Birds in the winter garden

The feeders are stocked with sunflower seed, thistle, suet and there's plenty of water and cover. It's a party in the back yard all winter long, but especially on cold snowy days.

I love feeding the birds and get a kick out of their antics.

Each species has a distinct personality. Some are curious, while other are quite gregarious.

Cardinals visit early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Doves are especially fun to watch. They always seem to be the last bird to figure out what they heck is going on when all the other birds have skedaddled as the hawk flies over.

The house finches are aggressive and push others away from the feeders.

 I like knowing that the seeds, water and shelter I provide are giving the smallest birds a fighting chance to survive when winter gets particularly harsh. 

But, when nesting time arrives, seed is not what they want or need. They need insects to feed their young. According to Doug Tallamy, entomology and wildlife ecology professor at the University of Delaware, a single pair of breeding chickadees must find as many as 6000 caterpillars to rear one clutch of young.

That's just one bird family in this garden. When you consider that 96% of terrestrial birds in North America rear their young on insects, you can see how important it is that our gardens be hospitable to those insects.

 What's a gardener to do?

 Please continue to feed the birds all winter. It's a wonderful way to supplement their winter foraging and it's so much fun.

Juniperus virginiana and Cornus drummondii have good wildlife value

Right now, in the middle of winter, when you're missing the heck out of your garden, is an excellent time to assess whether your garden is as insect friendly as possible.

1. Make sure native trees play a major role in your garden.Why is that so important? Desiree Narango, a doctoral student with the University of Delaware and who is conducting a three-year study to learn how nonnative, or exotic, trees in cities and suburbs affect the availability of food birds need during the breeding season explains that “Nonnative trees may support insects, but they do not support the insects that birds want and need to feed their young." (from Why birds need native trees  National Wildlife)

2. Do your native trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals out number the non-natives? Need to add more natives? Be sure to plant pollen and nectar rich perennials, herbs and annuals to attract beneficials, bees and other insects. Avoid hybrids and cultivars that are double flowered. They are sterile and have no pollen or nectar for insects and no seeds for the birds. If possible plant “true open-pollinated native wildflowers”. (Native annuals)

3. Does a messy garden get to you? Work on tolerating leaves and decaying plants. Don't be in a rush to clean up the fall garden. Leave plant stalks and seed heads standing all winter. Leave those fallen leaves or as many as you can tolerate! Insects over winter in the fallen and decaying leaves and so do some species of insect eating bats!

4. Have you invited toads into your garden? They like a cool, wet spot. How about under the birdbath?

5. Do you have room for a pond? Be sure you have a muddy edge for damsel flies and dragonflies. They will eat mosquitoes which make gardening in the summer a nightmare. Birds will appreciate the water and the flying snacks.

6. Do you have a brush pile? Stack fallen brush, cut tree limbs, broken pots for ground beetles. Ground beetles are excellent at eating "bad bugs". They're also good bird, toad and small critter food.

7. Weirded out by spiders, aphids, strange caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and the odd larva of beneficials! Rethink what you consider icky or a pest. Bluebirds eat crickets and grasshoppers. Spiders are important predators and a very important bird food! Snakes keep the rodent population in check.

8. Can you embrace imperfection in the garden? Learn to tolerate damaged plants because insects can ugly up their favorite plant foods.

9. Do you know which local or online nurseries sell plants that are neonicotinoid free? Frequent them, their plants may cost more but, your garden will be healthier for pollinators, insects and birds.

10. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides....They're deadly in a wildlife friendly garden.

Downy Woodpecker

Now go enjoy those birds,  before long you'll be planting and planning for all the critters in your garden.
xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Garden Visitors

The birds are here every morning.

They arrive before the sun peaks over the tree tops and warms up the patio. Chickadees, robins, mourning doves, finches, cardinals, downy woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, nuthatches and the tufted titmouse are just a few of the garden residents and visitors.

 I love them all, but, my favorite is the tufted titmouse. (see A Pert Little Fellow)

He's a pert little fellow with a jaunty crest, dark eyes, mouse gray feathering and a touch of rust under his wings.

The Tufted Titmouse is common in eastern deciduous forests and can be found year round at most backyard feeders. They are bold and curious birds and will even approach the feeders while I am filling them. I've not tried to coax them to be hand fed like others have with Chickadees, but, I do have a good nodding acquaintance with my resident birds and the mixed species flock members that visit in the winter!

TUTI, as they are referred to in the literature, are insect, seed and berry eaters and appreciate a garden that offers them tasty spider eggs, cocoons and insects hiding in the dead leaves (see Gardening For Wildlife) As you can see in this post, they'll happily forage at feeders!

They're one of a few perching birds that can use their feet to hold seeds while they break them open

I met TUTI the first winter I moved to Nashville when my two best friends from college and I moved into a big rental house with a wild backyard. Once upon a time it had been a wonderful garden of small trees and flowering shrubs. The former owners had built brick paths that meandered through the garden and there was a small patio that was visible from the breakfast nook.

The neglected garden was a haven for blue jays, mockingbirds, doves, cardinals, robins and, many birds new to me. That first winter we filled the abandoned bird feeder and watched them every morning over coffee. That's how I met Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse, two of the most charming birds one could ever meet.

They were entertaining to watch; Chickadee was by far the more acrobatic as he teetered on the tiniest of swaying branches, but, Titmouse's large black eyes, brushy crest and cocked head stole my heart.

 I enjoy all the birds that visit my garden (except the starlings). What I've noticed is that each species seems to have have its own personality!

Some are just outright precious.

Some deserve their reputations as bossy and aggressive.

Some are friendly and eagerly share the garden with the gardener.

Some are absolutely beautiful, but, have no idea what's going on!

Some, like Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal, must be the star and try to scare other cardinal visitors from their territory.

Finally, some will win your heart and keep it forever! I wonder if you've found that to be true?

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.