Clay's Garden Center, Inc.

Intense Bird Bath

Gardeners often choose the plants based on color, texture and fragrance. If you also include a few plants that will attract birds you can make your garden a mini bird habitat.  A number of native shrubs, annuals, perennials, s well as cultivated plants can be used to attract birds to you garden. As birds begin to visit and feed in your garden they will also stay through the winter months if you provide bird feed and water. Your garden will become a place of interest and beauty all year round.

Attracting a variety of birds and butterflies to your garden is simple enough if you ensure a supply of three basics. Birds need food, water and shelter. With this in mind, consider the following bird friendly plants and shrubs for your garden. Your landscape will quickly become a haven for song birds, hummingbirds and butterflies.

We have a wide variety of birds attracting shrubs and trees at Wilson’s. You will also find bird baths and other water features and friendly advice on making your garden a natural habitat for birds.

Four Steps to Birding Success:

	Provide a desirable food source in the appropriate feeder. Black-oil sunflower seed is popular with the greatest number of bird species. The thin shell and large nutmeat are ideal for most types of feeders, such as tubes, hoppers or platforms. Other examples would include thistle in tube feeders, suet in suet cages and mixed seed on platform feeders or scattered on dry ground. Using a suitable feeder for the type of seed you are offering will eliminate waste. Ensure your feeders are filled during early morning and early evening hours when birds are most active.
	Landscape with food source and protective cover in mind. Many ornamental plants provide valuable food supplies for the bird population. For maximum nourishment, select plants that flower and fruit throughout the season. Some plants, such as multi-stem trees and shrubs, form a dense canopy that will satisfy needs for nesting and also provide cover. Mixes of deciduous and evergreen plants provide protection from inclement weather and natural predators such as hawks and neighborhood cats.
	A source of fresh water is also necessary to maintain your bird population. The water source should be shallow (no more than 2"-3" deep) and replaced on a regular basis. Running water, such as a shallow fountain, is the ideal water resource. The water source should be elevated or in the middle of an open area to minimize predation by cats and other animals.
	Enjoy your new-feathered friends by managing your backyard habitat wisely. Keep water sources and feeders clean. This can be done by periodically sanitizing water features and raking seed debris from the feeding area; check the feeders for waste at this time, as well. Monitor any squirrel activity and if necessary, situate your feeders so that they can’t jump on them from above. To prevent access from below, erect feeders five feet above the ground and add a guard over the feeder pole. Start a backyard bird journal for notes about your backyard observations.

Several Backyard Birds and Their Favorite Foods:
	American Goldfinch	Niger thistle seeds, broken sunflower hearts, oil-type sunflower seeds.
	Northern Cardinal	Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn, millet, other seeds, unsalted nutmeats, raisins.
	Black-capped Chickadee	Oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked unsalted nutmeats, safflower, suet.
	Dark-eyed Junco	Red or white proso millet, finely cracked corn, oil-type sunflower seed, unsalted nutmeats.
	Grosbeaks	Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn.
	Mourning Dove	Oil-type sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet, safflower, cracked corn, wheat, milo, other seeds.
	Native Sparrows	Red or white proso millet, oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked corn, some safflower.
	Woodpeckers	Suet, unsalted nutmeats, sunflower seeds, cracked corn.

Black Capped Chickadee		Female Downy Woodpecker		American Goldfinch

Seeds and Their Value to Birds:
	Sunflower	High in protein and fats		Safflower	High in oils, but only specific birds will eat it.
	Black Sunflower	High in oil.		Peanut Kernels	High in fat and calories
	Sunflower Kernel	High in energy.		Thistle (Nyger)	High in oil.
	Cracked Corn	carbohydrates, grit to grind seeds.		Yellow Millet	Vitamins, and protein

Grit

Occasionally providing grit, such as sand or fine poultry or canary grit, is also beneficial because it is retained in the gizzard where it helps in grinding seeds. Eggshells or crushed limestone can serve as grit and may provide a needed calcium source during the egg-laying season. Grit can be mixed with seeds or placed in a tray or on the ground.

Suet

Suet is especially attractive to insect-eaters such as woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches and is a good winter energy source. Feed your birds suet during cool weather and winter months. Discontinue use when high temperatures reach 70 degrees.