Baby Blue Jay finding his way in Lemon tree
Spring is in the air and this morning I awoke to my favorite sound, bird song. Every year, about this time, birds start singing just before dawn, the official heralds of spring. I love watching them come to the birdbath, as they do by the dozens, taking turns as they splash about.
Nesting Season and Providing Habitat
You don’t have to be an ornithologist to enjoy bird watching, but it does help to know their nesting and migratory habits. Nesting season begins in March and continues into August. With urban development comes a lessening of bird habitat, thus it is the home gardener who can help create a safe haven for nesting birds.
This means a few things; allow your trees to go untrimmed for a while and be sure to look before you cut hedges and shrubs, if there is evidence of nesting, leave things alone for now. Give birds protection by leaving parts of your property as "un-gardened" natural areas and of course, no pesticides.
Adding a birdbath to your garden attracts birds to your garden
Drought and Birds
Drought is as hard on birds as it is on us, so provide them with a source of water (this can be anything from a pie pan filled with water to a fountain or birdbath). The "If you build it, he will come" adage applies to birds as well as baseball. Furnishing native birds with a water source will bring them to your garden in droves just like when Kevin Costner (another Santa Barbara local) built that field for the baseball players in "Field of Dreams". (Well, kind of like that)
Washingtonia robusta Mexican Fan Palm is safe haven for all kinds of birds when left untrimmed
Backyard Bird Sanctuary
The Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) when untrimmed becomes a virtual bird Condominium. Barn Owls, brightly colored Orioles and many others nest in the “hulu skirts” of these palms. Plus, palm fronds are a favorite nesting material. Be brave and stop trimming off the dead fronds and have your own "Bird Condo".
Giving birds sanctuary is another way of bringing joy to your life and to your garden. The rewards far outweigh the effort. If you take a moment right now, you’ll hear birds singing for you. That is the payoff, splurge on it! Until next time, fill your garden with joy, and birds!
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song”. Chinese Proverb