I am writing a new song about the Little Pocket Mouse

Category: Animal Songs

Published: Friday, February 26, 2010

Little Pocket Mouse © B. Moose Peterson/WRP

 
Dear Friends,

    The above photo is of a Little Pocket Mouse.  I am currently writing a new animal song for kids about this very cute and rare rodent. The Pacific Pocket Mouse, a subspecies of the Little Pocket Mouse, is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as an endangered animal in California. This coastal-dweller dropped in number as houses overtook its habitat. For about 20 years it was assumed to be extinct, but a single population of fewer than 40 mice was discovered in 1993. Pacific Pocket Mice are actually one of the most endangered species in the entire North American continent, and interesting because they are also one of the smallest rodent species in the world.

    I first learned about the Little Pocket Mouse when I went on a hike in San Onofre State Beach in San Clemente, California. There I learned that the Pacific Pocket Mouse was a hero of sorts, because it's endangered status is one of the key things that kept a new toll road from being built right through its habitat in San Onofre State Beach. When an animal has been declared endangered, wildlife protection laws usually also protect their habitat, and it very difficult to get approval to build on that habitat or put a road through it. San Onofre is a very beautiful park and many people believe that the Little Pacific Pocket Mouse saved this park from being nearly destroyed!

    Whenever I write an new animal song for kids, I first learn as much as I can about the animal. Here are some of the facts I've learned about the Little Pocket Mouse:

--The little pocket mouse is, indeed, a small mouse. Total length is about 4 inches to 6 inches (110-151 mm) and their tail length is just over 2 to 3  inches (53-86 mm). They each weigh about 1/4 ounce.

--They are soft-furred and their colors vary. Their upper body is grayish yellow or light brown, interspersed with black hairs that vary from paler to darker, depending on the color of soil they live in. Their underparts are pale brown, brownish, or white. Their tail is uniformly pale brownish. They have 2 small white patches at base of ears.

-- They live in the ground, and burrow deeper into the soil to escape extremes of heat or cold. These tiny mice mostly eat seeds, some insects, grass, and leaves, though they are so small that they cannot maintain their energy unless they eat constantly while they are active. They store their extra food in fur-lined external cheek pouches.

 
--When a baby Pocket Mouse is born, it will generally be about one inch long, and will weigh about an ounce. The mother, who can be fertile for 40 days, will usually give birth to one litter a year, with an average of three to seven babies per litter. Births normally take place from April through July. The mice live about 3 to 5 years, depending upon the balance of available food and predator activity.

I am still writing my Little Pocket Mouse song and look forward to adding it to my collection of animal songs for kids. Here's a verse I've written so far:

"Pocket mouse

Oh, where's your house?

It's underground

Where I can not be found

Oh no, no, no.

Stay tuned for the rest of the song in a future blog.

-Birdsong (of Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders )

Pacific Pocket Mouse (mhanus.cts.com/ ramonimals/ramonimals.htm)

Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders Go To Belize: Coral Reefs, Fish and Eco-Wonder Kids

Category: Eco-Wonder Kids Videos

Published: Friday, February 12, 2010

Dear Friends,

If I were a fish, I think I would be very happy living in the coral reefs off the coast of Belize. You can see Belize on a map in this video. It's a small county in Central America and a neighbor of Mexico. It faces the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean and is the home to the second largest barrier coral reef in the world. It is a pretty great place for a fish to live. I know this, but not because I'm a fish. You see, I'm Birdsong (of Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders), I write animal songs for kids, and I visited those coral reefs not too long ago. There were so many different colors and kinds of coral which means lots of nutritious food for fish. And the coral reefs also had places for fish to hide, just in case a hungry shark came by looking for its dinner.

Yes i am sure that, if i were a fish, i would feel very lucky to live in Belize. Not only because of the beautiful coral reefs, but also because of the children of Belize who are taking good care of the ocean. We met some of these children when Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders visited the RC School in San Pedro. You can check out San Pedro on the map in this video. It's on the Ambergris Caye, off the mainland of Belize.

