FALL SEED SALE STARTS SEPTEMBER 1ST!!
PRE-PURCHASE YOUR SEED AND RECEIVE 15% OFF!!
COME BY THE STORE AND WE WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE!
PRE-PURCHASE YOUR SEED AND RECEIVE 15% OFF!!
COME BY THE STORE AND WE WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE!
FROG WALK Saturday, AUGUST 12, 7:00pm
Our walks along Four Mile Creek Greenway are led by naturalist Taylor Piephoff. It is a wonderful experience to be out on a walk with someone who can answer almost any question regarding the flora and fauna along the greenway. Cost is $5 per person which goes to Taylor for his time and expenses.
If you are interested in participating, you must pre-register by sending an email to carol@greenwaybirdhouse.com.
Our walks along Four Mile Creek Greenway are led by naturalist Taylor Piephoff. It is a wonderful experience to be out on a walk with someone who can answer almost any question regarding the flora and fauna along the greenway. Cost is $5 per person which goes to Taylor for his time and expenses.
If you are interested in participating, you must pre-register by sending an email to carol@greenwaybirdhouse.com.
HUMMINGBIRD WARS!!
There's a war being waged in your backyard right now, and if you are anything like most of our customers, you are loving every minute of it!
After a slow start earlier this summer, your hummingbird feeders should be the front lines of this war right now! The second clutch of chicks has fledged and the juveniles are fighting over the feeders with a vengeance!
Everyone asks: "why can't they just get along?", but their aggressive behavior is helping them develop the survival skills they will need over the next few months.
In September, migration will start so the aerial gymnastics that these birds are practicing now is building up their muscles and the flying abilities that they are going to need to make the LONG journey to their wintering grounds in Central and South America. The constant sparring at the feeders is helping them develop the skills that they will need once they arrive to set up and defend their territory all winter until they head back next spring.
The young ones look alike right now. The males are missing their ruby throats so it is easy to confuse them with the females, but in time you will start to see the males' throats turn red, one feather at a time.
If you want to enjoy these beautiful birds before they head out in a few weeks, put out plenty of feeders with fresh nectar. The more feeders you provide, the more hummers you will have. During the toasty dog days of summer, you will need to change the nectar every day or every other day, depending on the amount of sun it gets.
This time of year, we get many reports of customers with hummingbirds trapped in garages. They are lured in by the red emergency handle hanging down from the garage door opener.
To prevent them from being drawn in, cover that red handle with duct tape or wrap a plastic grocery bag around it. And while you're at it, look around and see if there's anything red that might entice them into the garage.
If one does get in, hang a feeder near the opening and wait it out. Don't chase it around the garage with a broom, just wait. If it finds the feeder, chances are it will fly out. If it doesn't find the feeder, in 10-15 minutes, it will run out of steam and tumble to the floor. When it does, grab the feeder with one hand, carefully pick up the bird with the other and leave the garage. When you are outside, put its beak in the feeder so it can have a sip and then open your hand. Unless its injured, it should fly away immediately.
Most importantly, enjoy the hummingbird activity while they are here. We wait all winter for them to return, so enjoy them now before migration starts. They truly are one of nature's wonders!
There's a war being waged in your backyard right now, and if you are anything like most of our customers, you are loving every minute of it!
After a slow start earlier this summer, your hummingbird feeders should be the front lines of this war right now! The second clutch of chicks has fledged and the juveniles are fighting over the feeders with a vengeance!
Everyone asks: "why can't they just get along?", but their aggressive behavior is helping them develop the survival skills they will need over the next few months.
In September, migration will start so the aerial gymnastics that these birds are practicing now is building up their muscles and the flying abilities that they are going to need to make the LONG journey to their wintering grounds in Central and South America. The constant sparring at the feeders is helping them develop the skills that they will need once they arrive to set up and defend their territory all winter until they head back next spring.
The young ones look alike right now. The males are missing their ruby throats so it is easy to confuse them with the females, but in time you will start to see the males' throats turn red, one feather at a time.
If you want to enjoy these beautiful birds before they head out in a few weeks, put out plenty of feeders with fresh nectar. The more feeders you provide, the more hummers you will have. During the toasty dog days of summer, you will need to change the nectar every day or every other day, depending on the amount of sun it gets.
This time of year, we get many reports of customers with hummingbirds trapped in garages. They are lured in by the red emergency handle hanging down from the garage door opener.
To prevent them from being drawn in, cover that red handle with duct tape or wrap a plastic grocery bag around it. And while you're at it, look around and see if there's anything red that might entice them into the garage.
If one does get in, hang a feeder near the opening and wait it out. Don't chase it around the garage with a broom, just wait. If it finds the feeder, chances are it will fly out. If it doesn't find the feeder, in 10-15 minutes, it will run out of steam and tumble to the floor. When it does, grab the feeder with one hand, carefully pick up the bird with the other and leave the garage. When you are outside, put its beak in the feeder so it can have a sip and then open your hand. Unless its injured, it should fly away immediately.
Most importantly, enjoy the hummingbird activity while they are here. We wait all winter for them to return, so enjoy them now before migration starts. They truly are one of nature's wonders!
Everyone is reporting lots of finch right now!
House finch have been nesting since early spring, but the goldfinch are just now getting started.
These finch are among the last birds to start the nesting process. Goldfinch wait until there is an abundance of thistle, which doesn't bloom until June. They use the down from the blooms to line their nests and by waiting until the thistle blooms, they ensure that there will be plenty of food for the babies.
Customers are reporting large populations of finch in the area, so let's take a moment and discuss feeder hygiene.
Finch, especially house finch, are prone to a condition called conjunctivitis that can be spread from bird to bird via infected feeders, so cleaning your feeders regularly can help control the spread of this painful condition.
After all the recent rains, most of our feeders could use a good cleaning right now anyway, so here is an easy how-to reminder:
Fill up a 5 gallon bucket with water, add a cup of white vinegar and toss your feeders in to soak for an hour or two. If you can take your feeders apart before soaking them, it will help clean them thoroughly.
After a good soak, use a brush and scrub them well. Rinse with clean water and spread the parts in the sunshine to dry.
Once they are completely dry, reassembly the feeders, fill with fresh seed and put them back out for the birds.
Fresh, quality seed in clean feeders not only benefits the finch, but all the birds will be happy!
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!
