THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 



^^ 



VOL. XXXIV. 



OTTAWA. ONT., MAY. 1920. 



No. 5. 



BIRDS AND HOW TO ATTRACT THEM ABOUT OUR HOMES. 

 By J. C. MiDDLETON, London. Ont. 



Most of us take a good deal of pride in the sur- 

 roundings of our dwelling places, and have suc- 

 ceeded in making them real beauty spots. However 

 in most cases with city dwellings we have not the 

 opportunity of carrying out a good many of our 

 cherished wishes, still our surroundings are largely 

 what we make them, individually or collectively. 

 What could be more charming than being surround- 

 ed by an abundance of bird life the year round? 



Now without trees or shrubs we would have very 

 few birds as they provide protection and shelter 

 from extreme heat and cold, and from the searching 

 eyes of natural enemies such as the cat. dog and 

 birds of prey. They also provide resting and sleep- 

 ing places as well as meeting places for many of our 

 most favorite birds. Important as all these reasons 

 are. trees, shrubs and plants are indispensible to 

 most bird life for another great reason, that is they 

 provide food either by producing or sustaining it. It 

 is quite true we may have plenty of house sparrows 

 and perhaps birds that feed while on the wing, 

 such as the swallow or martin, without trees, but 

 these are only exceptions which go to prove the 

 general rule. It goes without saying that dense 

 foliage is essential for good protection. This can 

 be best obtained by the use of evergreens, which if 

 planted in clumps or hedges will give ample pro- 

 tection both for summer and winter, their growth 

 is much thicker and heavier than cur deciduous 

 trees. A good hedge of spruce trees is a great 

 attraction for birds in the cool nights of early 

 spring, or in the fall, and a thick cover of some 

 sort of evergreen is essential if we are to have the 

 birds stay with us during the winter. 



Most close growing shrubs and trees are valu- 

 able for nesting places. Of course many birds nest 

 on the ground in clumps of grass or thickets, but 

 these are not likely to build in our gardens unless 

 we have some quiet and unmolested spot. 



The different fruits and seeds being produced 

 and ripened at the different times of the summer 

 are either eaten, perhaps when only partly ma- 

 tured, (such as the cherry) or on the other hand 

 hang on long after the leaves have fallen to serve 

 as food in fall and winter. 



The myriads of leaf insects, to say nothing of the 

 moths and fruit pests, form a large portion of the 

 birds' bill of fare. Then again what about the 

 borers, and other insects which live either in or 

 under the bark? 



The sap of trees is also enjoyed by some birds. 

 For instance, the sapsucker will almost always be 

 found at work where the Balm of Gilead poplar 

 ^'ees are plentiful. 



What is our deduction from these facts? Is it 

 not a fact the more nearly we can create these 

 conditions in our gardens, the more birdlife we are 

 likely to have, for after all the two great essentials 

 to success in attracting uirds are an abundance of 

 food and ample protection. 



Now I don't suppose it would be either practical 

 or wise to have all our garden space taken up with 

 plantings suitable only for bird life; most of us 

 are far too fond of flowers to allow this, but on 

 the other hand how often are gardens planned en- 

 tirely without a thought for the welfare of our birds. 

 With our system of laying out our cities in blocks 

 what would be easier than to have our back garden 

 separated by hedges. I am quite sure you will 

 agree with me that the garden would look very 

 much more artistic and natural than they are with 

 our present system of board fences. There are 

 many different kinds of trees, plants and vines which 

 are quite adaptable for hedges. If this system could 

 be established, just think what it would mean for 

 the birds, and not only for the birds for I am in- 

 clined to think that living between board fences has 

 a very detrimental effect on all our natures, and 

 that if we could but trace where that hard or un- 

 sympathetic spot in our natures originated we would 

 find, perhaps back a generation or two. that the 

 rude obstruction of a high board fence around our 

 gardens has had a great deal to do with it. 



It would be difficult to name all the best trees 

 and shrubs. Mr. Baynes in "Wild Bird Guests" gives 

 a very complete and quite an extensive list of these 

 with their relative fruiting seasons. I quite agree 

 with Mr. W. E. Saunders that our own native 

 trees are likely to prove more attractive than im- 

 ported ones. We naturally take to our favorite 



