It’s spring! Here the weather is too cold for spring, but I’m calling it anyway. Maybe if I say its name enough it will actually appear.
The hummingbirds are back in our area, and the winter birds are starting to retreat back up into the mountains where it is colder. When I was out in my garden today, I enjoyed the sound of the hummingbirds buzzing me and each other as they prepared to mate. I always think about these little birds in the cold, since I want to make sure that they’re able to get through the cooler parts of spring and fall.
How can you send some love toward your spring birds?
Provide nesting materials if there are few materials around your home. If you live in a well-manicured neighborhood without a lot of dry grass, moss, and twigs, provide mesh bags of these for the birds so that they can make their nests.
Provide cavities and bird houses. If you are considering cutting down a tree, think about leaving some of it to stand as a dead trunk so that it will rot and birds can nest inside it. Small birds love nesting in the bark. Other birds prefer to excavate a hole in the rotting wood and move on in. If you have no dead trees, nest boxes are the next best thing, and they come with a pre-made hole.
Birds love water and many of them love to take dust baths as well. Provide a dry, dusty place for birds to “clean” themselves with the dust. Provide a well-stocked and well-maintained bird bath where they can drink and clean themselves too.
Plant food plants for birds this spring. Winter birds love it when you keep a few seeds and berries from the plants for them. Hummingbirds adore pink and red flowers and need the nectar, especially after they’ve come back from warmer climates.
If it is still cold, place bird food out into the garden to give the birds an extra treat.
What do you do to make your local birds feel like royalty?