Birds of West Cobb

In this blog " How to attract Eastern Bluebirds to Your Yard " we'll share our recommendations for food, water and housing for these beautiful birds! The Male Eastern Bluebird is truly an amazing sight to behold. With the bright orange breast and nearly-neon Blue head, wings, and tail, not many other species stand out this significantly. Bluebirds are very beneficial creatures to have around your garden, eating tons of insects, spiders, and grubs each day. It’s pretty incredible that this species of birds were nearly wiped out of existence. They have made a strong comeback in many regions though thanks to volunteer efforts and backyard “birders” feeding them and putting out houses for them. Some of the reasons why they were almost wiped out are included below, so keep reading! What caused the decline in these incredible birds to begin with? Eastern Bluebirds are somewhat unique in that they will not create a new hole in a tree or a cavity in the side of a barn. Naturally, they would seek out vacant woodpecker holes near the edge of a field or pasture. However, the more people clear out old, dead trees on their properties, the fewer trees are available for the birds to move into. Another more serious issue was that over the years, thousands of people’s pet cats were released into the wild or left to be “outdoor cats”. This was very unfortunate for the bluebirds which often perch only 5-10ft from the ground on fences and low limbs, Eastern Bluebirds were (and still are) easy targets for the average cat which loves to climb and stalk prey near the ground. You can certainly take part in the efforts to bring them back! Our top 3 requirements for attracting the Eastern Bluebird to your yard are included below: To attract Eastern Bluebirds, you need to provide the right type of food : While Eastern Bluebirds have been spotted eating suet from a hanging suet cake feeder or from small suet chunks/balls, however, they are most likely to be spotted at your feeder if you put out dried mealworms or live mealworms. A fresh water source is another requirement for attracting Eastern Bluebirds : You do NOT need to go wild and buy a giant water fountain with multiple tiers and a filtration system. You could, but just imagine how many mealworms you could purchase with the money you save! A simple terracotta plate, 10″ or 12″ in diameter will do nicely. They are fairly inexpensive and can be placed on a wide deck or porch handrail, on a small table, or even on the ground. However, there are some very nice (decent enough) bird baths to be had for under 200.00 also. Another way to attract Eastern Bluebirds is providing the perfect Bluebird house : The National Audubon Society has a number of downloadable designs so you can print them and go down to your wood shop and build your own house for Bobby and Bella. However, we have done the work for you and also provided a few popular models that are already assembled and ready for hanging. See below! Also, we will add several posts in the future for Birdhouse design requirements. We hope you will view them, build them and share the results with us as also! Where should I put my new birdhouse though? Relax, we have a lot of insight about this topic as well. We’ll be sure to add another post with these specifics. Our best tip for now though: Bluebirds love to have lots of open space around their nest boxes. Here are some additional photos of Eastern Bluebirds we have captured in our yard for your viewing pleasure!

Birds of West Cobb has assembled some tips for attracting Winter Bluebirds to your Bird Feeders! It's no secret that we absolutely love our Eastern Bluebirds. From the very beginning of our bird-feeding adventures and posting our photos for the world to enjoy on Instagram , we hoped that we would see a Bluebird. Within a few weeks or a month, we were lucky enough to have one visit. And then another... and another. Of course it helps significantly that we are very near " The Green Meadows Preserve " (which is located approximately 1 mile from our home.) However, some of our neighbors came to us and asked how we are able to attract so many Eastern Bluebirds when they have tried just about everything, and they have rarely, if ever, seen one in their yard. So we've put some tips together for attracting Winter Bluebirds to your feeders! We hope you find this information helpful! Tip Number 1 for attracting Eastern Bluebirds: Bluebirds prefer open meadows/fields considerably over forested areas. If you live in a heavily forested area you will simply not be as likely to see these birds (typically). In the Eastern United States, the (aptly-named) Eastern Bluebird can be found from Canada on the North, throughout the Eastern United States, all the way into Florida to the South. In the Spring and Summer months, Bluebirds can be seen along fence posts, wires or pickets, perched on the roof tops of bird nesting boxes, flying quickly down to grab insects, spiders or worms, and then right back up to feed their young. So if you live near a pasture, farm, or have a large lot with grassy fields nearby, these areas would be your best bet in spotting them during the warmer months. Tip Number 2 for attracting Eastern Bluebirds: Bluebirds depend on insects, worms, caterpillars and spiders for their high-protein and fat diets. Once the temperature starts dropping however, the insects that these amazing Eastern Bluebirds depend on for such a large part of their diet start to move much more slowly, eventually not moving at all. These incredible birds hunt primarily by sight, so without the motion, there is much less food obtainable for them. As temperatures approach freezing (or plummet well-below freezing), most birds foraging for insects (especially those in the Thrush family like the Eastern Bluebird) will toss leaves around looking for anything tasty, but there are far fewer morsels to be found. If they cannot find anything appealing, they move on to the next leaf (or next area.) For those of us that like to feed wild backyard birds this is an excellent opportunity to attract Bluebirds. Adding a high-protein option to your bird feeding offerings such as dried (or live) mealworms , will provide these gorgeous Bluebirds with the nutrition they are lacking and they will come back again and again. Additionally, there are some Suet cakes we can recommend (further down) which also have a large content percentage of mealworms or