Hartness expert shares top tips for bringing birds to your yard
Spring is in the air and so are our favorite backyard feathered friends! With the arrival of spring, we begin to hear the chirping of birds in our own yards and hope we’ve created an outdoor space they can call home. This spring, how can you create an oasis specifically for attracting these beauties to stay season after season, year after year?
We met with Nature Preserve Manager of Hartness, Matt Medgysey, to find out how we can make small changes in our yards that make a big impact for the birds in our area. According to Medgysey, “It’s not hard; its easy. You just have to be diligent.”
Medgysey has years of experience as Nature Preserve Manager as well as extensive knowledge from tending to his feathered friends in his own yard. He gives us simple solutions that anyone can incorporate into their outdoor routine to ensure we have a variety of beautiful birds returning to our yards year after year.
When it comes time for feeding, there’s two ways that you can make sure your birds have a food source—natural plants and feeders. By planting natural shrubbery and other flowering plants, birds will consistently have live insects and natural seeds to eat. According to the Audubon Society, natural habitats have decreased over time, which has led to a decrease in both insects—specifically caterpillars—and natural seeds and fruit. While in the long run, trees can make the most impact, their growth takes years. “You’re looking at fifteen to twenty years for a tree to mature,” he says.
Medgysey recommends natural shrubbery and flowers to see a more immediate impact in your yard. When planting natural shrubbery, he suggests “late summer to early fall so the plant has time to grow proper roots before the next spring.” He also adds, “It’s important to let your grass and plants come to seed before pruning.” Since the seed is what the birds are looking for, it’s important to allow them to find it. “We are conditioned to prune and make sure things always look pretty but to attract the birds, we must let it grow a little bit longer,” he says.
If you want to go with the seed and feeder route, there are numerous types of feeders that you can include. Whether looking at using a tube feeder or platform feeder, it is important to place it near perching areas. This allows for birds to fly in, eat, and retreat to their safe space of a tree or bush nearby. Medgysey also recommends mixing seed so that it about “30% filler and remainder of seed.” This allows you to change the seed less often but still ensure that the birds have enough seed to eat. He recommends to change out feeders once a week.
Including water features, such as decorative bird baths, will also draw in birds of different types to your yard. Medgysey recommends using clay or cement water features and placing multiple baths around the edges of your yard. The key to keeping these clean and free of harmful fungus and bacteria? Clean them and replace the water once a week.
The final way to create a space for birds to stay is by incorporating birdhouses into your yard. Depending on the bird you are trying to attract, you can include houses in different locations around your yard. The different diameter openings will allow space for different species of local birds to find the perfect place to call home.
Ultimately, creating a space for birds, both local and migratory, can be easy to do with a little intention and the right tools. Medgysey proves that keeping a space ready for birds can just become a part of your weekly routine. From pruning to planting, feeding to watering, it’s not hard to create a beautiful space for homeowners to enjoy with their feathered friends.
What about those pesky critters?
Matt Medgysey, Hartness preserve manager, tells us cayenne pepper is the answer. “You don’t need a lot. It doesn’t bother the birds but it has enough heat to keep the squirrels away,” says Medgysey.
Helping Birds
Trees:
- White Oak
- Southern Red Oak
- Chestnut Oak
- Turkey Oak
- Water Oak
- Willow Oak
Shrubbery:
- American Holly
- Persimmon
- Blackhaw Viburnum
- Serviceberry
- Honeysuckle
- Hazelnut
- Winterberry
- American beautyberry
Flowers:
- Sweet Joe-Pye-weed
- Columbine
- Swamp Milkweed
- Sunflowers
- Coreopsis
- Wild Geranium
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Goldenrod
Grasses:
- Fescue
- Bottlebrush
- Broomsedge
- River Oats
Visit Wild Birds Unlimited for your birding needs. If you’re a beginner the team at Wild Birds Unlimited can support you in finding the perfect accessories to add to your yard. Visit Wild Birds Unlimited at 626 Congaree Rd, Greenville, SC 29607, 864.234.2150, wbu.com
