By Patsy Kuentz

Observing free-flying, native birds is a great way to learn to appreciate nature and can offer hours of fun for children and adults alike.  Providing the necessities for birds to live (ie. food, water, places to nest, and shelter) entices them into your yard. Remember the big three when you are looking for ways to improve your backyard for birds: Food, Shelter, and Water. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Food

Provide nectar for hummingbirds

Including our most common hummers, Ruby-throated and Black-chinned love sipping nectar from flowers and feeders. 

• Plant plants: Plant nectar-producing plants in your yard. Two favorites are Flame Acanthus and  Autumn Sage.

• Place Nectar Feeders: Some people feed homemade nectar (see recipe below) in specialized feeders for hummers. Most birders seem to prefer basin-type, disc-shaped feeders with bee protectors, but your local bird store has a number of options available.

  • Nectar Recipe: 4 cups hot water and 1 cup sugar. Stir the sugar into the hot water until it dissolved, then store in the fridge to cool. Once it is cool, you can fill the feeder. Make sure to change out your feeder once a week and wash - birds get germs from sharing cups too!

Plant Native Plants

Locally native plants provide nutritious berries and seeds for birds.  Spring is a good time to plant. Beautyberries and Possomhaw are excellent examples of berry plants, attracting Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, and many other species of birds.  Leave seed heads on plants that have flowered, so seed-loving birds can find a good snack. For instance, Lesser Goldfinches (here all year) and American Goldfinches (here only in the winter) love oil-rich Thistle seeds.

Place Seed Feeders

Hang tube feeders filled with seeds for birds.  You can use a homemade feeder made from a liter plastic bottle or a store-bought feeder from a local bird store.  Always fill feeders with fresh seed and utilize techniques that prevent predators from reaching the feeders.

Leave the Leaf Litter

Don't be surprised to notice lizards, caterpillars, and all kinds of crawling bugs under the leaves.  Those small animals provide food for many birds, especially birds feeding their young. Even seed-eating birds feed their babies insects for protein so they can quickly grow and leave the nest.  It's best not to walk on the leaves, both for fear of stepping on the little critters just below the surface and the possibility that a well-camouflaged snake might be among the leaves.  

Shelter

Make a Brush Pile

Stack up sticks and trimmed branches.  Various kinds of birds and other small animals will enter that pile at dusk to protect themselves from predators overnight.  If you wake up early enough, quietly watch from a distance to see what rises out of the brush pile at first light. Better yet, position your brush pile so you can see it from a bedroom window, then you can observe them without alerting them to your presence.

Create Places for Birds to Nest

If you leave old snags in your yard (dead trees), cavity nesters such as Carolina Chickadees, Black-crested Titmice, and Carolina and Bewick's Wrens will often make nests in them.  You can also build or buy nest boxes in sizes and shapes that attract a variety of other kinds of birds, too. A little research will help you get started.

Water

Provide Water

Create a small water feature to provide water for birds and other animals.  You can use something as simple as a plastic planter saucer or as sophisticated as a marble sculpture.  The birds don't care what the water is in, but they do need shallow, rather than deep, water. Be sure to replace the water every day or two to keep from breeding unwanted insects such as mosquitoes. 

Try out one or two of the possibilities above, and you'll be well on your way to finding birds right in your own yard.  You might just be fascinated by what you see and learn.