An article by Frances L. Hamilton in the
Wilmington News Journal, January 31, 1988

                       Landscaping for the birds
                                    
                    Planning gives your yard an edge
                                    
The great wasteland of the American lawn--it's our nation's most pathet-
ically underused  environmental resource.   And  now's the time to start
doing something about it.

Spend the  dull days of February planning a horticultural attack on your
back yard, to make it a haven for birds and other wildlife

There are all kinds of high-minded justifications for this kind of land-
scape scheme.   Thoughtfully  carried out,  it benefits  birds and other
wild creatures.   It  makes the  neighborhood more attractive to people.
It enriches  your own life by making your surroundings more interesting,
more restful--and more valuable on the real estate market.

But that's  not why  I plan  my plantings  for birds.  I do it because I
like it.   I enjoy the company of birds, their companionable calling and
melodious songs, their bright presence in my garden.

Even in  a tiny  city courtyard,  birds can  be drawn  in with  a modest
flower border  furnished with  plants whose  seeds nourish birds, plus a
couple of  trees chosen  not only  for their  beauty, but also for their
usefulness to birds.

Amazingly small  fragments of  habitat will attract unexpected species--
two shining  examples are the swamp sparrows that nested one summer in a
tub of cattails in a reflecting pool on the Mall in downtown Washington,
and the  hummingbird that stopped one fall at an isolated flowering herb
(pineapple thyme,  I think) on Washington Street in center city Wilming-
ton.

In a  suburban neighborhood, a lawn planted for birds brings along other
wildlife as  a bonus--rabbits, raccoons, turtles, toads, harmless snakes
(in Delaware,  that's really all we have), gray squirrels, flying squir-
rels.  The back yard can become a very interesting place.

Three things  attract birds:  food, shelter,  and water.   Bird feeders,
nest boxes  and birdbaths  will help--but  providing food and shelter by
way of your plantings is more effective and, in the long run, easier.

Besides, nest  boxes attract  only the birds that nest in cavities; most
bird feeders  attract only the birds that eat seeds or suet.  A thought-
fully landscaped yard will pull in a much greater variety.

House shoppers  who are  nature enthusiasts can save themselves a lot of
trouble by choosing a house with grounds already attractive to wildlife.
Ideally, the place will have some natural water--pond, stream or marsh--
and a variety of habitats.

Woodland, thickets  and meadow  produce the  greatest variety  of birds;
lawn is almost devoid of wildlife and deep woods are sparsely populated.
What you  want is  EDGE--the borders  between woods and thicket, thicket
and meadow are richest in wildlife.

If you  want to improve the habitat on a place you already own, start by
making an  inventory of what's there.  Consider what's available in your
neighbor's yards,  too--birds don't  observe human  property boundaries.
Look for sources of water, for evergreen and deciduous trees, for thick-
ets, for weedy areas.

Draw a  rough map of your property, showing its natural resources--lawn,
shade trees,  hedge, windbreak,  whatever is already there.  If you have
an annoying  wet spot somewhere on the place, put it on the map and con-
sider it a treasure--you can develop it as a tiny marsh.

Now, start  planning your  own yard, making it a rich part of the neigh-
borhood environment.  Keep variety in mind.  Think edge.

Landscape-planning help  is available  not only in ordinary garden books
but also  in special  publications about landscaping for wildlife.  Some
reliable books  are named  in one  of the lists accompanying this story;
the best  one I've  seen that's  still in  print is "The Audubon Society
Guide to Attracting Birds" by Stephen W. Kress (Charles Scribner's Sons,
$24.95).

Another handy aid is a planning kit sold by the National Wildlife Feder-
ation.   It comes  with booklets,  plant lists,  a template to help draw
your plan,  graph paper,  etc.  To order it by mail, send your check for
$19.70 ($16.95  plus $2.75  for postage  and handling) and a request for
Item No. 79907, "Gardening With Wildlife" kit, to National Wildlife Fed-
eration, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA  22184.

Other lists  accompanying this article name plants particularly loved by
birds, including  trees, shrubs, vines, hummingbird favorites--and inva-
sive plants that birds love but you won't.  Memorize that last list, be-
cause many  otherwise reliable  authorities will recommend the rampaging
plants that are on it.

Your garden  doesn't have to be rank and scrubby to attract birds.  Make
it pretty;  choose your  trees and shrubs for beauty as well as wildlife
potential.  Try to stick to native American plants--they tend to be more
disease-resistant than the foreigners, and they're less likely to become
invasive.   Select plants  with varying fruiting periods so that there's
food available throughout the year.

Your privacy  screen or  windbreak will  double as shelter for birds and
animals, and  will offer food as well if you select the proper trees for
it.

