BIRDS IN OUR YARDS

 

Common Grackle April 2004 in Backyard Bird Island

Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc.

What is it that birdwatchers know that we are just beginning to discover? It is fun to watch birds! Birds are beautiful, funny, entertaining, smart, and lovable. You can create a bird sanctuary in your yard for your feathery friends.

Previously mentioned were ISLANDS. Islands are areas of vegetation in your yard that link to other areas of vegetation. A bird can fly from one island to the next, and feel safe. Hawks will go after songbirds and so they need hiding places. We have invited birds into our yard by providing islands from the street through the front and side yards and into the back yard where the feeders are set up. They can fly from a neighbor's yard in relative comfort.

Female and Male Goldfinches 2005 Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

In our back yard we created "BIRD ISLAND" a place set aside just for the birds! It is a medium size peanut-shaped area (about 12 feet long and about 6 feet at the widest part), but yours can be any shape or size, as long as it contains 3 things: food, water, and cover.

 

 

Male Goldfinch eating coneflower seed near Bird Island late August 2005

Copyright KMG at CoveBear.com

FOOD

We installed a post in one end of the peanut-shaped area. On that post we attached plant hangers to hold feeders - thistle for the finches, nutcake in wire basket for woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, finches and wrens who can hang on wire or upside down. We also installed a flat shallow cement bird bath to serve as a feeder for birds that need flat surfaces to stand on such as cardinals and doves and blue jays. That feeder gets millet and sunflower seed. A favorite for the jays is peanuts. One blue jay will be sent as scout early in the morning. He will find the peanuts and take one for himself. Then he will begin calling his pals. Six more will come and they will take turns swooping down to get a peanut and take their treasure to a tree to eat. We also have a peach tree planted in bird island. Here you can see how blue jays love to eat peaches in summertime!

 

Blue Jays Eating Peaches in Bird Island late July 2006 Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

 

 

Blue Jays Love Raw Peanuts! 

Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

 

Some food will invariably fall to the ground, and ground feeding birds who like to forage in the grass and dirt will spend their time happily scratching under the bushes. Having a post with feeders as well as a birdbath that serves as seed-holder, and then providing the areas under bushes all serve to give birds a multi-level restaurant, where many varieties can meet comfortably in the same area. We also make sure to have flowers, usually annuals, in bird island in a large tub and along the ground, so that insects are attracted to the area. Birds love to eat bugs.

 

 

Male Rufous-Sided Towhee Bugging Near Apple Tree August 5, 2006

Copyright KMG at CoveBear.com

This Page In Memory of "Rufus"

(killed by a neighbor's cat, November 1, 2007)

WATER

There is a birdbath that we keep 2 inches of water in for bathing. Birds control parasites by bathing, and then the ritual of preening after a bath spreads all-important oil along feathers. Birds drink a lot of water and bathe often. Keep the water clean.

SHELTER

Birds will come to your food island if there is nearby shelter. We installed cover right in the island, by surrounding the feeder post with holly bushes that are trimmable and won't grow huge. Cut into the front of the bushes is the water bird bath. In the narrow middle of the island is a small bloodroot dark burgundy Japanese Maple and in the other wide part of the island is a small peach tree, both excellent for perching. Birds tend to prefer "staging areas" such as nearby trees when awaiting their turn at the feeder. Normal pecking order dictates that the larger birds eat first, although smaller birds can be aggressive and steal preferred seating at the dinner table. Our cardinals come for breakfast just before dawn so that they can get theirs first.

 

Thrasher Eating Suet Copyright KMG at CoveBear.com

A bird island can be in a small backyard that has nearby trees. Birds will travel through the bushes and trees, getting closer and closer to the food island, until they are comfortable that it is safe to go down. Multiple feeders will ensure that you attract a variety of birds. Good seeds for backyard birds are white millet, black-oil sunflower, and peanuts. They also enjoy suet in fall, winter and spring. There is a wonderful "nut-cake" for a wire basket specially made for woodpeckers that we are able to find at home-supply centers in the bird and nursery department. It attracts red-bellied woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers in our yard, and also white-breasted nuthatches, and wrens.

Red-bellied Woodpecker enjoying a peanut suet cake in Bird Island

Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

And what happens when you have a bird-friendly yard? They build nests and have babies there!

 

Male Yellow-Rumped Warbler ("Butter-Butt") At Suet Feeder.

Copyright KMG at CoveBear.com

(You can't see the yellow underneath in this photo,

but you can see some yellow on his breast, and under a wing.)

NESTS

Birds use nests mostly in the spring. They are used for raising babies. Sometimes birds may return to a birdhouse that was previously used for nesting for storm or winter shelter. The birds in your back yard may use a variety of nesting materials including straw, dried grasses, dried leaves, animal hair, bits of yarn and string, lichen, and spider webs.

These Eastern Bluebirds checked out this birdhouse several times before deciding to build their nest inside. In 2006, they laid eggs in there twice, and fledged a total of 4 babies!

Eastern Bluebirds Shopping For A House

Prime Real Estate! Summer 2006 - Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird Move In!

Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

Each late spring/early summer, we have a Carolina Wren pair take up residence in a hosta plant on our patio near the back door. The nest is deep within the leafy plant, and there is a tunnel built to the outer rim of the flower pot. The parents take turns building the nest, tending the eggs, and then later bringing bugs to the babies. They usually have three to four healthy babies in that flower pot. Since these wrens live in the nearby azalea bushes, this is an ideal spot for raising a family. If you ever walk by a flower pot with a plant in it, and you hear cheeping, you have wren babies in there!

 

Carolina Wren Baby in Nest Being Fed by Parent in

Hosta Plant Pot on Patio Summer 2005

Copyright Kate Marshall Graphics, Inc. at CoveBear.com

Here is our list of birds visiting Bird Island this year. See list of birds below and match them to their feeder food codes!

CODES:

"b" = had babies here and brought them to Bird Island

"s" = likes sunflower seed

"t" = likes thistle

"m" = likes white millet

"p" = likes peanuts

"c" = likes cracked corn

"sa" = safflower seed

"su" - suet

"n" - no seed

"nec" - nectar

 

Hawk on our Bluebird House Post in Backyard in Winter.

Copyright KMG at CoveBear.com

 

 

Permanent year-round residents we have seen in our backyard habitat, with bird feeder codes (see above):

- Rufous Sided Towhee - b, s, m, su

- Streaked Sparrow - m, su

- Mourning Dove - b, m, c

- White Breasted Nuthatch - s, p, m, su

- Downy Woodpecker - s, p, m, su

- Blue Jay - s, p, m, su

- House Sparrow - m, su

- Purple Finch - b, s, m, su

- Red Bellied Woodpecker - s, p, m, su

- Tufted Titmouse - s, p, m, su

- Black Capped Chickadee - b, p, m, su

- Eastern Bluebird - m, su

- Brown Thrasher - m, su

- Mockingbird - b, p, m, su

- Northern Cardinal - b, s, m, sa, su

- Grackle - m, su

- Carolina Wren - m, su

- Red Shouldered Hawk - n

- Red Tailed Hawk - n

 

Visiting for the winter that we see each year:

- Goldfinch - s, t, m, p, su

- Yellow Rumped Warbler - s, t, m, p, su

- Dark Eyed Junco - millet

 

Visiting for the summer that we see each year:

- Ruby Throated Hummingbird - nectar

 

Passing through at different times:

- Starling - millet

- Red Winged Black Birds - millet