There’s a lot that goes into making a natural habitat that is safe and appropriate for birds throughout the year. Bird Town Pennsylvania is a group that does this important work. If you’re planning on purchasing one of our homes in Chalfont PA and are a bird enthusiast, you can learn from them and volunteer with them to create bird-friendly areas in your own yard.
Earlier this year, Bird Town Pennsylvania received a wonderful grant of $10,000 from Penn Community Bank. In addition to the money that will be used for mini grants and to create educational brochures, many of the bank’s employees came out to help Chalfont volunteers to remove the invasive multiflora rose from a large area at Twin Streams Park. The removal of the roses was done to create room for planting native plants and shrubs that are more beneficial.
In addition, $500 was given to Chalfont Borough’s Bird Town program to put toward future tree plantings. All of this new flora will help a variety of birds, including those migrating to other countries with fall’s arrival. Birds such as Warblers need to eat a lot of protein and carbohydrates so they can store fat for their long journeys to Central and South America. Having the necessary plants and berries in Chalfont helps them get the necessary foods for their long flight.
Other birds making the migratory trek include the tiny Blackpoll Warbler that weighs as little to two pennies. Broad Wing Hawks – notable for their signature white stripe visible on the underside of their tail – also travel to similar southern locations for the northern hemisphere’s winter. You may still see a few of these birds stocking up before heading out. Many can be seen in local parks. The day after a cold front is a great time to look for migrating birds.
While many birds have set off already, there’s still time to see some of the last to go. Download the Ebird app for your phone to report sightings and track your bird lists. You may also want to participate in the voluntary, but highly recommended, “Lights out Philly” program, which focuses on turning off or blocking as many external and internal building lights as possible at night during spring and fall migration periods to help reduce bird deaths. At night, keep your outdoor lights off, when possible, from August 15th through November 15th. Many songbirds migrate at night and can be confused by man-made lights and fly into windows. BirdCast is a great website to check the migration forecast of an area. There are also bird walks hosted in September and October by Our Bird Town group. Check the Chalfont Bird Town Facebook page for details.
As you make plans to move into one of the new homes in Chalfont PA, when considering any landscaping, try to include as many native plants as possible to feed the birds as they return in spring. Imagine all of the beautiful birds finding your yard as welcoming as you find your new home. Contact us today to get started on purchasing your own new home.