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| ATTRACTING BACKYARD Long Island BIRDS |
| How To Attract Birds: There are four main things that birds require to survive; FOOD WATER NESTING SHELTER By providing one or two of these necessities, you should be able to attract birds to your yard no matter where you live on Long Island. What you might not have in your yard already, you can add by simply putting out a bird feeder, bird bath, nesting box, or doing some “bird” gardening. In these articles I am going to try and stick with the more basic and simple ways to attract birds. If you decide you want to go further with landscaping for the birds, building a bird pond, or just about anything I will talk about in these articles, there are many wonderful websites dealing with these topics. Do a search and I'll guarantee you'll find a wealth of articles to help you in your endeavors. |
| Food: One of the best ways to attract birds is to do it naturally. You might already have some trees, shrubs, and vines in your yard that yield food in the way of nuts, seeds or berries that many birds dine on. Two of the more common food bearing trees include the Oak which provides acorns (nuts), and the Pine that provides cones which contain seeds. Acorns are relished by many birds, including Blue Jays and Nuthatches. Pine seeds attract Chickadees and Titmice. Other food bearing trees include Chestnut, Walnut, Red Cedar, Mulberry, Dogwood and Juniper. Trees also attract insects either to their flowers, or by providing cracks and crevices where insects lay their eggs. This in turn might attract Warblers to your yard gleaning insects off the leaves....... Full Article Here |
| Water: Birds need water, and not just for drinking purposes. Bathing is a necessity for birds, so they can keep their feathers clean and in top flying condition. If you don’t have a natural water source on your property, don’t worry because it's simple to attract birds to water by supplying a birdbath. Birdbaths can be as simple as a terra cotta plant tray laid on the ground with some water in it, or as elaborate as a bird pond with rocks and running water. In the stores you will see pedestal baths, ground baths, baths that attach to deck railing, heated baths, and so on. But if you’re on a budget, any shallow container that will hold water will do......... Full Article here |
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| Shelter: Shelter is important for birds during bad weather, as a safe place to roost for the night, and as a place to escape from predators such as Hawks. This is where those large trees and shrubs come in handy. Even though you’ll see the birds flying around in the rain and snow, if it gets too severe a bird will look for a spot in a tree, under a branch, or under a shrub where it can be protected from the worst of the storm. Evergreen trees and shrubs are a great spot for birds to roost while waiting for a break in the storm. Evergreen trees, Rhododendron, and Yews offer excellent shelter all year round, and Oaks, Maples, and Wild Grape vines offer excellent shelter in the summer.............. Full Article Here |
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| Nesting Sites: Nesting sites can either be natural (as in the trees, shrubs, vines, etc., that you have in your yard already) or they can be man-made (as in nest boxes and birdhouses). Do you have any dead trees that won’t cause any danger if they fall? Leave them where they are to attract Woodpeckers, and other cavity dwelling birds, that might use them for nesting. Full Article Here |
| The Backyard Corner |
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