THEY'RE BACK!!!
Reports of hummingbird sightings are trickling in from many customers, so now is the time to find your hummingbird feeders (now, where did I put them?), give them a good cleaning (white vinegar and water) and put them out with fresh nectar.
You can buy nectar (please none with red dye!) or make your own: Four parts water to one part white cane sugar (not brown sugar, not honey--just white cane sugar).
Hummingbirds return to their "natal grounds", so you might be welcoming a long lost friend home because it may be the same hummingbird as last year.
The males arrive first to claim their territory and the females will be along in a week or two.
You won't see as much activity as you did late summer last year when the chicks were bombarding the feeders, but be patient, the activity will pick up after the first brood has fledged the nest in a few weeks.
Reports of hummingbird sightings are trickling in from many customers, so now is the time to find your hummingbird feeders (now, where did I put them?), give them a good cleaning (white vinegar and water) and put them out with fresh nectar.
You can buy nectar (please none with red dye!) or make your own: Four parts water to one part white cane sugar (not brown sugar, not honey--just white cane sugar).
Hummingbirds return to their "natal grounds", so you might be welcoming a long lost friend home because it may be the same hummingbird as last year.
The males arrive first to claim their territory and the females will be along in a week or two.
You won't see as much activity as you did late summer last year when the chicks were bombarding the feeders, but be patient, the activity will pick up after the first brood has fledged the nest in a few weeks.
MILKWEED IS BACK STARTING MAY 7TH
Yes, we are a bird store but who doesn't love butterflies? Especially the monarch butterflies with their beautiful colors and their amazing annual migration!
We skipped the milkweed sale last year but that doesn't mean the monarchs don't need help! Every year, it seems we hear that the population of this iconic species has dwindled a little more. The destruction of their wintering grounds in Mexico and the lack of their host plant, Milkweed, along the migration route to Canada puts more and more pressure on the remaining population, so we are offering milkweed and other native pollinator plants to help them out!
Milkweed is crucial to the survival of the monarch. There is no better illustration of the dependency of one species on another than the relationship of the monarch to the milkweed. The female monarch will only lay its eggs on milkweed plants because that is the only plant the monarch caterpillars will eat. The sap in the milkweed makes the caterpillar toxic which keeps them from being eaten by predators, so they have evolved to eat only milkweed, ironically, as a way to ensure their survival.
Bird House on the Greenway and Wildology will be offering milkweed and other native pollinator plants the week of May 7th. This is the week before Mother's Day so you can give Mom a butterfly garden this year! We will have the milkweed species, Asclepias tuberosa, or Butterfly Weed. This is an easy perennial to grow that will make a big impact for the monarch, year after year. We will also have phlox, black-eyed susan and aster for sale.
And to ensure the milkweed we sell will have the largest impact possible for butterflies and other wildlife around the state, we will again be donating the proceeds from the Milkweed Sale to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation where they will put that money to work preserving and restoring butterfly and other wildlife habitat across the state as part of their Butterfly Highwayprogram.
So, as you are making plans of what to plant in your garden this spring. save some space for milkweed and be a part the team to help save the beautiful monarch butterfly!
Yes, we are a bird store but who doesn't love butterflies? Especially the monarch butterflies with their beautiful colors and their amazing annual migration!
We skipped the milkweed sale last year but that doesn't mean the monarchs don't need help! Every year, it seems we hear that the population of this iconic species has dwindled a little more. The destruction of their wintering grounds in Mexico and the lack of their host plant, Milkweed, along the migration route to Canada puts more and more pressure on the remaining population, so we are offering milkweed and other native pollinator plants to help them out!
Milkweed is crucial to the survival of the monarch. There is no better illustration of the dependency of one species on another than the relationship of the monarch to the milkweed. The female monarch will only lay its eggs on milkweed plants because that is the only plant the monarch caterpillars will eat. The sap in the milkweed makes the caterpillar toxic which keeps them from being eaten by predators, so they have evolved to eat only milkweed, ironically, as a way to ensure their survival.
