Are Texas birds different from birds that live somewhere else?

 They live in Texas, just like we do. And our geography, to a degree, influences birds' preferences, behavior, needs and so on. They must like it here, because our state can boast more species than any other state -- more than 600.

Crested Caracara

Orchard Oriole 

 Despite having the same Latin name, birds here in Texas can be a little different than birds in Illinois, New England, Geoirgia or California, etc. The differences are usually slight, but they make a world of difference to the bird in question. Example: Most of the country has wrens, and the vast majority of the time that means the "House Wren." Books recommend appropriately sized birdhouses, so most wren houses have an entrance hole of 1 1/4 inches in diameter. But the species of wren most often seen here is slightly stouter and chunkier. In spite of some interesting guesses, nobody knows for sure why. But in north Texas, our Bewick's and Carolina Wrens need an entrance hole 1 1/2 inches in diameter. They may not like a house bought at a "big-box" store.

 Texas birds often have different preferences in food. Just like you or I might like or hate grits, lutefisk or mayonnaise on our French fries, birds here often like things their relatives up north won't touch, and vice-versa. For example, no bird here likes milo. In the upper Midwest, they might. Some birds up north will eat corn even if it's old, but here, any birdseed blend containing corn is a waste of your money, and could just attract rodents.

Nesting and nestling-raising are different in Texas. Thanks to our mild-to-hot climate, and the length of the warm season, many bird species that live here may have three "clutches," which is a group of young, per year. The same species in the north, however, may only have two. Keep this in mind if you provide nest material or nest sites for our birds.

 

You'll spot birds at different times in north Texas. When birds migrate from "up north," it takes them some time before they get here. It can be even more regional -- some birds, such as hummingbirds, leave north Texas at a certain time and pass through south Texas a week or so later. Other species, like bluebirds and robins, live in north Texas all year long in spite of their la berl as seasonal birds. So look at any reference book you use; note the residence of the book's author, and take the references with a grain or two of salt.

The plants in your yard also are subject to birds' preferences. For centuries, Texas birds have become accustomed to seeing native Texas plants. Over the eons they've learned how to seek shelter in them, how to eat them, how to build nests in or from them. They've learned what's blooming or going to seed at what time of year; and where predators like to hide. Birds have passed this information on to succeeding generations. If they see a plant whose ancestors came from Madagascar, China, Italy or California, they get confused, and may move on to another yard.

 That's why, if you're serious about attracting birds here, your landscape plants should be native to Texas, or a genetic improvement of a native plant. After all, those are the plants the bird (and all his ancestors) is familiar with.

 I'm not saying that non-Texas plants will repel birds. Anything is better than nothing. Any plant will attract a few birds. But a plant that a Texas bird has learned to recognize will do a far better job of attracting birds. Native plants are used to our hot, dry summers, too. And our poor soil. They've adapted to them over the centuries. They'll still be attracting birds well into September -- when other plants may have died.

 So, if you're serious about attracting birds to your yard, adjust for the fact that you -- and the birds -- are Texans.

 

 

 

homemade Bird-Drip attracts lots of birds on hot days, and recycles too!

We've all seen it - birds are magnetically attracted to dripping water on hot days. Several complicated contraptions are sold in stores that do this.  Some even work!!

However, here's one you can quickly make yourself, with things that are very likely in your house already. The cost - zero.  All you need to find is an empty milk jug, a push-pin, about a gallon of water, and a way to hang it up.

Fill a plastic, one-gallon jug with plain water. Put the jug's lid on loosely and poke a tiny hole (I use a push-pin) on the jug's side, near the bottom (about half an inch above the base). Hang the jug above a birdbath, or an old plate or tray, and let it drip. Tighten or loosen the lid (or poke holes in it) to adjust the flow. Refill as necessary.

This sort of setup is an efficient way to constantly water a plant too, although it may look to your neighbors like you're starting your own landfill.


     

Stick it to them.    Lots of folks are fans of dragonflies and damselflies, in addition to birds. Here’s a simple trick to attract them; just stick a bare twig (2 or 3 ft. long) into the ground. In or near a wet or muddy area is best. Then just sit back and watch the “odonates” (as they’re called) perch on the end of it in hot, sunny weather, to watch for mosquitoes, which they eat voraciously.