Substitute ground  covers for  grass in parts of your lawn where there's
not much foot traffic, selecting low-growing plants that produce berries
for birds.

Vary heights--different  birds operate at different levels.  Plant vines
and shrubs at the bases of your trees.

Include in  your flower  borders some  plants that produce seeds for the
birds--possibilities include  aster, bachelor's  button, calendula, cam-
panula,  chrysanthemum,   black-eyed  Susan,   coreopsis,dusty   miller,
marigold, phlox,  portulaca, and  zinnia.  Leave the dead flowers on the
plants after they've bloomed so they'll go to seed for the birds.

Ground-feeding birds  such as towhees like to scratch in leaf litter un-
der trees  and shrubs, so don't keep the ground swept clean.  Allow dead
leaves to  pile up  and decay.   The litter acts as a mulch, keeping the
ground moist  and loose.  In the more manicured sections of your garden,
you can  keep a  tidy look and confine loose leaves by edging shrub bor-
ders with bricks or timbers.

Ground-feeding birds  also love  changes in slope.  The terracing can be
planted in horizontal material such as cotoneasters or lowbush bluberry.

If you're  lucky enough  to have  woods, keep in mind that an occasional
woodland opening  is attractive to wildlife.  Don't be such a fussbudget
that you  clear away  the dead  limbs and  snags in  your woods--they're
nesting places for woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice and other birds.

In addition to your plantings, you probably will want some bird feeders,
a birdbath  if you  have no  pond or stream, perhaps even a dust-bathing
pit for birds.

Many commercial  birdbaths are  too steep and too deep.  The bath should
have a  very gentle incline into the water, which should be no more than
2 or 3 inches deep.

Shy birds  such as  warblers and  wood thrushes are more likely to visit
the bath if it's tucked into a shady spot, though such a site is vulner-
able to cats.  If cats are a threat in your neighborhood, keep the bird-
bath out  in the  open.   Birds also prefer baths at ground level, where
the rain puddles are--but again, if cats are a problem, put your bath on
a pedestal.

Many birds,  including kinglets,  sparrows, even hawks, love dust baths.
They fluff  themselves and  flutter int eh dust--perhaps to rid the body
of feather  lice.   Whatever the  reason, a dusting area attracts birds.
To make  one, prepare  an area  3 feet  on each  side and 6 inches deep,
edged with  brick.   Fill it  with a  mixture of one part sand, one part
loam, one part sifted ash.

If undergrowth  is sparse  on your  undeveloped lot,  a brush  pile will
stand wildlife  in good  stead while  your new  landscaping  is  getting
started.  Even a small pile of evergreen boughs will provide shelter for
an amazing  number of  little birds, but laying a foundation of logs or,
even better,  ceramic drain  tiles will give small animals a safe hiding
place as well.

Pile cut  shrubs and  pruned branch  on top  of the foundation to make a
peaked mound.   You  will be  astonished at the number of creatures that
will call a brush pile home.


                 =====================================


                            Trees For Birds

      American holly (Ilex opaca) -- evergreen shelter with fruits
                loved by  bluebird,  cedar  waxwing,  mockingbird.
                Plant female  trees in  clumps with  one male tree
                for pollination.
      
      Apple (Malus pumila) -- beloved by bluebirds as a nest site,
                also offers  fruits for birds, fragrant blossoms--
                but DON'T  SPRAY!  Old, neglected trees can be re-
                vived as  grand havens  for birds by pruning roots
                and limbs, fertilizing.
      
      Crabapples --  small flowering  trees.   Pick varieties with
                small fruits, including the native Malus coronaria
                and the varieties Arnold, Bob White, Donald Wyman,
                Japanese, Dorothea,  Hillieri, Jackie,  Mary, Pot-
                ter, Sargent, Siberian, Snowbank, Toringo, Drifter
                and Tea.
      
      Dogwood (Cornus  florida) --  that choice  native ornamental
                whose berries are eaten by 36 bird species.  Plant
                as it occurs naturally in partial shade, moist but
                well-drained soil--to  help avoid  disease, insect
                troubles.
      
      Hawthorns --  small, spiny  trees important  for fruit, nest
                sites.   Cockspur hawthorn  (Crataegus crus-galli)
                and Washington  thorn (C.  phaenopyrum) are  espe-
                cially useful.
      
      Mulberry --  few trees are as attractive to songbirds as the
                messy old  red mulberry  (Morus rubra).  Give it a
                space far  from sidewalks or patios, so the fallen
                fruit won't annoy you.
      
      Oaks --  acorns of  the white  oak (Quercus alba), black oak
                (Q. velutina),  pin oak  (Q. palustris),  northern
                red oak  (Q. rubra)  and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea)
                are important  to birds  and mammals.   Wood ducks
                love acorns of the bur oak (Q. macrocarpa).
      
