RL AASA REVIEW

Robin in the Woods

Robin was excited because it was Friday. This meant that the weekend was around the corner, and he and his father could go bird-watching.

He even knew the word for the science of birds—ornithology—but he wasn't going to say it out loud in class. None of his classmates would know what he was talking about. And his friends, who knew how much he liked birds, never seemed to be interested when he began describing the birds he hoped to see, or the bird calls he hoped to hear. They seemed to prefer talking about action movies and video games. Robin wanted to tell them that bird-watching contained more action, thrill, and suspense than any movie. And it was real, not fake like a Hollywood film. But he didn't think they would understand. And he didn't want them to think that he was too crazy to be friends with.

It didn't matter what his friends thought, or what homework his teachers assigned him, or how many laps he had to run in gym class that day. Robin closed his eyes and told himself that school would soon be over, and he'd be home before he knew it!

After Robin arrived home that evening, he and his dad prepared their bird-watching tools: they had three pairs of binoculars in the garage, safely wrapped up in a box so that they stayed free of dust and didn’t get scratched. Dad sent Robin into the garage to retrieve them—carefully, without letting the binoculars roll around in the box. While Robin went to get the binoculars, his dad found the special cloth they used to wipe down the instruments. Robin's dad cleaned the glass; Robin got to do all the other parts.

Before the sun set, they tested the binoculars in the backyard. They had three different kinds of binoculars, to achieve three different kinds of zoom. The heaviest set brought you closest to your target, but Robin found it difficult to hold steady while he trained his eyes and the lens on the birds on faraway tree branches. He let his father use that one, while he went back and forth between the two smaller ones. They weren't kid-sized or anything; they were just smaller for better grip and for shorter distances. And anyway, Robin had better eyes than his dad. He was still young and didn't wear glasses. His father did, though.

In the backyard, Robin's dad made him follow the same instructions they would follow the next morning in the woods at the other end of town, where many birds gathered to build nests, take care of their young, and, most exciting, teach their babies how to fly. This review session was helpful for Robin, because it reminded him of what he had to do, how to do it quickly and quietly, and how to minimize his movements when switching between the two pairs of binoculars. Bird-watching involved a lot of waiting and staying quiet, so as not to disturb the birds, which tended to start at the slightest sound. If Robin had to maneuver between tools and the guide book, he would have to be prepared!

The guide book was a vital part of their bird-watching kit. Robin had gone through many books in the bookstore before selecting the one they now used whenever they went into the woods with their binoculars. Robin liked the format: large, clear pictures with helpful labels. He loved the maps in the book that showed him where all these birds lived, and how far they flew when they migrated to warmer climates in the winter. How busy birds always were! The guide book never failed to stupefy Robin.

Once Robin and his dad had reviewed their binocular techniques, they set their tools back in the box and kept it by the front door. It was dinner time, and Robin and his father talked about what birds they might see in the woods the next day, making predictions based on the season (spring) and the weather (a bit chilly, especially early in the morning). Robin suggested a few birds and his dad suggested a few more. Robin sometimes became superstitious about these things. For example, if he saw a cardinal through his classroom window on a Monday or a Wednesday, he had a feeling he would see one in the woods. If he saw one on a Tuesday or Thursday, though, he would not have the same luck. He didn't consider birds on Friday; it was too close to Saturday!

After dinner, they sat together with the guide book and named their favorites, and reminded each other of the bird calls and colors. First, they reviewed information about Robin’s favorite bird, robins. His favorite color was red, so next he went straight to the page about cardinals.

In the woods the next morning, Robin and his father moved around quietly, almost stealthily, as they positioned themselves near some trees and farther away from others. They crunched through some peanuts and tossed the shells onto the ground, along with some birdseed. This tended to attract birds to the area.

They waited a while, and then Robin heard movement. Rustling leaves. What were the birds eating? Where were they—hidden behind the tree trunks? Robin moved the binoculars slowly to the left, his eyes looking through them to whatever might be waiting to be discovered. He caught a glimpse of something red. Could it be? Robin stiffened. His father did too, as they focused their instruments.

Out of the dense foliage stepped a very large creature in red. Not a cardinal, not a robin, not an owl, not a pigeon, not a sparrow—not a bird at all! It was Mrs. Drew!

"Now there's something I've never seen before!" Robin said.