Gimme Shelter...for the Birds

Happy New Year to my blog followers! With apologies to the Rolling Stones for this blog title, I'll start the year talking about  some ways to help overwintering wild birds stay safe from bad weather and predators in your backyard. With many of our native bird species declining at an alarming rate, our feathered friends need all the help they can get from those of us who care about their future....

With the exception of hummingbird feeders, winter is the only time of year I hang bird feeders here on our farm. To be honest, feeding wild birds is more about making us feel good than about really helping birds. Birds rely on a variety of natural food sources (seeds, berries, buds, and the various insect life forms that overwinter in leaf litter, plant stems or tree bark) to get themselves through winter, and the best way to help them is to plant as many bird-friendly plants and trees in your surroundings to provide food and habitat throughout the year.

But hanging a feeder is a great way to supplement natural food sources for birds especially after heavy snowfall has buried many seed plants and ground-level food sources, and a bird feeding station near the house is an low-impact way to enjoy nature from indoors. Especially in the worst of the horrid weather when even I (who LIVES to be outdoors) prefer to stay inside...

If you do hang feeders, locate them somewhere that birds can quickly dive for cover if necessary. Birds visiting a crowded feeder in an exposed location are sitting ducks for predators such as hawks looking for a quick meal. Evergreen shrubs and trees (including rhododendron, mountain laurel, yew, hemlock, pine, spruce, fir and cedar) are the best, because they also provide shelter from wind and harsh weather. But any shrub or tree with a twiggy or dense branching structure will give birds a safe place to rest in between feeding. Shrubs such as holly, crabapple and native viburnums are all great "shelter" trees for birds, plus they retain their fruits well into winter to feed hungry birds. 

Any plant with thorns, including wild rose or hawthorn, also provide a safe haven for birds to hide from danger.  Not many predators (especially cats!) are willing to fight with thorny stems for a meal. 

If your family puts up a live Christmas tree at the holidays, consider re-using your discarded Christmas tree as temporary evergreen cover near your winter feeders. The very first year we tried this, within hours, we saw finches, sparrows and chickadees begin to use the tree as a hideout in between visits to our nearby feeding station. And within days, we witnessed real drama when a sharp-shinned hawk held some of them hostage inside the tree:

Can you imagine his beady little eyes watching you inside that tree? This photo still makes me shiver...
The truth is, this hawk was just too slow for our speedy songbirds. At one point (after a good 20 minutes of waiting), a group of brave birds mad e a dash for the shrub border at the edge of our property. The hawk watched and waited a while longer, but after a few minutes, he gave up and flew away in search of easier pickings elsewhere.

So remember, feeding the birds is a nice idea, but make sure you're not lu
ring th
em to certain death at your feeders. Resolve to add some "bird shelter" to your gardens this 
year. I'll be posting over the next few days with some more ideas...
Posted by Ellen Sousa at 1/5/2011 2:50 PM
Categories: Wildlife gardens, Winter bird gardens, Habitat Gardening
Tags: shelter for winter birds
 

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  • 1/6/2011 9:35 AM Carolflowerhillfarm wrote:
    Important post Ellen! Raptors do create a panic in me, when I see them eyeing beloved songbirds. Although I love these bird eaters too.
    Reply to this
    1. 1/6/2011 10:22 AM Ellen wrote:
      You're right Carole, it's tough to watch some of the more gruesome battles that take place out there, when you are basically a softie at heart towards all living things But every healthy ecosystem needs its predators to stay balanced...and as you said, the hawks are beautiful in their own right! And they definitely help me keep those pesky wabbits from eating ALL my veggies in the summer...
      Reply to this
  • 1/6/2011 9:57 AM thevioletfern wrote:
    What a great post! I have been slowly planting my new garden with the birds in mind and it is so much more rewarding to see them eat from the plantings vs. a feeder. My feeders are also placed where they can quickly fly to cover - whew. I have seen several hawks swoop through my garden but come up empty handed.
    Reply to this
    1. 1/6/2011 10:27 AM Ellen wrote:
      Empty-footed? Once the hawks know about your feeder, they seem to make periodic sweeps of the area, don't they? The feeder birds scatter in everywhere direction which is placing the feeder strategically is a good idea. Only once have I witnessed a hawk taking a feeder bird, which was a mourning dove. We did have kind of a lot of them at the time, so in nature's terms, they probably needed "culling" but it was still not easy to watch, I am fond of mourning doves with their gentle ways....
      Reply to this
  • 1/6/2011 4:29 PM Layanee wrote:
    And I just cut the Christmas tree to bits for the mulching of those southwest garden areas with the boughs. I will have to put a nice cover shrub in my bird feeding spot.
    Reply to this
    1. 1/7/2011 1:36 PM Ellen wrote:
      Oops, my post was just a few days too late! Oh well, I know the birds will be just fine in your beautiful garden Layanee...
      Reply to this
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