CENTRAL OHIO -- The sounds of spring are all around us.
Birds that serenade every morning right through the pleasant evenings are probably building a home -- sometimes in yours.
Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Ben Gelber, never one to ruffle any feathers, has some tips on co-existing with our feathered friends.
"If you find an egg on the ground, just leave it there … it's part of nature," Naturalist Donna Daniels said.
"Now if somebody were to find a young bird down along the ground that can't fly, the best thing to do is just to pick that bird up and put it right back into the nest,” Daniels said.
She said it's a myth that if you touch a baby bird, its mother will reject it. In reality, a bird's sense of smell is too weak to detect a human scent.
Birds’ eggs can end up in different places, sometimes far away from the nest after being dropped by a raiding bird.
"It could be a mourning dove nest, and they lay white eggs," she said.
Spring is the nesting and breeding season for birds of all kinds, and some of those nests may be right under our noses -- or awnings.
"It's really not uncommon for homeowners to find animals nesting in their yard, like this robin's nest on the floodlight. Our subdivisions provide food and shelter for wildlife -- the same as they do for us, Daniels said.
“The best thing to do is to enjoy it from a distance, don't mess with it, and the birds will raise their young and move on. Once the nest is complete and the baby birds are gone then, yeah, you can remove them."
A bird is going to nest and raise its young in about four weeks' time. You're only dealing with a short amount of time, and once they're gone, you can remove the nest, she said
If you have concerns or questions about birds or wildlife nesting in or around your property, you can contact the Ohio Division of Wildlife for assistance.
Nesting geese also are of concern.
ODNR officials said Canada geese are federally protected and it's unlawful to disturb or destroy either the geese or their eggs without a permit from the Division of Wildlife.
For more information, contact the District 1 Wildlife Office at 614-644-3925 or http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/.
OSU extension offices are another resource. There's one in every county. Go to http://extension.osu.edu/ for contact information.
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
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