My favorite part of summer is waking up to hear birds chirping in my backyard. Even though I’m just as busy then as I am in the winter, I’m less stressed in summer because the birdsong offers a pleasant contrast to the hectic hum of my days. Birds don’t just appear out of nowhere, though. Just like any other guests, you have to make them feel comfortable around your home in order to enjoy the pleasure of their company.
Gabriele LaFargue, a retired physical education teacher, has found a new passion cultivating a beautiful garden that attracts birds of all varieties, including cardinals, goldfinches, hummingbirds, and mockingbirds. “I really like the cardinals best,” Gabriele tells me. “But I also love watching the baby goldfinches fledge near my window!” For those of you who want to attract vibrant and musical birds to your own backyard, Gabriele offers some sound advice.
Planting
There are certain plants you should include in your garden to entice the birds you want. Overall, a good rule to keep in mind when planting for birds is to focus on plants with either seeds or berries to attract various appetites. Garden balsam, Mexican sunflower, and varieties of hyssop are good seed plants. For berry-eating birds, arrowwood, elderberries, black currents, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are ideal. Gabriele especially recommends butterfly bushes, which also attract birds, as well as coneflowers (otherwise known as Echinacea—you can use its flowers as a cold remedy), because they draw goldfinches to their seeds in autumn. To entice hummingbirds, she recommends butterfly bushes and bright red flowers with tubular blossoms. Some good ones to try are trumpet honeysuckle, pineapple sage, scarlet sage, and apple-scented geranium.
Feeding
Birds are voracious eaters. Since they’re constantly moving and burning calories, they need to refuel often. This brings new meaning to the phrase, “eats like a bird!” Gabriele recommends placing a birdfeeder near some thick shrubbery to provide a place for them to hide. You can place it by a window so you can bird watch from your house, but keep in mind that birds like quiet areas, so a highly trafficked patio wouldn’t be suitable. Be sure to place decals on large windows, otherwise you might have a collision!
As far as what feed Gabriele recommends, she says any seed is fine. Her secret, however, is cantaloupe seeds; they are wonderful at drawing the cardinals she loves! She also recommends special nectar and red feeders (both available at any garden supply store) to draw hummingbirds.
Since birdfeeders are notorious for attracting squirrels as well, you might want to include some deterrents to these predators. The best feeders for squirrel deterrence are tube feeders with the spill tray removed; they don’t provide a ledge for rodents to rest where they can enjoy their stolen meal. Mount the feeder on a smooth metal pole so that it will be too hard for squirrels to climb. Also, make sure it’s away from overhanging branches and eaves so the pests will not be able to jump down onto it. Another trick of the trade: safflower seeds. Squirrels won’t touch them!
Birdbaths
Birdbaths are also a good option to help increase your bird watching activity. Gabriele recommends being diligent about keeping them clean, preferably with bleach, since stagnant water provides a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes. She has two flowing pools in her yard, since the birds are lured to the sound of water. Make sure the water in the bath is shallow and that the bottom surface is rough enough to provide solid footing. Situating the bath is most important. It should be near your feeder so that birds will notice it readily. Also, the site around the bath should be open enough to provide a clear view of predators, but include several nearby perches where birds can preen after bathing.
