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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Oak Mountain State Park has featured several events centered around birds in the month of January.

The first two events, “Make Your Own Bird Feeder” and “National Bird Day: Tiny but Mighty Raptors,” were held on Saturday, Jan. 4 and Sunday, Jan. 5, respectively. OMSP is also hosting an event entitled “Journey of the Bald Eagle” to commemorate the official bird of the USA.

While the “Make Your Own Bird Feeder” event didn’t officially feature any live wildlife, Lauren Massey, a park naturalist at OMSP, added how helpful it is for birds to have feeders.

“This provides birds a high protein snack, and it attracts birds fairly quickly this time of year for a hearty treat,” Massey said.

Massey said the event was very peaceful and accessible.

“This was a super casual event where guests could come and make their own pinecone bird feeder to take home while learning about native wildlife,” Massey said. “It doesn’t take much to enjoy nature in your very own yard, and birding is good for the soul and so easy to do.”

The day after the bird feeder event was the “National Bird Day: Tiny but Mighty Raptors” event. According to Massey, the event featured up-close encounters with birds and in-depth education on their life histories.

“Our eastern screech owl and our merlin (a falcon) were used,” Massey said. “Both are crucial to the environment in many ways, particularly as some of nature’s most talented pest controllers. Both of these birds of prey are carnivores, eating mice and rats and large insects. Better in their bellies than on our floors.”

Massey added that conservation efforts for these birds of prey is more simple than one would think.

“Surprisingly, the number one thing we can do to help birds of prey is not littering,” Massey said. “Many birds of prey end up hit by vehicles from encountering prey on the side of the road that was attracted to littered food waste.”

The “Journey of the Bald Eagle” will be held on Friday, Jan. 10 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. While the event could possibly be canceled due to inclement weather, Massey emphasized the importance of the event considering its star attraction.

“We will walk over to the Alabama Wildlife Center to see Shelby the bald eagle,” Massey said. “Shelby specifically is a very special bird. She is from Oregon and survived a car strike that left her blind in one eye. She is an amazing bird and a wonderful educator for her species. I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow from a young bird into this mature adult and she is spectacular.”

Overall, Oak Mountain State Park is offering several events for the public to engage with avian wildlife. Massey remains committed to the park’s mission to spread awareness about all things nature.

“We hope to reach as many people as possible to help them fall in love with nature and make a connection so that we can be better stewards of our natural resources for generations to come,” Massey said.

For more information on Oak Mountain State Park, visit its website at Alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park.