June 30, 2010

Bird Friendly Backyard Oasis

Want your yard to be,
A birdie sanctuary?
Bring nature to you,
It's very simple to do!

Bird is the Word

The typical American backyard is a well-manicured and meticulously pruned landscape. However, if you truly want to enjoy your backyard as a retreat into the natural world, create an ecosystem that serves as a backyard bird oasis. This is not a difficult process and creates a balance that's easily achieved with little thought.

• Four Basic Essentials - The basic elements of a good backyard habitat is food, water, nesting sites, and cover/shelter. Most backyards do not usually have all these elements and must be augmented with "man-made" components such as birdbaths or birdhouses.
• Build a Brush Pile - A brush pile is an inexpensive way to provide cover, shelter, nesting sites, and attract insects. Simply pile up small tree limbs and shrub branches in a corner of your yard, making sure there are spaces between the branches.
• Plant Selection - Be sure to strive to have only native plantings in your garden. Do some research on native plants in your area and try to plant more than one plant of any given variety.
• Birdbaths - Birds constantly clean their feathers to maximize their flying abilities. Set up your birdbaths away from feeders and nesting sites and try to have one bath on a pedestal and another at ground level.

eHow gives a concise summary of how you can build a backyard vird oasis.

The National Wildlife Federation gives details on how you can create a certified wildlife habitat.