other insects which woodpeckers and warblers will also enjoy thoroughly. Here are a few photos of Male and Female Eastern Bluebirds captured recently (January 2024) enjoying their mealworms that we put out for them. Tip Number 3 for attracting Eastern Bluebirds: Eastern Bluebirds will eat from multiple types of feeders including platforms, tube feeders, and suet feeders. However, ours seem to enjoy eating from a plate the most! Now the next most important thing to keep in mind besides their food requirements for protein and fats, is their need for fresh water. Colder air is typically more dry, and birds certainly use a TON of energy trying to stay warm, foraging for food, avoiding predators and even chasing other birds away. So while the food is great (and greatly appreciated we promise), they need to drink water quite often! In the past we only had one water source but found that in the winter months larger birds like Robins, Grackles and Blue Jays will essentially take ownership of the larger bowl/bird bath and so we needed to provide them with at least one more option. We now have a couple of small hanging iron/glass water bowls (photo below) placed on our front porch, and one Large and one medium Terracotta plate that we use for bird baths on the deck behind our house. Lastly, Lisa thought it was cute to put a tiny 3" water plate out as well and this one turned out to be one of the ABSOLUTE FAVORITES for the Bluebirds as well as smaller birds like Wrens, Chickadees, Waxwings, Titmice, Warblers and even Ruby-Crowned Kinglets. Product Links have been included below to help you attract Eastern Bluebirds: Dried Mealworms ( Please Note: We have found that some brands of "mealworms" are actually marketed more as Chicken feed. Some of these brands will include black soldier fly larvae. We have found through EXTENSIVE testing, that soldier fly larvae is not nearly as popular with the wild birds, so try to avoid those if you want more birds at your feeders! These options below are only dried mealworms, which come from a beetle species and it is very popular with the bluebirds!) 5lb Bag 10lb Bag (Our preference AND a deal when compared with the 5lb bag!) Hanging Glass water bowl C&S Suet Cakes with Mealworms (for Bluebirds) 3" Terracotta Plate (tiny birdbath) 10" Terracotta plate (used for excellent food presentation) Additionally, we captured a couple of video clips for you of the Winter Bluebirds eating and drinking at our feeders. We hope you enjoy! In the video above, a male Eastern Bluebird chooses a specific mealworm to snack on. In this video (above) multiple Eastern Bluebirds visit West Cobb including fledglings!

In this blog post, we share our story about a close-up visit from a Red-tailed Hawk. The largest hawk in North America came to visit and let us take some photos! Usually when I wake up in the morning the goal is simple. I must make some coffee. Everything else will follow (after Coffee kicks in). On the way down the stairs I’ll stop and take a quick look out the window. On this particular morning I looked and only saw a gray squirrel at the bottom of our larger bird feeder pole. He was staring up at the bird seed in the feeders above him and then back at the feeder baffle, which had definitely confused him. I had no idea I was about to have a close-up encounter with an incredible juvenile red-tailed hawk! By the time I made coffee downstairs and turned back to look out the window, there was now no squirrel in sight, but instead there was a HUGE hawk sitting on top of the feeder eating breakfast (and it wasn’t birdseed). After a solid 30 minutes of the hawk getting every single piece of fresh protein it could, I was surprised to see that it actually flew closer to the house, and perched on our deck railing. We have a couple of short video clips uploaded to YouTube also: Click here to view them on our channel! In this video clip, I had just stepped outside and tried to move extremely slowly, so I wouldn't startle Stephen the Red-tailed hawk, the last thing I wanted to do was scare him away while attempting to get a close-up photo or two. Luckily, he was patient and not the least bit worried about my camera and I! Another 20 minutes or so of this very full hawk hanging out, the Blue Jays screaming, and Carolina Wrens sounding off with their shrill alarm call, Lisa really wanted me to chase the hawk off, so she could come outside and feed the rest of the birds. Just in case it didn’t get startled and take off, I brought my camera out with me. The railing where the hawk was sitting is about 15 or 16 feet from the back door so theoretically I should be able to snap a few pics before it leaves, maybe even capture the launch of this massive bird and the first few wing flaps. I had no idea what was next. (keep reading!) After a minute or two, I was able to very slowly move a bit closer, while just snapping photos like crazy. Then, I moved around to the right of it. Although he saw every move I made, he was way more interested in all the activity around him in the trees above. Some small songbirds even came down to eat off the feeders less than 10 feet away because they must have understood that this hawk wasn’t a threat to them. I even saw another squirrel approaching from the furthest parts of the yard before seeing what was ahead and then freezing for a good 10-15 minutes. We named this juvenile Red-tailed hawk Stephen “ Red ” Hawkings, just for laughs. Red-tailed hawks come around our yard only a few times a year, although we generally see Red-Shouldered Hawks or Cooper’s Hawks a lot more often. Stephen hung around for nearly an hour and a half, and it seemed like he had a bit of a food coma after eating that entire squirrel. At the closest point between this hawk and my camera, I was probably around 4-5 feet from him. Finally though, he grew tired of me standing around with a camera in his face and he flew up to an oak limb between our house and our neighbor’s. Lisa was able to feed the birds and everything went back to the regularly scheduled program. This was quite an experience that I recognized as a very unique occurrence, and I do not take moments like these for granted. Nor will I soon forget it! Thanks for reading! Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this post! In the video below, take a look at the size of those massive talons! You can also hear the titmice carrying on in the background at the start of the video as well!