 We went to the RC School to sing our ocean animal songs for  the students. During our visit, Dr. Marcie and I discovered that these children really care about ocean animals and they know quite a few things about how to protect them. So we asked the students of the RC school to make some suggestions about how kids all over the world could protect the ocean and the animals and plants that live there. You can hear what they had to say in this video.

After they gave us some good ideas about how to protect the ocean, we all sang and danced to our animal song "If I Were A Fish."  We also sang lots of other songs from our CD "IF I WERE A FISH and Other Ocean Songs for Kids."  We had a great time that afternoon and I'm glad to know that there are children in the beautiful country of Belize who are caring for the ocean. I think the fish are glad too.

Singing our ocean animal songs at the RC School made me want to write more ocean animal songs for kids. There are so many beautiful and interesting ocean animals to write about. What is your favorite ocean animal? Perhaps your favorite animal will inspire another new song to add to my collection of animal songs for kids. In the meantime, I'm thinking about writing a song about plankton, an important food source for just about everything in the ocean. But first i need to learn more about it. Stay tuned!

While you're here on our blog, you can watch more Eco-Wonder Kids music videos to see what other children are doing to care for the earth. Or watch our ocean animal songs videos about sea turtles, gray whales, pinnipeds and dolphins.  HAVE FUN!

Sincerely,

Birdsong

Eco-Wonder Hero - Amara- Cleans up the beach

Category: Eco-Wonder Kids Videos

Published: Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Eco-Wonder Hero - Amara - Cleaning up the beach. from Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders on Vimeo.

In this video, Birdsong interviews Amara (age 4) about the ways that she and her family are helping to keep the ocean clean. We think Amara is an "Eco-Wonder Hero" because everyday, in small ways, she is making a difference in our world.  She makes a difference by picking up trash from the beach and doing other things that help keep the water, soil and air clean. These things include recycling, using reusable grocery bags and carpooling.  Amara explains to Birdsong why these actions are important and inspires others to join her in caring for the Earth. Each of us, like Amara, can make a difference everyday in the things that we do and the words that we say. 

Also in this video, Birdsong and Amara sing "The Most Incredible Songs," a kids' song about humpback whales from "IF I WERE A FISH and Other Ocean Songs for Kids" by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders. If you like this video, check out our other Eco-Wonder Kids videos on this blog. To watch them, click here. You can also watch your favorite Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders animal song videos for kids on our blog. ENJOY!

Eco-Wonder Kids - Claire sings BIG BLUE MARBLE - words and music by Michelle Martin

Category: Eco-Wonder Kids Videos

Published: Friday, January 15, 2010

Eco-Wonder Kids - Claire singing "Big Blue Marble" (Words & music by Michelle Martin) from Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders on Vimeo.

LYRICS:
"Big Blue Marble"
words & music by Michelle Martin 
 
1. We will love the Earth wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.
 
 
2. We will love high hills wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.
 
 
3. We will love bright stars wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.
 
 
4. We will love clean streams wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.
 
5. We will love tall trees wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.
 
 
6. We will love our friends wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,
Will always be a part of who we are.  
 
 
7.  We will love the Earth wherever we roam,
For this big blue marble is our home,
And we know that everyone in it,
And we know that everything in it,

Our 2009 Animal Songs for Kids by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders. Thank you to our Fans!

Category: Animal Songs

Published: Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Dear Friends,

As 2009 draws to a close, I would like to thank you, our fans, for singing with us and doing your part to take care of the animals and  plants with whom we share the Earth. Every one of you makes a difference when you choose actions that protect animals and habitats, as well as keep the water, soil and air clean and healthy.  We'd also like to thank the "eco-wonders" (the amazing animals and plants) that inspired our new songs of 2009. These songs include I Almost Kissed a Butterfly,  Plant a Habitat and Leaders of the Pack.

