Greetings from Wild Bird & Garden
At Wild Bird & Garden, we strive to provide quality bird and nature products and to provide environmental education to Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas. Through employee knowledge and store sponsored nature programs, we can give you advice on how to make your backyard a bird-friendly oasis!
Airlie Gardens Bird Walks
Join us the second Wednesday of each month for a Bird Walk at Airlie Gardens. Airlie Gardens has wonderful bird habitat including marsh, fresh water ponds, wooded habitat and open lawns. Stop by Wild Bird & Garden to pick up FREE admission passes for this month's Bird Walk. Regular admission is $5 or free for Airlie members. For more information give us a call at 910 343 6001.
Upcoming Programs
News
Website Updated and Maintained by Wild Bird & Garden (wildbirdgardeninc@gmail.com)
Wild Bird & Garden is pleased to announce the winners of our 3rd Annual Photography Contest!
Judges 1st Place: David Hoffman for Wood Stork
Judges 2nd Place: Lee Parsons for Great Blue Heron
Judges 3rd Place: Jeanne Oxenfeld for Great Egret
Popular 1st Place: Jim Woodson for Water Snake
Popular 2nd Place: Jim Woodson for Butterfly and John Tolleston for Fox
Popular 3rd Place: Stacey Burrell for Hawk on Fencepost
Kids Category
1st Place: Charlotte Frazier for Swan
2nd Place: Greg Russ for Green Heron
Congratulations to all of our winners!!
Click here to see this year's photos!
New Nature Art Exhibit
Wild Bird & Garden presents a new Nature Art Exhibit featuring the work of local artist Ellen & Rich Pieciul! The exhibit is on display now at Wild Bird & Garden. Their photographs include beautiful flowers. The pictures and cards are for sale now through the end of June. Be sure
to stop by and see these delightful works of art!
Have friends in faraway places? Don't forget we have an online store! Click "Shop WB+G!" above to shop online.
New Binoculars in Stock! A quality pair of binoculars is the perfect accessory for our upcoming bird walks and kayak tours, giving bright, crisp views of those birds you came out to see. Stop by to check out our new selection of binoculars from Nikon and Vortex!
We are working on our new schedule of programs. Please let us know if you have a program idea that you would like to see us do. Give us a call at 910 343 6001 or email us at wildbirdgardeninc@gmail.com.
Leland Parks and Rec Bird Walks
Join us on the second Thursday of each month for a Bird Walk at some of Leland's finest parks!
July 11 Westgate Nature Park
August 8 Leland Municipal Park
September 12 Brunswick Nature Park
All walks are FREE and will be held from 8:00-9:30 a.m.
Please pre-register with Amy Ryan of Leland Parks and Rec by calling 910 332-4823.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Classes!
The Birds of Southeastern North Carolina & Fall Migration
Located along the “Atlantic Flyway”, Southeastern NC is a haven for many different bird species. Join us to discover the birds of our region and birdwatch in some of our area’s great birding hotspots. Throughout this class students observe and learn how to identify fall migrants, backyard birds, shorebirds and resident songbirds. You’ll soon be hooked on this lifelong hobby!
Four Sessions 8-10 a.m.
September 9 Fall Migration & Bird Identification Program OLLI Classroom
With Jill Peleuses Owner, Wild Bird & Garden
September 10 Airlie Gardens Bird Walk & Songbird Migration
With Jill Peleuses & Matt Collogan, Environmental Educator Airlie Gardens
October 8 Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Basin Trail Bird Walk
With Jill Peleuses and a NC State Park Ranger
November 12 Greenfield Lake Bird Walk
With Jill Peleuses
Sounds like fun! Pre-registration starts on August 1, and regular registration begins on August 21. For more information or to sign up, please visit the OLLI website or give them a call at (910) 962 3195.
G. Schramm
L. Parsons
New Kayak Birding Tours!
Fort Fisher Basin Sunset Tour
Wednesday June 19 4:30-8:30 pm
Join Wild Bird & Garden along with guide company Mahanaim Adventures for a morning of kayaking and bird watching. These tours are great for kayakers of all skill levels. We will meet at Wild Bird & Garden for each tour. Don't forget to dress for the weather, pack water, snacks, and spare clothing! Tickets are $45 and pre-registration is required. Call 910.343.6001 to reserve your space!
We Have Hummingbird Goodies Galore!
Hummingbirds are back and are looking for the most welcoming yards in town! Stop in to see us for the best selection of hummingbird feeders and supplies, and the friendliest advice on how to attract these exciting and gorgeous birds to your yard!
