Counting together

1. How many birds do you count in the picture of the birdhouse at dawn?


2. Look at the picture where the mother martin is chasing a plump fly. Count the flight feathers of her tail (these are the large dark feathers of her tail). How many flight feathers make up her tail?


3. How many rows of vegetables shown in the picture of the garden?


4. How many martins are riding the gentle breeze to go to the pond?


5. Look at the martins' feet in several of the illustrations. How many toes does a martin have on one foot?
Now count all the toes. How many toes does a martin have in total?


6. How many martins on the wire are adjusting their feathered attire by scratching with a foot?


7. How many martins on the wire are using their left foot to preen?
Practice wiggling the toes of your left foot or fingers of your left hand while saying “left, left, left.”
Then switch to wiggling the toes of your right  foot or fingers of your right hand while saying “right, right , right.” Can you wink with your left eye? Can you wink with your right eye?


8. Find figure 7 in the natural history section of the book. How many newborn martins do you count? After the eggs hatch, how many baby martins will be in the nest?


9. Watch a baby martin grow up on this web link - count the days until the baby martin fledges.