Gardening for the Birds
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| Shallow birdbaths are best. |
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| Oceanspray provides cover and food for insectivorous birds. |
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| Oceanspray provides cover and food for insectivorous birds. |
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| Striking red-flowering currant provides nectar and berries. |
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| Twinberry attracts flickers, finches, and waxwings. |
By Eileen Stark
All Photos copyright 2006 Eileen Stark
For many people, one of life’s pleasures is watching birds, such as tiny, acrobatic hummingbirds searching for nectar or flocks of twittering bushtits feasting on minute insects in the trees. Tragically, many bird populations are declining due to the obliteration of the birds’ wintering grounds, the use of pesticides and other chemicals, competition with non-native species, and hunting and habitat fragmentation in North American nesting grounds. A shocking recent study, anticipating vast habitat loss linked to global warming, reports that 12% of existing species will go extinct by 2100. We can help birds in a small but valuable way when we plan our gardens.
Bird-friendly landscaping is low maintenance, reconnects us with nature’s rhythms and tranquility, and introduces kids to the importance of protecting and nurturing the environment. Birds may be invited into the garden simply by providing the right conditions, and, above all, a safe environment. Most of their needs can be met by providing space (not necessarily a large space, but one that is quiet and partially open), shelter, a variety of plants that provide food year round, and fresh water.
Give Them Shelter
All birds need a place to nest and to take cover from predators, including other birds and companion animals. The zone between two types of habitat (such as forest and meadow), is where most birds want to be. To create such “edges,” plant uneven borders with different layers of vegetation — ground cover, low and tall shrubs, small and tall broadleaf trees, and conifers — including dense or prickly shrubs and trees. This layered edge will not only provide safe spots for birds to hide, it will also attract a variety of birds that nest only at certain heights.
Natives Are Best
Providing plants that supply food year round isn’t difficult in the Pacific Northwest. Locally indigenous plants will be most attractive to birds who evolved along side them, and should be grouped according to the plants’ needs. If there’s room, grow some tall coniferous trees like western red cedar and Douglas fir, which provide seeds for many species of birds, as well as cover and nesting sites. For sites with sun, acidic soil, and good drainage, the handsome, evergreen Pacific madrone attracts cavity-nesters like the northern flicker, while its berry-like fruits provide food for cedar waxwings, robins, stellar jays, and others. Deciduous vine maples attract many seed-eaters, and the western redbud, a California native, offers nectar for hummingbirds and seeds for goldfinches.
Among shrubs, twinberry’s glossy dark fruits, alluring to juncos, thrushes, and finches, follow the sunny yellow flowers that hummingbirds love. Oceanspray’s twiggy growth provides cover and food for insectivorous birds like chickadees and bushtits and makes a gorgeous background plant. Red-twig dogwood is a must for part shade, where it offers flowers for warblers and tanagers and fruit for woodpeckers, sparrows, finches, and robins. For smaller shrubs, consider the snowberry, which provides cover, nectar, and an important food source for thrushes, robins, and other species at winter’s end. All types of the evergreen Oregon grape provide nectar and fruit for berry lovers.
In borders and flowerbeds, use natives like columbine and delphinium, but also sunflowers, asters, and sedums that create seedheads for season-long attraction. And don’t forget to add penstemons, lupines, red-flowering currant, and fuchsias for the cherished hummingbirds. For ground cover, grow the tiny strawberries that robins and waxwings love — sand strawberry for sun, woodland strawberry for part shade — and fringecup and ferns for moist, shady areas.
Finally, take advantage of vertical space by covering walls and fences with climbing plants and shrubs, turning them into a living boundary that provides cover and nesting sites. Vining honeysuckles yield abundant nectar and fruit and provide nesting sites for smaller birds.
Water Is Essential
Providing a source of water will make your garden popular with our feathered friends, especially in summer when water is scarce. One solution is a birdbath no more than two inches deep, with gently sloping sides.
If yours has steep sides, place some thin pieces of slate in the water around the edge so birds can wade in to the proper depth for their size. Place the bath at least ten feet from any hiding places where predators could lurk and keep the bath as clean as possible to prevent disease. Shrubs a safe distance away make useful perches for preening after bathing.
Last But Not Least
Invest in a good bird book, a pair of binoculars, and a notebook to help you identify and record the birds visiting your garden. It will take a little time for your plants to become established and for birds to begin visiting, but eventually you will be rewarded with hours of enjoyment while providing a safe haven.
Recommendations:
• Eliminate the use of chemicals in your garden, which will have a beneficial effect on birds as well as other wildlife.
• Leave seedheads on plants to provide a source of food for birds throughout the winter. They also look lovely on frosty days.
• Instead of cleaning up in the fall, do it in early spring when the new season's shoots are emerging. Birds can use garden debris left through the winter for building nests.
• Leave hedgerows unclipped to provide habitat to nest and feed in.
• Minimize the amount of impermeable hardscape to provide more space for plants and keep the garden cooler in the summer months
Eileen Stark is owner of Second Nature Garden Design, which provides sustainable design in the Portland area. She can be reached at sngd@comcast.net.
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