Local Bird News
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Make sure your hummer feeders are up and filled with fresh nectar.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
are returning to our area this week! Have you seen any yet? You can report your first spring arrivals and keep up with their northward migration
HERE. If you are on Facebook, please "like" the Georgia Hummerspage to keep up with local happenings and banding events. Of course, we will also keep you up to date on our Facebook page!  We have been enjoying Angie Jenkins' Nuthatch webcam!Her birds have been busy building their nest for the past few weeks and the female, Hattie, has finally started laying eggs. Her mate, Hank, is very attentive, bringing her food and keeping an eye out for any danger near the box. Love webcams? We have another great one for you - this one is on a Peregrine Falconnest 50 stories up on the Sun Trust Building in downtown Atlanta! The female has laid four eggs and we look forward to them hatching! Being so high, windy days affect the camera a bit, but the picture is very clear most days. Check it out HERE.
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Hi Birdwatchers!
 | The "View-Thru" Bluebird House
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Spring isn't officially here until tomorrow, but many birds are way ahead of the game. Bluebirds, Titmice, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Robins, Mockingbirds and more are already building nests! It's not surprising - birds are very competitive when it comes to choosing nest sites.
Now is a good time to make sure any OLD nests have been cleaned out. If you are not sure, just leave it. Old nests tend to look flattened and may be a little dirty. Make sure your houses are in good shape and ready for the season. If not, we've got a great selection of birdhouses, poles, flanges and baffles (hint, hint). And to sweeten the deal, we'll take 20% off all bird houses and all the stuff you need to get them set up right, through March 24th! Just mention this newsletter!
What kind of house should you choose? Well, a Bluebird house is great for Bluebirds, but will also attract many other species of birds. If you want Bluebirds, put the house on a pole or post in an open area, away from trees and feeders. If you have a more wooded yard, you're more likely to attract Wrens, Nuthatches, Chickadees or Titmice to your house. These species need good nesting sites too - so please don't evict them!
We are often asked about perches on bird houses - yes or no? The answer is definitely no. Cavity nesting songbirds do not need them, and they just give larger predatory birds like Crows and Blue Jays a place to stand to get to tasty nestlings. We do, however, recommend portals. Portals are metal or wood, and are placed on the front of the entrance hole to keep squirrels from enlarging the size of the hole. Bluebird houses should have a 1.5" entrance hole. Any larger will allow unwanted birds like Starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds to take over the box.
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Kennesaw * Roswell * Buford * Marietta * Canton
 
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