backyard birding

[lofthouse <lofthouse at mtwest dot net>]

We moved into our new home in 1994.  At the time the yard and surrounding
terrain was an alfalfa field.  The nearest trees were about 300 feet off.
There was little here to atract birds and consequently very few birds. We
soon set out to change that and planted about 70 trees and shrubs the first
summer.  And a few every year since.  Besides some fruit trees, We planted
things known to attract birds, such as mountain ash, Nanking cherry,
chokecherry, currants, and crab apple.  We also planted some fast growing
hybrid poplars.  In one corner of the lot we planted a mass of
chokecherries, currants, dogwood, nanking cherry, pussy willow, elder berry
and hawthorn.  This stuff we deliberately planted quite close and do not
prune it or mow under it.  It is the wild corner.  This is the big
attraction for the birds on our lot now.  I guess it helps that it is also
fairly close to the platform feeder.  It is here the birds perch to wait
their turn on the feeder.  The poplars are now 20 + feet tall and finally
look like  trees.  It is quite interesting to observe  the birds that now
come to visit and compare to what we had when first moving here.  Just for
fun, here is a list of what has been here, on our lot, this week.

House finch, redwing blackbird, brewers blackbird, magpie, brown cowbird,
english sparrrow, starling, brewers sparrow, american goldfinch, bullocks
oriole, flicker, black chinned hummingbird,  broad tailed hummingbird,
meadow lark, killdeer, great horned owl, robin, tree swallow, barn swallow,
lazuli bunting,  black headed grosbeak, mourning dove, western kingbird,
chipping sparrow, and wilson's warbler.

Seen flying over but not stopping in, red tailed hawk, sparrow hawk,
swainson's hawk, sandhill crane, california and franklins gulls, crow, and
marsh hawk.

During the migration periods we have a number of other species drop in as
they pass through.

It has been a lot of work getting the shrubbery planted and caring for it
to this point, but we feel it is worth the effort.  We are certainly
enjoying our fine feathered visitors.  

Great birding!

James Lofthouse

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