Bird House on the Greenway and Wildology will be offering milkweed and other native pollinator plants the week of May 7th. This is the week before Mother's Day so you can give Mom a butterfly garden this year! We will have the milkweed species, Asclepias tuberosa, or Butterfly Weed. This is an easy perennial to grow that will make a big impact for the monarch, year after year. We will also have phlox, black-eyed susan and aster for sale.
And to ensure the milkweed we sell will have the largest impact possible for butterflies and other wildlife around the state, we will again be donating the proceeds from the Milkweed Sale to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation where they will put that money to work preserving and restoring butterfly and other wildlife habitat across the state as part of their Butterfly Highwayprogram.
So, as you are making plans of what to plant in your garden this spring. save some space for milkweed and be a part the team to help save the beautiful monarch butterfly!
FOR OUR SPRING MIGRATION BIRD WALK
AND OUR EVENING FROG WALK
SCHEDULE
GO TO THE EVENTS PAGE OR DROP BY THE STORE!
VISIT OUR SECOND LOCATION AT THE WAVERLY SHOPPING CENTER
PROVIDENCE ROAD AND 485
7211 WAVERLY WALK AVENUE
CHARLOTTE, NC 28277
704-443-9000 GOWILDOLOGY.COM
MON-SAT 10AM-6PM
SUNDAY NOON-5PM
PROVIDENCE ROAD AND 485
7211 WAVERLY WALK AVENUE
CHARLOTTE, NC 28277
704-443-9000 GOWILDOLOGY.COM
MON-SAT 10AM-6PM
SUNDAY NOON-5PM
NATIVE PLANT DATABASE BY ZIPCODE!
Many of you know that Bird House is a proud corporate sponsor of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation which is the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. Both organizations are big proponents of planting with native plants in order to help create wildlife habitat, especially if you are trying to attract birds.
Identifying wildlife-friendly native plants has never been easier with a new tool that the National Wildlife Federation recently launched in partnership with Dr. Doug Tallamy and based on his research.
To use this database with native plants for your area, follow this link, enter your zip code, and explore the listing of plants to start planning the bird sanctuary that you want to create!
And its not just birds! There is also a database of the butterflies and moths for your zip code and the host plant needed for the caterpillar stage to ensure your garden will be filled with these beautiful pollinators.
This is a wonderful resource for you to use to help restore some of the wildlife habitat we are losing to development. The website is free but we hope you will consider support both organizations and the work they do protecting the wild lives and wild places we all love!
Many of you know that Bird House is a proud corporate sponsor of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation which is the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. Both organizations are big proponents of planting with native plants in order to help create wildlife habitat, especially if you are trying to attract birds.
Identifying wildlife-friendly native plants has never been easier with a new tool that the National Wildlife Federation recently launched in partnership with Dr. Doug Tallamy and based on his research.
To use this database with native plants for your area, follow this link, enter your zip code, and explore the listing of plants to start planning the bird sanctuary that you want to create!
And its not just birds! There is also a database of the butterflies and moths for your zip code and the host plant needed for the caterpillar stage to ensure your garden will be filled with these beautiful pollinators.
This is a wonderful resource for you to use to help restore some of the wildlife habitat we are losing to development. The website is free but we hope you will consider support both organizations and the work they do protecting the wild lives and wild places we all love!
Birding by ear. There's an app for that!
We've all been waiting for it and its finally here! A Shazam app for bird songs. (For the uninitiated, the Shazam app will identify the song that is playing in a restaurant, elevator -- pretty much anywhere)
Song Sleuth is an app for your smart phone that will allow you to identify the birds your hear in your garden. Here is what their website says about it:
"Song Sleuth is a fun and easy way to learn birding by ear. Everywhere you go, Song Sleuth can listen to the birds singing around you, and instantly show you the most likely bird species that it heard. The app provides all the tools you need to determine which is the correct bird. Save and share your recordings, and learn about each bird with the built-in David Sibley Bird Reference."
