Birds of West Cobb

What is the best time to clean out your birdhouse? In case you didn't know, cleaning out your bird houses is important for the health of the wild birds Since Spring has arrived, you may be staring out into your yard and wondering, “When is the best time to clean out my birdhouse?” Technically you should have already done this! So, if you have not already done so, (and you know there was a nest in there last season with complete certainty) go grab some gloves and clean out that old nest material. We typically we clean out our birdhouses here in Georgia in January or early February. We have seen many species of birds “inspecting” our birdhouses as early as February. In early March, our first birds typically start building their nests (for the past several years this has been the white-breasted nuthatch, followed by Eastern Bluebirds an Chickadees or Titmice). Experts of Ornithology recommend cleaning out a birdhouse after every brood has been completed for maximum health and safety of the birds. Why should I clean out my birdhouses? Let’s face it, birds are cute, fluffy, adorable little feathery balls of energy with tons of character. But, they are not always as clean as they appear. Bird nesting materials can contain feces, mites, bacteria and parasites! You wouldn’t want to have a new family of your favorite neighborhood birds invest the time and energy of moving into the house in your yard, only to have them get sick or worse! We have researched this subject to help you and your new bird families have safe, healthy broods. What are the best and safest cleaners to use to clean my birdhouse? There are several cleaners that can be used to clean out bird houses, but it is very important to use bird-safe products that are free of harsh chemicals. Here are five top cleaners that are safe to use. We recommend using rubber or latex gloves and a mask to avoid breathing or touching anything you wouldn’t want to: Vinegar: A solution of white vinegar and water can be used to disinfect the birdhouse. Hydrogen Peroxide: A solution of hydrogen peroxide and water can be used to disinfect the birdhouse. Mild Soap: A mild soap solution can be used to clean out the birdhouse, followed by a thorough rinse with water. Bird Safe Cleaners: There are bird-safe cleaners available that are designed specifically for cleaning out birdhouses, one example is Poop-Off Birdhouse Cleaner. This cleaner, and others in this category of cleaners are marketed as non-toxic and safe for birds. To summarize: Some birds only have one brood each year (white-breasted nuthatch for example), but others could have 3-4 broods in a long summer with milder temperatures. Regardless of number of broods per year, you should still plan to clean out the birdhouse after each brood for a high success rate and the healthiest birds possible! #birdsofwestcobb

We are asked all the time: "should I buy a bird bath?" The answer is ... absolutely! It is incredible how many bird species visit bird baths! Some don't visit bird feeders! Should you buy a bird bath for your yard? Definitely! And you’ll be glad you did! Just remember that it is important to fill it with fresh water often (and clean it out). If you came here looking for advice on some good bird-safe cleaners, I’d recommend checking out our blog post on that topic here. Just the other day I was wandering around at Kemp Park, with my Nikon camera ready to snap a shot or two of any birds willing to make themselves seen. I saw a perfect example in nature of how important the water is to our bird friends. When you park at Kemp and go around/through the gate and proceed to the bottom of the hill there is a small (I mean very small) pond. There are some reeds growing there and a nice bench is positioned nearby. After a good rain, water drains down the hills on this property and forms a temporary stream that feeds into this small pond. As I quietly walked past this tiny pond and the bench there, I heard some soft gurgles and splashing sounds. As I peered “upstream” I noticed an American Robin taking a bath just before he noticed me and fled the scene. A few moments later, a Tufted Titmouse flew in and also took a few drinks and a quick bath also. The Tiny Pond located at Kemp Park in Marietta, Georgia We started feeding the birds in our yard first and didn’t give much thought to providing water to the birds, because there is a 17-Acre lake basically right across the street from us. However, we discussed it and came to the conclusion that if we were going to put out fresh seed each morning for the birds, it would not require much effort to provide them with a plate or bowl of water too. We were right of course. Now, we’ve seen so many birds drinking water that it is hard to keep track of them all. Sometimes we have more fun watching the bird “pool” than anything that is streaming on the Roku. Here are a few pictures to show exactly what I mean: Carolina