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Posted on 02/12/2005 9:27:14 AM PST by sweetliberty
With Spring just around the corner, at least here in the southeast, it's time to think about spending more time outdoors and making our yards and porches more pleasant places to be. FReepers have such a wide variety of interests and talents, I thought it might be fun and educational to do a thread for bird and garden enthusiasts. I see a fair amount of discussion on some of the threads about gardening and landscaping, but not too much that is specific to gardening for the birds.
I've pretty much always had a bird feeder or two around, and that number has grown since I moved into a place last summer that has a big yard. I have a fair variety of birds and I have begun to think about developing it specifically to attract more species, not only for the enjoyment of watching the birds, but also to control natural pests that are prevalent in this part of the country, without resorting to pesticides. I know that the right combination of flora can discourage certain pests and also attract birds that will help keep the pest population down. I would love to hear from FReepers who are experienced at creating such a balance. I think it would also be fun to have a place to share our experiences as we develop them. I know there's lots of links out there with useful information and I make use of them from time to time, but it's just not the same as having discussions on a forum where we have experts on everything. And I don't know of any place else on the web so animated by wit, along with wisdom, on just about any topic.
On an old site I once built (but never re-published when I changed servers) I had a neat page about attracting hummingbirds to your yard. I'd be happy to reinstall it if any one is interested.
Sure, if you have the time. Most everyone loves Hummingbirds, and they live in most parts of the country.
We even have a ruby throated hummingbird that hasn't bothered to migrate for over 2 years.
The songbirds attract raptors like red-tailed hawks, and I even saw what I think was some type of falcon a few days ago.
Cedar waxwings have been cleaning all the fruit off the mulberry and hackberry trees over the last couple of weeks....I'm glad SOMETHING eats those nasty things!
Well, I don't know what a hackberry is, but when I was a kid, I used to climb up in our mulberry tree and eat the berries. I loved them. That was a long time ago, but I remember them as being very sweet, at least if they were ripe.
Your picture reminded me of our pond and attracting birds. We looked out one day to see a beautful heron drinking from our pond. On further investigation, this beautiful bird had just feasted on 13 of our fish who had just survived their second winter!
Also saw a regal hawk as it was feasting on our rooster.
Many different ways to attract unusual birds!
Here's a short list to get your started:
Aronia brilliantissima - red chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia - black chokeberry
Ilex verticillata (female) - Winterberry Holly
Viburnum trilobum - American or European Cranberry
Viburnum (can't remember variety)- Arrowwood
Viburnum (can't remember variety)- Mohican
Viburnum (can't remember variety)- Lantana
Viburnum (can't remember variety)- Praganese
Actually, there are 40 of 49 varieties of Viburnum which carry berries through the fall and winter. All are excellent.
There are more, but IMO, these are the more prolific and best to go with.
It's a tree that grows on a runner, like grass does. They're almost impossible to eradicate, and happily grow right out from underneath anything in their way. (Like your house)
In fall, tons of tiny mauve berries that the birds love, and for some reason, our dogs like to eat the ones the birds drop. (Why do we always seem to have the weird pets? :)
We did try eating the mulberries the first year we were here. I honestly wasn't all that impressed, but for all I know, the tree could be an ornamental variety. The berries were tiny and kind of sour.
You are so sweet to start this thread. I'd be interested in the future too. Although I'm a news junkie, some days it gets rather dredful. Been waiting for my local rag to have a gardening section, but doubt it will ever happen. they do devote a one-inch thick section to sports! Gardening is the most popular hobby in the US. Can't figure that one out unless it's no one can make much money off us. Live in west TX and we do have great chalenges. Summer heat sometimes 119 degrees! for as much as three weeks. Only advantage is we can garden year round--if we can get water.
Don't know why everyone hates the squirels. I love them, although one has just dicovered a hole in my patio cushions and is pulling the dacron stuffing out to make a nest. clever little critters. PS. They are edible, just don't get an old one. You can boil them all day and they're still something akin to eating a pot of rubber bands.
Thanks. I appreciate the info. Typically, I'm not that fond of shrubbery, other than rosebushes preferring grasses and flowers, but I know the birds like the shrubbery, particularly the berry bearing stuff. I also have a couple of areas where I'd like to do some planting for privacy, and to create a better view.
The best jam and jelly can be made from mulberries. Use the blackberry receipe on the Sure-Jell box.
Wild Mexican plums are even better. It takes 5 pounds to make a batch (Sure Jell plum receipe) which equals a lot of walking here, but worth it. It's the best plum jelly ever--plum with an exotic overtone.
Prickly pear (the magenta fruit only)is the best, but a bit tricky. Tastes like a cross between crabapple and watermelon. Many years mine fails due to having to pick the fruit at just the right time. Too ripe will not jell, but it's still fabulous pancake syrup when that happens.
Oh no! Well, it is a delicate balance. I would love to plant a real garden this year and I would have plenty of room, but having no more time than I do to tend it, I figure it would just attract all sorts of nuisance critters and generate more stress than I need to deal with. We also have a lot of water in the area, which, along with the moderate climate, makes it an attractive area for lots of birds.
thanks for the Cooking for the Birds site. It's great. Been needing some of these receipes for years. since we butcher a hog every year and a steer or two, I have lots of leaf lard and suet. already tried rendering lard, and making soap. You can forget that!
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Thought you all might enjoy this little guy. I snapped him singing away the other morning as the sun was just coming up.
Awwww....I just love the Cardinals. They are so pretty and fun to watch. I hope that maybe I can get some good pictures this spring and summer as the birds get more accustomed to me being in the yard. The zoom lens on my digital camera is pretty worthless though, and I'm not impressed with even the close ups it takes of anything small.
I started a thread over here I thought might interest you.
that pic is really funny. I solved the squirel problem--well, sort of. Have a bunch of ground feeders. When it's really cold and wet, I always feel sorry for all the critters, so I fill the ground feeders with heavier grains, and even nuts. the squirels finally got so fat they were too lazy to to climb up and lay in the feeders all day. Found bargain mixed nuts at wal-mart after Christmas. They did bury quite a few, but I can hardly wait for spring. May get an entire backyard of walmut, filbert, and Brazil nut trees coming up. Now, that would be something. LOL
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