Charleston Birding Kayak Weekend Adventure
September 13-15, 2013
Trip Brief: Price: $475
Single Occupancy Room $250 additional
Payment Deadline: August 1, 2013 Capacity: 12
Guides:
o Jill Peleuses / Owner of Wild Bird & Garden
o Don Harty / Owner of Mahanaim Adventures
Highlights: Great Bird Watching Location of Charleston SC Guided Kayaking Adventures Guided Birds Walks on Three Days Enjoy an authentic Dutch Oven Meal cooked over an open fire Evening Camp Fire with Smores Air-conditioned cabins
The Adventure: Grab your binoculars and your walking shoes for this fun filled weekend in the Charleston, South Carolina area for bird watching and kayaking. Our home base for this weekend is Givhans Ferry State Park, just a short 50 minute drive east of downtown Charleston. You will enjoy guided birding and kayaking adventures with trip leaders, Jill Peleuses and Don Harty, plus local park rangers and local bird experts. Activities will include; guided bird walks, guided kayaking adventure, Friday evening campfire and Owl Prowl Bird Walk, prepared meals, and an evening sightseeing in Charleston.
Day 1: When you arrive at Givhans Ferry State Park at 1:00 pm and get settled in, the guides will start off your afternoon with a guided birding kayaking adventure on the beautiful Edisto River. Later that same afternoon enjoy a guided bird walk thought the wooded area of the park. For your evening meal, you will enjoy a Stuffed Cornish Game Hen dinner cooked on an open fire in authentic dutch ovens by your leaders. After dinner you will enjoy a warm campfire roasting marshmallows and making those gooey but yummy Smores! You will also enjoy an evening Owl Prowl calling to owls and birds of the night around the area.
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast of fresh pancakes we are off to Charleston for a day of bird walks and birding kayaking. We will head to the Patriots Point and the Pitt Street Causeway area of Charleston where your birding adventure will begin. Both areas are excellent bird watching locations for the fall migration. We will also enjoy a kayaking adventure in the area’s salt marshes. Take in the beauty of the sunset over Charleston as we watch the birds in the marsh. As the evening closes, we will make a short drive over to historic Charleston where you will enjoy an evening sightseeing and gourmet dining with your new found friends or on your own.
Day 3: Start the morning with a Continental Breakfast of fresh fruit and Danishes. After that we are off to Charleston’s historic Magnolia Plantation and Garden for an 8:30 a.m. guided bird walk through the gardens. Our leader for this 2.5 hour bird walk is Perry Nugent, local bird guide and expert with over 50 years of birding experience. There are 254 migratory and year round bird species found at Magnolia Plantation. Once the walk is over your adventure will conclude, but we encourage you to enjoy this historic plantation and all of this beauty. There are a number of things that you can enjoy on your own such as a Nature Train tour, Water Boat tours and the historic plantation homestead.
Getting There: All participants should drive and meet at Givhans Ferry State Park at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 13th. We will carpool together to and from Charleston the next day. On Sunday, each participant will drive their own vehicle to Magnolia Plantation to conclude the trip.
Accommodations and Food: Our lodging consist of semi-private cabins, each person/couple will have their own private room, while sharing the common areas with another person/couple. Each cabin is completely furnished and has central air, fireplace, semi-private bath, linens and kitchen area. 2 Breakfast, 1 lunch and 1 dinner provided.
Sign Ups: Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Call or come by Wild Bird & Garden at Hanover Center 3501 Oleander Drive Wilmington NC 28403 (910) 343 6001 to register and pay for this amazing adventure
Brunswick Waterfest
September 20-22, 2013
Join us for some great events during this amazing festival. We will be offering a Birding Kayak Owl Prowl Tour on Friday evening. And Birding Big Day in Brunswick County! More info to follow on our website. For info on this great event and to sign up for the weekend's activities visit
brunswickwaterfest.eventbrite.com
Birding Big Day September 21
All day in Brunswick County
Find as many species as possible during this great day of birding!
Follow this link Birding Big Day for more info.
Bird Walks with Bird Guides on September 21 include:
Brunswick Town/Orton Pond Bird Walk
Brunswick Nature Park Bird Walk
Binocular Raffle
Congratulations to Gretchen Schramm on winning the Vortex Diamondback binoculars in our raffle to benefit Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter! The raffle raised nearly $400 for Sea Biscuit, so thanks to all who bought tickets for this great cause!
Raptors Program
Saturday July 20 9:15-10:30 am
Location: Temptations Everyday Gourmet
Please join us for this FREE program presented by noted ornithologist and co-author of Birds of the Carolinas Dr. James Parnell. Learn all about the birds of prey that can be seen in our area and gain a better understanding of their habitat requirements, foraging and hunting techniques, nesting and mating behaviors, and much more!
Painted Buntings Have Arrived!
Not to be outdone by the hummingbirds, the gorgeous Painted Buntings have also returned! We have their favorite seed and feeders in stock, so be sure to stop in!
Native Plant Sale!
Saturday October 12 10:30am-1:00pm
Location: Wild Bird & Garden
Alistair Glen of Growing Wild Nursery will be here with
a wonderful selection of native plants for sale. Come out and pick up some plants for a sustainable garden that
will attract migrating and overwintering birds to your yard!