Chickadee considering a bath if the temperature is just right. Chester the Brown-headed Nuthatch visits the pool often for drinks and baths. Bobby the Eastern Bluebird loves to bring his wife and children to our pool. A very wet Gray Catbird enjoys a good soak. Momma Titmouse kept calling but Timmy did not want to leave the pool! Mourning Doves love to take long sips of water in the evenings. Gray Catbird splishing and splashing. Brown Thrasher that decided a drink just wasn’t enough. Tufted Titmouse sipping water quickly. Eastern Gray Squirrel grabbing a drink before pillaging the deck feeder (again). Juvenile American Crow enjoying a fresh drink of clean water. As with any wild animal feeding “experiment”, there are some unusual guests that you might not expect to see drinking from dish laying on a deck handrail: Raccoons, Squirrels, Chipmunks, and most recently even Wild Eastern Turkeys. To make things stranger still, not all birds will drink from a dish or a bowl. In 5 years we have seen Downy Woodpeckers drink from the dish only a handful of times, but never the other woodpecker species. Additionally, House Finches and American Goldfinches seem to prefer drinking water from the small “Ant Traps” that we place on top of our hummingbird feeders. Occasionally we see Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice and even Brown-headed nuthatches and White-Breasted Nuthatches drinking out of these as well, but they will just as often drink from a plate or a bowl. If you haven’t seen these small “Ant traps” they basically function as a small barrier to protect your hummingbird sugar-water/nectar from a never-ending swarm of ants. We fill ours with fresh water each day to prevent mosquitos from growing and also to keep the water clean for these small birds. Here is a link – we STRONGLY recommend them if you have hummingbird feeders OR if you just want to hang some other type of feeder and want to keep the ants off, while quenching the thirst of our tiny friends! hummingbird feeder ant trap We may upgrade to a small heated birdbath for the winter this year. It becomes problematic when you leave water in your plates/dishes and it freezes up. Then you either wind up with a cracked plate or you spend lots of extra time pouring water on the ice to thaw it out, dump it, and then repeat… only to forget again a few days later to dump the water before you go to bed, so it freezes again. When you put fresh water out during the Spring or Fall migrations, you will be in for a treat! You might see Cedar Waxwings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, or any number of other visitors that food alone may not entice. If you enjoy reading this please give us a like or leave us a comment! We’d love to hear about the strangest visitor you’ve seen at your bird bath or “pool” as we refer to it. #birdsofwestcobb

In this blog post "When do Hummingbirds Migrate?" we take a look at the most typical first sighting and when the resident humminbirds all seem to appear in Georgia. BirdCast has built a very interesting bird-tracking tool and you can check to see the numbers of birds that migrated overnight. This seems to cover many bird species but I couldn’t find specifics on hummingbirds likely because they are so small, they cannot be tracked with the same tools. However, Hummingbirdcentral.com seems to cover it well with this map/tool. As we approach Fall, there is a cool crispness to the morning air. Our resident Ruby-throated hummingbirds have put on quite a bit of weight. They fly a bit more slowly, as they chase each other and try to declare a feeder or a flowering plant as their own. They will perch nearby on a low branch, sometimes directly on top of the flowering plant itself, or high up in a tree where they can cover a lot more ground. By late September the adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds typically begin to migrate South. In the past several years we’ve noticed the females and the juvenile males will hang around a few weeks longer. I’m writing this on Saturday September 9th (2023) and we still see most, if not all, of the adult males. But we know their time here is coming to an end for the year. Update as of October 14th, 2023: All adult males have migrated South now, and the majority of adult females as well. We have 2-3 hummingbirds still on our feeders this morning, and have reduced the number of feeders from 5 (yes, you read that correctly!) down to 2 feeders. Also, our Purple Salvia is still blooming and will do so until a hard freeze occurs. Hopefully not until Dec/Jan as this gives an additional food source to the birds which they do seem to prefer over sugar water most days. While we have purple salvia planted in our yard and the plants return each Spring, the blooms usually aren’t present until May. Our earliest Spring time hummers arrive in mid April. We are pretty certain that these are migrating further north and just