It looks to me like you have many, many possibilities for this property, for making a bird garden.

Everyone on this forum is incredibly helpful with advice.

I also would recommend a book by Stephen Kress, "The Bird Garden," which gives a ton of information, based on each region in the U.S., on how to put together a bird garden that will succeed. He has done 1-2 other books on the same topic, too.

Also, just for use as a guide (but it's also fun), check out the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Habitat program. It gives some very basic requirements for a habitat, and if you think along those guidelines I think it's very helpful, it has been for me.

Looking at your photos - is the tray with the dish on it for the birds? If it is, it is also a tray for the squirrels - that will be easy pickings for them. I would try a feeder on a tall pole with a baffle below it, or hang a feeder up high from a tree and put a baffle above it, and make sure no tree limbs below that a squirrel can jump from.

As anyone here will tell you, squirrels are ingenious. If there is a way to get to that seed, they will.

Good luck - I have just been working on this for the first time myself this summer. You have to be patient, I've found, but when you get some things figured out and start having birds visit, it's AWESOME!

It looks like you have a good place to start. I am trying to make our place in the woods more wildlife friendly too.

When we pick up branches etc. in the woods we made a brush pile and add to it each year. We don't cut down any dead trees that are not near the house because alot of cavity-nesting birds will use the holes that woodpeckers make.

Shrubs or trees that hold their berries well into the winter are valuable. In zone 4 popular ones are Flowering Crabapple trees and Highbush Cranberry.

We don't have any water except for two swamps and a vernal pool that all dry up during the summer. We have had a drought here for several years. I have always had two birdbaths out, but this summer I made a water garden. I plan to add grasses for frogs and toads to lay their eggs on. Birds also drink out of that as does other wildlife including the nuisance bear...........which is why I can't feed the birds in the summer.

Good luck and have fun!

woodlandgirl,
you have a nuisance BEAR?
i'm not going to complain about any unwanted critters in my garden ever again!
min

Hi,

I have been doing some research on possible plants to plant in that area. I have been thinking about the following plants:

Purple Coneflower
Bergamot / Bee Balm
Black eye susan
Royal Catchfly
Columbine

The area is on the North West side of the house. There's trees one side and the house on another. The trees are far enough away that the area is not entirely in the shade, but is not entirely in the sun either. Currently grass is growing there. My question is if there's enough sun to grow the plants there.

There's already some Bee Balm growing on the side of the house, so I am guessing that the soil will support this type of plant.

One issue is that it is next to the wetland. The area is dry, but we had some freak rainstorm in spring that caused the entire street to flood. I don't think it happens that often, but I am afraid that this will kill the plants.

Note the goal is to attract birds and make things look native. My wife's preference is to have things in red, yellow, and orange color, though she really likes the purple cornflowers. I prefer to have stuff that are fairly low maintenance. No fussy plants :-)

Paul

Also, check online for your state's native plant database. You can google that to get a list of preferred plants. You can also find lists of invasives to avoid. There are now coneflowers in other colors than the pinkish ones. You could choose some of those to fit into your DW's color preferences.Looks like a wonderful yard and there are lots of possibilities. I would place your bird bath close to the trees-you may need to level a spot, but you certainly have lots of places for bird baths! Keep posting pics as you go forward!

pualsiu-
Beautiful photos of your backyard!

So you're looking to grow native plants (no fussy plants) to attract birds and local wildlife? Or just birds?

I suggest researching or observing which species of birds and other wildlife frequent the wetland area behind your backyard.

Species of birds that might appear in wetlands include: Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, Ibises, Cranes, Rails, Gallinules, Plovers, Sandpiper, Gallinule, Avocet. Hard to say for sure without knowing what region of the U.S. you are located in.

You should consider that some wetland birds' main diet may consist of toads, frogs, salamanders, lizards, snails, crustaceans, insects, wetland insects, etc.

So you might want to ask yourself this:
If I want to attract bird species X, which eats toad species Y, which plants do I need in order to attract insect species Z that toad species Y eats. Get it? (hee hee)

Becoming familiar with the wildlife/birds in your area will give you a better idea of exactly which species of plants to put in your backyard in order to attract them.

BooBooBearBecky

Here is a link that might be useful: WildlifeGardeners

Oh what I would give to backup to a wetland. You are very fortunate to have that in your backyard. You could also stop mowing that small patch of grass and let mother nature take it over if the neighbors don't mind. Enjoy!