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Things With Wings
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: May 2024
Birds of a feather flock together when gardens and lawns are planned with care and compassion.
Birds of a feather flock together when gardens and lawns are planned with care and compassion.
Did you know a pair of Carolina Chickadees needs 6,000-9,000 caterpillars to feed one brood? For songbirds, 96 percent of their food is caterpillars. Your backyard Camelot is their Worm-a-lot.
It’s nesting season now. Brooders welcome your support in the worm world.
While it’s great to put out birdseed in Winter, in the Spring bears are likely to forage your feeders. That can be a whole bunch of too-much. Instead of struggling with feeders, spend your seed-money on planting at least one native tree in your yard. You’ll have a choir of grateful songbirds serenading you for decades. A native oak tree can support caterpillars of over 500 species of butterflies and moths for the lifetime of the tree.
Butterfly-lovers, don’t worry about birds eating too many butterfly larvae. Pollinators lay zillions of eggs. It’s Mother Nature’s time-tested plan, and it supports a huge branch on her family tree, literally and figuratively.
That means feed the worms whilst feeding the birds. Provide plants that butterflies and moths require to reproduce, like native milkweed for Monarchs and plants in the carrot family for Swallowtails. Most butterfly food plants are grown in full sun, so plan your butterfly and bird gardens appropriately.
After you get that worm-attracting oak planted, invest in native plants that produce seeds, berries, nuts and nectars. Next, consider providing nesting areas to which you can install nesting boxes, birdbaths, a fresh water source, and low plants for hoppers (like thrashers). Weed away invasive plants which can crowd out food sources native birds require.
Read more about habitat plantings in Garden for Wildlife from the National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org). Visit nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/Plants and enter your zip code. You’ll discover native flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs appropriate to your personal Camelot’s Worm-a-lot.
Another marvelous resource is the Audubon Society (Audubon.org), which suggests backyard habitat layers.
1. Large canopy trees (more Worm-a-lots) provide shelter, roosting spots, nest cavities, and food like nuts and insects;
2. Small trees and shrubs which produce berries, fruits, and nesting sites;
3. Perennials, annuals, and groundcovers are a rich habitat for pollinators;
4. Decaying mulch and leaves that provide homes for insects and a bird banquet.
And you can reach Highlands Plateau Audubon at P.O. Box 833, Highlands, N.C., 28741, call (678) 469-9827, or email [email protected].
