Q: My granddaughter and her fiancé are coming into town to visit and she’s asked about the Lovebirds Valentine’s Day Bird Walk at the DNC. Will you tell me about it?
A: You are inquiring about the upcoming Dunwoody Nature Center’s event entitled Lovebird’s Valentine’s Day Birdwalk to be held from 9-11 a.m. Feb. 13.
The event is open to the public and family-friendly. Participants will learn some “fun” bird facts while walking through the 1 1/2 mile trail.
The nature center is only 22 acres. “Small for a nature center but large for a forest in the heart of the city,” said marketing director Laura Deupree.
The park is home to a lot of native bird species - cardinals, the tufted titmouse, chickadees, house wrens and finches, and red-tailed hawks.
“We have lots of bird activity in here,” she said. “We will meet at our lower meadow (down by the fireplace) where one of our educators will take you on a walk. We will talk about many things including the birds’ mating ritual, how birds pair up and what they are doing this time of year.”
It will look different since it is winter and the foliage has dropped, Deupree noted.
“The birds won’t be flying all around you. What you do is walk, stop, stay still and wait for the birds to feel comfortable. They will start to come out and people are amazed at the serenity of the park,” she said.
There will be at least two walks offered and if the weather is nice participants are encouraged to bring a picnic.
“We have a beautiful open meadow in the middle of the park that is the perfect place to watch all the trees for the birds. We have some picnic tables scattered throughout the park and a great playground that offers a family-friendly Valentine event or a picnic brunch with somebody special who particularly likes the outdoors,” Deupree added.
“We are tying this into the Great Backyard Bird Count on Feb. 18-19. This is a global citizen science event used to track bird populations,” she said.
Bring your smartphone and help out. Visit birdcount.org for more info.
The cost is $10 per person for non-members and free for members with code (wildlife21). Spots are limited.
Register at https://dunwoodynature.org/event/lovebirds-valentines-day-bird-walk/
Address: Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive (770-394-3322).
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