Fultondale Elementary School RLC-Gifted

I developed nitroglycerin so roads could be blasted out of mountains instead of human labor. I manufactured nitroglycerin but my factory blew up.  Through further experimenting, I invented dynamite.  I was a bachelor and I eventually became wealthy enough to leave nine million dollars for Prizes to be awarded each year for high achievement. These awards and an Institute in Sweden are named after me. U. S. President Obama received one of my awards this year.

Who am I?

I will peck at wood for food – primarily the insects and beetle larvae that I find yummy.

So how do I handle all that pounding on wood? I am well equipped! I have two toes that point backward and allows me to cling to tree trunks. I have special stiff tail feathers that supports my body. Air bubbles in my skull act as shock absorbers every time I slam a tree trunk with my beak. And my super-sticky tongue reaches into the holes that I create to dig out the delicious insects.

I really do not have a red belly – it is just a pale rosy tint. I will sample about any food that I find. I eat seeds, fruit and insects and I love acorns when they are available. I use my tongue more than my beak to find my food. I LOVE suet!

Which woodpecker am I?

On Tuesday, we had a new school record for composting. We collected banana peels schoolwide for our compost bin. We collected 52 pounds!!! Way to go, FES! A great source of potassium for our plants!

I was born in Leland, Mississippi in September, 1936. I remember my family’s first TV as “the biggest event in my childhood”. I created my puppet characters from flexible fabric-covered foam rubber. I also used rods to move my puppets’ arms. I was fascinated by puppeteers and ventriloquists, especially Edgar Bergen.

The most famous puppets that I created are Kermit the Frog and Ernie. I also used my Muppets in the TV show Sesame Street. I passed away in the 1990’s from a bacterial infection. My children continue to use the Muppets. Who am I?

ANSWER: I am Jim Henson. Congratulations to those who knew me!

I have large, black eyes with a small, gray body and a gray crest on top of my head. My beak is short and round, and I usually select one seed from your birdfeeder at a time. I then shell the seed and sometimes I will hide it in the bark of a tree for another day. I can remember the exact location of the hidden seed even weeks or months later. I do prefer sunflower seeds at your birdfeeder.

I like to dart and dash among the tree branches and I make my nest in tree cavities or in old woodpeckers’ nestholes. My birdfeeder friends are chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. I like to call “peter-peter-peter”. Which feathered friend am I?

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/gallery/2009-photo-gallery/TuftedTitmouse.TimE.Griffith.EvansvilleIN.jpg/view

ANSWER: I am a Tufted Titmouse. Congratulations to those who looked at my picture and knew that it was me.

New “Challenging” links have been added to the Blogroll. Beginner’s Chess is for the beginning chess enthusiasts. Braingle is for those who crave brainteasers, riddles, & trivia. Giggle Poetry is for anyone who loves humor and will enjoy it poetically. Guess-the-google is for those who hunger for the thrill of solving problems with pictures and clues; you figure out what word was googled by looking at the scrambled photos in a few seconds. Challenge yourself and see how well you do!

Yesterday, I overheard one of our third graders state, “Rain, Rain, go away; Bring the birds back today.” He was standing at our classroom window viewing the soggy, rainy outside world with no bird guests at our feeders. No one wants to eat in the rain, not even our feathered friends.

We collected 39 POUNDS of banana peels the other week. We forgot to post it. Our school cafeteria won a grant to serve fresh fruit and/or veggies as a snack twice a week. One Friday, we had bananas and we requested that the banana peels to be distributed to our classroom for the compost bin in the garden. The bag was SOOOO heavy that a rolling cart was used to push it to the weight scales and eventually to the compost bin! WOW, what a potassium boost for the garden!!

Yesterday, we were fortunate to “turtle-sit” an Eastern Box Turtle for a few hours. It had been rescued in front of our school by the high school principal. She saved him from being ran over while attempting to cross the road.  It had already been hit because its right hind leg was injured. It also had a scrape on its shell.  At the end of the day, it was taken to the Alabama Reptile Rescue Sanctuary.  We enjoyed our “turtle guest” for the day, but it was even better knowing that it could be rescued and saved.

Value of the wildlife lesson: Priceless!

http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/sharon/plant_animal/EasternBoxTurtle.htm

I am a small, fast hawk with a small head and a long square-tipped striped tail. I am about 10-14 inches tall and I make the sound of kik, kik, kik when I defend my nest. I also have rounded wings with blue-gray upperparts and reddish-barred underparts.

I must eat at least one item of prey every day to survive. I prey almost only on other birds and I like to visit your backyard bird feeder.  I like to make quick dashes to snatch up my prey. The Cooper’s Hawk is considered my larger twin. I may live up to 20 years in the wild. When I soar, you are usually amazed at my ability to hang glide.

 Which hawk am I?

ANSWER: Sharp shinned hawk. Congratulations to those who found the correct answer.