Story Hour

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Written by Gene B. Williams

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It’s “Draw a Picture of a Bird Day.” Have you ever drawn a picture of a bird? Well, now you can! It’s easy.

      Start with an egg that is a little on its side.
      Then draw a smaller half-egg at the top.
      Give it a beak.
      An eye.
      A wing and tail.
      Feet.
      And now you have drawn a bird. Congratulations! That was pretty easy, huh? All that’s left to do is add what details you want, and to color it. Try this a few times and soon you will be able to draw a picture of a bird any time you want.
      You can learn to draw and color all kinds of birds. Look at birds outside or in books. Each kind of bird is a little different.
      There are more than 10,000 different kinds of birds. Some have a small beak, some have a long beak, some have a hooked beak, some even have a beak that looks like a shovel.
      Some have heads that seem to be part of the body, while others have a head way out on a long neck.
      Wings are different sizes and shapes. The wings of a hummingbird are very different from the wings of a hawk. (For that matter, look at the beak of a hawk. The hawk wouldn’t be very good at getting nectar from a delicate flower!)
      All these differences serve a purpose. A robin doesn’t have webbed feet because it doesn’t go swimming the way a duck does. A chickadee has tiny legs and a tiny beak perfect for perching in a tree and eating seeds. A spoonbill has long legs and a shovel for a beak perfect for sifting food while wading in the water.
      April 25 is “World Penguin Day.” This is a bird that has wings that turned into flippers. (Can you draw a penguin? Oh, please do, and send it to Nicker!) Another bird that can’t fly is the ostrich. They can’t fly, but they sure can run! The penguin’s legs are tight to the body to protect them from the cold. The ostrich’s legs are powerful for running and so strong they could kick the door off your car. (Well, they could if you opened the door and got the ostrich mad. They don’t usually go looking for car doors to kick – and they also don’t stick their heads in the sand.)
      All those birds! Just think of all the different kinds of birds! How many can you find right where you live? How many more can you learn about? And draw!!!
      Don’t forget to send them to Nicker.
                     Nicker – Draw a Bird
                     18521 E. Queen Creek Rd.
                     Suite 105, #603
                     Queen Creek, AZ 85142
      I want to mention a very special friend, Chris Rickman. He is a photographer from Texas and provided the photo of the spoonbill in this issue. Good shot, huh? Well, Chris is really good with a camera. I hope to show you more of his photography one day soon. Guess what else. He’s also a pretty good artist. If we ask nicely, maybe he will come back and be a Nickazoo with us again!

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