How can I get birds to come to my yard? I hear that question a lot, as I’m working part time at a store that sells feeders, nest boxes, bird seed, etc. People come in and want to buy a feeder, but they’re not sure the birds will notice. What kind of feeder should they get? What should they put in it? Is that even the right place to begin?
Of course, my job is to promote sales, so I dutifully point out all the appropriate products. (I also dole out a lot of free advice.) But what would I say if I met you somewhere else, where I don’t work? I would tell you that there are three “first steps” to attracting birds to your yard. Here’s where you should start.
I’m gazing out my frosted window at the birds in our backyard. In the four hours since sunrise, the thermometer has only climbed from 13 to 15 degrees. Tiny snowflakes waft down onto the deck and bird feeders. The predawn fog has frozen onto every twig and blade of grass, turning the landscape into a fairyland of hoar frost.
Living at 7,100 feet at the base of the Rocky Mountains, I sometimes complain about our cold winters, especially as they stretch into March and April. But imagine spending the winter on top of the Rockies, at 11,000 feet or higher. At these elevations, winter lasts from October to May. The wind howls, blizzards come without warning, and the snow that doesn’t blow away piles deeply over the tundra.
You can’t go to Australia and skip the beach. It would be unthinkable! That’s why, after spending a wonderful week in the Blue Mountains, we decided to drive north along the coast to Brisbane. Determined to allow plenty of time for birds and beach stops, we allocated three whole days. We could easily have spent a lot longer.
Mountain Plover 