Re: [CT Birds] Bird-scaping
Hi Alex and All,
This is one of my favorite topics! There is so much you can plant to attract and improve your property but I will just share some of what I think are top bird attracting plants.
Trees - My top pick - Mulberry, after that Crabapple, make sure the crab you pick has small diameter persistent fruit, Cherry, Eastern Red Cedar, Hawthorne, Dogwood, (native), Serviceberry.
Shrubs - My top pick-Double file viburnum, after that all viburnums, evergreen and deciduous holly, Flowering quince, dogwood, sumac.
Vines - Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Grape, Virginia creeper, poison ivy( at property edge away from people)
One of the best improvements we made to our property was a pond. We dug out an already low wet area, 80x20ft. It can and has dried up in the summer but has attracted a whole new group of birds and frogs! that we did not see before. We also installed a waterfall near bird feeders, very easy, and that has allowed us to see up close many species of warblers each spring and fall.
Jayne Amico/Southington
Hello Jayne and all:
This is a great discussion, thanks to everyone for the thoughts and links.
But to Jayne specifically - hearing about the waterfall you installed near
your feeders peaked my interest. And hearing all those warblers were
stopping by was even better. I'd appreciate it if you could give us a little
more information about your waterfall, how you set it up, the cost, etc.,
thanks!
On 3/8/07, recoverywing@cox.net recoverywing@cox.net wrote:
Hi Alex and All,
This is one of my favorite topics! There is so much you can plant to
attract and improve your property but I will just share some of what I think
are top bird attracting plants.
Trees - My top pick - Mulberry, after that Crabapple, make sure the crab
you pick has small diameter persistent fruit, Cherry, Eastern Red Cedar,
Hawthorne, Dogwood, (native), Serviceberry.
Shrubs - My top pick-Double file viburnum, after that all
viburnums, evergreen and deciduous holly, Flowering quince, dogwood, sumac.
Vines - Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Grape, Virginia creeper, poison ivy( at
property edge away from people)
One of the best improvements we made to our property was a pond. We dug
out an already low wet area, 80x20ft. It can and has dried up in the summer
but has attracted a whole new group of birds and frogs! that we did not see
before. We also installed a waterfall near bird feeders, very easy, and that
has allowed us to see up close many species of warblers each spring and
fall.
Jayne Amico/Southington
This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit
http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org
Alex and other birdscapers,
Jayne has provided some excellent plant choices. I have worked at a plant
nursery for 18 years and have been able to evaluate and actually observe
birds use most of the plants mentioned. Some of my favorites are
Serviceberry, Eastern Red Cedar, Crabapple, Viburnum dentatum, winterberry
(Ilex verticillata), American Holly, Northern Bayberry and flowering
dogwood.
Let's not forget perennials such as Echinacea, Black-eye-Susan and several
native grasses.
Besides food plants, it is also important to provide shelter which can be
provided by many of the shrub hollies like Inkberry (Ilex glabra) and blue
hollies as well as red cedar, and other conifers (smaller forms). During the
Christmas season at nursery, it is always fun to watch the Juncos and
finches move into the pre-cut trees as darkness falls.
If anyone is interested to see these plants let me know and I can take you
around the nursery.
Andy Brand
----- Original Message -----
From: recoverywing@cox.net
To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Bird-scaping
Hi Alex and All,
This is one of my favorite topics! There is so much you can plant to
attract and improve your property but I will just share some of what I
think are top bird attracting plants.
Trees - My top pick - Mulberry, after that Crabapple, make sure the crab
you pick has small diameter persistent fruit, Cherry, Eastern Red Cedar,
Hawthorne, Dogwood, (native), Serviceberry.
Shrubs - My top pick-Double file viburnum, after that all viburnums,
evergreen and deciduous holly, Flowering quince, dogwood, sumac.
Vines - Honeysuckle (Lonicera), Grape, Virginia creeper, poison ivy( at
property edge away from people)
One of the best improvements we made to our property was a pond. We dug
out an already low wet area, 80x20ft. It can and has dried up in the
summer but has attracted a whole new group of birds and frogs! that we did
not see before. We also installed a waterfall near bird feeders, very
easy, and that has allowed us to see up close many species of warblers
each spring and fall.
Jayne Amico/Southington
This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA)
for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit
http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org