It’s really felt like the seasons are changing these past few days. My eyes and ears are suddenly more aware of birds–more of them, louder and more visible. It’s a great time of year (without the cover of leaves and flowers) to observe how birds interact with plants. Last year’s nests hang off bare branches, sapsucker damage is evident on snags and dormant tree trunks, and the remaining berries on shrubs are fast disappearing.
Native tree species such as Oak, Black Cherry, American Holly, and Eastern Red Cedar provide food and shelter. Smaller shrubs such as Winterberry, Sambucas, and Arrowood Viburnum are fantastic staples of the understory. Many of these woody plants are considered 3- or 4-season plants, providing color and visual interest throughout the year, including the leaves and berries that continue to cling in February providing cover and food for birds.
Westport Woods offers the opportunity to see native plant gardens designed for the enjoyment of people, insects, and birds!
Winter Life
Watching birds interact with the plants in our yards, gardens, and open spaces remind me that natural areas teem with life all year round. As I can clearly see and hear, we are entering the part of the year when birds pair and mate, even as I can see that plants that give birds sustenance through the winter have no more berries to give. By early Spring, last year’s berries are gone at the same moment that the nutritional requirements to raise young are at their highest. How can I plan a garden or habitat restoration project that will provide what birds need at this time of year?
Everyone Eats
By and large, birds need the protein provided by insects to lay eggs and raise their young. We’re familiar with the showy visitors to summer flowers–butterflies and hummingbirds. But rising sap and spring ephemerals bring other insects that provide early protein for birds: ants and beetles are the first to arrive, followed by insects attracted to nectar and pollen, and those caterpillars who love to munch on leaves and soft, woody tissue. A variety of plants will determine the variety of insects, and the more insects, the more birds to eat them! You will have to put up with some holes in your leaves, but birds literally cannot live without the insects that make up this vital part of healthy ecosystems.
Messy Beds for More Bugs
It goes without saying that bird advocates will need to think twice about insecticides and herbicides that eradiate invertebrates. Entomologists and botanists recommend dense plantings in layers that mimic the natural forest, and ground covers around trees rather than lawn. But even before planting season comes, gardeners and bird lovers can do their part. Early March brings out gardeners with fingers itching to get busy. I want to caution you about clearing out the hollow stems and leaf litter in which insects overwinter or lay overwintering eggs. Best practices encourage gardeners to leave the litter and don’t disturb the soil in your beds until temps average 50 degrees.
If you love birds and want more avian visitors, promote sound soil health to encourage plant growth that will begin to catalyze the annual spring food chain. As the saying goes, “Start from the ground up” and you won’t be disappointed.
special thanks to Sue Viskin for the phenomenal photo of the overwintering Praying Mantis!