 

 

How to care for your landscape in this super-hot weather

crying about it won't help

 

When the weather in north Texas lingers around 100 degrees, and won’t budge, it’ll undoubtedly take a toll on your landscape. This inhumane heat is usually accompanied by relentless drought too, which can spell doom for plants. There’s not
much you can do to change the temperature, but you CAN help your plants survive, although tender, non-native plants are likely to wither away.

Make sure that plants in your yard are native (or well-adapted) to the Texas heat. (You probably should have considered this several months ago, when selecting your plants.)  The plants you have now, that die, should just be left in place. The “remains” will naturally mulch adjacent plants, helping them survive.

Resist the temptation to plant new plants right now, unless you’re prepared to give them extensive daily maintenance. Many plants are nearly dormant in this heat anyway. (As a Landscape Architect, I tell my customers who want to plant now just to dump them right into the trash, after buying them. They’ll probably end up in the trash anyway, and you’ll be saving a step.)   

Right now, mulch is essential. Just about the worst thing you can do is rake up and remove all the “leaf litter” of dead leaves, small twigs and dead plants that currently serve as a natural mulch, keeping moisture from evaporating rapidly and providing a bit of much-needed shade to the root-zone of plants.

For a grassy lawn, cut it as high as possible. Grass won’t grow much now anyway - so you may be able to cut your grass just every other week. The lawn mower I have is now set at “4” (as high as it will go). The logic behind this is that the millions of grass blades provide shade for the root-zone of grass plants; and more shade means more green grass and lower water usage.

When you do water, try not to let the water run off – the object it to allow it to soak into the soil, encouraging roots to grow deeper. Exactly how you accomplish this depends on the watering system and the topography of your landscape. Some folks water for a just a few minutes, every hour or so. Others water in the early morning. The method is not crucial, just keep the goal in mind.

For potted plants and hanging baskets, try putting lots of ice cubes on top of the soil. As they slowly melt they’ll thoroughly water the plant, instead of letting much of it pour out the drain-hole, as it does when liquid is dumped on all at once.

Speaking of water, put out as many birdbaths as possible during the heat. Temporarily use anything that can hold water, and refresh it daily. (an upside-down garbage can lid is more enticing to birds than many “birdbaths” I’ve seen sold in stores.)

Despite everything, some plants are bound to die. That’s the world’s natural process. But remember, the cooler days starting in mid-September aren’t very far away.

A possible solution to hummingbirds' overly-aggressive behavior

Hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive, selfish birds we have in north Texas. They’re bullies. Thank heavens they’re so small or they might try to take over the world… or at least every tree and birdfeeder in it.  They'll chase others from feeders, even if the "chaser" isn't hungry. Juvenile hummingbirds, especially, seem to frequent feeders where they don’t get chased away.

If you have one nectar feeder, you know what I mean! But if there are two or more feeders in the yard, a “bully” usually has a tough time claiming them all. Particularly if the line-of-sight between the feeders is blocked by something like a shrub or corner of the house. The nectar at one feeder can’t be a lot better than at the other, since no Hummingbird likes settling for second-rate food. Both feeders have to be filled with fresh nectar and cleaned regularly.  In our heat, mold can grow easily and quickly. I refill our feeders about every 3 to 5 days (depending on the weather), running the parts under very hot water at the same time. Then, every two or three weeks, I’ll clean them with a solution of one part vinegar to 10 parts water.

      Notice that I never said anything about adding food coloring. That’s a total myth. Red food dye, according to several research studies, can cause genetic defects in Hummingbirds. Most nectar feeders are bright-colored anyway, so it’s totally unnecessary and just not worth the risk. Tie a bright ribbon on your feeder(s) - it works quite well.

 
Ladybug, don’t fly away home           

If you control insects with Ladybugs (and lots of people do) we recommend that you release them at dusk.  Why?  Since you have the domestic variety (and you should!), they instinctively return to their birthplace – probably in the Rocky Mt. foothills. But they don’t fly at night.  So, by releasing them at dusk they’ll stay in your yard and lay lots of eggs. And hungry birds won’t get them at night.

            Asian Ladybugs were imported and let loose several years ago. They can get in your house and  become a nuisance.  Don’t buy them!