The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks migrate thousands of miles each year so it’s always a treat to see them when they return to Marietta, GA! A few years ago I was walking back across the deck, after refilling the bird feeders. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of white and red and knew immediately what it was. Here in the metro Atlanta area of Georgia it’s not super common to see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and they are merely passing through so they are easy to miss. In many years of feeding birds in 3 different counties of Georgia, I had never seen a single one. I managed to snap a couple of blurry photos with my cell phone that day before it was gone. Luckily it came back several more times in the next few days and brought females along with him. That first year we saw 3 or 4, but the following year 7 or 8 at a time visited, several times within a few weeks before they departed. If you’re like me, you’ve been looking at these birds on bird-seed packaging, books about wild birds, art about wild birds and more for years. When you finally get to see one in person, it’s pretty impressive! The adult males have much sharper contrast between the black & white and red coloration. The females look much more brownish and lack the red, but otherwise look very similar. The large beak is used for cracking open seeds, and they seem to navigate to the black oil sunflower seeds in open trays/plates, and safflower seeds. The Rose-breasted grosbeak is one of the species we enjoy seeing here in Marietta because of the journey that they make each year (2 times per year!) If you were to hop on a jet and fly from “Southern Newfoundland, Canada” to Northern Ecuador, you’d be looking at a flight of around 4300 miles one way. The birds can’t fly non-stop though so it’s really impressive to think that they probably cover 5,000-6,000 miles!!! With that kind of trip you’d make Diamond Status with Delta Airlines in no time at all! September 2024: Update Nearly a year to the day September 24th, 2023 I photographed some adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, with some adult female Grosbeaks and a few juvenile males (like the one pictured above). This year we had Hurricane Helene approaching and I was a bit worried the birds would circumvent us this year to avoid the storm. However, On September 28th I looked out the back door to see a female and a juvenile male once again! Two days later, I saw an adult Male as well! Here is a short video of our juvenile Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, who seems very uninterested in Cardinals and Titmice and more that get close to him. I think he is a bit tired from all the traveling and the rain delays as well! I'm finding it interesting that these birds know where we are even after travelling literally thousands of miles, they find our back yard, and feeders, nestled in some 30-40 year old maple trees, pine trees, dogwoods and more. They seem to like eating in the mornings from 7-10am. After noon and you won't see a single bird (at least this has been our experience). Here are few photos I've take from this recent migratory group! Have you ever seen any Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at your bird feeders? We’d love to hear from you in the comments! In the video below you'll be able to see juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks as well as Females. They now stop every year in Marietta, on both of their migratory trips that span thousands of miles each way! We couldn't be happier about this!

In this blog we will discuss one of our backyard birding favorites; the American Goldfinch. Meet Gordie the American Goldfinch and His Family: the tiny, bright yellow, friendly little birds at your Backyard Feeders If you’ve ever noticed this tiny, but bright yellow and black bird in your backyard, you’ve likely been lucky enough to spot an American Goldfinch. Our resident male American Goldfinch, Gordie, visits our yard nearly every single day, often bringing his family along with him to brighten up our days. American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) are known for their beautiful seasonal transformations, where they will turn from a mild brownish yellow to an incredible bright yellow. I tend to look at the seasonal colors like the difference between Grey Poupon mustard (winter plumage) and French's Yellow Mustard (Spring/Summer plumage). Take a look at the photos below in the rest of this blog and you'll see what I mean! Gordie's Bright Summer Colors In the warmer months, Gordie, like most male American Goldfinches, wears a vibrant yellow plumage with contrasting black wings and cap, making him stand out among backyard birds. This bold coloration serves two purposes: it attracts female mates and helps males like him establish their territory. American Goldfinches, including Gordie, are among the few bird species that undergo a full molt twice a year, which means they shed old feathers and grow new ones to prepare for different seasons. Duller Tones in Winter As winter approaches, Gordie and other male goldfinches lose their bright yellow feathers, blending into their surroundings with muted, olive-brown tones. This seasonal change is crucial for survival, as it allows them to camouflage from predators when food is scarcer and trees have shed their leaves. Female American Goldfinches and juvenile birds also adopt a more subdued color palette during winter, making Gordie and his family look quite different from their summertime selves. How to Attract Goldfinches to Your Backyard If you’re hoping to welcome birds like Gordie and his family to your own backyard, consider providing their favorite food—Nyjer seeds and black oil sunflower seeds, and Safflower seed as well—in feeders specifically designed for small birds. American Goldfinches are drawn to these seeds, and a dedicated goldfinch feeder with small holes will help keep squirrels and larger birds from eating the seeds. (Please Note: We have shared a couple of links to feeders down 👇 below the main blog content) Will American Goldfinches visit a