One of my recent articles encouraged folks to put down the rakes, and stop raking those leaves. The primary reason I indicated abandoning the raking “compulsion” was that the leaves, when permitted to stay in place, or, even better, ground into bits by mowing over them, was that they were a tremendous source of nourishment for lawns, fields, etc.
After receiving several messages from friends and readers, mostly agreeing with me, I also received several questions requesting any additional positive effects of following my suggestion.
WELL…the following information MIGHT convince those who “walk the line” to accept my advice, and join Carolyn and myself, and several significant Friends, in understanding the positive effects of “saving those leaves.”
HERE WE GO
You may remember that I once mentioned that Carolyn introduced me to the world of Avian observation and care. As a result, I joined her as a member of the National Audubon Society. Moreover, our property is registered as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
As a result of these prospects, we have delved rather deeply into the aspects of providing the necessary aspects to promote our natural inhabitants. Among these aspects, we have noted and have attempted to install the requirements needed to support our feathered friends throughout all the seasons.
The following information underscores our attempts.
THE MESSIER, THE BETTER
According to Tod Winston, Audubon’s Plants for Birds program manager, “Forget manicuring your lawn this fall. Endangered birds need messy yards to survive the winter!”
“The Audubon Society says, “There are a billion fewer birds in North America than there were 40 years ago, and a fifth of the bird species on the continent are listed as ‘vulnerable’ to population collapse over the next few decades. You can help many of them survive the winter by putting down the garden tools and going easy on yard work this fall.”
“Messy is definitely good to provide food and shelter for birds during the cold winter months,” says Tod Winston.
WHAT TO DO
Here are the Audubon Society’s top 5 tips for helping them make it ’til spring:
• Save the seeds. Some tidy gardeners might snip the stems of perennial flowers in the fall. But the seed heads of coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susans, and other native wildflowers provide an excellent source of winter calories for birds.
“They’re almost invisible, those seeds, but birds eat them all winter long,” Winston says.
Native grasses—like bluestems or gramas—also make for good foraging after they go to seed.
Letting dead plants stick around can fill your property with protein-packed bird snacks in the form of insect larvae, such as the fly and wasp larvae that inhabit goldenrod galls.
• Leave the leaves. Put down the rake!
“Those leaves are important because they rot and enrich the soil, and also provide places for bugs and birds to forage for food,” Winston says.
Leaf litter isn’t just free fertilizer—it’s also a pretty happening patch of habitat for a variety of critters such as salamanders, snails, worms, and toads. “If you’re digging in the garden and come upon these squirmy little coppery-brown dudes, and you don’t know what they are—those are moth pupae,” Winston says.
A healthy layer of undisturbed soil and leaf litter also means more butterflies and moths, which in their caterpillar phase are a crucial food source for birds.
• Build a brush pile. Blustery fall days also tend to knock down tree branches. Use them to build a brush pile that will shelter birds from bad weather and predators.
American tree sparrows, black-capped chickadees, and other winter birds will appreciate the protection from the elements. Rabbits, snakes, and other wildlife also will take refuge there.
(It’s also a great place to dispose of your Christmas tree.)
• Skip the chemicals. You might see your neighbors spreading “weed and feed” mixtures in the fall to fertilize their lawns and keep crabgrass at bay. Chemical fertilizers encourage non-native plants to grow, making the space uninhabitable for birds.
Native grasses, shrubs, trees, and flowering plants don’t need chemical fertilizers. Grass clippings and mulched leaf litter provide plenty of plant nutrition.
• Hit the nursery. Although laziness is the rule of thumb when it comes to creating a bird-friendly backyard, it’s worth the one-time investment to plant native shrubs and trees that won’t need much tending in the future.
Native dogwoods, hawthorns, sumacs, and other flowering shrubs produce small fruits that not only feed birds during the colder months, but can also provide a welcome pop of color when winter gets drab. Planted in the right place, evergreens like cedars and firs give birds something to eat and a cozy shelter. Fall is also a great time to liven up your property with late-blooming perennials such as asters or sages.
GOT IT?
So, that’s it! Now you have the information you need to support the native bird species that inhabitant our area and call our Region their beloved home.
Have you, like myself, ever traveled the area of PA RT 285 which stretches across the Pennsylvania State Game Lands from the Espyville intersection, across the railroad tracks, and into Vernon Township? Have you ever slowed-down or stopped in one of the parking areas to observe the innumerable Canadian Geese browsing the fields…or watched a Red-Tailed Hawk in flight…or had the incredible honor of observing a remarkable Bald Eagle?
Have you???
What if they were gone…form your Life?
Take a moment…imagine these incredible residents and visitors eradicated from our Lives.
Take another moment after you arrive once again at home.
Imagine no Robins…no Blue Jays…no Cardinals…no Goldfinches…no birds whatsoever.
Now, what will you do to insure that these possible devastations never happen? WHAT WILL YOU DO???
(From myself, Carolyn, and, of course, HOBBES…hope you had a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!)
High above land and sea
I’ll be thinking of you and me
Couldn’t ask for a better place to be
Oh, I can feel something
happening to me
So hold my hand
I got a feeling that the journey has just begun
On the wings of a nightingale
And if you like
we’ll fly together to the land
of eternal sun
On the wings of a nightingale of love
High above land and sea
I’ll be thinking of you and me
Couldn’t ask for a better place to be
THE EVERLY BROTHERS/
PAUL McCARTNEY
(On the Wings of a Nightingale)
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