 

"birdscape" your back yard, instead of taking a vacation

If vacationing in the Bahamas, Cozumel or Maui isn’t in your budget right now, do something relaxing for yourself anyway. Some people I know have created their own “birdscape” in their back yards - a place where they can go (weather permitting of course) and not worry about phones, emails and such.  Simply watch birds while relaxing in something like a lounge chair.                        A “stay-cation”!

Every birdscape will be different, and size isn’t a big deal at all. Some effective ones are just half of a back yard – maybe 200 or 300 square feet. What matters more is what you put IN the birdscape.

Clearly, you'll want trustworthy, science-based advice on local birds and their preferences. (Not about birds seen by some writer in Vermont, Ohio, or California, or …)  

Not only that, but (as you may know) I’m a licensed Landscape Architect in Texas. I can provide you with a list of bird-attracting plants native to this area, that I’ve personally seen to be durable and effective. One point I’ll always make is that the time to start creating and planning a birdscape is NOW.

A back yard birdscape is certainly not a match for a vacation on some sunny beach, but the millions of people who are taking a “stay-cation” this year will readily tell you it’s a whole lot cheaper and there's no trip to the airport involved.


 

How many birds are in your yard?

You certainly don’t see every single bird that visits the area of your yard, so how do you get a rough headcount? Experts disagree on details, but they’re in the same ballpark. Count the birds you see in your yard in a typical ten second span (count those at your feeders, flying nearby and those just watching). Do it several times and take the average. Multiply that average by 5 or 6 (that’s where they disagree) for a very approximate number of birds who look to your yard for support. his method figures in the birds you don't see - those that are deep in the vegetation, in a nest or high in a tree.

Be as ignorant of property lines as the birds themselves. They could care less about who owns a certain tree or hedge. “If you can see it, you can count it” should be your guideline.

Birds like plenty of space for feeding, and it prevents the spread of disease.  Jockeying for space probably increases a bird's stress level, making it more susceptible to disease. While images of dozens of birds crowded onto a single feeder are attractive, the likelihood of contact between sick and healthy birds grows. To prevent overcrowding, use feeders that minimize physical contact between birds, and provide additional places to feed.  Increase the number of feeders too. By far your most important task is to keep both the feeders and the feeding site clean.

Create a brushpile to attract all sorts of birds

 

A few years ago, trying to rediscover our youth, we spent all of a rather long day wielding pruning shears and saws.  No shrub or tree in the yard was safe. Needless to say, we left a trail of assorted cuttings behind as we let things “fall where they may”.  We’d read about recycling green things on-site and the evils of adding a bunch of prunings to the landfill. So we hauled the brush to an out-of-the-way corner of the yard, thinking somehow it would compost rapidly and magically turn into garden soil.

Curved-bill Thrasher

It didn’t.  Instead we had a 5-foot tall pile of brush that is now totally brown.  (It’s now 7 feet tall, too).

It wasn’t going to disappear, so we thought of a “controlled burn”. After all, it was all dead, dry wood and would burn away to nothing. It would work, if only open fires didn’t create pollution, and weren’t illegal in Denton and most othr north Texas citires.

About then, I saw a rabbit poke its head of the brush pile, and duck back in when he (she?) saw me. Then, being quite still for several minutes, I saw half a dozen Mockingbirds (or did I see one Mockingbird six times?) fly into the brush pile with beaks full of who-knows-what. A noisy little Bewick’s Wren guarded a home in there too. There were probably lots of other creatures in there as well.

No way could we burn the brush pile.  Since then we’ve seen Cardinals, Wrens, Chickadees, Mockingbirds and several birds we didn’t recognize go into, or leave, the brush pile. Once a Roadrunner sat on top of it for a few hours, probably hunting down lizards.

The brush pile (actually, what’s inside it) is now something to be proud of.  If we had it to do over again, we might contain it more decoratively, but certainly wouldn’t get rid of it. Every yard should have one, if only to provide a mini bird-sanctuary. Here’s how;

A brushpile is just a random pile of branches. Ideally, the first foot or so should be made of branches 3 to 6” in diameter, criss-crossed to leave lots of empty spaces inside. Above this, pile trimmings randomly leaving plenty of nooks and crannies for birds to find. It only works if you exclude small stuff like lots of leaves and grass clippings.                That’s all there is to it!