RSS Feed
Archives for February 2008
How to Identify and Attract the American Robin
Do robins visit your wildlife porch, patio, or backyard but don't stay long? Have you ever wondered about a robin's call or where robins take shelter?
A solid introduction to outdoor container gardening. It asks several good, thought-provoking questions. An excerpt:
* » Do you see an array of tall annuals filling up a corner and tapering to your patio floor, a garden of blossoms cascading over your front step, or a trellised vine decorating an empty outdoor wall?
* » Do you see an outdoor container garden in your favorite color or do you envision a multi-color container garden?
* » Do you prefer the demure look of a low-growing garden, the bold look of taller plants or is variety in size the spice of your life?
What's My Dream Wildlife Porch? Part 4: Bird Feeders
This is the fourth in a series on ideas for a dream wildlife deck. This week I'm focusing on bird feeders for the bird food I listed last week.
11 Artistic and Elegant Feeders to Brighten Your Outdoor Area
Tired of the same old bird feeders?
I've put together a list of certain elegant bird feeders you may not have seen before.
Site Upgrade This Weekend
If you notice anything looking a little strange this weekend here at The Wildlife Porch, just give it a few minutes and try visiting here again.
I'll be doing some maintenance work this weekend, including an upgrade of the blog hosting tool from b2evolution and an updated site design. I plan to have the site fully upgraded by Monday.
Enjoy the wildlife this weekend,
- Cindy Rae
Attract Different Wild Birds to Your Wildlife Porch with Worms and Insects
Want to attract a different set of wild birds to your small outdoor space? Or perhaps try something different than the standard birdseed and nut combinations?
Worms and insects may be the answer.
Want to know what birds, butterflies, or amphibians can be seen in your area? What a particular bird sounds like? How to garden for wildlife? What critters are endangered in your area? Information about birding? Parks for wildlife? Frequently asked questions?
eNature has quality answers to the above, and more.
Note that, although packed full of useful wildlife information, the site contains very little information on attracting wildlife to your home's small wildlife area.
What's My Dream Wildlife Porch? Part 3: Bird Food
Updated on 2/26/2008
This is the third in a series on my own small "dream" wildlife porch (or deck). This week I'm focusing on food that attracts wild birds like birdseed and nuts (in another post I'll cover plants that provide food).
What Types of Sunflower Seeds Can You Feed Wild Birds?
Sunflower seed is perhaps the #1 choice to feed wild birds. If you want to attract wild birds to your porch, balcony, or other small space, you may want to try black oil sunflower seed, striped sunflower seed, hulled sunflower seed, or even growing your own dwarf sunflowers.
Build a Birdhouse for Your Wildlife Porch
Building a birdhouse or roost can be fun and inexpensive. Although you may have limited space, borrowing a friend's garage or asking a relative to help you make it are viable options.
Plans are available from Internet sources and print sources. Whatever the plan, make sure it results in a good bird house.
The count is fun and easy for kids and adults, and it's easy to participate:
1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes during February 15–18, 2008. Count birds at as many places and on as many days as you like—just keep a separate list of counts for each day and/or location.
2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time, and write it down...
...and #3: enter your results through the GBBC web page.
A link to a guide on bird houses. Although it doesn't include specific plans, it gives very detailed information on the nesting habits and habitat for various birds.
...more than 50 species of birds that will normally nest in birdhouses or its variation such as nesting shelves and platforms.
The Birdhouse Network out of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has great resources to learn more about birdhouses, nesting requirements of various birds, nest-box competitors, and recommended reading.
What's My Dream Wildlife Porch? Part 2: Providing Water
This is the second in a series on my own small "dream" wildlife area. This week I'll be covering water sources.
What are your dream birdbaths or other water sources?
This book on container water gardens
While this article on how to make your own water garden doesn't focus on wildlife, it still is a beautiful look-see on the basics.
...small gardens can be even better—they permit you to get close enough to really appreciate the intriguing foliage of the aquatic plants, their spectacular flowers, and their sometimes vibrant scents.
How to Enjoy Wildlife by Providing Water on your Porch, Balcony, or Deck
Providing water on your wildlife porch, patio, or deck can mean anything from a shallow saucer to a barrel pond or a formal fountain. Saucers and even birdbaths are perhaps easier to maintain, while barrel water gardens and fountains can be a creative touch.
Attract Wild Birds with Suet
Winter is a great time to feed wild birds suet, although suet can be a year-round food source. Suet is animal or vegetable fat and is usually bought commercially as rendered suet with added seeds, nuts, or other bits of food. Rendered suet doesn't spoil as quickly and is more easily handled.
You can also buy suet that isn't rendered for easy spreading on tree trunks or other surfaces, or you can make your own.
Your birds will devour these high quality suet cakes fortified with calcium for egg and bone development... The variety of flavors, cherry, apple, blueberry, sunflower, berry and high energy will keep them coming back to see what flavor is next on the menu...
An article from Doctors Foster and Smith covering the benefits of and ways to provide suet.
An interesting yet frightening study.
A study conducted by a team of Stanford researchers has drawn out a grim scenario of what is likely to befall land-bird species worldwide as average temperatures continue to rise, narrowing the range limits of their increasingly vulnerable habitats. Cagan Sekercioglu, the study's lead scientist, estimates that up to 30% of the world's land birds could go extinct by 2100 if present trends continue.
An entertaining site by Dana Hanley about attracting wild birds in your own backyard. Much of the information applies to those of us with even smaller wildlife areas like patios or balconies.
The great outdoors is sometimes a little far and a little difficult to navigate, especially with young children. Here, we bring a little of the great outdoors to you, in your own backyard. Just turn off the tv, look out the window, and enjoy the great backyard with backyard birding.
What's My Dream Wildlife Porch? An Introduction
It's a cold, blustery day here, with five inches of snow on the ground and more falling, driving down. It turns my thoughts to spring and wildlife, and to what would my dream wildlife area would be.
If time and money were not constraints, what would I do for a wildlife area?
The Scoop on Birdseed
Want to get the best birdseed for your money?
Understanding the types of birdseed - along with a few tips - can make attracting wild birds to your patio, balcony, or deck that much more enjoyable.
4 Kinds of Birdbaths to Attract Wild Birds and Other Wildlife
What kinds of birdbaths are available for your porch, patio, deck, balcony, or other small outdoor area?
Birdbaths range from simple to elaborate styles and are made from materials such as stone, glass, plastic, concrete, or metal. Some birdbaths include fountains, drippers, bubblers, or wave generators; others incorporate solar or electric heaters.
Based on appearance, the four basic types are pedestal, hanging, mounted, and ground-level birdbaths. Other creative types exist, like this Vintage Chair Bird Bath.