bird bath? American Goldfinches will visit bird baths frequently for drinks of water. Additionally, on hot Summer days they will sometimes dive in and take a full bath as well! They look like little rubber duckies splashing around in their respective pool! We are huge proponents of keeping a bird bath, or even multiple bird baths clean and available for all of our feathered friends. Enhancing the Birdwatching Experience To truly enjoy the beauty of American Goldfinches all year round, investing in a quality pair of binoculars and a bird-watching guidebook is essential. Here are some helpful product links to affiliate products that will be sure to enhance your bird-watching experience: Tube-style bird feeder for finches – [Amazon link] Sock-style feeder for Goldfinches - [Amazon link] High-Quality Nikon Binoculars for Birdwatching  – [Amazon link] Nyjer Seed  – [Amazon link] Black-oil Sunflower Seed Safflower Seed - [Amazon link]

In this blog post we'll talk about how our friends, the Gray Catbirds call Marietta, Georgia their Summer home. Gray Catbirds first visited our back deck on our 3rd or 4th year of feeding wild birds in our backyard. I went out to our back deck to refill the bird bath with fresh water and I thought just for a moment that I heard a cat's very typical "meow". I turned my head left and then right, but I found no cats or kittens prowling around the yard. With bird feeders and bird houses all over the yard, it's definitely something we keep in our thoughts to be aware of, and we have shouted and chased a few out of the yard (please don't ask about how I bark like a angry dog while giving chase lol). "Okay, well I'm pretty sure I heard a Cat." I said softly to myself. Shrugging it off and turning around to go back inside, a medium-sized warm grey bird flew right in front of me and landed on a 10" terracotta plate full of mealworms. It turned its head as if to look directly at me and then it's beak opened slightly and it let out a perfect "MEOWWW". I had read about Catbirds as a kid and knew for years that they were named for their cat-like calls, but I had never witnessed one in person. As a matter of fact, I had never even seen a Gray Catbird. But now, sitting right in front of me "mewing" there was one. They may be common in Georgia but for someone that spent countless hours outdoors fishing, hiking, mountain biking and more over the years, it seemed to me like more of a rare sighting! I went in the back door of our house and called out to Lisa. "Babe, we have Catbirds!". "That's nice!" I heard back from the other room. We went back to doing whatever it was that we were doing before I went outside to refresh the bird bath water, and didn't think much more about it for a while. Just a few hours later, Lisa went out back to add some more mealworms to the feeders and was not even outside for 1 minute. She came running back inside shouting "I think there is a cat somewhere under our deck!". "NO!" I shouted back. "That's the Gray Catbird I was telling you about earlier!" Over the next few weeks we started seeing them each morning and evening. A Pair of catbirds would come down from the lower limbs of the trees that hang over our deck and snap up several mealworms or suet nuggets at a time, before retreating to the same branches to finish eating them. It wasn't long before they were there nearly every hour of the day, and we realized one afternoon there were three of them! The new, fluffy addition to the bunch was clearly a juvenile but we were both very surprised that it was nearly identical in coloration when compared with the parents, except it was a bit fluffier! I've taken a couple of Gray Catbird Videos this year which I'll add below for your viewing/listening pleasure. Here is the video of the Gray Catbird and I exchanging "mew" and "meow" sounds - we hope you'll get a good laugh at this! Here are our favorite 2 food options for attracting these wonderful birds to your yard. Both the suet nuggets and the dried mealworms can be found on Amazon with the links below: C&S Suet Nuggets (Peanut Flavored) Hatortempt Dried Mealworms (10lb Bag) Once Summer comes to an end, we start to see less and less of the Gray Catbird family. We have a neighborhood lake and we take our canoe out on the lake from time to time to fish and birdwatch. Sometimes in the thickest brush along the edge of the lake we'll hear the familiar "Mew" and "Meow" of our friends, the Gray Catbirds. By October though, they have moved further South to Florida or South Georgia and here they will stay until typically April or early May. Then, we look forward to the cycle starting over again and seeing new young Catbirds. Also, we named the first one we saw "Tigger". It seemed fitting! Thanks for reading, everyone! -BOWC (Lisa & Dan)

What are some Bird-Safe Cleaners for cleaning birdfeeders, birdhouses, birdbaths and more! Questions come up frequently from our neighbors that feed birds, about the cleaners we use to keep them safe and healthy. Here we will give you several examples for each category of cleaners. We did the research so you don’t have to! This is not intended to be a complete list of all of the cleaners out there, however many of these you’ll already have in your pantry. And for the few that you may not have, we’ve included links to purchase them from Amazon so you can get them delivered directly to your door! Bird-safe cleaners for cleaning bird feeders Vinegar solution: A mixture of one part white vinegar and nine parts water is a safe and natural way to clean bird feeders, as vinegar is a natural disinfectant that won’t harm birds. Here is a great value on White Vinegar on Amazon: Happy Belly White Vinegar. Mild dish soap: A mild dish soap like Dawn or Ivory is a good option for cleaning bird feeders. However, it’s essential to rinse the feeder thoroughly after cleaning to remove any soap residue. We prefer Dawn after seeing the images in the news years ago from oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico and in Alaska, where Dawn was used to clean the oil off of birds and other animals. In fact, they now also have a “ Free and Clear ” product which