passing through, because each year we see a couple at the feeder and then don’t see more for several weeks. Another possibility though, is that in Spring there are TONS of natural flower blooms which the hummingbirds can feed on, from trees and shrubs to flowers in beds and planters. So if you have a feeder (or 4 like us haha), be a bit patient in the Spring. By mid-May you’ll see plenty of these amazing creatures regularly frequenting your feeders. By July/August you’ll also start to see the young hummers as well. Thanks for reading! Please comment below if you’ve enjoyed this blog post and let us know when you typically see hummingbirds where you live! We’d love to hear about them! #AcworthBirds #wildlifephotography #GeorgiaHummingbirds #birdsofwestcobb #KennesawGeorgiaBirds #hummingbirdsatlanta #birdphotography #rubythroatedhummingbird #hummingbirds #MariettaGeorgiabirds

A short story about how I first encountered Red-shouldered hawks, found a nest and watched these amazing birds. Ever since I was a young birder, I was extremely interested in birds of prey. Some have mixed feelings to put it mildly, about birds that eat lizards, fish, snakes, rodents and even other birds. I was always more interested in the speed and agility of these birds. Their eyesight is incredible, and considering their size it is even more incredible how agile they can be when hunting or when avoiding pesky blue jays, crows or mockingbirds. The first time that I can remember seeing a hawk as a child, and there were actually two of them circling overhead. I used to spend a lot of time outdoors playing in creeks, fishing for bream and crawfish. It was early Spring and the hawks were barely above the tree tops calling to each other and circling while they looked for a meal. A Red-shouldered hawk high in a tree, calling it’s mate (video from Spring, 2019) Over the next few weeks I would fish the same creek several times, and I kept hearing this pair of hawks. Eventually I was lucky enough to discover their nesting location. They flew over head on one specific afternoon and I watched one fly up to a tall tulip poplar tree growing up right along the bank of the creek. The other perched nearby and was carrying a branch in its beak. They were finishing the nest! I was able to see them well enough at this point to recognize that they were Red-shouldered hawks. These are the second largest hawks in the Southeast (only the Red-tailed hawk is larger). They are very, very vocal and it’s easy to know they’re in the area by their loud repeated calls. My Dad has an a pretty old Pentax camera he bought while in the Navy (1968-70 timeframe) , and has a few lenses and filters. I knew where he kept it and took it to hawk watch several times. I had some cheap camouflage from an army navy surplus store that was basically a bit of canvas fabric with leaf print/pattern. I slowly and quietly walked along the creek banks and climbed up to the base of a sizeable tree trunk adjacent to the tall poplar tree and sat motionless, waiting for them to return. I was able to visit several times in the following weeks and saw them carry back squirrels on multiple occasions and a rabbit once also. The top of the nest seemed to have a lot of fluffy down feathers (or maybe fur) strewn about. It is hard to say at this point in time due to the vintage camera and limited telephoto options. I also had a pair of Nikon Lookout III 10x50mm binoculars which were actually far superior in lense quality at the time to the Pentax camera. These gave me the best views I had. At the back portion of our property there is a small stand of tall Pine trees, it turns out the hawks found a perfect spot and built a nest right along the fence line, likely around 40 feet up in the tree. If memory serves me, I think this was actually late March thru early April for the nest construction phase. They had a couple of young and we were able to snap some photos from our back door 80-90ft away with my Nikon P610 camera. They aren’t great photos but I will post a few up for you anyway. This pair only nest here one season, and it seemed like our resident pair of crows were constantly antagonizing these hawks and eventually drove them out. I also saw Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds harassing the hawks and a brave squirrel that attempted to climb up into the nest and attempt to sabotage it. You read that correctly… Grey squirrels are known to exhibit this behavior. They will climb up into a hawk nest and push out the eggs or break them, which is likely some sort of survival instinct of theirs. Thanks for reading and please let me know if you enjoyed this post and the photos. Also feel free to comment if you have a story about Red-shouldered hawks that you’d like to share! #birdwatching #birdwatching #Hawks #Raptors #birding #Predators #backyardbirds #avian

