Science Clubs

Over the last couple of months, we have been investigating various aspects of bird life in our Maltby Academy Science Club. Here are some of the exciting things we have been doing:

Examining eggs

University of Sheffield researchers Duncan Jackson and Jamie Thompson showed us the amazing microscopic world of birds eggs. We counted egg shell pores under the microscope, learned how the egg's surface is adapted to avoid contamination, and marveled at the incredible strength of whole eggs. They are the perfect vessel for embryo development!

Setting up bird feeding experiments

Science Club became Design and Technology Club as Maltby Academy students worked hard to construct feeding stations and design experimental feeding compartments to test bird feeding preferences. We also put our wildlife camera traps out for the first time - we can't wait to see who comes to visit!

Bird communication

We saw bird song in a whole new light as we analysed it using bioacoustic software. We visualised the shape, structure, and intensity of bird song by creating sonograms (or spectrographs) using a program called Avisoft, which is used by many scientific researchers interested in animal communication. We measured song length and note frequency, and discussed why different birds produce such varying songs and calls.

In future Science Clubs, we plan to collect and analyse data from our bird feeding stations and camera traps, and to learn more about the trade-offs that birds face during the breeding season. We will also be working on plans for our Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition!