Wildlife Winter Habitat–A Place for Birds

How to Attract Birds to Your Winter Garden

As the season changes in my Zone 6 Ohio garden, I’m amazed at the large flocks of birds that land in nearby trees.  The ‘chatter’ sounds like rushing water.  The rest stop is part of the yearly migration to warmer climates.  But some of their dear friends do not make the trip.  These brave creatures are going to be looking for food, water, and shelter in the coming months. Some of the winter feeding birds are robins, purple finches, yellow finches, cedar waxwing, chickadees and cardinals.  Starlings also stick around in my area. 









So what can we do?  Having an environment that draws birds during winter is easy if we consider all of their needs.

Food  -  Native trees and shrubs that produce berries are a great attraction for birds during winter.   Native plants serve the wildlife well.  Some native trees to consider are serviceberry, crabapple, dogwood, hawthorn, and American mountain ash.

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Native shrubs also have food for the winter feeders.  Some of these are striking in the winter landscape as well. 





Photos are chokeberry, cranberry bush, silky dogwood, and beautyberry.

If your yard does not have these trees and shrubs in place for this winter’s needs, consider planting one or two.  Trees and shrubs can be planted as long as the ground is not frozen.  Usually, that gives me through December to plant in my area.
 
Bird feeders are another option for encouraging birds to your winter garden.  Food provided in the winter is a gift to the birds when all other sources are covered in snow, or picked clean.  Five types of feeders are available to draw different types of birds. 



1) The tray type is simply that – a shallow board or framed screen that holds seed. The screens allow moisture to drain a reduces the growth of bacteria in the seed. The board type should have drainage holes.  Pigeons, starlings, and house sparrows will visit, as well as grosbeaks and native sparrows.



2) Hopper style feeders are probably the more popular in backyards.  The seed stay relatively dry, and the side perches allow finches, jays, cardinals, buntings, titmice, and chickadees to land and eat.


Cardinals like seeds like sun flower seeds, safflower seeds, and nuts.

3)  Window feeders attach with suction cups or hooks can be attached to the side of the house.  These feeders allow for great bird watching.  One will see finches, chickadees, and titmice.



4)  Tube feeders allow for small Niger seed to be available to finches and other smaller birds.

 
 
Depending on the construction material, very small seed to larger seed can be dispensed.  Some have small screen openings, and some are mesh wire.

5)  Suet feeders are solid bricks of seeds and berries.  They need a basket hanger to hold the brick of food.  Woodpeckers, jays, and starlings will visit this type of feeder.   

 

Feeding birds is fun for the do-it-yourselfer, too.  Pine cones can be spread with peanut butter, an rolled in loose seed to coat it.  Lids can be strung with wire and filled with seed.  Get the children involved too.



Photo from Danny Lipford and Julie Day

Gadget Sponge repurposes this log.

Here is a recipe for homemade suet from Patricia Collins of Callaway Gardens.

1 C shortening, melted in saucepan
1 C peanut butter stirred into the shortening until melted
Mix in:
1 C all purpose flour
3 C cornmeal
Whole rolled oats, raisins, nuts, bird seed or breadcrumbs can be added.
Mixture should be like putty.  
Spread into aluminum pan.  Let cool, then cut into pieces that fit the suet basket feeder.  


Another seed source is to grow them yourself.  Coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, globe thistle, and the annual, millet, in the summer garden will supply a desirable menu for winter feeding birds.

Birds eating coneflower seeds

Attracting birds to the winter garden is fun and easy.  And the visitors will take up residence in spring and bring offspring into the garden too. Birds are  welcome in the garden. They consume insects and help keep the balance in nature.  

Plant a Native Shrub

This SATURDAY, Sept 8, 2012, is National Planting Day

                                                                   

Get Growing: National Planting Day! - Get Growing: A Keep America Beautiful Initiative

September, the days are shorter, the temperatures are lower, and the rains are (suppose to be) resuming. So now is a great time for planting something new in the landscape. Native shrubs seem to be a good choice.

Ninebark – Physocarpus opulifolius

Native shrubs offer many advantages in the landscape.  They have lovely leaves, blooms, are insect resistant, disease resistant, and, once established, they need little  supplemental water, or fertilizer.

This Ninebark, called Diablo, in indigenous to the eastern parts of North America. There are other varieties that are found in the western states. This red/burgundy leafed shrub has nice white blossoms in spring, and the seed heads are deep red.



The name ninebark supposedly comes from the lovely exfoliating bark in the winter - Year round beauty.
  Ninebarks reach to 10’ tall, and as wide.  They can be used as a specimen or as a hedge.  With the dark leaves, ninebark makes a great backdrop for yellow or chartreuse plant. They are hardy in Zone 3-7.

Another native shrub that has multi-season interest is the Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia.  Hardy in Zones 4-9, the red chokeberry gets about 10’ tall, and 3’ – 5’ wide.
 


Small white blossoms in spring develop this small red fruit. As pretty as the red berries are, birds do not like the very astringent taste, so the berries last well into winter. Red Chokeberries like soil that is more acid, and take well in either wet or dry locations.

The native black chokeberry shrub differs from its red cousin.  The black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpe, is hardy in Zone 3-8, and only reaches a height of 3’- 6’.

Fall foliage is a pretty red, and the black berries, too, are not tasty for birds.

Ilex glabra, Inkberry, is in the holly family.  The ‘ink’ comes from black fruit.

This evergreen native shrub prefers moist, acidic locations, in part sun to part shade.  To insure pollination and formation of flowers, a male and female holly need to be in close proximity to each other,  Hardy to Zone 4 – 9, the Inkberry is native to Eastern United States.

  This native shrub is the common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus. Soil neutrality, shade, and moist or dry locations are favored by this plant.  It can grow to 3’ – 6’.  The Snowberry is the host plant for the Vashti sphinx moth. 
Vashti sphinx moth 
Birds and small mammals use this plant as cover, nesting and food. The berries are, however, poisonous for human consumption.

The American Highbush Viburnum is also called the American Cranberrybush Viburnum.  This native is a favorite in the landscape for multi-seasonal interest.    Hardy in Zones 2-7, this viburnum prefers moist, rich soil, and partial shade.


Urban pollution and wet conditions are tolerated by this native shrub.  Birds will eat these berries and jams can be made from these tart fruits for human foods as well.

Finally, there is an evergreen native shrub that can add to the landscape.  It is the Eastern Red cedar  Juniperus virginiana.
As a member of the juniper family, not a true cedar, the red cedar is a native conifer found in most of eastern  US.  Birds help distribute these trees by eating the bluish cones.

I like the color in winter as the red cedar turns to a brownish shade.

Fall planting is ideal for these native shrubs.  The extra moisture will settle the roots into the soil before the ground freezes.  And the plant will be ready to give us it all come spring. 


Planting can continue until the ground freezes, so pick a favorite, enhance your space, and enjoy. 

What natives do you like?  I certainly didn't list them all here.