Published Date 5/28/2020
Let’s face it -- there are critters you welcome into your yard and others you hope will stay away. However, if you have always loved the presence of birds, you can attract them by taking some simple steps, enabling you to someday bird-watch in your own back yard.
A single bird feeder just won’t cut it if you want to attract a colorful variety of songbirds to your backyard. Zillow’s Steve Asbell puts it this way: “Think of your feeder as a drive-thru fast-food joint in an unsafe neighborhood: The birds will stop to eat, but they won’t stick around for very long. They want to get home to their comfy nest in an exclusive deciduous broadleaf community, where they can get fancier food anyway. If you want to see more than bird backsides at a millet buffet, you need to give them all the luxuries they’ve come to expect.”
Just because you like single level homes doesn’t mean birds do. They prefer townhomes, with perches for preening, thickets for hiding, branches for bickering, wide-open spaces for showing off, and, eventually, a tree cavity where they can nest and paint their nursery a beautiful robin’s-egg blue, according to Asbell. “Give them privacy by planting walls of foliage. Native shrubs, small trees, and even tall grasses and perennials offer the versatility they need to make a quick escape.
With a ceiling of tall deciduous and evergreen trees lining the back of your property, you can plant small understory trees between them and your house. Then selectively prune lower limbs of shrubs and small trees so you can easily see perching birds from your window. “They’ll appreciate the perch, and you’ll appreciate the camera angle,” he says.
Did you know that birdseed grows on trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, annuals, and anything else that qualifies as a plant? Asbell explains, “To grow the seed that your local bird species prefer, choose the native plants that they’d otherwise find in the wild. Native plants vary by region, but some good choices include coneflower, blanket flower, beautyberry, asters, and sunflowers.” He goes on to speak of everyone’s favorite bird — the hummy. “Attract hummingbirds with nectar-filled trumpet honeysuckle and cardinal flowers. Native oaks, hollies, dogwoods, sumac, cedars and spruces provide nuts and berries, as well as shelter.”
You’ve heard of staging houses? Birdhouses are no exception. “Research the birds that you’d like to attract, and give them the house that suits their needs. For example, bluebirds like their nesting boxes out in the open, while chickadees like thick leaf cover,” says Asbell. Patience is a virtue. Just as houses don’t get sold right away, you may not get any tenant birdies for a while. Make it appealing by adding a little lichen and moss.
Remember those pedestal birdbaths in your grandparents’ back yard with the little nymph gazing down from the middle? How often did you see action there all year round? “The ideal birdbath doesn’t look like you’d expect — it’s placed directly on the ground in a shady space with nearby shrubs,” says Asbell. “Add some gravel to the basin so birds can find their footing, and even add a few rocks on the outside to serve as steps. Include a small pump or fountain, if possible. This turns your birdbath into a miniature water feature, and the circulation keeps the water clean and helps birds cool off on hot days”.
And don’t so OCD about clearing out leaf debris. “You’ll be pleased to know that you’re absolutely allowed to keep that accumulation of dead leaves and small branches on your garden’s floor. It gives birds everything they could ever ask for — bugs and other small animals for snacking, materials for nesting, and even a hiding place from predators.”
Source: TBWS
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