Aldridge Gardens hosting guided bird walks through November

Grab your binoculars because you never know what you might see at Aldridge Gardens, which for the fifth year is offering guided bird walks under the guidance of Richard and Patricia Ryel.

Scheduled for the third Saturday of the month, April through November, the free walks are 8-10 a.m. and available to garden members only. Memberships are available at aldridgegardens.com or at the gardens at 3530 Lorna Road, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Walk groups are limited to 15, and members must register in advance by calling 682-8019.

According to Richard Ryel, there have been 102 species of birds identified in the Gardens, and the number is expected to increase.

“This is certainly a testament to these 30 acres of native vegetation as an excellent birding site,” Richard Ryel said.  “The number of bird species identified during the bird walks over the past four years averages between 25 to 30.”

Located on 30 acres in the heart of Hoover that includes a 5-acre lake, Aldridge Gardens contains the three essential ingredients to support a thriving bird population: food, water and secure areas for nesting and raising young, Richard Lyel said.

“The phenomenon of bird migration occurs primarily for two reasons: to ensure adequate food resources and reproduction, and is generally due to seasonal climate change and day length,” he said.  “Aldridge Gardens is an oasis in a desert of asphalt and rooftops for transient birds to stop and refuel.”