Posted on 03/05/2005 8:07:37 AM PST by sweetliberty
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As it turned out, the previous thread on this topic generated a lot of interest and several people recommended doing it as a regular thread, so here is the second installment.
How you go about creating a bird sanctuary in your yard, or outdoor space, will depend on a number of givens, some which can modified, and others over which you have no control. One of these is geographical location or climate zone. If you live in the Colorado Rockies, you are not going to attract Cardinals, no matter how many black oil sunflower seeds you put out, and if you're on a beach in Florida, it's a pretty safe bet that there will be no snow buntings visiting your yard, the cornucopia of insects notwithstanding. Of course, if global warming keeps encroaching on us, we may soon find Alaska overrun with Parrots and Flamingos, but, I digress.
Within any given area, there are a variety of habitats, so no matter what your specific location, it is possible to vastly increase the types and numbers of birds in your immediate environment by modifying your habitat to make it more bird friendly to a wider array of birds native to your region.
Another "given" is your available space. If you live in a cottage in the woods by a stream, you will obviously have a lot more options available to you than if you live in an urban apartment with nothing more than a small porch or balcony. Of course, I think the majority of us live somewhere between those extremes. The point is, even if you have nothing more than a porch, you can still make it bird friendly, thereby increasing your enjoyment of these highly entertaining creatures. If you don't even have so much as a porch, I would suggest moving!
The purpose of this thread is to share ideas for maximizing our outdoor spaces to make them appealing to birds and butterflies, to share our experiences and knowledge or expertise, photos and resources. The discussion is pretty free-flowing and may expand to include gardening, landscaping and related topics. The direction the thread takes will really be up to the FReepers who post on it. We can focus on a different topic every week or two, or just keep it open and casual, updating the thread periodically. The main thing is that we learn and have fun.
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Yesterday, when I was out working in the yard, the Red-wing Blackbirds got really annoyed with me. They are bullies with other birds, but cowards when it comes to people, and they are very vocal. There were a couple of them sitting in the tree nearby just fussing at me most of the time I was out there. They wanted to eat, but they weren't going to come too close. They were letting me know that I was in their dining room and should go away.
The iguana was my husband's pet. He had a big cage with a heat lamp and all the things he liked to eat, but he also ran loose in the house a lot...that is, until he decided my plants were fair game. I had a lot of them back then, and was very fussy about them.
I like the Red-wing Blackbirds and enjoy the sounds they make. They have a sharp, clear whistle, too. I think it's just that any flock birds tends to overwhelm the other birds in an area. I think they are such cowards about people because we are larger and register as potential predators and the survival of the flock depends on the keen awareness of the few. That makes them easier to startle. Once a couple of them fly off, the others quickly follow.
I have found the least timid birds to be the Nuthatches and the Downy Woodpeckers, followed by the Chickadees and Titmice.
Hmmm....not that I've noticed, but the Mockers have only moved in fairly recently.
A mockingbird was here before and another showed up and they made that noise you mentioned to SweetLiberty. They are fighting over those raisins and Jelly.
Just a friendly reminder to everyone that it's a wise idea to clean your feeders and birdbaths with a bleach/water solution. Of course, rinse very well and let them dry in the sun before refilling.
There recently have been several infectious outbreaks that can be traced back to feeding stations in California and somewhere up north. Finches are really getting hit hard I understand.
If I had a nickel for every neglected birdbath I see in my daily travels, I could retire. I know that it's unlikely that a Freeper would be guilty of this but there could be a liberal lurking or something.
Hello,
I have my garden finished....well pretty much, unless something really special catches my eye.
But for the most part it's done now except for the growing.
I have a whole lot more variety this year, I'm getting braver at trying stuff, and so far everything looks to be staying healthy.
Here's a list of the things I have:
Glads, (my favorite:)
Gerbera Dasiys (running close to glads)
hostas
2 varities of ornamental grass
periwinkels
marigolds
4 varieties of coleus
impatients
4 varities of lillies
geraniums
asparagus fern (accents the gerbara dasiys)
sylvia (great for hummingbirds)
petunias
primroses
dianthius
snapdragons
phlox
alssyium
texas bluebells
iris
begonias
elephant ears
morning glories
moonflowers
1 rosebush
1 redbudtree
monkey grass
nandina bushes
Some of these things I only have one planted. I have a line of rocks that I planted different kinds in the nooks and crannies of the rocks. It looks great.
The purple alyssium I planted in a row next to a row of yellow marigolds. They both seem to compliment each other so well, they just look so bright next to each other.
Making this list has surprised me. I knew I had a lot of differnt things but I didn't realize it till I made this list:)
Becky
Malakhi, Quester, see post #475:)
And guess what, I left 3 things off that list:
dusty miller
candytuft
and something I don't know the name of.
Becky
BTW, my indoor winter garden has turned out to be more successful that I expected. I found a table for in front of the living room window, and the plants love the morning sun that streams in. For several hours every morning, its like a greenhouse in there. The green beans are producing, well, beans, and the tomatos are beginning to flower.
Mack told me I should try an indoor garden next winter. Might keep me in a better fram of mind:)
Our camera is on the blink. A new battery did not help, so I think we are going to take it into a shop this weekend to be fixed. We tried buying a new one, and landed up with a new printer, and all sorts of things, and our poor old computer just won't run it. So it's back to the old one. Funny we spent more trying to get the new one to work with our computer then we would just fixing the old. So now we have the fun of returning all this stuff:)
Becky
I found that having my little indoor garden to tend helped me get through the last few months of winter. It was like I was getting away with something I shouldn't have been doing. ;o)
LOL:)
Well I have been keeping the containers all my plants come in for starting that project next winter. The only thing, usually by the end of summer I need a break. But gardening in the house may not be so bad...not so much weeding to do.
Becky
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