Bird Journal

This passage is about a boy named Marco, who is keeping a bird journal.

Lexile Level: 470L

Categories: Animals & Nature

Before dawn, Marco sat looking out the window. He held his bird journal in his lap. It was open to a long list of bird species. All but one had a red check next to it: the great horned owl. Marco had researched which birds lived in his area. He made a list of them. When he spotted a bird on his list, he checked it off. Robins, cardinals, and blue jays were checked off first. Marco had trouble recognizing the different sparrow varieties. His field guides had good pictures though. They were helpful. Only the owl had eluded him this long. Marco's father gave him a tip. He said that he had heard owls in the early mornings. So Marco had gotten up before sunrise all week. He hoped to see an owl swoop through the yard. He heard a sharp hoot and then another. He got his pen ready.