Every Spring my husband and I wait excitedly to discover where the nesting pairs are located in and around our yard. Telltale signs are Black-capped Chickadees carrying thin straw pieces in their bills, the Bewick’s Wren carrying a thicker branch, and the Red-breasted Nuthatch excavating a hole in a dead Doug fir tree. We have one box with a birdcam affixed to the top. Past years have brought Black-capped Chickadees, and Bewick’s Wrens to nest in the cambox. When the Pacific Wren chooses the cambox, we cannot see anything because the wren stuffs the box to the ceiling obscuring the nestlings. Currently, we are watching four Bewick’s Wren chicks mature at a fast rate. Feathers are developing where yesterday was bare skin. Both male and female adults are busy supplying bugs to the four chicks.
At Luther Burbank Park alone, Sue Stewart and I have recorded over 90 species. In my own backyard, I have 86 species of birds that have landed, or flown by. On a typical Christmas Bird Count on Mercer Island, we find 66 species. Most people would be surprised to hear that I typically have 20 species of birds in my yard each week of the year.
What does it take to lure birds into one’s own backyard? Well, the answer is quite simple. Supply food, water, and shelter---and a dose of safety from predators. Cats! I strongly feel that cats are an indoor domesticated animal. And that your cat does not belong in my yard. Having got that off my chest, I feel much better about telling you how to lure birds into your yard.
Supply food. That means that you should plants trees, shrubs, and flowers that produce seed, berry, or nectar. Cherry trees, Service Berry trees, Indian Plum, Snow Berry, Crab Apples, and Madronna Trees are food sources. Red Elderberry and hawthorne are good berry sources. Salal, and mahonia produce berries. For nectar consider Flowering Current. Hummingbirds also love styrax, lilac, and hardy fuschias which last into the winter months. In addition to nectar, hummingbirds depend on small insects. Watch them gleaning evergreens, as well as, your hanging baskets.
Supply water. It does not have to be a lot--a dish set in a safe place will do just fine. Keep the water shallow--about one half inch or less to entice bathing. Birds need to feel safe while bathing so select a site that has a nearby bush or low tree. From that site, birds can observe that it is safe to approach the water to drink and bathe. Once engaged in bathing, they seem to lose all track of what is going on as they splash and submerge their bellies in the water. Hummingbirds love to bathe. My husband and I see them in the coldest part of winter at our watercourse--water cascading over their backs as they cling to the lip of the rock.
Supply shelter. Some species of birds will use homemade bird boxes if they are placed correctly. You may be surprised to learn that many species nest within six feet of the ground, or on the ground. Many of you have had the experience of finding a House Finch or Junco nesting in your hanging baskets. But, what do they do the rest of the year for shelter? In my yard the most attractive and safe shelter is a pile of clean sticks placed randomly about three feet high and six feet long. By clean I mean there are no leaves or debris--just bare branches. Birds approach the feeders by first landing on the woodpile, then when they feel safe, emerge from the pile out to the feeders. The pile of sticks should not be too dense, but have pockets for the birds to escape inside. Several times we have observed Cooper’s Hawk a top one of these piles, with the smaller birds safe inside. The piles provide shelter in inclement weather, too.
And finally, mulch is not a nesting material. Do not be too neat with your leaf rakings. Leave twigs, straw-like material, dried leaves, and hair. My husband’s hair clippings all go into the yard. A friend yearly sends me her dog’s hair. When you examine the used nest boxes, you will find straw, twigs, hair, and feathers among the mass. Robins will line their nest with mud but finish it with soft grasses, hair, and such. They often will decorate the final nest with some piece of ribbon or straw material hanging down the side.
Below is the list of birds that have frequented or flown through my yard in June.
Northern Flicker
Bewick’s Wren
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Song Sparrow
House FInch
WIlson’s Warbler
Olive-sided Flycatcher,
Bald Eagle
Common Crow
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Steller’s Jay
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Pileated Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco
Band-tailed Pigeon
Spotted Towhee
Violet Green Swallow
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
I would welcome your observations.
Judith Roan
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