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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Wow - did I get a cool backyard bird! Tuesday I was grilling and suddenly a huge bird swept into the yard and landed on the branch over the shed...it was a Bald Eagle! His mate was circling around but didn't land. He was holding a gold koi (obviously pilfered from someone's water garden as I don't think they are found in the Potomac). He stayed a few minutes, surveying my little Eden, then flew away. I live within sight of the DC Beltway so this was very exciting for us.
That's the prettiest of all. I love all the colors.
The most amazing experience I ever had with the hummingbirds was at my daughter's camp that she went to every summer. They had a bunch of feeders....and LOTS of hummingbirds. If you went out by the feeders when they were feeding and stood very still with a finger extended near the feeder, invariably, one would light on your finger. That was one of those memorable, once in a lifetime type experiences.
Sounds like a pleasant experience.
LOL! I don't think so either. That is very cool. Bet ya didn't see any other birds around for awhile.
It was delightful. I guess they're like any other creatures. If there are always lots of people in their environment, they learn that they are not going to be harmed and lose their fear. In an idyllic setting like that, that is a good thing. It probably wouldn't be so good for birds to become too tame in a residential neighborhood. There are too many variables.
Good morning, friends!
The season is going well so far. I discovered aphids (I think) on 2 of my rose bushes. Very disconcerting. I guess I need to use the rose food with systemic more often than every six weeks like the package says? Any thoughts on that?
Also, some tips on snapdragons would be helpful. Mine look like they've lost their best friend. Yesterday, I gave them some food for roses and all flowering plants. We'll see. Peace.
I just saw something else neat at one of the feeders. I put peanuts on the platform feeder, among other things, and a Bluejay and a Red-headed Woodpecker were sitting on the feeder side by side. The Jay was watching the Woodpecker with curiosity. He actually appeared to be waiting for the Woodpecker to get his peanut first. It wasn't like he was afraid of him or anything. It was almost like he was just being considerate. I suppose I attribute too much to their motives. LOL!
Now THAT is yard art!!
The birds around my feeder congregate in nearby bushes when it is empty, and as soon as they see me open the door they all start calling. Soon the nearest bush is heavy with birds – about 4’ from me. It sometimes reminds me of the Hitchcock movie.
The squirrels wait patiently (so far) at my feet for the handful of peanuts I drop.
Not all of them, but I'll take a stab at it!
Small light purple ones in the bottom left look like Verbena.
The dark purple look like Petunias, the bight yellow look like a dwarf Chrysanthemum (or maybe a marigold).
Cant see the little red ones well enough to tell... They almost look like Dianthus, but the leaves around them aren't quite right.
The silvery leafed plant is commonly seen in nurseries, but can't recall the name.
I found the 'lasts 6 weeks' statement kind of faulty, too.
To make sure there isn't a lapse in the insecticide, I treat mine every month, and alternate watering with a fertilizer (like Hasta grow) and just plain water.
I found a new product this year called "All - in -One", made by Bayer.
It has insecticide, rose food and a disease preventative in it.
Not sure how well it works yet, but part of the fun of gardening is experimentation! :)
Maybe he was just waiting to see how the pecker was going to pick up a peanut with that rapier hanging off his face!
:)
"I found a new product this year called "All - in -One", made by Bayer."
Friend, that's what I use and I'll tell you, mine sure need application more than every 6 weeks. If you don't mind, please tell me step-by-step your rose-feeding schedule? I'd like to make sure mine are getting all they need. Thanks. Peace.
I didn't think blue jays were afraid of anything! I have noticed the smaller back yard birds keeping their distance from the woodpeckers. Those beaks look imposing, but most those guys are quite shy.
I use the systemic insecticide once a month, and water it in per the instructions.
At the next watering, I use plain water.
The third watering after the insecticide treatment, I use water containing a fertilizer (such as Miracle grow or Hasta grow)
Keep alternating the plain and fertilized water until it's time again for the insecticide treatment.
It gets pretty hot here during the summer, (plus they're in a raised bed) so they can get up to 10 waterings between treatments.
As a general rule, I try to water at the base of the plant and avoid spraying the foliage, particularly when the humidity is high.
Another old rose growers trick I've discovered is to put Epsom's salts on the roses about every month to every 6 weeks during the growing period.
Just mix a 1/4 cup with the soil around each bush.
I know it sounds weird, but Epsom's salt contains MASSIVE amounts of magnesium. Magnesium is used by roses to help the plant absorb other nutrients, so your kind of 'spinning your wheels' so to speak if your feeding your roses something they can't fully use.
Epsom's salt can be used on other plants for the same purpose, but the size of the plant would determine how much the plant would need.
Guess it brings us back to the 'experimentation' thing again, doesn't it?
LOL!
Very helpful tips friend. I thank you! peace
The pleasure is mine.
It's SO nice to talk about gardening and flowers.
When I try to discuss things like color and flower arrangement with my husband, his eyes glaze over! :)
I used to use rose food on all my flowers in Colorado and they thrived. Can't remember how often though.
LOL! Maybe that was it.
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