Enjoy Wildlife In Your Backyard!

Editor Note:  Fayette County is a wonderful stop for birds who choose to winter over.  Have you noticed the beautiful American Bald Eagles in Peachtree City?  Right now, four have been spotted gracefully flying above our homes.  It's just, well, wonderful.

(StatePoint) Are you thrilled by the sight of wildlife in its natural environment? If so, you don't need to travel for the experience. With a little effort, your own backyard can become a stopover for some of North America's most colorful wildlife. 

Fall and spring are migratory season in America as flocks of birds migrate between hemispheres. Like any weary traveler, these natives look for places to rest and refuel. Welcoming them to your yard is a way to protect our natural heritage and enjoy their beauty at the same time.

"Transforming your yard or garden into a wildlife refuge is fun," says Spencer Schock, Founder of WindowAlert, makers of bird-friendly products for homes. "Children love an outdoor project and the sight of wild birds adds dazzle to your family's seasonal experience."

Here are some tips for watching and keeping birds safe during migration:

* Birds migrate because of food, not weather. The cooler months make it more difficult to find sustenance, so placing a bird feeder in your backyard with water and high energy foods like meal worms, black oil sunflower seeds, or suet will help them complete their journey.

* Birds don't just take one long flight. They need lots of stopover and staging areas during their travels. Encourage them to linger in your backyard by providing shelter, such as a bird house. Opt for water-repellant bird houses with hinged roofs so the house can be cleaned after nesting. Avoid perches, which make birds easy prey for predators like cats.

* Man-made structures, even in rural areas, can be hazardous to migrating birds. For example, birds don't "see" clear glass and as a consequence, millions of birds worldwide die every year when striking glass. To protect birds from hitting your windows, you can apply special decals that reflect ultraviolet sunlight, such as those made by WindowAlert. The decals have the appearance of frosted glass -- so they won't ruin your view -- but glow like a stoplight for birds, with their unique ability to see ultraviolet rays.

* The best way to enjoy wildlife is to avoid interfering in any way. To do so, invest in good binoculars and get out in the early morning when birds are most active. A field guide book can help you identify the creatures you see.

* Record-keeping is not just for ornithologists. By keeping a journal of feeding and housing patterns of birds populating your backyard, you can be better prepared for next year. In addition, consider becoming a "citizen scientist" by submitting your observations to The Audubon Society and Cornell University's database at ebird.org.

For more information on making your home and garden a bird haven, visit WindowAlert.com or call 877-733-2753.

"There are many ways to assist birds on their journey, from installing birdbaths to applying window decals," says Schock. "Once you have made a few modifications, don't forget to enjoy that flash of color by the feeder."


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Cooper Hawk in Fayette County?

As I walked by the back door a few minutes ago I caught something out of the corner of my eye on the back porch that just didn't look right. I peeked through the blinds and saw what I first thought was an animal of some sort, like a gopher, except I knew we didn't have gophers around here and they really didn't look like that .

I went to the door and pulled back the curtain, only to realize it was a hawk perched on the porch.

Wow.

I ran to the car, got my camera bag, went through all you go through getting one turned on and ready to go thinking the entire time that the hawk would be gone by the time I got back.

Not so.

I carefully pulled the curtain back and tried to get a shot. Realized I was getting part of the curtain, so zipped around to the other curtain-less door on the other side of the porch. Surely I'd scare it away, but had to try!

Nope, it stayed for the shots. My hummingbird feeder was in the way though so headed back to the other side. Obviously the hummingbirds knew they weren't big enough to temp the hawk... or they simply didn't notice him sitting there.

More photos on the other side, still through the glass door.

Finally, not because it reacted to me at all, the hawk moved up to the roof for a better view.

As I type I noticed a winged shadow go by the windows... maybe it found something to eat!

I made a quick slide show which I'll be adding to the Fayette Front Page later. I'll pop back over here and add a link just in case you want to see more shots.

I looked the hawk up in my bird book, couldn't decide if it was a Cooper Hawk or not. That's the closest I found, but the one in my book shows a darker breast and more red than "my" hawk had. Any ideas? Any bird folks out there who'll know right off the bat?

Attack Bird!

We have a lip under our porch that always has a bird nest. Some seasons it's on the right, other times it's on the left.

Looking out our front door we get a private view of the nest without interfering with the inhabitants. The kids love to stand at the door and watch when new babies peek their beaks over the top for the first time.

The nest stays, the birds change. We used to knock the nest down but the birds would just come back and build another. Only one each year, never more.

I call the bird of the hour our attack bird. We warn people coming to deliver pizza or visit to beware of the swooping bird. Mama's will guard their nests!

The other night as I headed to bed I took a quick look to see if another bird had found the nest only to find a fairly good sized round red ball sitting atop the nest. I stared at it for a while wondering what in the world it might be. In the fairly dim light I couldn't quite make out whether it was fur, feather or rubber!

It didn't move, even when I popped on the front porch light. Hmmm... maybe the pizza delivery guy had come back, put a ball in the nest to act as a stopper!

It crossed my mind that it might be a cardinal as we have quite a few, but I wasn't aware that they ever hung out under porches that close to humans.

Sure enough though, it is a cardinal. It's a bit bigger than the birds that normally hang out in our nest apartment. It's been there for three nights now so I'm "assuming" it's here to stay for a while.

It could be that it lost its nest somehow to a predator. Could be it's been watching the other little birds fly in and out and decided to take over.

It's a bright red, so I'm not expecting to have little cardinals inhabiting the nest unfortunately. That would be a real treat.