For The BiRdS - Again!

Since birds are under attack so often, yes attack. Crows were blamed for the spread of West Nile virus, buildings and windows are constantly 'popping up' and smacking our winged friends. I have decided today will be about making your property 'bird friendly'. There are many things you can do for the birds. You can plant flowering trees and shrubs that either have nectar or berries for the birds. Look under my 'pages' sidebar for a list of things to plant for birds in Northumberland. Different species of birds will nest at different heights, so it is important to have varying woody plants in your landscape.
Hazel Bird, who was totally dedicated to birds and all forms of wildlife had a bluebird line that she started in the 1960's. She noticed a sharp decline in the bluebird population in Northumberland and started bulding bluebird houses because of this decline. At the peak of her programme there were over 400 boxes in Northumberland Forest. She was awarded the prestigious Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society Conservation Award. Now, because the bluebird population has been re-established thanks to Hazel, it is no longer needed here.
So one person can make a difference......


Bird houses are fun and add to your properties activities by allowing birds to live with you. Sometimes all it takes is a simple shelf, as in the case of robins. That is all they need, as they like the open atmosphere of a shelf placed about 10 to 12' off the ground.
You can also have a bird bath, which if you are so inclined, you can add a water heater to the bath for the freezing winter months.
In the spring, take an orange and cut it in half exposing all those sections of the fruit. Now you can either hang it with an orange hanger that you can make yourself (see photo below)  or set it on your deck railing and watch the Orioles come and feed.
Hummingbird feeders are  popular as well and they need the food. Especially in the fall just before migration and in the spring when food is scarce.  Just remember to clean your feeder every other, all that sugared water in the sun needs to be cleaned constantly.
I will probably add to all of this in the pages section. But for now this is enough to ponder. We need birds, they eat the bad insects in your garden, they are pollinators for many crops that we farm, they give us song and remind us of the simple joys in life.
Here is an Oriole feeder I made last year from copper. At one point there were 3 Oriole's on it, that is until the bossy one pictured here got fed up with the others!