Legal Action on the Pipeline

April General Meeting

Pee Wee Audubon

Thank You

Madrone Decals Available

Volunteers

PeeWee Reports

Midweek Walkabout Results

Birders Cruise the Bay

Developmental Center Open Space Trip

The Ethics of Intervention

Audubon Day at Bouverie May 17

Welcome New Members

Business Offers Membership in Audubon

Backyard Birding: Landscaping for Birds

Bad Day at Black Point

Saving the Marin-Sonoma Coast

Through the Garden Gate

Backyard Birding: Landscaping for Birds

by Judy Brinkerhoff

Birds have several needs for their survival: they must have food, a safe haven from predators, nesting habitat, and water. These needs can be met in the any size yard.

By planting with wildlife in mind, we can actually contribute to the restoration of lost habitat. Birds need migratory stopovers, both for rest and refueling. Your backyard could be the oasis for which they are searching. Providing a source of food, a safe bathing and drinking spot, and shrubby cover from predators can also give us bird-watching pleasure in every season.

Some birds are insect eaters, some survive on fruits and berries, some on nectar, and some on seeds and grains. Many are crossover feeders, able to make use of several sources, but some are specialists, surviving on a very specific food source. The specialists are having a tougher time surviving in an increasingly depleted environment than are the generalists.

Many people want to plant their property with shrubs, either as a backdrop for perennials, as a hedge, a windbreak, a yard divider, or a substitute for a fence along a property line or between yards. Rather than selecting privet, oleanders, or other non-native decoratives, why not plant native California shrubs that require little maintenance, but that also offer berries and cover for birds?

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) might be a good choice if you need an impenetrable, vigorous, and fast-growing hedge, especially for a shady, cool area. Expect flowers of a deep rose color (it is a member of the rose family) and bright orange-red berries that birds and mammals (including humans) will relish. Give it some room, a bit of summer water, and watch it take off! (Note: This is a deciduous shrub, and will lose its leaves in the winter.)

Try coffee berry (Rhamnus californica) if you need a shrubby evergreen for a sunny area. Some forms, such as 'Eve Case,' stay low and fairly compact, while others grow up to ten or fifteen feet tall. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be green and shiny or grayish and hairy. The birds will love the dark purple berries. I've seen hummingbirds working for nectar from the little greenish blossoms that appear rather inconspicuously in thick clusters.

Both of these shrubs are easily found at nurseries that sell perennials and/or California natives. Editor's Note: The Madrone Audubon Society publishes a fact sheet, Landscaping for Birds, which is available at no charge at membership meetings.