A bird friendly garden

           In this age of personally observable climate change and rapidly deteriorating natural environments it is a reassuring thing to see birds in our gardens.  If we have had observant people around us to point them out, or if we ourselves have been somewhat curious about our surroundings, throughout our lives we will have seen many types of birds and will greet their reappearances with pleasure.  Part of the pleasure that we feel nowadays is no doubt due to experiencing relief that this part of nature, at least, is still familiar and unchanged.

            There are a number of ways that we can encourage birds to visit our yards, although, depending on our location, it may be impractical to expect certain avian visitors.  One of my earliest bird memories is of seeing flocks of red-winged blackbirds along the railway tracks in the bush of northwestern Ontario where I lived as a very young child.  I don’t expect that any red-winged blackbirds will visit me in my city garden in southern Ontario, but apparently they do appreciate feeders near the wetlands of more rural areas.

            Keep in mind that our gardens can provide three elements which birds are seeking:  i.e. cover, food and water.  We can look at our gardens with an eye to seeing if they provide these three things, and then we can add what is missing.

            Cover or shelter is provided by trees and shrubs of various sorts.  Particularly in winter, tall coniferous trees will give protection, eg. pine, fir and spruce, and smaller evergreens might also be fit into the overall garden design and provide nesting places, eg. junipers, cedars and yews.

            It should also be considered that dead trees, or snags, provide habitat for birds.  For example, many bird species nest in the cavities of white pines.  Perhaps we will have to adjust our ideas of what is pleasing to the eye in the garden and come to realize that there is such a thing as being too neat and orderly when gardening.  In other words, we can inadvertently destroy parts of our gardens which would be hospitable to birds.  As one author puts it, unless a dead tree threatens a house or car leave it in place!

            When planting trees for bird habitat we should consider their growth patterns.  Trees which are particularly good for shelter will also provide food.  In this vein, it is useful to know that coniferous trees start producing seeds when they are of a certain age, and will have heavier crops of seeds in some years, and then they will be a direct source of food as well as of shelter.  For example, the eastern hemlock, where growing in the open, starts producing seeds at about twenty years of age, and it will have heavy crops of seed every two or three years. 

            We should plant new trees and shrubs spaced to give them room for mature growth.  In addition to trees, which may be just starting to grow in our yards, birds find shelter in our bird houses, rock walls and brush piles.  Bird houses are good for birds that nest in the cavities of dead trees and it is estimated that some thirty species will use different sorts of bird houses.  There are a number of things to keep in mind when situating bird houses.  Bird houses should be close to a source of food for that particular bird for which that house is designed.  Turn the entrance away from high traffic areas of the yard, place the house near shrub and tree cover, and make sure that is it sheltered from wind and in a sunny location.

            As previously touched on, trees and shrubs that provide shelter may also be an important source of food.  Although we may provide food in feeders, seventy-five per cent or so of birds’ food comes from natural sources.  Snags harbour insect food for woodpeckers, nuthatches, creepers and chickadees, and living trees provide many many insect species for birds.  Counts have been made showing oaks harbouring three hundred insect species, willows, two hundred and fifty species, birches, two hundred and twenty-five species, and so on.

            Of course in addition to hosting insects, trees and shrubs provide fruits and seeds that are particularly relished by certain birds.  Pine grosbeaks like ash keys and many birds such as thrushes and finches enjoy the berries of yews, although the berries are harmful to humans and domestic animals.  Crabapples are a favourite of various birds and it is of interest that ivy growing on trees does little harm to these trees and provides cover and nest sites for house finches and cardinals, as well as a late winter supply of berries for these birds.  Robins, cardinals and cedar waxwings like mountain ash berries, and service berries are appealing to catbirds, bluebirds and wood thrushes.  Another choice berry sought after by birds is holly, but it must be kept in mind that both a male and female plant are required for the production of berries.  Near the end of summer you may stop cutting roses and allow the rose hips to develop for a food supply going on into the fall and winter.  Many reference books are available to get detailed information about which shrubs and trees are attractive to which birds, if you have particular birds which you would wish to see in your garden.

            In summer there are many flowers and herbs which provide food.  Buddleia, known as butterfly bush, not only attracts butterflies, but it hosts masses of insects which in turn attract birds.  Good all-round flowers for birds are forget-me-nots, cornflowers, cosmos, asters, scabious, evening primroses and snapdragons.  For example, finches feast on the seeds of forget-me-nots and snapdragons, as well as on weed seeds.  A favourite bird of many people, the tiny hummingbird, needs the nectar from flowers such as trumpet vine, impatiens and fuschias, which have orange or red flowers with tubular blooms, and hummingbird feeders can be kept filled with sugar water to supplement the nectar sources.

There are many other worthwhile plants, but it has been observed that flowerbeds with a mix of wildflowers and garden plants are best for birds.  Again, the idea is that birds will be attracted by more natural conditions over highly regimented, artificially organized gardens.  When foods are no longer available naturally due to weather we can supply various sorts of food at feeders.

The third element required by birds, water, is generally the most challenging to provide if we are not located on a natural body of water.  However, the importance of water to birds cannot be over stated and it is worthwhile giving the subject some thought.  Birds need water to aid their digestion, to cool them down in hot weather because they don’t have sweat glands, and to keep their feathers fit for flying.  The sounds of moving water, such as drips, hisses and splashes, attract migratory birds, and some birds, such as hummingbirds and sparrows, can be observed enjoying splashing in the spray of fountains.

If we decide to provide a bird bath we will need a steady supply of water for filling the bird bath and we will need to clean it regularly to prevent the spread of avian diseases.  The bird bath should be situated above low growing flowers, not in the midst of undergrowth where cats can hide, but close to some cover.  Ideally there should be a means of heating it in winter so that ice will not form.  Also to be noted is that it is a good thing to leave some mud puddles when watering our plants.  Scientists observe that birds rely on a roll in the mud to remove parasites.  There is more than one way to provide a bird bath!

In taking part in the adventure of making a garden for birds we will no doubt feel more connected with the natural world.  We will have aesthetic pleasures additional to those that our plantings provide.  Last, but not least, a practical aspect about gardening for the birds - we may benefit from birds feeding on “harmful” insects in various stages of their life cycles in our gardens.   [Written by Aline]

REFERENCE WORKS:  Almost Eden, Kim Burgsma, Word Alive Press:  Winnipeg, Man. (2011); Better Home and Gardens Bird Gardens, Meredith Publishing Corp.:  Des Moines, Iowa (2003); Bird Gardens: Welcoming Wild Birds to Your Yard, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc.:  Brooklyn, N.Y. (1998);  Garden Birds: How to Attract Birds to Your Garden (Canadian Edition), Dr. Noble Proctor, Quarto Publishing Ltd.: London (1985);  Garden Birds of America: A Gallery of Garden Birds and How to Attract Them, George H. Harrison, Willow Creek Press: Minocqua, Wisc. (1996).