Seedlings: October 6, 2026

It was a cool autumn morning at Heron Tree Estates, so we started our day with some stories and a fire to warm up. The boys also made their way to the raspberry bush out back to see what they could find. We're still getting a few raspberries this late in the season and they happily shared with the group.

With the sun shining, we decided it was a perfect day for a walk to the Blackfriars Community Gardens.

Along the way, we spotted some cormorants in the river. We've been seeing quite a few of these interesting birds lately, so we pulled out the Merlin app to find out what they sound like. As it turns out, cormorants have a rather funny, croaky call!

We also spotted a train travelling across the bridge above the path, which sent the boys running down the trail to get a better look.

When we arrived at the gazebo beside the community gardens, we returned to our cormorant investigation. One thing we've noticed about these birds is that they often stand with their wings spread wide. But why?

The kids had some theories. Maybe they were communicating with other birds? Or perhaps they were trying to look big and scary?

After a little research, we discovered that cormorants spread their wings to dry them! Unlike many other waterbirds, their feathers aren't as waterproof, so they often need to dry off after swimming and diving.

I love these little investigations that come out of something the children have noticed themselves. A bird we've walked past many times becomes the subject of questions, predictions, and discoveries.

We spent some time looking through our field guides before they headed off to explore the gardens. What followed was a wonderfully long stretch of imaginative play.

They created their own game, complete with complicated rules, characters, and evolving plots. We watched as they negotiated the details and kept the story going together. Eventually, their game shifted into something we recognized: What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?

It's always interesting to see how these games develop. The children are constantly practising communication, cooperation, and problem-solving as they figure out how to make their ideas work together. And sometimes, of course, they're simply having a fantastic time running around with their friends!

The sunny weather also gave us an opportunity to experiment with shadows. We placed paper beneath some of the plants in the garden and traced the interesting shapes their shadows created. It was a simple way to explore the relationship between sunlight, plants, and the shapes we see.

There were plenty of other discoveries to keep us busy, too. We found worms, discovered an interesting mushroom that we tried to identify using our field guide, and spent some time drawing pictures of cormorants.

One particularly exciting discovery was a small apple tree that was just the right size for the kids to climb. Finding a tree that suits your size and abilities is a pretty wonderful thing when you're little! It gave them an opportunity to test their balance, figure out their footing, and explore a new climbing challenge.

Eventually, we made our way back to Heron Tree Estates, where the afternoon brought a little bit of everything. There was road hockey, small-world play in the dome, some time working in our nature journals, and finally, a trip to the park to finish the day.

It was one of those lovely fall days where we didn't need much of a plan. We had some books, field guides, sunshine, and plenty of time to follow everyones interests.

From investigating cormorant behaviour to inventing elaborate games in the garden, the day was full of opportunities for the children to ask questions, make discoveries, and enjoy being together.

And now, I suspect we'll all be paying a little more attention to those cormorants the next time we pass them along the river!

Thanks for a great day Seedlings!