In this blog we explore which feeder attracts the most hummingbirds: We have found that there isn't a single feeder that matters. It is more important that the feeder is cleaned and filled often! Googlers want to know: Which feeder attracts the most hummingbirds? Our preference is a red glass feeder with colorful fake flower blossoms (They seem to prefer either red or yellow, but also will drink from other bright colored blossoms as well). We are located in the Southeastern United States, and aside from a few (very few) migratory hummingbirds, there is only one species that resides here: The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Here is some additional information about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and the feeders that work for well for attracting them and supporting their nutritional needs as they prepare for migration. In most of the Southeastern United States, you’ll only see Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds throughout the Spring and Summer months, and they will depart in early Fall. The female is typically slightly larger and nearly all white/grey on the belly and throat. The adult males are a bit smaller but their throats absolutely glow red in the sunlight. Other times they may appear black, as they attempt to blend into the surroundings or perch in the shadows. Juveniles will look similar to females at first, and may only have 1 ruby-red feather or just a handful of them. They are a TON of fun to watch as they buzz between feeders and chase each other around relentlessly. Here’s the thing: Ruby-throated hummingbirds are extremely territorial. In all the years I’ve been feeding them I’ve rarely seen more than one at a time on a feeder. This usually only happens if there are too few feeders in the area and a lot of birds, and they are nearing their departure date for migration. For this reason, you can use a hummingbird with as few as 4 “blossoms” but more than that is really a waste. They will attack / chase each other so quickly that it’s pretty uncommon to see two sitting together sharing a drink. If you are in the area and you’d like to stop by the pollinator garden at Kemp Park, you’ll likely witness the hummers buzzing each other for the next few weeks! They are located at 4331 Burnt Hickory Rd NW Marietta GA, 30064 – or you can visit their website. I still recommend a feeder with 4 blossoms (or more), over just a single blossom because it does give the other birds a chance at grabbing a drink, before being chased away. Also, they will come at it from every side, and from below (in our case we have 4-foot tall purple salvia in the summer) as well as above. So it’s a great idea to have multiple angles. Now, another thing to consider is that many hummingbirds actually prefer to perch. They are the only species of birds that cannot walk, their feet are only designed to perch. So they will do this, and lean into the plastic/metal blossoms on your feeders and take deep rewarding drinks. So try to get feeders with perches for each of the blossoms. Red-dye or red glass? We prefer either the red colored glass, or a base that is red and the glass that is clear. You do still want to be able to see the level (and condition) of the hummingbird nectar inside of the feeder so I’d avoid getting a solid color or ceramic that you cannot see through. We talked about red dye / store bought nectar in another post… it’s so easy and fast to mix up a batch of hummingbird nectar that you should avoid the red stuff 100% of the time. (Hummingbird nectar DIY recipe: 1 part sugar, 4 parts water. Lightly boil and then chill to serve). The Feeder we have been using for that last few years looks similar to this one from Perky Pet. It is durable, easy to clean and refill, and the color stays bright. Direct Link Here. Are there any accessories that I should purchase to go along with my hummingbird feeder? Absolutely. You should consider how you will be hanging the feeder(s), and whether or not raccoons can get to them. Raccoons simply love them and will grab hold and tilt them over drinking every last drop (that doesn’t spill). So I’d recommend hanging them from a piece of soffit or facia with at least a 12″ long hook, so they cannot reach down to it. Additionally, you’ll want to invest in an “Ant trap” or ant guard. You and I both know how quickly ants will find anything sweet here in the South. So these little ant traps are worth their weight in gold. You just fill them with water (only a small amount), and it creates a protective barrier that the ants cannot cross and it keeps your nectar safe. Additionally, these little ant traps will double as a tiny bird watering hole for other small birds like finches, titmice and chickadees. We’ve even seen downy woodpeckers and nuthatches drinking from ours, so be sure to keep them clean! #attractinghummingbirds #birdfood #safeDIYhummingbirdnectar #birdfeeding #birdsofwestcobb #birdfeeders #feedinghummingbirds #hummingbirdfeeders #rubythroatedhummingbird #backyardbirds