I was raised here in the Panhandle, so I have no qualms what-so-ever with discussing some of the "not so correct" teachings we grew up on. This is part one, of several that I plan to cover.
If a mother bird smells human scent on its nest or the nest's contents, the mother will abandon them. Fiction: First off, with the exception of vultures and condors - who's survival depends on locating dead animals - bird's sense of smell is poorer than that of humans. We can smell a bird as well, or better, than a bird can smell us. Secondly, as the nesting cycle progresses, the parent bird's investment has built to such a degree, that the chances for abandonment goes to practically zero. So, touching a nest, or eggs, or baby birds is not going to cause abandonment.
Continual flushing of a bird off its nest, particularly, in the nest-building, egg-laying and early stages of incubation (that investment has not tallied up, yet) is not advised, and technically any harassment or harm to a migratory bird or its nest, eggs, and young is prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (any bird but European starlings, House Sparrows, pigeons, and the Eurasian collared dove). Game birds (quail, turkey, pheasant) are covered by similar state laws.
But don't let that prevent you from building a child's interest in wildlife, the outdoors, and respect for wildlife law. Show them the nest and explain to them that they need to stay clear so that the parent birds can attend to their young, and so that cats don't follow their scent trails to the nest. Perhaps have them select a location, that with your approval, they can set quietly and watch the progression of the nest. If the bird's seem reluctant to visit the nest, have them back off another ten feet or so, or behind some object that provides some concealment.
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