We give special thanks to our friends Sabrina from Oro Street, Jodi from EARTHROOTS FIELD SCHOOL and Lori and Reginald from BACK TO NATIVES RESTORATION for planting habitats and "seeds of education" in our community and inspiring verses in our song "Plant a Habitat." (Thanks also to Deanna Moore for your suggestion about the food habitat verse.)  CLICK HERE to listen to "PLANT A HABITAT" by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders

Thank you also to Sierra, Anna and Cristopher for your inspiration in our popular song  "I Almost Kissed a Butterfly." CLICK HERE to listen to "I Almost Kissed a Butterfly."   A very special thanks to our fans Fionn, Amara and Claire (and your parents) for allowing us to post your inspiring videos on our website. CLICK HERE to watch videos of Fionn, Amara and Claire.

Finally, thank you to the Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for working so hard to protect the endangered gray wolves of North America and other endangered animals around the world. Your e-mails inspired me to learn more about wolves and write our song "Leaders of the Pack."  CLICK HERE to watch our wolf video for kids, LEADERS OF THE PACK. You can also watch it on our kids TV website Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders TV.

May all of you have a happy and healthy new year. We look forward to writing and sharing new songs with you in 2010. If you have a favorite wild animal, endangered animal or plant that you would like us to write about, please let us know and we  will learn more about that animal or plant. Who knows? You may inspire a new song by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders.

Wishing you peace, good health and  a healthy planet for all to share.
Sincerely,

Birdsong
and the Eco-Wonders

Lyrics and music video for our song about wolves, LEADERS OF THE PACK

Category: Animal Songs-Wolves

Published: Monday, December 14, 2009

Our new song and music video, "LEADERS OF THE PACK." is presented to you with a slideshow of beautiful wolf photos, courtesy of All -About -Wolves. The lyrics, or words, to this animal song for kids are written below the video. Please read and sing along with me!

Watch our new song video about wolves, LEADERS OF THE PACK

Category: Animal Song Videos

Published: Sunday, December 06, 2009

Dear Friends,
The latest in my collection of  "animals songs for kids" is a song about gray wolves, called "Leaders of the Pack."
As with all of my animal songs, I like to spend time learning as much as I can about the animal and find something special about them that inspires the theme of the song. In the case of the gray wolves, the two things that most inspired me the most were: 1.) the way the alpha male and alpha female leaders protect thier pack AND 2.) the way the whole pack acts like a family, including taking turns to care for the wolf pups.  Here's some other interesting things i learned about wolves:

The gray wolf is a endangered wild animal that lives in North America. Wolves are the ancestors of every breed of domestic dog from pugs to poodles. Like dogs, they are they are highly social animals. They form groups called  packs, which are typically made up of four or more related wolves. The pack is led by a dominant pair (the alpha male and female) who mate.   These alpha wolves have the huge responsibility of protecting  their pack from predators, making sure there is enough food to feed all the pack members, and helping the pack work together as a unit. These alpha wolves are the "stars" of my song, "Leaders of the Pack."

Another important thing I learned while I was writing this song is that ALL the members of the pack care for the wolf puppies:  For example, they all help to feed the mother and pups while they are still in the safety of their den, they care for the pups when the mother is ready to go hunting, they guard the area from predators like grizzly bears, and they play with the pups. The wolf pack works together, helping each other to survive and to grow.

