Tour the Bluebird Trail
10 a.m. and noon, Monday, Feb. 22, March 8 and March 29
Free
3780 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
404-202-8755
bluebirdtrail.blogspot.com
Sitting right on the side of the busy, four-lane Dallas Highway in West Cobb is one of the few remaining links to the area’s days as an agricultural community. The 112-acre Green Meadows Preserve is home to an 1832 farmhouse, an outbuilding and 51 community garden plots. Volunteers have replanted shrubs, trees and flowers in the style of a pre-Civil War plantation.
Local resident Jim Bearden has added his own touch to the property. He’s focused his volunteer energies on bringing back the lilting songs of bluebirds.
Growing up on a farm in Alabama, Bearden learned to love birds. But in the 25 years he’s lived in West Cobb, he found the twittering creatures, particularly bluebirds, were in short supply.
“The problem is that they only build nests in cavities, and they like pastures and meadows,” he said. “Since we don’t build many fences or have rotting tree limbs around much anymore, there are fewer places for them to raise their young. My goal was to provide a safe place for them to do that.”
Bearden, who is semi-retired from the travel industry, bought a handmade bluebird nesting box in 2012 and placed it on a fence at the park. Within 10 days, birds had built a nest and laid six eggs. He quickly added more, and today there are 25 blue bird condos along a 2.3-mile “blue bird trail” through the park. Bearden also erected feeding stations and devised various contraptions to keep critters other than the birds from chowing down on the food supply.
Every other day, Bearden walks the trail to refill the feeders And he’s often found leading school groups, hiking clubs, nature photographers and curious visitors along the path to point out the various birds species that have discovered the park’s hospitality.
“Bluebirds are here year-round; they don’t migrate,” he said. “It used to be we’d see just a few of them; their numbers were down since there weren’t many places for them to make their nests. Now, along the trail, we’re seeing not just bluebirds, but birds of all kind.”
The expense of putting up the bird houses and feeders came from Bearden’s own pockets and with the few funds he raised by selling sponsorships to each nest and feeder for $100 and $150, respectively. His next goal is to raise money for sets of binoculars so students on field trips can get better close-up views of the birds. And he’s always looking for like-minded nature lovers to make donations to help cover the costs of food.
“I leave information about the nests here just in case someone comes by when I’m not here,” he said. “And every once in a while, I get a check for $10 or $20. It all goes back to feeding the birds.”
Bearden’s love of birds led him not only to volunteer at the preserve. It also motivated him to study to become a master gardener, a goal he accomplished in January after a year of preparation. But most of the time he’s at the park, he’s there for the birds.
“They’re beautiful song birds,” he said, “and they needed help.”
About the Author
