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Some people grow gardens for the pretty flowers. Others are more practical, and grow gardens for fruits and vegetables. I grow gardens for one overarching purpose: attracting birds.
Actually, haven't gotten very far on this. I still have yet to plant the kind of scrubby cover that will reliably attract Brown Thrashers. I have not yet planted a single flower to attract hummingbirds (that reminds me -- have to refill the feeders!). However, a few weeks ago, while mowing the lawn, I came across a large weed growing along the side fence, by the shed. I bent down to pull it out, and noticed it had several clusters of round, purple berries. "Hmm," I thought. "I wonder if any birds would eat those?" So I left it.
Since then, I have added a new species to my yard list: Gray Catbird. On both occasions, it has been seen by me and confirmed by my five year old, and on both occasions, it has landed in the yard and worked it's way toward the fence before disappearing into the now bush-sized weed. I call that a success. Don't know what the weed is, but it's a keeper.
August 14 2005, 16:00:03 UTC 6 years ago
The hummingbirds that came to my deck last year came for the feeder and the batface.
August 16 2005, 14:24:59 UTC 6 years ago
August 16 2005, 16:33:17 UTC 6 years ago
August 18 2005, 10:38:47 UTC 6 years ago
Should another brown-to-rust-brown, speckled-breasted 8-ish" bird throw itself against my window, I promise to do a better job documenting it!
August 18 2005, 14:02:18 UTC 6 years ago
On the other hand, she did point out that if you put something on the windows, it may stop happening. It is quite likely that the bird is attempting to migrate through your house. Curtains, etc., may help discourage this.
August 19 2005, 17:33:05 UTC 6 years ago
I know about the whole curtains-or-stickers-on-the-window thing. What's weird is that I honestly don't remember any birds doing this at all before this summer. And it's been three different sides of the house (for the deaths). And two of those sides haven't had any change in tree cover or lighting, that I know of anyway.
I did hang a bird feeder on the window closest to where Alex eats lunch, and it is visited almost entirely by sparrows. They sometimes flutter/thud lightly into the window in an attempt to either get to the back side of the feeder or get to the one that is the reflection. Alex thinks this is riotously funny. I must say, it is rather amusing to me as well.
We also still get tons of hummingbirds at our feeder on the front window. When Alex sees one he tells me, "Clu clu clu" (Mommy, I see a bird!). I'll say to him, "What kind of bird?" He answers, "Hmmmmmm!"