Happy National Bird Day! Today we celebrate our feathered friends. Here at Clockwork Soldier, we are always interested in learning more about nature and wildlife. Birds are fascinating animals. They make different sounds, come in a huge range of colours and live everywhere from deserts to snowy mountains. From pocket money to our big kits, we feature birds in lots of our collections. The world collection is the home of our Create Your Own Parrot on a Perch. As well as a brightly coloured bird friend for your wall, this kit contains facts and activities that introduce you to parrots from all over the world.
We also work with societies like Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to create products that support conservation efforts. In our partnership with the WWT, we looked at birds and wetland species that are vital to the UK’s wetland habitats. We are always looking at ways we can make our products more environmentally friendly. A percentage of every WWT pack of Wetland Wildlife Origami and Blow Ducks sold goes to WWT.
Art
Even Van Gogh himself seemed to be interested in birds as his painting of the Kingfisher by the Waterside (1886) is considered one of his most famous bird paintings. Look at how realistic the bird is. Image credits to the Van Gogh Museum.
French artist Marie Cohydon’s has created miniature bird sculptures that you need a microscope to fully see. This piece is titled miniature Red Throat. The birds are so small they measure between 0.5mm and 3mm and are sculpted by using a microscope. The sculpture is pictured next to the tip of a pencil to show just how small these sculptures are. You can see more of Marie Cohydon’s work here.
Task/ Challenge
Have a go at painting a bird you can see. Try and use fallen leaves and branches to decorate around it. Tag us in by using @clockwork.soldier on Instagram or @clockworksoldier on Facebook.
Books & Toys
Have a look at this cool toy by Moon Picnic called A Dozen Bird Eggs. This beautiful hand-painted set is great for little kids as it can be used for imaginative play and decorating around the house. Visit their website for more information.
Have a read of a great classic A tale of three little birds by Bruno Munari. Discover these three little bird’s stories and you’ll fall in love with this book. If you would like to get your hands on this book click here.
Have fun with this wooden movable swan from KUTUKU. Visit KUTUKU'S website here.
To celebrate National Bird Day here’s a few fun facts
Firstly, birds make amazing sounds as they can sing and chirp for many reasons to attract a mate, warn other birds of danger and scare off predators. Can you make any bird sounds?
The largest living bird reaching a height of 2.7 meters is an Ostrich. Can you imagine being 2.7 meters tall?
Robins are well known in Britain especially during winter. In 2015 they were voted Britain’s first-ever national bird. See if you can spot a Robin in your garden.
Did you know the Arctic Tern have the furthest migration than any other bird? The Arctic Tern can fly as far as three times the distance from the earth to the moon. Can you imagine walking this distance?
Charities
There are lots of charities that do amazing work supporting birds and their habitats in the UK such as RSPB, Sussex Ornithological Society, Scottish Wildlife Trust and WWT. Head over to their pages to see what more you can do to help support birds, wildlife and wetlands.
