Birdscaping takes wing – by Diane Morey Sitton

The chatter of bluebirds, the flash of a cardinal’s wing, the calming coo-coo-coo of a dove: few things animate gardens as much as birds, and there’s no better time than now to begin transforming your landscape into a birdscape.

Start by offering food. Cardinals, chickadees, sparrows and tufted titmice number among the songbirds that crave black-oil sunflower seeds. Goldfinches and buntings crave thistle. Birdseed blends that include white millet and sorghum appeal to doves and sparrows. Increase the bird buffet and the number of blue jays and woodpeckers by offering peanuts and cracked corn. Bits of apples and oranges attract orioles, tanagers and grosbeaks. Woodpeckers, nuthatches and other insect eaters savor suet cakes and mealworms. Provide low platforms for ground feeding birds. Hanging feeders accommodate perching birds.

Add to the bird allure by planting bird-friendly vegetation. Sunflowers, black-eyed Susan, purple coneflower, coreopsis, grasses, wildflowers and other seed-producing plants attract seed-eating bird species including sparrows, finches, and doves. Berry-loving birds flock to beautyberry, pyracantha, Eastern red cedar, viburnum, hawthorn, sumac, dogwood and holly. Dense shrubs, thickets, and tangling vines (think honeysuckle and climbing roses) provide shelter and nesting sites.

Water sources welcome birds, as well. Start by filling birdbaths and saucers with clean, fresh water to lure drinkers and bathers. Birds prefer shallow water –no more than an inch deep—where they can stand and splash about. They are particularly drawn to moving water, so grab their attention with small fountains, burblers, misters and the drip from a faucet. On hot summer days birds can’t resist flying through simulated rain showers created by garden sprinklers.

Complete the birdscape by providing nest boxes. Some 46 North American bird species are known to use them, including bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, and tufted titmice. Remember, some bird species are particular about the bird box dimensions, size of the entrance hole, and even the distance the bird box is placed from the ground, so be mindful of the bird species you want to attract before investing in and installing nest boxes. Also, remember that birds use nest boxes as shelter; it is never too early in spring to install them.

Once you’ve provided food sources, water, nest boxes and shelter, get ready for wonders of nature to unfold. The birds will do the rest.