      Pine --  important for  shelter  and  nesting  and  38  bird
                species eat  the seeds  of the  Eastern white pine
                (Pinus strobus).
      
      Sassafrass (Sassafras  albidum) -- a weedy tree you probably
                won't plant--but  if the birds plant it for you in
                a convenient place, keep it.  Pileated woodpecker,
                kingbird, catbird,  bluebird  and  red-eyed  vireo
                love the fruit; leaves turn bright orange in fall.
      
      Sweetgum  (Liquidambar   styraciflua)  --  disease-resistant
                tree, beautiful  in autumn,  whose seeds are loved
                by many birds.  Plant where the stickery seedballs
                won't be a nuisance.
      
      Tulip poplar  (Liriodendron tulipifera)  -- beautiful  shade
                tree with handsome flowers loved by hummingbirds.
      
      Wild cherry  -- including  black cherry  (Prunus  serotina),
                whose fruits  attract 47  bird  species,  and  pin
                cherry (P.  pennsylvanica),  loved  by  bluebirds.
                Messy trees--plant away from walks, patios.


                 =====================================


                            Shrubs and Vines
                                    
      Alder (Alnus  serrulata) --  tall shrub  useful for  natural
                plantings around  ponds and streams.  Offers shel-
                ter, also  seeds for  goldfinches,  pine  siskins,
                redpolls.
      
      American elder (Sambucus canadensis) -- late-summer food and
                nesting cover.
      
      Arborvitae (Thuja  occidentalis) --  used in  hedges;  great
                nest site plus preferred food for pine siskin.
      
      Blueberry, highbush  (Vaccinium corymbosum)  and lowbush (V.
                angustifolium) --  important for  food; needs acid
                soil.
      
      Brambles (including blackberries, raspberries and their rel-
                atives) --  their tangles  provide shelter; impor-
                tant food source.
      
      Greenbrier (Smilax  rotundifolia) --  a woody vine you won't
                plant, but  leave it  in your woods if it's there.
                Berries are  important to  20 bird  species,  deer
                love the  leaves and  the  thickets  provide  nest
                sites.
      
      Huckleberries --  for food  and nest  sites, especially  box
                huckleberry (Gaylussacia  brachycera), a beautiful
                native evergreen sub-shrub up to 2 feet high whose
                fruits are  eaten by  51 bird  species; and  black
                huckleberry (G.  baccata), which  is fruit  for 24
                species.
      
      Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) -- evergreen shrub for shelter,
                berries.
      
      Red-osier dogwood  (Cornus stolonifera)  -- dense cover plus
                plentiful fruit.
      
      Serviceberries --  small trees  and shrubs  of the  American
                woodlands, provides  abundant fruit.   Downy shad-
                blow (Amelanchier  arborea) is an excellent choice
                as large shrub or small tree for a shady yard.
      
      Viburnums -- shrubs valuable for shelter and emergency food,
                especially American  highbush cranberry  (Viburnum
                trilobum).
      
      Virginia creeper  (Parthenocissus  quinquefolia)  --  native
                vine; berries are an important food.
      
      Wild grapes  -- many  species;  provide  fruit  and  nesting
                sites.


                 =====================================


                        Hummingbirds' Favorites
                                    
      Azalea -- the flowering shrubs.
      
      Beebalm or  Oswego tea  (Monarda didyma) -- perennial flower
                of the  mint family.  Tends to mildew in our area,
                so give it an airy spot.
      
      Black locust  -- a flowering tree, also called yellow locust
                or false acacia (Robinia pseudo-acacia).
      
      Buckeye  --   flowering  trees   including  horse   chestnut
                (Aesculus  hippocastanum)  and  Ohio  buckeye  (A.
                glabra).
      
      Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) -- creeping carpet plant with blue
                flowers in late spring.
      
      Butterfly bush  (Buddleia davidi)  -- shrub  with  lilaclike
                blooms, known  for attracting butterflies but also
                loved by hummingbirds.
      
      Butterfly  milkweed   --  deep-rooted  perennial  (Asclepias
                tuberosa) whose  brilliant orange flowers also at-
                tract butterflies.    Resents  transplanting;  buy
                container-grown plants or grow from seed.
      
      Cardinal  flower  (Lobelia  cardinalis)  --  perennial  wild
                flower, needs moist soil, shade.
      
      Columbine --  perennial flowers including the native Aquile-
                gia canadensis.
      
      Coralbells -- perennial garden flower.
      
      Coralberry  --   native  shrub  with  reddish-purple  fruits
                (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus).
      
      Dahlia -- many types of garden flowers.
      
      Evening primrose -- perennial and biennial flowers (some are
                invasive).
      