would be perfect for cleaning different bird feeders, bird baths and bird houses! Hydrogen peroxide: A solution of three percent hydrogen peroxide and water is also effective at cleaning bird feeders. Be sure to mix it in the correct ratio (one part peroxide to nine parts water) to ensure it is safe for birds. Here is a link to a 1-gallon size jug of Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning. Bird-safe commercial cleaners: Some manufacturers offer bird-safe cleaners that are specifically designed for cleaning bird feeders. These products can be a good option if you prefer a pre-made solution. MICROBE-LIFT makes a cleaner that is Soy based just for this purpose! You can check it out here on Amazon (Direct Link to product page on Amazon.com ). Hot water: While boiling-hot water can also be used to clean bird feeders, by pouring it into the feeders and letting it sit for several minutes before scrubbing, then rinsing the feeder thoroughly. However, this method may not be effective at removing tough stains or disinfecting the feeder, so it’s best used in combination with other cleaning methods. Not to mention the dangers of carrying around boiling water. Bird-safe cleaners for cleaning bird houses Vinegar solution: Mix one part white vinegar with nine parts water to create a natural and safe disinfectant for cleaning birdhouses. Hydrogen peroxide : A mixture of three percent hydrogen peroxide and water (one part peroxide to nine parts water) can also be used to clean birdhouses safely and effectively. Commercial birdhouse cleaners: There are several bird-safe commercial cleaners on the market that are specifically designed for cleaning birdhouses. One popular product is “ Birdhouse Cleaner ” by JCS Wildlife . They make a lot of products from feeders and houses to cleaners and even some clothing! Unscented soap: Use a mild, unscented soap such as Castile soap to clean the birdhouse. After cleaning, rinse the house thoroughly to remove any soap residue that may be harmful to birds. Bird-safe cleaners for cleaning bird baths Vinegar solution: A mixture of one part white vinegar and nine parts water is a safe and effective cleaner for bird baths. It is a natural disinfectant that won’t harm birds. Hydrogen peroxide : A solution of three percent hydrogen peroxide and water (one part peroxide to nine parts water) is also a safe and effective cleaner for bird baths. Bird-safe commercial cleaners: Some manufacturers offer bird-safe cleaners specifically designed for cleaning bird baths, such as “ Bird Bath & Statuary Cleaner ” by JC's Wildlife products. Unscented soap: A mild, unscented soap such as Castile soap can also be used to clean bird baths. Be sure to rinse the bath thoroughly after cleaning to remove any soap residue. Bleach: If used carefully , bleach can also be used to clean bird baths. A solution of one part bleach to nine parts water can be effective at removing tough stains and disinfecting the bath. However, it’s essential to rinse the bath thoroughly after cleaning to remove any bleach residue, as even small amounts of bleach can be harmful to birds. For this reason we typically avoid Bleach. Do you have a favorite cleaner for Bird Feeders, Bird Baths or Bird Houses that isn't listed here? We'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment and we'll be sure to check it out!

In this blog, Birds of West Cobb visits the Lost Mountain Alpaca Ranch - Read more to find out how Alpaca fur can be beneficial to nesting birds! Back in late Spring, Lisa and friends heard about a nearby Alpaca farm . They host several activities including yoga with the Alpacas, craft nights and more. We had no idea that there was a place like this so close to us. Okay, okay, but what does this have to do with birds? Well, Alpacas are typically raised and bred for their fur. Lost Mountain Alpaca Ranch provides visitors with some of these ultra soft fur trimmings for crafts. Participants can sit in front of the Alpaca barn (which is a nice tidy area covered by a small roof and ventilated well with multiple fans) and your group can stuff various colors of Alpaca fur into dried woven balls made of vines or twigs. During nesting season, all sorts of birds will look for soft materials to use for nesting material. When you are finished stuffing the fur into the hangable vine spheres, Tina (the hostess) will happily provide you with some additional “to go” fur so you can refill your sphere once birds take the initial stuffing out and use it for nesting. UPDATE 11/22/2023 : We also cleaned out all of our bird houses for the Winter in mid-November, and put a bit of Alpaca fur in these bird houses in case they are to be used as roosting boxes when the temperatures drop. Lisa’s initial visit with friends was unfortunately canceled due to rain. The owner was super easy to talk to and happy to reschedule for free. The second time the group of friends made it to the Alpaca farm, a huge storm rolled in and the visit was cut short. So June became July and then finally a full visit was possible for several of us on September 22nd. The weather was absolutely amazing. Behind the Alpaca farm area is a large meadow with several garden beds and many species of wildflowers which attracted a ton of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. We were able to snap a few photos of these hummers on the fence while we were visiting the Alpacas. If you’re in the Marietta Georgia area and you would LOVE to meet the Alpaca family and the gracious hosts Dave and Tina, you can check out the Lost Mountain Alpaca Ranch here: https://lostmountainalpacaranch.com/ They are also on Instagram and TikTok if you use either of these social media platforms! Here are some additional photos of the property, Alpacas, and a few birds (of course) we captured while visiting the Ranch: Also, here is a quick video of an Alpaca munching on sassafras at the Lost Mountain Alpaca Ranch! Thanks for reading this blog post "Birds of West Cobb visits the Lost Mountain Alpaca Ranch" and checking out our photos and videos above! Have you ever seen Alpacas? What did you think? We'd love to hear your story!

