Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM
How have you improved your BQ?
Birding Quotient? OK, maybe that's a stretch, but you're reading, right? My question is "How have you improved the opportunities for wild birds in your yard and/or neighborhood?" I'm not specifically talking feeders, but habitat. Improving your BQ is good for the birds and good for you if you like to watch the birds.
Simple as a stick. This probably won't apply to urban dwellers, but I improved my BQ by simply sticking the stiff ends of branches in the ground. I'll explain. Last week I mowed the weeds in the "back 40." Later I noticed a Say's Phoebe hunting bugs by trying to stand on a bowing-over weed stem that the mower missed. This species likes to perch a short distance above the ground to scout out crawling bugs. I found some bare branch-ends of between 18" and 36" in length and stuck them into the ground about 20 feet apart, like natural stems. Now, I can frequently see the bird perched on one of these artificial saplings then flying to the ground to gobble up a meal, then back up to another perch.
I also planted some New Mexico Privet/Olive (Forestiere Neomexicana) which is a shrub-like tree that will some day bear purple berries that the birds reportedly love to eat. I've also planted a variety of native flowering plants from which the hummers will be able to feed.
What have you done to improve your BQ? Maybe your idea will work for some other of us.
Simple as a stick. This probably won't apply to urban dwellers, but I improved my BQ by simply sticking the stiff ends of branches in the ground. I'll explain. Last week I mowed the weeds in the "back 40." Later I noticed a Say's Phoebe hunting bugs by trying to stand on a bowing-over weed stem that the mower missed. This species likes to perch a short distance above the ground to scout out crawling bugs. I found some bare branch-ends of between 18" and 36" in length and stuck them into the ground about 20 feet apart, like natural stems. Now, I can frequently see the bird perched on one of these artificial saplings then flying to the ground to gobble up a meal, then back up to another perch.
I also planted some New Mexico Privet/Olive (Forestiere Neomexicana) which is a shrub-like tree that will some day bear purple berries that the birds reportedly love to eat. I've also planted a variety of native flowering plants from which the hummers will be able to feed.
What have you done to improve your BQ? Maybe your idea will work for some other of us.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by cc on -
Hey Bosque Bill, I do want to comment that where we live up in Alameda - old farming area that is getting filled in - our neighbors yard has been for decades the nesting ground for a pair of roadrunners. I have watched them from my desk frolic in their mating in the front yard, then heard the mournful late winter mating call from the birds on their roof perched above our driveway. They would hop the fence over into our yard all the time to get snails, bless them.
Well, guess what? After our wonderful neighbors passed away and the daughters sold the property, a very nice family bought the property and fixed it up to rent. BUT they knocked down all the cover in their attempts to improve the yard! They made it too neat! Tall beautiful dense pines cut down, bushes scraped so the corners of the fences and the ground were all clean. They neglected to water any of the trees in the yard for many months and a number of the shrubs and trees that were left died. Needless to say, no roadrunner courting took place this past winter spring - and didn't see a roadrunner around!
Good news is they recently installed a timered sprinkler system and planted grass back on the dirt lawn. All over the yard the plants and trees are getting watered again on a regular basis (our elder passed neighbors would water diligently with their old drinking water well as well as plant a chile and veggie filed each summer from saved seeds!). Just two days ago a roadrunner appeared in our yard to eat our grapes. I am so happy and hope this means the area might be a habitat for these roadrunners again.
On another note - to reply to your original request finally -- the grapes that we have had all these 20 plus years here are a very important lure for birds. They are an old variety that the folks who had this place for 3 years before us put in - small purple with lots of seeds - great for juice and wine. Well - most every year we let the crops go to the birds. When they are allowed to dry up we have had flickers come in the winter to harvest them. And the last 3 or 4 years the funniest thing - about now - late July as the grapes start to turn purple, we have this group of fledging out robins come and eat every last grape, pooping their purple poops on our windshields. How do they remember to come back when they are just newborns? They have the orange on their bottom breast and their baby stripes still on the top near their necks. Last year I had put up netting only on one section of vine to try to save some of the grapes and the net caught and killed one poor robin - I didn't find it until the winter when its body was all desecrated - tangled so completely I gave away my netting and won't try that again. I prefer to feed the birds. And we do have lots of cover in our much smaller yard, tho we have cats...
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Permalink Reply by Bosque Bill on -
Yes, it is a shame that so many people do not understand the importance of preserving even a little bit of nature, but instead want to turn every natural area into a sterile, manicured park. (Unfortunately even some of the appointed guardians of our bosque and open spaces have this mind-set.)
Glad your neighbor's yard is finally being watered and turned back into green. I bet the birds return once they see some value to themselves... food, shelter, etc.
Interesting about your grapes. I have some very old vines that my folks planted something like 40 years ago, but haven't seen as much bird activity with them as you have seen with yours. Of course mine are overgrown with winter jasmine and quince bushes, too, and need to be rehabilitated. One more thing to add to my list... for later.
I bet those fledglings are lead to your grapes by mom, but you may not see her. Maybe she ditches the kids to feed themselves with relief after having exhausted herself for weeks stuffing morsels into their gaping mouths!
Thanks for your posting.
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Permalink Reply by cc on
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Cool that you observed the Phoebes and then used your twigs to create the same effect for them. Very simple!
Sounds like your property has a lot of space - potential for great habitat development - or it's already there. Have you ever done the Nat'l Wildlife Fed's Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification? It is a way for them to get donations - but it is a useful tool to get people thinking in the right direction. We have a very small lot - but there are some fields directly behind still. That's how I was able to get our backyard to qualify, along with many other parts we do have. i also allow some of my dead limbs and cuttings to pile up as cover in a couple of places. Neat that you are on the same property your folks had. Your quince ever produce fruit? our ornamental bushes did a few times after wet years.
Thanks for the chat.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Dolk on -
We have improved it very simply - with running water. But you have to be able to cope with the other critters it will bring, like skunks, raccoons and porcupines.
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Permalink Reply by Bosque Bill on
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Just an idea, it may not work for you.
Don't know the construction of your water feature, but I had a friend with a small plastic lined pond who had raccoons catching and eating his expensive koi. He discovered that by putting the lead of a very small electric-fence charger in the water, it would give a jolt to discourage the critters when they put a paw in the water. Didn't really hurt the big mammals and didn't affect the fish at all.
If your pond/waterfall uses a plastic liner this might be a possibility for you. The thing to look at carefully is if the birds can land on the liner rim and thus be insulated from the voltage. The big animals complete the circuit by being in contact with the ground and then touching the water that is charged. We don't want to shock the birds!
Do you have photos of your water feature?
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Dolk on
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I appreciate your fix to our wildlife problem, but our dogs drink out of the pond and one of them is smaller than a raccoon, so that is a no-go. I think we'll just have to put up with it and be thankful there still are wild animals in the Valley. Here are some quickie snapshots.There is one more water feature not pictures that the raccoons got into the other night. No damage...just muddied the water.
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Permalink Reply by Bosque Bill on
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Very cool. Yeah, one of these days I want to do something more than the bird bath I have, though the birds seem pretty happy with it :)
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on -
We weren't looking to entice birds, but that is what happened when we chose pecan shells for our landscaping. Acidic enough to keep weeds down for at least a couple of years, they also contain tiny pieces of nuts. For almost a year, we found mountain blue jays and many other species frequenting our yard.
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