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SIERRA VISTA — What do you do if your birdhouse has no perch?
“Where’s the stick? How do they get in?” asked Nathan Unsell, 9.
“Right here. The hole,” answered his sister, Lauren Unsell, 6, pointing to one of the pieces of board they were assembling into a birdhouse.
And that’s true, said Tom Folkers, a volunteer at the festival who helped the two children build a nesting box the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival on Saturday. Instead of perching outside the box, the birds peer out of the hole to figure out where they want to go or when it’s safe to fly.
 Southwest Wings volunteer Tom Folkers helps Lauren Unsell, 6, and her brother, Nathan Unsell, 9, build a bird box during a workshop at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center on Saturday. (Beatrice Richardson-Herald/Review) |
Volunteers helped children build birdhouses provided by the Huachuca Audubon Society and the Ramsey Canyon Preserve during the festival at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center.
The boxes are primarily designed for bluebirds, said Mike Guest, president of the Huachuca Audubon Society.
“We get all three. Eastern, western and mountain bluebirds,” he said.
The birdhouses also may attract other birds including chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and wrens, all of which can be good yard guests since they eat and control insect populations.
When the birdhouse was half finished, it seemed to resemble a Star Wars spaceship, Nathan Unsell said. He and his sister have seen a “bunch” of birds in their yard, but they aren’t sure if any will use the birdhouse they finished.
The boxes should be mounted 4 to 6 feet above the ground. Although most birds will try and find a nesting spot in March, they may try for a second or third nesting attempt in later months.
Folkers said he wanted to volunteer to help generate some enthusiasm for birds and protecting their habitat among kids.
But enthusiasm wasn’t lacking from Brianna James, 10, and Danielle James, 7. “We wanted to learn more about birds,” said Brianna James.
They learned about the black-crowned night heron on display at the festival. Though it has a long neck, she didn’t see it until it stretched out to eat.
“When it goes to get food, it strikes out,” she said.
Caitlin Mathewson, 16, also helped young children build the bird boxes. She is a volunteer for the Ramsey Canyon Preserve and enjoys meeting different visitors from around the world and helping to preserve the canyon’s history.
The children were excited to have finished their own birdhouses, she said. “The girl I was working with said she wants to paint hers blue, her favorite color.”
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Laura Ory can be reached at 515-4683.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival continues today at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center. Events are listed at www.swwings.org.
