Insects and Arachnids

Watch “Why We Need Bees” and sing along to “The Flowers Have Gone Wild!”

Dear Friends,

There’s a bee in my strawberry! There’s a bee in my strawberry! How exciting!

Ok, a bee is not really IN my strawberry; but a bee worked very hard pollinating the flowers of a strawberry plant in order to help make this delicious fruit. So as I eat this strawberry, I think about bees and I feel very connected to them.

For the love of bees, I’d like to share this video by Earth Rangers. It teaches about the importance of bees and explains how and why they pollinate. This video also suggests ways in which we can help protect this buzzing insect. Take a few minutes to watch it and you, too, might think about bees the next time you eat a fruit or vegetable you love 🙂

Buzzzzz,

Birdsong

P.S. If all this talk about bees makes you want to sing :), please check our our music video “The Flowers have Gone Wild!”. It features my song about all kinds of pollinators and their special relationship with wildflowers.

Watch my Spider Song-in-Progress

Hello Dear Friends.

I’m really excited to give you a sneak preview of my kids’ song about spiders. I started writing this song a few years ago because some fans requested it … and I listen to my fans! 😉 I now see spiders and their webs everywhere; and I am fascinated by them. In fact, the very day I was creating this video, I found a spider in its newly-constructed web just outside my door. When I went to check on the spider a few hours later, it had caught a black soldier fly in its web and had already wrapped it up in silk. A day later, it had finished eating the fly. I often have close encounters with the animal I am writing about, and I took this as a sign that it was time to share my song-in-progress with you.

In this video, you will hear a rough version of my spider song. You will also see some spider photos and videos that I took while doing my research. If you listen closely, you may notice that I use quick, steady taps and strums on my guitar strings. I do this to represent how quickly and industriously the spider grips and weaves each strand of silk. I also chose a melody for the chorus that, for me, represents the beauty and awe I feel when I see a spider in the web it has created. It is no wonder that spiders have inspired artists and storytellers throughout the ages. They have certainly inspired me to write this song for them… and for you.

With love,
Birdsong

Watch a Spider construct its Web… and stay tuned for a new Spider Song by Birdsong!)

Dear Friends and Arachnid Scientists,

For the past two years, I have been taking photos and videos of spiders and their webs, every chance I get in any place a can, e.g. in my backyard, on hikes, in parks, in the backyards of friends and in the yards of strangers. I have been learning a lot about spiders along the way and, as I have a habit of doing, writing a new song about them. I’m getting excited as a prepare my spider song video to share with you in time for Halloween; until then, I’m excited to show you this beautiful video I found while doing my research on spiders.

Watch “THE FLOWERS HAVE GONE WILD!” – a kids song video about wildflowers and their pollinators

Greetings my dear fans and friends!

I’ve been taking photos and videos of wildflowers and pollinators since I first wrote the song, “The Flowers Have Gone Wild” several springs ago. I’m very excited to share the best of them with you in this 3 minute music video featuring “The Flowers Have Gone Wild” from our CD EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED and Other Animal Songs for Kids. You will watch bees, beetles, ants, and bird pollinators in this video, and many kinds of beautiful wildflowers from the western United States. Each framed flower and splash of color reminds me of how much I love writing these songs and how much I love singing them with you. I hope you enjoy this video. Please share it with your family and friends.
May these flowers fill your hearts with the colors and sounds of the outdoor world!

With lots of love,
Birdsong

Teachers and Parents – Check out this video’s interactive companion lesson for grades K-2.