If I was your backyard bird, I would provide you with beautiful songs and seasonal interest throughout the year.
In return, would you provide me with a feeder and a bird bath with heater during the winter months to keep me hydrated?
A real bonus to you and your family would be to have shrubs such as serviceberry, chokeberry, hazelnut bushes along with cedars to enhance the beauty and ecological value of your landscape and provide food and shelter for me.
Please plant a combination of early-, mid-,and late-season bloomers to ensure a continuous supply of nectar and seeds for us throughout the year. Some of our favourite flowering plants include purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot and New England aster offering you a splash of wonderful colours too.
Another mutual benefit would be to reduce the size of your lawn and replace it with native plantings to create more bird-friendly habitat and reduce the need for mowing and maintenance.
Did you know that our bird populations have declined due to habitat loss, climate change, window collisions and domestic cats? Please keep your cats indoors or better yet build a cattery (an outside area fenced in for cats).
Please don’t use chemical insecticides as I eat the insects and get very ill. Allow me to eat those pesky insects instead.
And remember anything you do will be appreciated and it can be done in stages.
There are number of issues also affecting birds such as climate change, invasive species and other global trends.
Shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems, altering the availability of food resources and the timing of breeding seasons. Many bird species are struggling to adapt to these rapid environmental changes.
The introduction of non-native species poses a significant threat to native bird populations by competing for resources, preying on eggs and nestlings, and spreading diseases. This is the time of year to start tackling those mature, overgrown gardens while removing invasives like periwinkle, goutweed, pachysandra and chameleon plant.
According to research published in the journal Science, bird populations worldwide have declined by nearly 30% since 1970. This represents a loss of approximately three billion birds across diverse habitats and regions. These statistics underscore the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect bird populations and their habitats.
SPOTLIGHT
The eastern phoebe is a small, migratory songbird belonging to the flycatcher family (Tyrannidae) and is commonly spotted near water sources such as streams, rivers and ponds.
It is characterized by its muted grey-brown plumage, distinctive dark head and upright tail posture.
These insectivorous birds feed primarily on flying insects, which they catch on the wing with impressive agility. They are often observed perching on branches or wires, making short sallies to capture their prey.
Eastern phoebes are monogamous and typically form breeding pairs in the spring. They construct cup-shaped nests out of mud, moss and grass, often placing them in sheltered locations such as under eaves and bridges. The female lays a clutch of eggs, usually four to six and both parents take turns incubating them for about two weeks until they hatch. Once the chicks hatch, both parents tirelessly hunt for food to feed their voracious offspring.
This year, I had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable nesting behaviour of a pair of returning eastern phoebes right in my own backyard. It all began when I noticed the distinctive silhouette of a phoebe perched atop a non-functioning light fixture above my garage door and sure enough the pair wasted no time remodeling last years nest.
Crafting a bird-friendly space complete with ample perches and a nearby bird bath has offered the pleasure of observing the charming eastern phoebe. Its delicate plumage lightly ruffled, the bird gleefully indulges in playful splashes, thoroughly enjoying its time.
Here are some common backyard birds in our area: Robins, blue jays, cardinals, warblers, chickadees, swallows, sparrows, woodpeckers and flickers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, pine grosbeaks, yellow finches, eastern phoebes, ruby-throated hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles.
And remember that now is the time to put out your hummingbird feeders.
Use caution to avoid honey-while it’s sweet for us, it can indeed be harmful to hummingbirds due to the risk of fungal infections and death. Instead, mixing up a simple solution of four parts water to one part white granulated sugar provides them with a safe and nourishing energy boost. Please pass on the red dye too!
A certified landscape designer and horticulturist, Monika Rekola brings landscapes to life with her passion for gardening and CAD designs, guided by a profound love for all living beings. As a budding homesteader and garden writer, she shares her passion for sustainable living. With a knack for recycling and repurposing, Monika finds beauty in simplicity, while her love for birds makes her a keen observer of nature. Committed to forest management and gardening with an ecological focus, she strives to create balance in our delicate ecosystem.
