Attract Backyard Birds with an Ecosystem Approach!

[@BackyardEcology]

👉👉👉👉 Sign up or learn more about the Backyard Ecology How to Create Pollinator and Wildlife Habitat Comprehensive Course for the Eastern U.S. here: backyardecology.net/course/ 👈👈👈👈 🐝🐝🐝🐝 Learn more about how to provide for pollen specialist bees in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inmZcmSNi5p1adk 🐝🐝🐝🐝 🌳🐛🌳🐛 Learn more about the best North American host plant trees and shrubs in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ2liaOkZbufga8 🌳🐛🌳🐛 🦋🐝🦋🐝 Learn about the best ways to provide water to pollinators in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h560gHWgnp6opck 🦋🐝🦋🐝

[@JC-nl3nh]

A little mockingbird loved my ilex verticillata berries this winter, he cleaned the whole bush within a week!

[@BackyardEcology]

Awesome! Mockingbirds are fun to watch when they are feeding on native berries.

[@JC-nl3nh]

yes it was fun to watch, they look goofy but precise and methodical somehow.. hoping for lots of serviceberries this coming season.@@BackyardEcology

[@BackyardEcology]

If your serviceberries produce there will be birds all over them - even when they are still green! @@JC-nl3nh

[@andredo4880]

Człowieku, nie wiesz nawet jak mi pomogłeś, zastanawiałem się nad kupnem jakiegoś drzewa do ogrodu i Twój komentarz wyświetlił mi się jako pierwszy, pozdrawiam z Polski

[@dankeener3307]

Our resident Mockingbird sits on our neighbor’s chimney and watches to chase off any bird that goes near three winterberry shrubs in our yards. Years ago the robins stripped them by end of December. Now robins are chased off and berries are lasting through January and likely through February. We miss seeing robins but we’re letting nature work it out.

[@mercedeshorn8950]

I'd love to see that video on the best wildflowers for seed eating birds!

[@BackyardEcology]

Stay tuned! More are in the works. Making them is very weather dependent so not sure exactly when they will come out.

[@syrpentina]

I love the habitat-based approach to attracting and supporting birds and local wildlife. Thank you for sharing this!❤

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@joshuawaynehensley]

Thank you for the excellent video and info! I was once cornered by a strange gathering of men who kept shouting "Ni!" at me until I agreed to bring them a shrubbery that "looked nice and wasn't too expensive." Very troubling.

[@BackyardEcology]

I too have run into those same guys😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@gardenforbirds]

😂 I was genuinely concerned for a minute! I hope you were able to provide them the required shrubberies!

[@Rjs-1949]

Bought 6 acres 27 years ago. Have been planting berry bushes , fruit trees , nut trees . See so many varieties of birds and other wildlife. Putting a pond in one area now.

[@BackyardEcology]

Nice! You will see a big bump in critter numbers with the pond addition. Amazing all the things a pond draws.

[@ThatGermanGirl]

Great suggestions. Idea for future video: Some additional pointers about how to feed birds solely with native plants in winter. For some reasons my hollies didn't produce at all this year, so a few suggestions as to what other plants lasts through the entire cold season (East Coast) would come in handy 😊

[@BackyardEcology]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@littlegreenlibrarian]

yes, please, best plants for seeds for the birds would be great!

[@BackyardEcology]

It is on my list!

[@piaonomata9220]

Fostering ecologically-minded management of your land has so many rewards. It does require rethinking a lot of what we've come to internalize about what makes "good" landscaping--plants with perfect foliage, insectless yards, short monoculture grass lawns, etc., etc. I've found it helpful to consider munched-up foliage, groundhogs sheltering under our deck, and wasps swarming around our goldenrod and wingstem as a sort of 5-star Yelp review from the local wildlife. :) And I cannot stress enough how species diversity explodes with the addition of a water feature. In addition to the frogs and dragon-/damselflies that have discovered our little pond, we're also seeing migratory birds we've never seen in our yard before (e.g., Louisiana waterthrushes!!) make stops there.

[@BackyardEcology]

Water features are the most bang per for your buck and per unit of area of just about anything you can do habitat wise in a yard. Everything comes to them. Hoping to do some more water feature content over the winter as we install a small pond in one of our native beds.

[@piaonomata9220]

@BackyardEcology I look forward to that...thank you!

[@patriciaterry5539]

I am going to try a healthy backyard ecology system for my backyard birds! I am new to this but so far I have identified the Northern Mockingbird bird, Two House Red finches, the White throated Sparrow, other sparrows, the Yellow-Rumbed Warbler, a Dove, the Black Phoebe, scrubs Jays, crows, Magpies and two hawks 😅😅😅😅constantly flying around over my home.

[@BackyardEcology]

Nice! You have a good selection of birds and if you have scrub jays there should be quite a few super cool species around. Scrub jays are fun to watch!

[@moniquemacneil5522]

So much fun to watch this knowing I've provided so many of these, we had a beautiful row of Christmas trees and a cherry tree on the lot before we arrived, but wow it provides so much life in my garden , We had a flock of cedar waxed wings take a long rest in the blooming cherry tree just last week, taking a peek of food to come. Alongside bringing all those pollinators to my vegetables and fruits gardens near by, having so many great pollinators friendly flowers/ plants, with a new flower bed focused even more on butterflies, with a few host varieties and kids helped make a butterfly puddler ! I'd love to include a proper water source one day, but for now the water table will have to work 😅 I also want to add, I love watching spiders create their worlds around my garden

[@BackyardEcology]

Sounds awesome! I love spiders too and make videos about spiders that are common to yards from time to time.