So what is the best birdseed for Southern Backyard Birds? Is it Sunflower seed, Safflower seed, Suet or Mealworms? This actually depends heavily on what types of birds you intend to attract! When we started feeding the birds from our backyard, there were quite a few uncertainties, and quite a bit of discussion took place about what we wanted to attract (as well as what we didn’t!). Over the past 8+ years, we have experimented, learned, and refined the menu to near-perfection. These are our TOP 4 picks which we hope will save you time, and also make the time you have more enjoyable! Pick 1. SAFFLOWER SEED Safflower is our number 1 choice overall and one of the best birdseed options to use for Southern Backyard Birds . This delicious white seed (for the birds, silly) is a bit smaller than sunflower seed, but it attracts a pretty large variety of birds. Also, the flavor of the seed does not usually attract squirrels or chipmunks (at least at first, later in the Summer when it gets hot we’ve seen them eat Safflower seeds and even dried mealworms !). Where can you find Safflower seed? While we do support our local shops, they don’t always have it in stock. However, if you’re in West Cobb area here are a few options. I’ve put them in order of “most likely to be in stock”. Our favorite store to visit is Wild Birds Unlimited which is located in East Cobb. The folks there are friendly, filled with knowledge and want to help you enjoy birding more than just selling you a product (and it really shows!). Birdwatcher Supply Co. see locations here Wild Birds Unlimited ( our favorite! ) o ne location in Marietta Pike Nursery West Cobb Home Depot West Cobb Tractor Supply Co located on Cobb Parkway in Acworth Due West Pharmacy one location in West Cobb Sometimes you just want to buy online. That’s fine! Here is a link to our favorite brand on Amazon. They process / package the seeds right here in Kennesaw Georgia! Cole’s 5lb Bag of Safflower Seed . What birds can you expect to see feeding on this seed? We have seen: Mourning Doves, House Finches, purple finches, Northern Cardinals, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, and more! Large birds like Blue Jays that can be pests don’t seem to like it and this means more of our friendly, colorful songbirds will hang around! Pick 2. DRIED MEALWORMS Our 2nd pick isn't a birdseed at all, but ranks very highly for the sheer amount of birds it attracts so we couldn't skip mentioning it in this article " Best birdseed for southern backyard birds " Dried mealworms are definitely in our top-two spots here @birdsofwestcobb . Without these treats, we likely never would have had our Eastern Bluebirds start to visit and later move into several bird houses in our property. What birds can you expect to see feeding on dried mealworms? In addition to the Eastern Bluebirds, you will likely also see these species; Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Grey Catbird, multiple species of warblers, Carolina Wrens, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Rufous-sided towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, and even more still! Where can you find Dried Mealworms? What’s a fair price? Dried Mealworms seem to be a tough one to find locally for a good price. Currently we are ordering dried mealworms from Amazon because it is substantially more at Pike Nursery for a 10 lb bag, even though the store is only a mile away. Home Depot doesn’t seem to stock them in West Cobb. However, I’ve found 1 lb bags or 12 oz bags (expensive though!) at the Brookstone Ace Hardware, and Kroger in the pet food aisle. We spend about 59.00 currently for a 10 pound bag – and this lasts us several weeks even with several plates and a feeder with mealworms! What do we recommend? Here is the link to the 10lb bag of dried mealworms on Amazon. If this seems like too much (either in weight or in cost), don’t worry they have smaller bags available also! Pick 3. C&S SUET NUGGETS (also referred to as ‘Scoob Balls’ around here), the CS Suet Nuggets (Peanut flavor) are a staple. We usually pick them up at the local Home Depot, because if you buy 6 bags you save some additional money but you can also find them at other major retailers nearby. Don’t have a Home Depot nearby? Well don’t worry! We’ve got a link here for you to order them also! C&S Suet Nuggets on Amazon. C&S makes some great quality bird foods and you will be impressed by the activity you see on your feeders when using high-quality seeds and suet, versus 10 year old stale bird food mixes from other big box stores. Currently the link above shows the nuggets 23% off! Normally 24.99, these are currently going for only 19.29! What birds can you expect to see feeding on suet nuggets? Very similarly to the dried mealworms because of their high fat and protein content, you will also see these energetic species; hermit thrush, brown thrasher, grey catbird, multiple species of warblers, Carolina wrens, tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, rufous-sided towhees, northern mockingbirds, and even more still! Pick 4. C&S SUET CAKES Suet Cakes are typically hung in in a special feeder, the cakes drop-in from the top and don’t take a lot of extra effort to maintain. What birds can you expect to see feeding on these suet cakes? Woodpeckers usually find these first but often are followed soon after by many species including White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown-headed Nuthatches, Pine Warblers, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Grey Catbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, and Northern Mockingbirds and more. The biggest difference we’ve found though, is by switching up the flavor and the brand of the suet cakes! We usually buy these in bulk packs – If we haven’t stocked up any and have just run out, we’ll typically make a trip to Wild Birds Unlimited in East Cobb, or grab some from West Cobb Pike Nursery. However, in the event that you are in no rush and can wait a day or two for your Amazon deliveries to sustain your feathered friends, here is a link to some top-notch suet cakes on Amazon also. What is your personal backyard bird food favorite? Comments are welcomed below!

