In newly-developed housing areas, wild birds may not feel
safe from predators (such as hawks, bigger birds and domesticated cats), and
may not want to visit frequently, as they did before. This is largely because
the old, familiar vegetation may be gone, and new trees and shrubs may not be big
enough yet, and numerous enough, to provide good places to hide. Tall (over 3
ft.) native grasses may be the answer temporarily, until the trees and such in
your yard get bigger.
Many birds (cardinals are one)
prefer to nest in trees on the edge of a grassland. An evenly spaced line of trees doesn’t
accomplish this. That’s why I recommend
an informal “clump” of at least three trees (and maybe some shrubs too) which
will provide a somewhat private place to build a nest.
the Ultimate Bug Zapper Just one common,
ordinary bat will eat roughly 183 tons of insects in its lifetime. When
you consider that a colony of bats can number in the millions, and what just
one insect weighs, we’re talking about A LOT of dead bugs.
Owen
Yost, in
addition to blogging, is a Landscape Architect emeritus from here, who‘s
worked in north Texas for over 30 years.
He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA),
International Society of Landscape Architects, the National BirdFeeding
Society, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. He was honored
with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Native Plant Society of Texas. His design office is at birdpoop@charter.net
