Snapshot in Time - Butterfly Fiasco

Did you know that on day 34, when you release butterflies that you have hatched and grown from wee little caterpillars, that on day 34 of caring for them, and you let them out, and the whole school is watching, that there will be some birds that will swoop in for a snack and eat them right in front of you?

It sounds like this:

"Oh, look at that one?"
"Wow, they are flying high!"
"This is so cool!"
"Yay, yay, yay!"
"There's mine!"
"No, that's mine!"
"Oh, they are beautiful!"

Ad nauseum.

"Collective, ahhhhhh! Beautiful!"

And then, one fell swoop, the horror story gasp and intake of about 60 students' and teachers' breaths -

"Ahhhh, OOHHHHHH, NO!"

The starlings were picking them off like a nit comb on a head full of lice.

Immediate journal entry by a second grade boy.

I like butterflies.
I like caterpillars.
I DO NOT like birds.

A Little Story

It was a beautiful idea for a children's book.

I could picture it. Killdeer on the Playground. Illustrated with botanical quality drawings and charts. Charming students and natural habitat. Exhibition of caring for a wild creature. Joy and wonder arising from the hatching and protecting of adorable feathered offspring. A day by day journal of the growing avian family.

Day 1.
Killdeer nest discovered on playground. Right in the middle of the 'running a lap' pathway. Frantic and dramatic parental input - lead them astray, lead them astray, lead them astray. This continued to occur - for 60 students worth of running laps (X2 recesses).

A temporary solution of protection was found by using a hula hoop as a fence around the nest. "Stay clear!" was the command of the day. Teachers and students monitored the eggs in the midst of the bark.

After school, I considered all of the possibilities of a fascinating Caledecott Award Honor Book. Written by a new-to-the-scientific-and-secular-world of children's picture books author. Someone from the beautiful northwest. Someone like - moi.

Beautiful things. Dreams.

Day 2.

Racing to the playground for recess, students and teachers alike hoped for nesting parents.

Instead. An empty nest, no parents, a few shells, and some dried runny yolk at the bottom of the grassy depression nest.


Seems the community dog had a better idea for the eggs.

It WAS a great idea for a story.

Not all was lost. What a great lesson about the food chain!