Last Saturday, I decided to try bird watching for the first time. My neighbor Anna is an experienced bird watcher. She invited me to join her on a morning walk in the park. We met at six o'clock in the morning. 'The early morning is the best time to see birds,' Anna explained. She gave me a pair of binoculars to use. Anna also brought a small notebook to write down what we saw. The park was quiet and peaceful in the early morning light. Dew covered the grass and sparkled like tiny diamonds. We walked slowly along the path near the lake. 'We need to be very quiet,' Anna whispered. 'Birds are easily frightened by loud noises.' Suddenly, Anna stopped and pointed at a tree. 'Look! There is a robin on that branch,' she said quietly. I lifted the binoculars to my eyes and looked carefully. The robin had a beautiful orange-red chest. It sang a lovely morning song from the tree. 'Robins are very common in this area,' Anna told me. We continued walking and soon reached the lake. A family of ducks swam near the shore. The mother duck led her five little ducklings through the water. The ducklings followed their mother in a perfect line. 'How adorable!' I said, watching them swim. Anna pointed to a tall gray bird standing in the shallow water. 'That is a heron,' she explained. 'Herons are excellent fishers and can stand very still for a long time.' We watched as the heron quickly caught a small fish. 'Amazing!' I whispered, impressed by its speed. We sat down on a bench to rest and observe more birds. Anna showed me her bird book with pictures of many different species. 'This book helps me identify birds I do not recognize,' she said. A small blue bird flew past us and landed on a nearby bush. 'That is a kingfisher!' Anna said excitedly. 'They are quite rare to see around here.' The kingfisher had brilliant blue feathers and an orange belly. I quickly took a photo with my phone before it flew away. By eight o'clock, the park started to become busier. People came to walk their dogs and jog along the paths. 'We should find a quieter spot,' Anna suggested. We walked to a small meadow at the edge of the park. The meadow was full of wildflowers and tall grass. Butterflies danced from flower to flower in the warm sunlight. 'Listen,' Anna said softly. 'Can you hear that beautiful song?' I closed my eyes and listened carefully. A melodious song came from somewhere in the tall grass. 'That is a skylark,' Anna explained. 'Skylarks are famous for their beautiful singing.' We spent about two hours in the park that morning. In total, we saw twelve different types of birds. Anna wrote all of them in her notebook. 'You did very well for your first time,' she told me. 'Some people do not have the patience for bird watching.' I thanked Anna for teaching me about bird watching. 'We can go again next Saturday if you want,' she offered. 'Yes, I would love that!' I replied happily. That evening, I looked at the photos I had taken. The kingfisher photo was my favorite. I decided to start my own bird watching notebook. Bird watching has become my new favorite hobby.
English Story (A2)Bird Watching
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
A beginner joins their neighbor Anna for an early morning bird watching trip in the park. Together they spot many birds including robins, ducks, a heron catching fish, a rare kingfisher, and skylarks. The experience is so enjoyable that bird watching becomes their new favorite hobby.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What time did the narrator meet Anna for bird watching?
2
Why is the kingfisher special according to Anna?
3
How many ducklings followed the mother duck?
4
What is special about skylarks according to Anna?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
