Birds in Your Garden:
nurturing nature friends
ardens are living places. They are filled with life- and live themselves -in the growing, changing way that God has ordained.
Gardens, like all parts of life, have layers of discovery, and the birdlife within the
garden is one of color and song, of flight and feeding, even revelation for those with eyes to see.
Whether you issue the invitation or not, birds will visit your garden. The species will
depend on where you live and what habitats you have nearby. Changing your plantings may induce some
birds to feel more at home, and they may honor you with their permanent presence! I love to see new
birds, and some I look forward to each year: song sparrows, hummingbirds, cardinals, mockingbirds,
mourning doves, barn swallows, robins, brown thrashers....the list is a long one.
Over the years, due to many causes for change, some bird sightings are rare. If gardeners create
refuge and promote a healthy environment, we could protect the future of some of these creatures.
Providing nesting places and materials are one way to invite birds into the garden.
Evergreens are a preferred nesting and resting site; junipers, spruces, and pines are all possibilities.
Lowgrowing cotoneaster, dense twiggy shrubs, and shrubs with berries are all
useful for nesting, perching, and food.
Birds in My Own Garden, in Ohio
Specific species
of birds prefer certain environments, and what offerings are in your garden
will determine the types of birds to find food and nesting opportunities
there. Some types which prefer a wooded canopy are: blue jays, cardinals,
woodpeckers; those of the fields are meadowlarks, red-wing blackbirds,
killdeer, and bluebirds. Mourning Doves, mockingbirds, robins, sparrows
and finches, especially love my garden. Hummingbirds like the garden environment
as well, and they loved my mothers garden. I think it was
the stand of monardas she had. Birds which I had seen here in a field
environment (in former years) included the cedar waxwing and the oriole,
downy woodpeckers and the titmouse. Of course, hawks are a regular in
the country, but thankfully don't visit the garden very often (neither
do the turkey vultures, who love roadkill around here). Some birds I appreciate
from AFAR.
Planting is for the Birds
Birds love Hawthorn trees, and they quickly strip the Chionanthus tree (Fringe tree) of its olive-like fruits in my garden. Juneberry trees, the Amelanchier, are favorites of both birds and humans: we like the flowers and the beautiful autumn foliage, they like the blue berries that are produced, no surprise, in June. American cranberry bush, Viburnum trilobum, is an all season large bush attracting vireos and warblers.
The vining Virginia Creeper turns a scarlet in the fall and has berries that birds love; it has a reputation for being a favorite of bluebirds and downy woodpeckers. Seed producing annuals like cosmos attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
Birdbaths... for drinking and bathing are ornamental additions to the garden. For birds, keep these points in mind:
- shallow water: 1-2 inches deep, no deeper than 3 inches
- rough surface for foothold
- situated in the open- don't give the cats a hiding place. 2 feet of open space is good.
- but put some perching places nearby, a small tree, perhaps.
- keep the water clean.
Water that splashes or moves is most attractive to birds, so a fountain or spray in a garden pond will draw their attention.
Garden Ideas For You:
- When in the city, I had planted a hawthorn tree beside the front porch within site of a window. It proved to be a magnet for migrating warblers, followed by white flowers in spring, and berries for the winter. A stand of bright red monardas beneath would attract the hummingbird in summer, and adding starfire phlox fronted by allysum or even woodland strawberries would make a beautiful picture through the early summer.
- A meadow opening with different types of cosmos, batchelor buttons, daisies, coneflowers, and asters would prove to be a highlight all summer with a strong attraction for gold finches.
- A stand of conifers (dwarf types are ideal for the city), with some berried bushes nearby (viburnum mariesii? a rosa rugosa?), a footed birdbath planted underneath with heucheras (coralbells) would make a most lovely peaceful retreat.
- Only have a porch? Why not plant containers full of red geraniums and hanging baskets with fuchsias and petunias? Hummingbirds will find you .
- For those with a love of vegetable gardens, a row of sunflowers, along with trimmings of zinnias and marigolds is cheerful and will feed the birds later in the season. I love to see a finch hanging onto the drooping head of a sunflower heavy with seed.
A selection of books:
Audubon Video Guide To 258 Song And Garden Birds Of North America DVD II
Befriending your feathered visitors? Try some of these garden accessories for birds:
Audubon 1042 Equinox Binoculars 10x42
Poetic Moments
I meant to do my work today
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand..
So what could I do but laugh and go?
-Richard le Gallienne-
Some must-see sites for Birds:
a selection of pages on the web
Other sites of interest:
Cottage Garden: a haven for butterflies
Explore the Garden : here
or other parts of the site listed below
Eastern Bluebirds
One of my favorite birds, but so rare here! Some tips on making your garden a welcoming place for them:
*nesting box with inside dimensions of 4 - 5 inches ; adequate depth (floor to entrance hole) of 7 - 8 inches
*4 to 10 feet off the ground in a large open space, such as a field or meadow space; grassy open part of the yard
*Directions for making a Peterson Bluebird House
*bluebirds mainly eat ground insects, and some berries- they like mealworms
*This and more information from Ed Neid,Jr
Suet
A suet cake, or suet feeder will attract and feed certain types of birds:
| Bluebirds | Chickadees | Jays | Kinglets | Mockingbirds | Nuthatches | Robins | Starlings | Titmice | Warblers | Wrens | Woodpeckers