Driving down the road and you may have thought you were hallucinating! Was that a turkey? Do Wild Turkeys live in Marietta, Georgia? Read below to find out the answer to these questions and more! So you may be wondering if you can find wild turkeys in Marietta, Georgia. You certainly can. There are a lot of them! A few days ago, I woke up and started to get ready for work. For whatever reason, I looked out of the front window and saw a funny-looking bird at the edge of our yard. It was a bit fluffy, and at a glance had colors similar to a duckling. Considering that this was likely 70-80 feet from the window I am not surprised that I was wrong - it was not a duckling, but instead was a very young turkey. There were more than just the one as it turns out…we counted 10! We jokingly call them “turklettes”. We first counted 8 little turkeys, and then later we saw 10. Apparently 2 are very, very close to each other and often take naps, one will tuck it’s chin under the other and they will pass out. It has been very hot lately here (last week around 97F with a heat index of 106F for most of the week) and so the birds are out foraging for food. We had a turkey visit our feeder last summer and he walked the majority of the yard before leaving. We have a feeling this is the “daddy” turkey and now he brought back the female and the children as well. What would you do if you woke up and found a DOZEN turkeys in your backyard? After walking around the front yard, this family did move to the back. They somehow got over the fence which surprised me considering the majority of it is 6′ privacy fence. As it turns out, the young turklettes can actually fly a little bit and a 6′ fence is but a mere obstacle for them. They do need a little bit of launching space before the fence to make it all the way over. For the most part, the turkey youngsters will stay between their parents, in case of predators attempting to get an easy meal. I actually went outside and tossed a few handfuls of mealworms toward the adult male, and at first he was a little alarmed and moved away, herding the children away too. Then I threw some mealworms out into the grass and he ran back over immediately and started scooping them up. Several of the babies followed him and were able to get some much-needed protein too. Update: They’ve been coming now for 6 days in a row, at least twice a day. All 10 babies are still with them looking healthy and we have even seen a hawk get a little too close for comfort! That was exciting to watch! A Red-tailed hawk came swooping in, just over our back privacy fence and very close to the ground. The parents saw this and both fanned out their wings to a full-width and RAN straight at the hawk very quickly! The hawk did a U-turn in mid-air and quietly went back over the fence where it came from. Amazingly, the baby turkeys all knew there was something wrong also, and they all piled together into one large heap, and tucked in all of their necks and feet. They looked like a medium-sized boulder! They stayed this way until Mom and Dad came back and let them know things were “all clear”. Then they started to forage again in the yard! If you’d like to read more about the breeding habits, mating calls or the seasonal ranges for the Eastern Wild Turkey, check out this page on the Audubon Guide to North American Birds website .

Help identifying the hawk species of Marietta, Georgia including: Red-shouldered, Red-tail, Cooper’s and Broad-winged hawks I’ve recently had neighbors, co-workers and family members tell me they saw either eagles or falcons in their yard and then they showed me a photo of a cooper’s hawk, red shouldered hawk, broad winged hawk, or a red tailed hawk. Now to be completely honest with you, I’m not a formally educated ornithologist. I’m just a passionate birder that spent a lot of time in the woods growing up with a camera, pencil and paper, watching and sketching the local wildlife. While I never saw an eagle locally, I have seen a few at Lake Allatoona nearby and even Lake Acworth. I’ve seen them at Lake Oconee and at 2 different lakes in Rome Ga. We have also had Ospreys (Also known as fish hawks) spotted in our neighborhood lake by several neighbors. I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing a small falcon (American Kestrel) once in John’s Creek Ga. With that being said I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands of hawks in Georgia in my lifetime. They are typically either; Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk or the Broad-winged Hawk. I may not have a photo of an adult and a juvenile for each of the species to help you but I’ll certainly dig through my archives to help you identify them as well as I possibly can. You can even send us photos and we’ll try to help identify them with you. Red-shouldered Hawk We captured one short video in Winter of the Red-shouldered hawk looking around and then calling to it’s mate from high up in a tree in our yard. See the video here on YouTube . Similar to the details on the red-tailed hawk below, I’ve included a couple of links to Audubon Society’s website as well as Cornell’s “ All about birds ” so you can learn more about these beautiful birds! Red-tailed Hawk The next in our list in this blog "Identifying the Hawk Species of Marietta, Georgia" We have captured a couple of short videos on YouTube, as well as the images below for your viewing pleasure. Video 1 and Video 2 . Red-tailed hawks are the largest hawks in North America. They can be found perched high up in tree tops (top-left image below) or soaring with their lighter underside visible with reddish tail feathers backlit by sunlight. They primarily hunt rodents including chipmunks, squirrels or rabbits, but also can be found eating snakes, lizards or even roadkill in the winter months if hunting is slow for them. They have a high pitched scream of a whistle that often will cause nearby creatures to freeze. The hawk below (and in the videos we posted to YouTube) just finished eating a Gray Squirrel, so he was a bit lethargic and allowed me to take pictures from nearly every angle (for over an hour!). If you’d like to view more photos, videos or learn more about the Red-tailed hawk, there is a great educational page on The Cornell Lab’s “About Birds” website . Additionally, the Audubon Society has a similar page with fantastic images and educational content. Cooper’s Hawk Cooper’s Hawks are pretty intense-looking birds. As adults their eyes turn Bright red and they appear to have a “hairline” of darker feathers which are met with lighter grey and orange mottled feathers on the neck and breast. They are very agile in flight and primarily hunt smaller birds. Young mourning doves, sparrows, starlings and even Blue-Jays can be meals (as well as plenty of other birds). Any backyard birder in the Southeast will likely have knowledge of these hunters. Older generations here in the South will sometimes even refer to these birds as “Blue Darters”, because the darker grey colorations on their backs, wings and head can appear bluish-gray in certain lighting. If you’d like to read more about these awesome birds, here are some links for you: Cornell Lab’s “ All About Birds ” and additional information can be found here on the Audubon Society’s Field Guide . Broad-winged Hawk (Photos coming soon – as soon as we see one again). Osprey (also known as "Fish Hawks")