Watch our new song video about wolves, LEADERS OF THE PACK

Category: Animal Songs-Wolves

Published: Sunday, December 06, 2009

Dear Friends,
The latest in my collection of  "animals songs for kids" is a song about gray wolves, called "Leaders of the Pack."
As with all of my animal songs, I like to spend time learning as much as I can about the animal and find something special about them that inspires the theme of the song. In the case of the gray wolves, the two things that most inspired me the most were: 1.) the way the alpha male and alpha female leaders protect thier pack AND 2.) the way the whole pack acts like a family, including taking turns to care for the wolf pups.  Here's some other interesting things i learned about wolves:

The gray wolf is a endangered wild animal that lives in North America. Wolves are the ancestors of every breed of domestic dog from pugs to poodles. Like dogs, they are they are highly social animals. They form groups called  packs, which are typically made up of four or more related wolves. The pack is led by a dominant pair (the alpha male and female) who mate.   These alpha wolves have the huge responsibility of protecting  their pack from predators, making sure there is enough food to feed all the pack members, and helping the pack work together as a unit. These alpha wolves are the "stars" of my song, "Leaders of the Pack."

Another important thing I learned while I was writing this song is that ALL the members of the pack care for the wolf puppies:  For example, they all help to feed the mother and pups while they are still in the safety of their den, they care for the pups when the mother is ready to go hunting, they guard the area from predators like grizzly bears, and they play with the pups. The wolf pack works together, helping each other to survive and to grow.

A Beautiful Humpback Whale Rescue Story

Category: Animal Stories

Published: Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Dear Friends,

Below is a beautiful story of the rescue of a Humpback whale off the coast of
northern California. I believe the story is an example of how animals feel and express emotions.  Please let us know what you think or feel after reading this story. You can also listen to one of our animal songs for kids about humpback whales. It's called "The Most Incredible Songs" and is on our CD
IF I WERE A FISH and Other Ocean Songs for Kids.
You can hear it on our song sample page by CLICKING HERE.

Enjoy!

-Birdsong

If you read the front page story of the "San Francisco Chronicle",
in December, 2005, you would have read about a female humpback
whalewho had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps
and lines.
 
She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused
her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of
line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line
tugging in her mouth.

 A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands
(outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.
 Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was
 so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her ...

a very dangerous proposition.

 One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
 When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.
She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them,
pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was
following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

"It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing that it was free and that we had helped it," said James Moskito;
of the rescue divers.  "It stopped about a foot away from me, pushed me around a little bit and had some fun."

Listen to our new song PLANT A HABITAT

Category: Animal Songs

Published: Sunday, October 11, 2009

CLICK HERE to listen to "PLANT A HABITAT" by Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders

Dear Friends,

    While I was writing my kids' song "I Almost Kissed a Butterfly," I learned that plants were very important to birds, butterflies, and many of the creatures with whom we share our neighborhoods. Plants provide food and shelter for our animal friends. In fact, some animals are very particular about the plants they will eat. For example, monarch caterpillars will only eat milkweed. 
    We can help wild birds, butterflies and other creatures by planting trees, seeds and small plants that these animals like and need in order to live. By planting, we are helping to provide habitats for our animal friends. A habitat is a place where living things can find food, water, shelter and a safe place to raise their young. This knowledge inspired me to write a new animal song for kids named, "Plant a Habitat."  CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.  The lyrics are below. I hope you enjoy it.

     What types of plants do the butterflies and birds in your neighborhood enjoy? We would love to hear from you about the kinds of plants and habitats you are planting in your yards and neighborhoods. 

Happy Planting,

Birdsong

Lyrics to "PLANT A HABITAT"

CHORUS:

Plant a habitat.  I'm gonna plant a habitat.

The butterflies and bees are whispering please

Plant a space where we can grow and feed. So...

to CHORUS

A Poem about the Earth by Patricia Keenan

Category: Stories | Poems by Patricia

Published: Thursday, August 20, 2009

A Song about Fruit Bats, Seeds and Trees by Lucas Miller

Category: Animal Songs

Published: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Lyrics to HERE WE GO!, our song about baby sea turtles

Category: Animal Songs- Ocean

Published: Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Here We Go! Watch our video about baby sea turtles

Category: Animal Song Videos

Published: Sunday, July 26, 2009

Lyrics to The Tide Pool Song

Category: Animal Songs- Ocean

Published: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

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