can also go online to Cornell Lab of Ornithology for extensive information and recordings of calls. If you discover a growing interest in bird watching with your family, this is a great place to learn more, including where you can submit your observations to become part of a "citizen science" bird observation project. You can also look for opportunities to get out in the field with others through programs with the Museum, Audubon North Carolina or our local parks.

So spend some time outside, listening closely to the birds, and see if you can begin to discover the songs of the repeat visitors to your neighborhood.

The museum has a host of regular programs and special events. At 6 p.m., Saturday, it will premiere "Beneath the Blue," a high-definition movie that takes viewers to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean where deep-sea coral thrives and creates a diverse habitat that's described as looking like "a land where Dr. Seuss went crazy." The free movie will be shown in the museum's auditorium on a weekly basis starting May 19.

Also check out Polar-Palooza on May 24 and 25. There will be presentations, demonstrations, live animals and other activities.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!

FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!