In this blog we wanted to share with you some great news about many of the Spring Eastern Bluebird babies in Marietta, Georgia. A couple of years ago, Lisa and I were lucky enough to find a local park which was seeking volunteers that would "lease" an Eastern Bluebird nest box for 2 years for a small fee. This fee included 2 years of mealworms for the area feeders on the property. This property is known as " Kemp Park " which is a 94-acre property with gorgeous rolling hills, meadows and forest and even includes a couple of streams and a small pond. Kemp Park is located off Burnt Hickory Road. If you'd like to read more about Kemp Park specifically, and get involved or make a donation to this beautiful property for a few improvements, here is the " Friends of Kemp Park " link. Initially, we paid the fee and then went to walk at the park sometimes and look at the nest boxes. After the 2 years passed, the volunteer group "Friends of Kemp" reached out and asked if we'd like to renew. OF COURSE we w did... then we were also invited to participate in the Spring and Summer bird house nest-checking process that they have implemented. It's a pretty cool gig! This is how it works: A number of volunteers get together in Early Spring, and are given a fairly simple schedule to follow. The people that are enlisted will need to come to the park when it's their scheduled turn. During their visit, they (in a few cases "we") will check each nest box for eggs, fresh-hatched young and also record their findings for the group on a clipboard. One of the tools used will include a small mirror, which can be used to look downward into the nest after opening the front or side of each bluebird box. During our preliminary tour of Kemp Park with the group lead and several of the other volunteers, I also brought along a pretty cool tool which is usually found in many auto-mechanic toolboxes. This tool is called a " boroscope ", which is a tiny flexible camera with a 25' coiled cable which can be fed into small, tight spaces so they can be inspected. I've even used ours to find a small pinhole leak in a copper pipe which was deep in our laundry room wall. The idea for this tool being used for bird house checking was simple: most bird nests are built neatly into the birdhouses, several inches thick, and the nest materials often conform to the shape of the box which is fine if you only open a door temporarily. However, I prefer NOT disturbing the nest material or the eggs, hatchlings, and even the nesting parents, if at all possible. So, the boroscope is perfect. It has two different cameras; one that is on the end and looks straight ahead, and has a dimmable LED light around it. The second camera lens is located on the side, and depending on which way you point it, can see easily up, down etc. During our first volunteer Nest Box check at Kemp Park, we found Eastern Bluebird eggs or hatchlings in 7 of the 9 nest boxes. Using the provided "volunteer tool kit" we checked for wasp nests in any early stages of being built, checked for ants that may be infiltrating the nests, we counted the eggs and young hatchlings and made notes of anything that needed attention on the property. It was exciting, and we loved to see the young (and the eggs!). I was also extremely pleased that we didn't encounter any eggs from Brown-headed Cowbirds, European Starlings or House Sparrows. In addition to the nest boxes at Kemp Park, we returned home and used the Depstech Boroscope on our own birdhouses. We found that our 4 Eastern Bluebird eggs had hatched as well! Here are some photos of the eggs when we first checked the box a couple of weeks earlier, and an image of the hatchlings nestled into each other's wings and shoulders. They were ADORABLE ! 3 short weeks later, the fledglings left the nest box and would not return (they don't go back to the nest once they are able to fly, instead they will fly around with their parents and beg for food for 2-3 more weeks until they will follow them to the deck railings (and our dried mealworm stash) or the "house feeder" which we also stock with mealworms. Once they have fledged, we clean out the birdhouse nest material using a mild vinegar solution or some simple green, and scrape off any chunks of infant-rearing that may be adhering to the sides of the birdbox. It was funny, when I removed this nest material, it seemed like there was a slight layer of new pine straw on top of the original nest. Maybe it was my imagination. The very next morning while we were filling the bird feeders and bird baths for the day, I saw a female Eastern Bluebird land on the box and go inside. Are you kidding? Not in the slightest. The bluebirds wasted NO time whatsoever rebuilding a completely new nest. In 48 hours we poked our little boroscope camera back in the hole, and found Bella was sitting in the nest already! She didn't even get up/fly out of the box so we left her alone. The following evening, we checked it again and there was already an egg! Did you know that Eastern Bluebirds will only lay one egg each day. Usually a clutch (a clutch is the total number of eggs that a female will lay at one time) , is 4-5 eggs, but sometimes there are 6 or even 8 at a time! Another interesting thing we learned, was that sometimes the juveniles from the last brood will sometimes help feed the young hatchlings in a nest! We had no idea this occurred. They take care of their families! Here is some more interesting information for you Eastern Bluebird fans (if you are on Facebook, we found a couple of fantastic pages which talk a lot about Eastern Bluebirds and have very active groups that provide feedback, tips, tricks, and more details to help you with your feathered friends! Eastern Bluebird Landlords Backyard Bird Lovers Managing House Sparrows and Starlings ( Not for the faint of heart ) Here are the product links from this blog also, in case this helps you avoid scrolling back through the whole blog post to find the links we mentioned: Depstech Flexible Boroscope Camera Hanging "house style" composite feeder Dried Mealworms (5lb bag) Natures Way Eastern Bluebird Nestbox (Bird house) 1.5" nest box hole reducer As always, thanks for reading and checking out this blog featuring our Spring Baby Bluebirds from Marietta, Georgia! -Lisa and Dan from https://birdsofwestcobb.com