Creating a bird-friendly garden

Pssst… Ever wonder about the habitat restoration projects that our contract-grown plants are being used for? Read to the bottom of this newsletter for our first ever newsletter project highlight!

Greetings,

Flowers are bursting with color around the nursery thanks to the spring sunshine we’ve gotten over the last few weeks in between the rains. As our plants come to life with showy blooms in the sun we’ve noticed more and more bird visitors by the day! Sometimes birds can be quite pesky in the nursery during ‘bird season,’ taking every opportunity to chomp at our tender baby plants (especially the annuals and grasses).

Although the little buggers can be pests at times, we still have a great appreciation for them since birds are not only beautiful to observe, but they are incredibly valuable members of many of our habitats across California!

This month’s newsletter is dedicated to the birds and the things we can do to make our gardens more friendly and habitable places for them to thrive alongside us 🙂 

Birds are considered “ecosystem indicators” – the healthier an ecosystem is, the more species of birds it will support. Here in California we are lucky enough to exist along the Pacific Flyway, with about 700 species of birds that have been observed throughout the state (check out the common species seen around the Bay Area here: https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/1262). Many of these bird species have coevolved with our native plants for thousands of years, which means that our native plants are particularly well suited to providing them the fundamental elements that these birds need to survive and thrive in our changing climate. What are these fundamental elements, you ask? Much like us, it boils down to water, food, and shelter for the birds.

Water sources: fountains and birdbaths

• The sound of moving water attracts birds for drinking, bathing, and fun! 
• Birds prefer shallow, flat dishes over deep water. 
• Note: it is critical to keep bird baths clean since dirty bird baths can spread disease and carry contaminants that can make the birds sick. If you have a bird bath, replace the water daily and sterilize once a month!

A variety of food sources (Fruit, seeds, insects, caterpillars and worms)

• Seeds are a significant part of the diet of many adult birds. It can be tempting to ‘clean up’ your plants right after their blooms are spent, but it’s important to allow your plants to go to seed so the birds can make the most of that food source! A garden with many native annuals and perennials that seed at different times will provide ample food for much of the year.
• Fruiting plants like our native redberries (Rhamnus spp.) and cherries (Prunus spp.) are particularly important food sources for birds in winter when other food sources are scarce. The bright red color of many of our native berries entice the birds and allow them to conserve energy while foraging since the berries are easier to spot.
• Plants that support insects are also super important for healthy bird habitats. Although many adult birds primarily eat fruit, leaves, and seeds, their young eat mostly caterpillars and worms as they grow. They need a good variety and quantity of larvae and worms available, since baby birds need to be fed every 10-20 minutes or so while they are growing!

Shelter and cover 

• Birds need a variety of protective spaces to escape from danger, nest, and bring up their young.
• Shrubs are great because they often form thickets that provide excellent cover.
• A mix of shrubs and groundcovers is best for providing plenty of perches and nesting sites for both flying and ground-nesting birds.

With all this in mind, below are some of our best recommended plants to make your garden more bird-friendly this season! 

Purple Sage

Salvia leucophylla

Available in D40 pots for $10.90 each!

• Exceptionally hardy and drought tolerant evergreen shrub that grows 3-5 ft. tall x 6-8 ft. wide
• This showy silver-leaved shrub has a highly aromatic fragrance and is covered in light-purple flower spikes throughout spring and summer, attracting bumblebees, hawk moths, and hummingbirds for its nectar
• Its leaves provide larval food for a variety of moth and butterfly caterpillars, which in turn provide a wonderful food source for the hatchlings of many songbirds.
• The seeds are also enjoyed by sparrows and bushtits among other birds.
• Forms neat mounds and likes full sun and good drainage
• Excellent low hedge, coastal or inland

Coast Live Oak

Quercus agrifolia

Available in D40 pots for $9.90 – 10.90, TB4 pots for $15.70, and 4-Gallon tree pots for $38.50 each!

• This stately drought resistant evergreen tree grows 40 – 100 ft. tall and has more wildlife associated with it than any other tree in California! Space 35 ft.
• It has beautiful gray, fissured bark, and is a good choice for a shade tree
• Provides excellent perches for a variety of birds.
• Supports dozens of species of insect larvae, making it a baby bird buffet!
• Several cavity-nesting birds use coast live oak for nesting.
• Its galls are particularly tasty to quail 
• It is important not to water oaks in the summer!

Valley Oak

Quercus lobata

Available in D40 pots for $9.90 and 1-Gallon pots for $14.30, and 4-Gallon tree pots for $38.50 each!

• The largest of North American Oaks, this deciduous tree grows to 100 ft. Space 40 ft. apart.
• It is also the fastest growing of our California Oaks– it can grow to 20 ft. in 5 years!
• Tolerant of weeds or lawn under them.
• Deer will browse, so protect them when young.
• A variety of mammals and birds eat their acorns, including the Acorn Woodpecker, Western Scrub Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, and California ground squirrel.
• Like the Coast Live Oak, Valley Oaks provide fantastic nesting sites for a variety of birds and mammals

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Happy Spring, ‘Bee’ Well, and Go Natives! from all of us at the Watershed Nursery