Yesterday, when I returned from walking our dog, Lola, I found a mob of Evening Grosbeaks attacking our bird feeder. In the nearby bushes sat a group of nervous Cassin’s Finches waiting for a break in the action, while in various other parts of the yard, I espied Red-breasted Nuthatches, a Song Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadees, a Pygmy Nuthatch, Violet-Green Swallows, and what I believe to be our First-of-the-Year Calliope Hummingbird. I freely admit that some of these birds would have been here anyway, but in many ways, this delightful assemblage was the culmination of dedicated, determined home habitat improvement.
The last few years, Evening Grosbeaks have been regular visitors to our yard, even if they stay only a few days. (photo by Sneed B. Collard III)
We moved into our just-built house twelve years ago. Our new neighborhood had destroyed an old apple orchard that undoubtedly had provided habitat for a host of animals including birds, so one of my goals was to not only get a lot of plants in fast, but to plant as many native plants as possible. I painstakingly picked out a huge variety of annuals and perennials, imagining the native Eden that would soon blossom here.
The deer had other ideas.
This year, Cassin’s Finches have ruled the back yard—that is when the Evening Grosbeaks aren’t around! (photo by Sneed B. Collard III)
For the next ten years, I waged an annual battle with these ruthless ungulates as I planted native plants and the deer gleefully ripped them out. During that time, their tastes evolved to include both “deer delicacies” and the vast majority of so-called deer-resistant plants various experts had touted. Fortunately, a few of my hardier species survived including buffalo berry, maple sumac, mountain mahogany, and golden current—along with aspen, larch, pine, and other plants that I took pains to protect.
Over the past three or four years, our persistence has visibly paid off as we have observed an ever-greater variety of species and numbers not only feeding from but finding shelter in the habitat we have created.
Of course, the feeder that Braden faithfully refills and the two new bird houses we installed don’t hurt (more on that in a future post), but most rewarding is to just spot birds such as Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Song Sparrows, and Lazuli Buntings that find safe haven in the plants that we have nurtured.
As our vegetation cover has increased, Ruby-crowned Kinglets have become regular visitors in both fall and spring. (photo by Sneed B. Collard III)
The take home message? Creating great bird habitat takes effort and persistence, but it’s absolutely worth it. In an age when birds face an overwhelming barrage of threats from habitat destruction to global warming, it’s the best feeling to know that we are making a few birds’ lives just a little bit better.
Bird habitat – what a wonderful goal to pursue in your back yard! Your kinglet photo is a great capture, as they are in constant movement and very hard to photograph. That grosbeak is a fine looking fellow. I’ve never seen one in the Bay Area.
Bird on, duuuudes!
Thanks, Roger! The kinglets are definitely a challenge to catch, but it helps a lot when they’re in your yard! And yes, Evening Grosbeaks look to be rare in the Bay Area. Blue and Black-headed Grosbeaks, though, do hang out in your neck of the woods!
The single best bird (and other wildlife) attractor we’ve added to our backyard is a small pond. It’s not large –think hot tub– but it definitely attracts birds. We live near Kansas City and are a stop for migrating songbirds. Most of our feathered backyard visitors ignore the feeders but are drawn to the pond. Kinglets, Thrushes, Orioles, Grosbeaks, Tanagers, Towhees, and Warblers galore have stopped in for a sip. We’ve even watched Barred Owls and a Great Blue Heron snatch a few goldfish!
This is really good to know, Brad! We’ve been pondering a water feature, and this may just push us over the edge 🙂 BTW, what have you seen so far this year–all of the birds you mentioned?
Your yard sounds awesome. We have quite a few trees and bushes and also have feeders so we get a decent variety and quantity of birds although the House Sparrows and House Finches seem to get more than their fair share. Your variety is great.
Yes, those two species are a problem, but interestingly this year, the flush of other “quality” species seems to have driven out the HOSPs and HOFIs. I also had to battle starlings one year–they were nesting in the space just under the roof. Would love to know some of the birds you get 🙂
House Finches, Blue Jays, White-winged Doves, Grackles, Carolina Wrens, Mockingbirds and the occasional Carolina Chickadee come to my feeders along with too many squirrels!
Nice group of birds! What city do you live in? Squirrels seem to be a problem in most places. What really helped us recently is that we got a dog! I let her out into the back yard several times a day and she runs off any squirrel sneaking around. Fortunately, the birds no longer see her as a threat 🙂