A yard without birds is like a playground without children. To me, a yard may have a manicured lawn and many pretty flowers, but if it doesn't have birds, it’s not a healthy yard.
So, how do you invite the feathered creatures? Theresa Hartz provided some answers during a recent Atlanta Audubon Society master birder class. Whether you have several acres or just a small plot, she said, you can do several things to lure birds to your yard.
In essence, birds (like people) have four basic survival needs. If you provide them, Theresa said, you have an excellent chance of attracting a variety of birds. They include:
-- Food. Although bird feeders filled with various kinds of seeds are standard items for enticing birds to yards, the creatures most often prefer wild food when available. Planting native vegetation that offers an array of seeds, nuts and fruits will attract a variety of birds. Some excellent food plants include beauty-berry, Virginia creeper, sunflowers, flowering dogwood, maples and black gum. Most birds -- even hummingbirds -- also eat insects, especially during nesting season when rich sources of protein are critical. So, use pesticides judiciously, if at all, to prevent harm to birds.
-- Water. It's vital to birds not only for drinking but also for keeping feathers clean and free of parasites. More species of birds, in fact, probably will visit your birdbath than will come to your feeders. A shallow birdbath is the simplest way of providing water for birds. You also can increase the number and variety of birds at the birdbath by using devices that move water, such as misters.
-- Shelter. Birds need places where they can hide from predators and seek refuge from bad weather. Dense, thick shrubs are excellent for this. A single eastern red cedar can serve as a safe haven for numerous birds. In addition, birds are more likely to visit your feeders and birdbath if shrubs or trees are nearby for a quick escape from a swooping hawk or other predator.
-- Nesting. Birds need safe, sound places to rear babies. Generally, native trees and shrubs of different heights and sizes will provide nesting sites for the greatest variety of birds. Different species have different requirements. Bluebirds, wrens, chickadees and titmice are cavity nesters and will use nest boxes. Some birds, such as warblers, build cup-shaped nests in the crotches of tree and shrub branches. Others, such as tanagers and blue-gray gnatcatchers, nest in tree canopies.
For more information on attracting birds, visit: http://web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/HealthyYard_BirdHabitat.html.
In the sky: Spring officially begins at 1:14 a.m. March 20. On spring's first day, known as the vernal equinox, day and night are of nearly equal length.
The moon, new on March 22, will be a thin crescent low in the west just after dark March 23, said David Dundee, astronomer with Tellus Science Museum. Venus, shining brightly, and Jupiter are in the west just after dark and set about two hours later. Mars rises out of the east a few hours before midnight. Saturn rises out of the east about midnight.
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