Garden Projects for the Birds
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Posted by Rosemary Drisdelle Apr 18, 2007 |
By the middle of April, spring is well underway in some places, with bulbs and shrubs blooming and birds nesting and feeding chicks. In other places where winter is slow to leave, a few tough birds may be nesting, but most are just starting to select nesting sites. Some are yet to arrive from their winter ranges. Still, nesting boxes, shelves and platforms should be in place by now if you hope to have them occupied this year.
Turning your garden into a welcoming and attractive place for birds is a many pronged project, and depends on what you have to work with in the first place. Some bird lovers have lots of land with trees, shrubs, water and open spaces; others just have a few window boxes. Most people can do something to attract a few birds.
Creating good backyard bird habitat may involve adding plants to feed and shelter birds and to provide nesting sites, adding a bird bath or water feature, building a dust bath, hanging a nesting box, or designing a feeding station. Check the Birds topic on Suite101 for articles on some of these projects. Here are a few to start with: