Birds and landscaping; the new normal in the 21st Century

American Robin

Scarlet Tanager

We’re in the 21^st century. Water is scarce. Utility prices are rising fast. Undeveloped land is scarce. Science has made a ton of discoveries about damaging artificial chemicals.  We can adapt to this new reality without sacrificing all the little things that make life pleasant, like birds.

A few people in north Texas still try to take care of their yards the same way they did twenty or thirty years ago...as if nothing has changed! But, clearly, times have changed dramatically!

Several practical ideas have been crafted by the Audubon Society, for landscape care in the reality of the 21^st century; which is "bird-attracting" also. (They’re not trying to sell you anything, so motives are honorable)  It’s doubtful if anyone can make the changes overnight, so you might look at these items as long-term goals for over the next few years;

·       Reduce your lawn’s size: Lawns are by far the biggest user of water and are a huge demand on your time and money. A manicured lawn, as we should all know, is avoided by birds. Just think about how much of your valuable time is given to your lawn – getting it to grow, then cutting it back. I’d bet you can reduce the size of your lawn by about 25% this season, and attract more birds! And lower utility bills.

·       Plant native, Texas plants: Native plants are accustomed to our weather extremes, the drought, the heat and our miserable excuse for soil. Texas birds are attracted by Texas plants because they know how they can be used. Foodwise, nesting wise, etc. There are hundreds of native plants – including at least one that’s a thriving, rugged substitute for a troublesome BLANK you’ve been trying to grow unsuccesfully for years.

 ·       Use biological pest controls: Ninety-nine percent of the lawn chemicals sold have effective (but unpatented) biological alternatives. Domestic ladybugs and lacewings, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), pyrethrum, certain kinds of fungus, beneficial nematodes, to name just a few, take care of pests the way nature planned it. In addition; you could just prune out an infestation of insects, or use a blast from a hose to get insects off of a plant. Birds have a feeding frenzy with an overabundance of things like aphids or grasshoppers.

 

·       Respect your neighbors: Notify your neighbors (and ask them to do likewise) before using any pesticide or herbicide that could remain on vegetation, could drift in the air to another yard, or could settle in water. Children and pets (and most wildlife) are easily affected by pesticides, even if adults are not. Hopefully, most local governments do this already.

·       Leave room for wildlife: Make room in your yard for the birds, toads and rabbits (and, yes, the armadillos, squirrels and raccoons too). They’re all part of nature’s plan. Armadillos eat grubs, birds eat aphids, toads eat mosquitoes and so forth. These creatures are just waiting to do for free what we’ve been paying your hard-earned money to do artificially.

 

 

Make a genuine effort to adapt to, and live within the current realities of the 21^st century. Not the 1970s, 80s or 90s. You’ll spend less time, waste less money, pollute the soil, air and water less, attract more songbirds and be a far better neighbor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first "backyard bird" is native to north Texas

Purple Martin

 

        Purple Martins were probably the first “backyard bird”. That is, the first wild bird to become primarily dependent on humans for both its food and housing.  American Indians were the first to recognize their insect-eating ability. They set up hollowed-out gourds near living areas to entice Martins (members of the swallow family) to nest there, eat insects, and reproduce. The humans' habits scared up a lot of insects from the prairie floor - Purple Martins' primary food.

Use caution when buying a birdhouse, and make sure you get the pole that comes with it too. (Most lumber stores don't sell a decent pole, and you might be in for a lot of extra work yourself). You'll need to raise & lower it frequently for maintenance. A new Martin house might be unused for a year or so, until Martins (returning from their migration) have a need for housing.

 

Nowadays, many homeowners put up things that look like apartment buildings, and are used quite well by Martins. If you're considering a Purple Martin house, remember that they need a CLEAR 100-foot (dia.). The circle should be centered on the birdhouse itself, and contain no buildings or big trees. By far the best color for a Martin house in Texas is white, since it reflects the heat.

 

 

A low-cost, safe organic herbicide    Like many of you, we try to garden organically. It saves money in several ways, and it doesn’t kill every living thing (including birds) in your yard. Nor does it make the chemical companies richer.

 

I’m certainly no botanist, but here’s what I use to kill unwanted vegetation with success; one gallon of 10% vinegar (undiluted, from grain alcohol), mixed with 1 ounce of citrus oil and 1 tablespoon of liquid horticultural molasses. I just spot-spray the mixture straight, using an old spray bottle, without adding water. It works best when the unwanted vegetation is growing actively;  in north Texas it is ineffective after about the first week of July.

 

Part 2, more places around here to see birds

 

Denton neighborhood trails

Denton has at least 8 trails that are very ”birdy”. North Lakes Park, North Lakes Park - south, Avondale/Nette Shulz Park, Cooper Creek Park, Greenbelt Trail, Fred Moore/Phoenix Park, Southlakes Park, and Cross Timbers Trail. They tend to have plenty of water and native vegetation for birds. Maps are on the City of Denton’s web site.

Dimension Tract (Carrollton)

The "Dimension Tract", new to Carrollton’s park system, is on the south side of Beltline Road from the main preserve. The Trinity River flows through it. There is an area of woods and meadow and a large pond. The woods are old and untouched and contain many large old trees as well as young ones and underbrush,

River Legacy Park (Arlington)

This is a very natural park that’s not far away. Here is the URL for directions and so on: http://www.riverlegacy.org/ . Most of the trails are along the Trinity River, so you get both the riparian AND woodland environments. There are wildflowers and wildlife, in addition to the birds.

Pilot Knoll Park (Highland Village)

A 75-acre, underused park on Lake Lewisville’s far west end, where Hickory Creek flows into the lake. Much of the bird activity can be seen from the car, including an abundance of Bluebirds, Warblers and shorebirds. The entrance is off  Orchid Hill Ln.

Denton Municipal Landfill

Yes I said “landfill” but was thinking “dump”. A variety of birds like to forage amid the garbage. It’s particularly good for gracefully-flying vultures. Plus there’s a lushly planted buffer strip along Mayhill Rd.

Little Elm Park

Maintained by Little Elm, it’s a naturalistic park that takes in most of a peninsula jutting into Lake Lewisville, on the northeast shore.

 Prairie Creek Park (Richardson).

This is a relatively small, easy to walk park. It’s an excellent place to spot our native Texas birds, plus it attracts seasonally migrating birds as they take a break during a long flight. The park is between Custer and Collins, north of Campbell Rd. The actual boundary roads are Prairie Creek East and Prairie Creek West.

Spring Creek Nature Area (Richardson)

A natural park just off Central Expy. (US75), entered via a parking area on Renner Rd. and ending at Plano Rd. (although you can walk either direction, of course). In addition there is a half-mile inner loop trail that’s a little hard to get to, but well worth it.

Lewisville Lake Park (Lewisville)

A 350-acre park near the center of Lewisville - on the southern shore of Lake Lewisville. Enter at the corner of Lake Park Rd. and Mill Street.

Hickory Creek Parks

The town of Hickory Creek has several small parks on the northern shore of Lake Lewisville. Two of my favorites are Sycamore Bend Park and Hickory Creek Park.

White Rock Lake (Dallas)

This is a man-made lake (like all but one lake in Texas) but one of the oldest. Just east of the downtown area, it’s particularly good for water and shore birds, as well as an excellent waystation for migrating birds.

L.I.S.D.O.L.A.

An interesting site because it has a variety of ecological systems - wetlands, forests, grasslands etc. The 80-acre nature area (administered by Lewisville School District) has almost 5 miles of trails, and a wide variety of birds

 

 

 

Cattle Egrets' long, arduous trip to north Texas

Cattle Egret

The familiar, white Cattle Egret originally comes from the "old world", primarily what's known as west Africa. Back in the 19th century, there was a lot of ship traffic across the Atlantic, and there have always been strong winds. Somehow, some Cattle Egrets reached northeastern South America in the late 1800s - present day northern Brazil. (exactly HOW they crossed the ocean will always be a mystery)

They like to hang around grazing animals, and Brazil had plenty. Very gradually, the Egrets expanded their range northward, always associating with large grazing animals.

The first documented Cattle Egret in North America (north of the Panama-Columbia border) was in 1952. By 1959 they had reached the southern part of Texas. About five years later they were here in north Texas.

 

 

             Lots of people are putting out nest-building material for birds. Dog fur (actually, any kind of fur) is a favorite. Wild birds like strands of yarn and thread too. However, make certain that strands are no longer than 3 inches (longer ones can tangle up their wings or feet). Dryer lint looks like it would be good, but NO.  It often contains harmful additives from detergent, fabric softener or bleach.      

Places in north Texas to see birds

Birding can be done almost anyplace. Here's a partial list, so there are many places besides those mentioned. (my apologies if it's heavy on Denton sites - that's where I live). But I'm sure there are also good birding sites in Mineola, St. Joe, Wichita Falls etc.

There’s Denton's Northlakes Park, Southlakes Park, Lewisville Independent School District Outdoor Learning Area (LISDOLA), the Elm Fork/Trinity River Greenbelt corridor (Carrollton), LBJ Nat’l Grasslands (Decatur), Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. I’ve seen them in parking lots, near playgrounds, in drainage ditches, on cell towers, under bridges and in my own yard.  Good birdwatching!  
 

Your Yard.
Just about any yard in north Texas can host some interesting birds, at any time of year. Especially if you offer the basic things birds look for: fresh food, clean water, safe shelter and protected nesting sites. In other words, provide a good home for birds and you won’t have to leave home to see them.

 

The Nearest Vacant Lot.

A vacant, or “undeveloped”, lot is almost always a bird sanctuary. Plants have been left to grow, flower, go to seed and die naturally. It’s likely that nobody soaks it with pesticides. It can be a small meadow, forest, wetland, grassland, or a combination of the above. Often it’s an area that floods occasionally – a plus for birds.

 

Isle du Bois.

Part of Ray Roberts State Park (off Hwy. 455, on the south side); Actually, the entire park is full of all sorts of birds in their natural habitats, but Isle du Bois is my personal favorite due to the amount of grassland birds, and that it can be travelled by car. 

 

Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center.

This large, totally-natural area just northeast of Denton has all sorts of birds and other wildlife that you wouldn’t think would hang around here. It has several primitive trails that take you through wetlands, uplands, and several other environments. 

 

Cross Timbers Park.

Any park is good, but this is my favorite. Cross Timbers (in southern Denton) has lots of natural vegetative cover and flowing water that birds crave. Birds have plenty of protective cover with the native vegetation (in the natural areas), lots of water to bathe in and drink, and lots of natural food. They love it!

 

LLELA.

The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area has a variety of ecological types, thus a wide variety of birds. It has expertly-led birdwalks on many occasions.  Call 972/219-7980 for information.

 

Elm Fork Nature Preserve.

The main trail is about 1-mile long, through virtually undisturbed woodlands, in west Carrollton. There’s an excellent birdwatching area near a natural pond, which is part of the old channel of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, which long ago changed its course. This is what this area used to be like!

 

Shorelines of Lakes Lewisville & Ray Roberts.

Excellent wetland and shorebird watching near the parks and undeveloped areas. Also, since almost all birds like to be near water, varying environments and their natural bird species and can be found nearby.

 

Country Roads.

Almost any rural road is a good place to drive slowly and see birds from your car. In the summertime you’ll probably see Meadowlarks foraging in the fields,  Scissortail Flycatchers on fences, and Barn Swallows nesting under old bridges, and Red-tailed Hawks perched on dead trees. Northern and western parts of the county seem to have slightly more varied environments.

 

Wherever you least expect it.

There’s LBJ Nat’l Grasslands, Hagerman Nat’l Wildlife Refuge, Ray Roberts Lake, Heard Museum, LISDOLA, stream corridors, un-named parks, and that vacant piece of land down the street. Almost everyplace has interesting birds. I’ve seen them in parking lots, on golf courses, by drainage ditches, at construction sites, on cell towers, under bridges and in my own yard.    

 

 

 

Did you see the results of our latest superflight?

A “superflight” occurs late in some winters. The most recent superflight just finished – the end of winter brought an unusual number of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Pine Siskins into this area. If memory serves me, the superflight prior to that (in north Texas) was 2007, when Red-

Red-breasted Nuthatch

breasted Nuthatches were all over the place.

 

In the short term, it has to do with the natural food (not from feeders).  If it’s particularly plentiful one year, a superflight could happen. Of course, it affects summer birds too, what with all the leftover natural seed and the resultant abundance of vegetation.

In the long term, this is one way birds expand their natural territory. That is, if birds see that the environment (weather, vegetation, natural food etc.) is good, they might stick around, or visit regularly.

 

Dining on eggshells       As nesting season kicks into gear, we save eggshells (from breakfast or whatever) for the birds. Birds know that creating an egg (or several) inside a 2-ounce bird-body really saps the calcium from the female bird. Somehow, birds know they need to replace this calcium. So they eat eggshells enthusiastically! We break the shells into pieces no bigger than a fingernail; then heat them to kill any bacteria – 10 minutes at 350 should do it. Then we just set them outside on an old plate.

 

Sensible alternative to trying to grow grass under trees

 As a Landscape Architect, one of the most common concerns I encounter is that lawns do not grow well under trees.  So I’m often asked how to make lawns grow there. 

Invariably, my response is “don’t even try!” Making north Texas lawns grow well within the root zones of trees usually means putting a whole lot of stress on trees, which often results in the tree's premature death (a tree under stress attracts more bugs, too, which can affect other plants as well). Lawns and trees are simply not compatible.

A tree’s roots are spread throughout the soil directly underneath its canopy. Contrary to what we all learned in school, most of these roots are in the top 6-inches of the soil, where the most nutrients are found. So, if a lawn is encouraged to grow in the same area where a tree’s roots are, there’ll be constant struggle between lawn and tree. This may make lawn care people happy (and wealthy) but avoid getting caught in the struggle. There are several reasons why trees and lawns don’t coexist.  

REASON #1

A typical lawn requires a lot of water. A typical tree doesn’t. So if you water the lawn whenever it needs it, the tree’s roots will suffer – and may rot. Also, since it’s shady under a tree, the water will stay there too long - it won’t evaporate as quickly as it does in the sun.

REASON #2
Typical lawns require a lot of fertilizer. Since a high level of fertilization isn’t needed by most trees, they could “overdose” on chemical fertilizer.  Some kinds will even kill them over the years. Even more damaging is the use of “weed and feed” fertilizer, or other chemical fertilizers with a high salt content, which can easily weaken or kill a tree.

REASON #3

Since almost all lawns require sun, and a tree creates shade, a homeowner’s impulse is to remove some of the tree’s leafy branches. But a tree needs every leaf it creates, to grow. If too many branches are removed, the tree’s ability to photosynthesize is lessened, and it suffers.

REASON #4

Disturbing a tree’s roots (even slightly) by tilling, adding soil or adding sod stresses the tree by interfering with its ability to obtain nutrients from the soil through its roots. This is why planting lots of cute little flowers beneath trees is a terrible idea.

         

Over the years, I’ve found that by far the most successful solution is to plant a ground cover under the drip zone of the tree. Forget about a lawn right there!  The goal is to grow a ground cover in as much of the tree's root zone as possible. Of course, if the tree is a newly-planted “stick”, plan the ground cover bed for the tree’s size in about 10 years.  

 Adding a layer of soil on top of the tree’s roots (putting very heavy stress on the tree), will very likely kill the tree over a period of several years. Instead, carefully plant the ground cover under trees - it's lawn. It's far better for the trees' health.

Some of the most reliable “under-tree” ground covers for north Texas are pigeonberry, vinca major, Virginia creeper, cedar sedge, inland sea oats, liriope, wood fern and horseherb. Among these I often randomly plant some shade-loving flowers (Turk’s cap, columbine, spiderwort etc.) for some seasonal color. Several do a wonderful job of attracting birds and butterflies too.

 

Match the tree’s preferences for water, fertilizer etc. to whatever you plant beneath it, and you’ll have a healthy, extremely low-maintenance area that’ll be a lot more attractive than half-dead grass, exposed tree roots or bare dirt.