      Fire Pink (Silene virginica) -- a native wild flower.
      
      Four-O'clock --  an old-fashioned  garden flower  (Mirabilis
                jalapa) grown as an annual.
      
      Fuschias -- many kinds, including those in hanging baskets.
      
      Gladiolus -- especially the bright red variety Flash.
      
      Hibiscus --  flowering shrubs,  especially the old-fashioned
                althaea or Rose-of-Sharon (H. syriacus).
      
      Hollyhock -- old-fashioned perennial.
      
      Honeysuckle --  including limber  honeysuckle (Lonicera  di-
                vica), a shrubby vine; orange honeysuckle (L. cil-
                iosa )--a  shrub; and trumpet honeysuckle (L. sem-
                pervirens), a  twining shrub--but  avoid the inva-
                sive Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica).
      
      Jewelweed or  snapweed --  a member of the impatiens family,
                not refined  enough for the cultivated garden, but
                let it grow for the hummers in wild areas.
      
      Larkspur -- the delphiniums, perennial and annual flowers.
      
      Lily --  especially tiger  and  turkscap  lilies,  flowering
                bulbs.
      
      Mimosa tree or silk tree (Albizzia julibrissin).
      
      Morning glory -- annual flowering vine.
      
      Nasturtium -- annual flower.
      
      Pea tree -- a hedge plant (Caragana arborescens).  A new one
                on me, but it sounds worthy of investigating.
      
      Penstemon -- various perennial flowers.
      
      Petunia -- annual flower.
      
      Phlox -- perennial flower.
      
      Scarlet runner  bean (Phaseolus  coccineus) -- a vine, grown
                as an annual for ornament.
      
      Scarlet sage -- annual flower.
      
      Snapdragon -- annual flower.
      
      Torch lily  -- various  garden perennials  are  also  called
                flame flower or poker-plant.
      
      Trumpetcreeper -- shrubby perennial vine (Campsis radicans).
      
      Tulip poplar (liriodendron tulipifera) -- majestic flowering
                shade tree.
      
      Verbena -- annual flower.
      
      Weigela -- flowering shrub.
      
      Zinnia -- annual flower.


                 =====================================


                             Helpful Books
                                    
      Attracting Birds:  From the  Prairies to  the  Atlantic,  be
                Verne E.  Davison --  supremely useful, but out of
                print, try your library.
      
      The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds, by Stephen W.
                Kress, sponsored by the Laboratory of Ornithology,
                Cornell  University,  $24.95  (Charles  Scribner's
                Sons).
      
      The Backyard  Bird Watcher,  by George  H. Harrison,  $16.95
                (Simon and Schuster).
      
      Beyond the Bird Feeder, by John V. Dennis, $13.95 (Knopf).
      
      The Bird  Feeder Book,  by Donald  & Lillian  Stokes,  $8.95
                (Little, Brown & Co.).
      
      A Complete  Guide to Bird Feeding, by John V. Dennis, $18.95
                (Alfred a. Knopf).
      
      Watching Birds,  by Roger  F. Pasquier, $9.95 (Houghton Mif-
                flin Co.).
      
      Wildlife in Your Garden, (subtitle: "Dealing with deer, rab-
                bits, raccoons,  moles, crows,  sparrows and other
                of nature's  creatures  in  ways  that  keep  them
                around but  away from your fruits and vegetables")
                by Gene Logsdon, $14.95 (Rodale Press).


                 =====================================


                           The Lunatic Fringe
                                    
              The birds love these ramping vegetables, but
              you and  your neighbors  will hate them for-
              ever.    You'll  see  them  recommended  for
              wildlife plantings,  even in otherwise reli-
              able books,  but for  your sake--don't plant
              them!
              
      Bittersweet (Celastrus  scandens)  --  a  smothering  native
                American  vine  that  blankets  parts  of  Chester
                County, Pa.
      
      Elaeagnus shrubs, any of them -- autumn olive (E. umbellata)
                and Russian olive (E. angustifolia) are spread ev-
                erywhere by seeds in birds' droppings.
      
      Japanese honeysuckle  (Lonicere japonica)  -- pretty  is  as
                pretty does, and it's invasive.
      
      Kudzu vine  (Pueraria thunbergiana) -- a handsome devil that
                weighs down  woodland by the acre.  It's most per-
                vasive in the South, but also is smothering wooded
                areas near Kennett Square, Pa.
      
      Multiflora rose  (Rosa multiflora)  -- a hedgerow plant that
                is choking fields all over the Delmarva Peninsula.
      
      


                 =====================================



              The foregoing  article was  spotted and for-
              warded to  us by our roving correspondent in
              Northern Delaware, Joe Buday.  Thanks, Joe!