[@Antarctica2025]

Yes, all my gardening is ecological! Thank you.

[@BackyardEcology]

Nice!

[@LauraTaylor-xw6xx]

Thanks!

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank You!

[@virginiacurtis4431]

Yes, more videos!!

[@johnford7847]

Inspirational. Thank you.

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@TracyBirds]

Love this video!

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank you!

[@jameslomenzo1139]

The wild poke salad plant supplies alot of food for songbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Mockingbirds, here in Middle Tennessee. I noticed it comes up in the same place every spring, some are 8-10ft tall in my backyard.

[@BackyardEcology]

Pokeweed is a super plant for both birds and pollinators. Great plant for many applications but can be a bit aggressive in certain conditions - especially areas with disturbed soil.

[@cindynihart4788]

Yes I need a video about native wildflowers

[@echognomecal6742]

Loving the msg here. Can someone identify the white-berried bush at 3:03? Thanks!

[@BackyardEcology]

That is red osier dogwood.

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

Let me know if you have plans for other water feature type videos! I’m working on a video on how to build a small pondless waterfall, but the last blast of snow needs to melt…

[@BackyardEcology]

There will be more water feature videos in the future - once the weather gets better for doing that sort of stuff.

[@shawneehinkle1887]

Would like to know what flowers.

[@captainhowdy9174]

We have a invasive Sparrow problem where I live. I can fill three bird feeders up and by noon all three will be empty. They look like vultures picking apart roadkill. They also run off all the other birds in the area.

[@BackyardEcology]

House sparrows are a problem in many areas. Using plants to attract birds and taking down the bird feeders is one way to lessen their visitation. If there are a bunch of house sparrows around it is hard to stop them from showing up totally though.

[@SCPorchGardner]

I have had a birdbath now for about 4 months, no birds have used it so far but honeybees are there all day.

[@BackyardEcology]

Sometimes it takes birds a bit to catch on, especially if there is a water source they are already accustomed to using.

[@lisalikesplants]

Really nice photos and video! I love seeing birds in my garden. 🪺

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank you! Happy you enjoyed the video and the photos!

[@serenity2368]

What about in the winter season? I am from spokane Washington we get snow!

[@BackyardEcology]

Even in areas that receive snow birds still respond to plantings that provide cover, seeds, and fruits. There are many fruits, such as holly berries, that aren't attractive to birds until late winter. Water is also still sought out by birds in the winter and if you can provide it (may require a heated source) they will come to it.

[@shawneehinkle1887]

Would like to know what flowers for Kentucky.

[@BackyardEcology]

Very hard to answer this in a KZbin comment - there are literally hundreds of options. It all depends on the site they are being planted in and how you as a landowner want it to look, and what birds you are wanting to attract.

[@kathyknoeppel1699]

Thank you for the video! Great information - I am sure you already know about Dr. Doug Tallamy. But if you have missed him on KZbin or in his books - check him out. We all need to spread the word about native plants and their importance to us and nature.

[@BackyardEcology]

I have links to Dr. Tallamy's books on some of my videos.

[@janetfowler-g5c]

I am interested in your course, however, I live in a townhouse and my “yard” basically consists of a 30 ft strip of soil along the side of my building , around the patio and 3 season porch . I could plant some flowers and a few smaller shrubs, but that would probably be my limit. Is the course worth it for my specific circumstance? Thanks

[@BackyardEcology]

Absolutely! Many of the people who take the course are working on a single bed or section of their yard.

[@snsnplpl]

I lay my tomato cages under the feeders and around bushes to thwart predators.

[@c.j.taylor7325]

Are there any nice evergreen shrubs you could recommend for western NY? I'm not necessarily looking for something like an arborvitae, but something thats leafy and produces berries.

[@BackyardEcology]

Evergreen native berry producers can be tough to find for many locations. American holly comes close to NY in its native range and would probably be your best option.

[@djsone3499]

I'm in WNY and I have some Inkberry hollies. I've never gotten berries because I don't have a male plant and the deer browse them here and there in the winter, but they do grow well otherwise. They can be leggy though.

[@c.j.taylor7325]

@@djsone3499 thanks for the suggestion I'm definitely considering it now

[@GlenaGarrett]

@@djsone3499 Inkberry legginess is usually caused by not getting enough sun. Lots of plants do that. Dogwood trees are another example. If thy're full sun they branch out to a lovely full rounded canopy but if they're shaded in the wood's edge they get tall & thin with leafy branches only at the top where they get sun.

Once the European wasps and the hawks moved in the birds and the butterflies disappeared. :(

[@BackyardEcology]

Hawks generally only make birds disappear if there is a lack of dense cover. Tons of hawks around my place and still a ton of songbirds feeding and nesting.

@@BackyardEcology Well I do live in the suburbs. They do have some tree cover.

[@BackyardEcology]

Trees help, but songbirds really like low, dense shrub cover they can just instantly dart into.

[@briankoziel6650]

Yes, let’s see a video, and not on Sunflower or Purple Cone flower.

[@BackyardEcology]

There will be several plant videos coming out - including a couple on the coneflowers and the sunflowers - there are a ton of species of them.

[@awildapproach]

great tips!

[@BackyardEcology]

Thanks!