We've all been waiting for it and its finally here! A Shazam app for bird songs. (For the uninitiated, the Shazam app will identify the song that is playing in a restaurant, elevator -- pretty much anywhere)
Song Sleuth is an app for your smart phone that will allow you to identify the birds your hear in your garden. Here is what their website says about it:
"Song Sleuth is a fun and easy way to learn birding by ear. Everywhere you go, Song Sleuth can listen to the birds singing around you, and instantly show you the most likely bird species that it heard. The app provides all the tools you need to determine which is the correct bird. Save and share your recordings, and learn about each bird with the built-in David Sibley Bird Reference."
NATURE VS TECHNOLOGY
Everyone knows about drug-sniffing dogs.
And the Navy uses dolphins and seals to help them locate and mark mines in the oceans.
Now, the French (and the Dutch) are using eagles to help locate and destroy drones that may be used by terrorists.
We've known all along that we can't live without nature, but the partnerships with these animals really demonstrates the wide variety of ways we benefit from wildlife!
Everyone knows about drug-sniffing dogs.
And the Navy uses dolphins and seals to help them locate and mark mines in the oceans.
Now, the French (and the Dutch) are using eagles to help locate and destroy drones that may be used by terrorists.
We've known all along that we can't live without nature, but the partnerships with these animals really demonstrates the wide variety of ways we benefit from wildlife!
BIG NEWS!
Bird House on the Greenway was recently named SUSTAINABLE SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR by Mecklenburg County's Solid Waste Department!
Since before we opened, we have worked hard to minimize our impact on the environment, reduce our carbon footprint and work with the community to promote sustainable practices, and its nice that they noticed.
We were honored along with 7 other local businesses at a banquet at the Foundation for the Carolinas. Melinda Johnston, of the Charlotte Observer, wrote a great article on our efforts. Here's a link to her article.
Please take a minute and watch the short video that they produced about our store. Congratulations Bird House Team!!!
Bird House on the Greenway was recently named SUSTAINABLE SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR by Mecklenburg County's Solid Waste Department!
Since before we opened, we have worked hard to minimize our impact on the environment, reduce our carbon footprint and work with the community to promote sustainable practices, and its nice that they noticed.
We were honored along with 7 other local businesses at a banquet at the Foundation for the Carolinas. Melinda Johnston, of the Charlotte Observer, wrote a great article on our efforts. Here's a link to her article.
Please take a minute and watch the short video that they produced about our store. Congratulations Bird House Team!!!
We were recently invited to appear on the Fabulous Francene Marie show to talk about the birds and the bees (and butterflies). It was a great conversation with a great lady! We hope she invites us back soon. Here's a link to the show in case you missed it.
We're not your average wild bird products store. In addition to one-of-kind products we provide excellent customer service, great education and answers for all of your questions. Try our custom seed mix, Greenway Blend. It's especially formulated for the birds in this region. Each bag of Greenway Blend was packaged just days prior to your purchase. That's not the case with seed you purchase at your local grocery store or big box center. There is no better bird seed in Charlotte. We have a great selection of bird houses, bird feeders, bird guides, garden art and wonderful nature inspired gifts. We have National Wildlife Federation Certified Habitat Stewards on staff that can answer your questions and help you create the wildlife habitat in your backyard you've always wanted. If you're having problems with squirrels we can help you defeat them with squirrel-proof feeders that really work or pole & squirrel-proof baffle set-ups that will keep them off your feeding pole or post. Follow us on Facebook and/or sign up for our email newsletter below so you can learn and stay up to date on what's happening at the store. Once a month our newsletter subscribers can take 10% off regularly priced items, once per month. Learn more about birds and wildlife as well as all of our activities. Throughout the year we have various bird walks and frog walks on the Four Mile Creek Greenway across the street from the store. We also visit Latta Park and the Six Mile Creek Greenway at different times.. So whether you want to attract more birds, or different birds, fight squirrels, improve your backyard for wildlife we can help. We can't wait to see you!
