The AYLUS Dix Hills members worked with Audubon to build birdhouses on April 22, 2023. Volunteers gathered around to assist in the creation of birdhouses for birds in the community and later assisted in the development of the pond. Since it was springtime, many birds were active. Volunteers went on a hike across the trails at Oyster Bay, and went bird watching to potentially get a glimpse of birds. To see the birds, binoculars were used and aided in the ability to see the flying creatures more easily. While we went down the trail, many birds were chirping distinctively, which was a striking feature amongst every bird species. For example, Blue Jays, which we were eventually able to see, usually have an angry-like chirp or call. Around 5 to 10 am, song birds are often heard due to the nearing breeding season, in which these birds chirp to potentially attract mating partners. Furthermore, birds chirp when they are arguing with other male birds, or alarm calls. One of the most prominent, mobbing calls, are used by birds to signal that there’s an owl nearby, which are predators of birds and usually sneaky in nature.
Later, volunteers gathered around to make the roofs of birdhouses for the birds nearby. These roofs were created using two pieces of wood and two screws. The pieces of wood were put together in a v shape, then nailed down together using two screws (one on each side), and a screwing gun. The pieces of wood have to be pushed together by force, applying pressure on it to prevent the roof from being faulty. Overall, volunteers created over 50 roofs, which would be used to help establish a shelter for these birds!
Finally, we were able to assist in making the nearby ponds look more nice. These ponds normally have slate blocks established around the barrier to better distinguish the area as a pond. However, most kids nearby have scattered the slate across the area while playing, making it prone for people to fall into the pond if not careful. Volunteers brought the heavy slate blocks down from steep areas and then brought them to surround the pond. Ultimately, the two ponds nearby were able to have a more clearer boundary, and looked more put together overall.
AYLUS Dix Hills is relieved to be apart of the mission to help birds and be more aware of the beauty within the environment, and strives to put themselves further towards environmental protection.
Volunteers: Sara Kong (2 hours), Ru Xue Jiang (1.5 hours), Kevin Lyu (.5 hours), Ivan Wu (.5 hours), and Ming Chen (1.5 hour)
