RE: Birds & Bugs

I had TONS of little (Nuthatch (sp?), as well as other birds in my front
yard, devouring all the nasty little insect pests in my beds.  That was
until I put out the cutest little feeder...  Now that has become the
cutest little watering dish, and the birds are starting to eat the bugs
again.  I have no problems i n the back yard, as the two feeders I have
are ruled by the one squirrel in our neighborhood. <sigh>  He sits on my
deck and eats from the feeder, all while watching us watch him.  I open
the patio door to shoo him away, and he just sits there like I'm nuts.
Oh, well... he can eat the seeds.  At least he's not out in my beds
digging them up burying stuff. 

I'm now reading about insect eating birds in my area, to find out ways
to lure more of them to my yard.  There's only one other home in my
neighborhood that is inhabited by a gardener, so between the two of us,
there should be more than enough birds. <g>


neens

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	LONDE@aol.com [SMTP:LONDE@aol.com]
> Sent:	Saturday, July 11, 1998 1:14 PM
> To:	perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject:	Birds & Bugs
> 
> To Rachel in Oregon & Pat in Wisconsin--
> 
> I, too, have found if we do not put out birdseed during gardening
> season that
> the birds eat lots more bugs, so i only feed them in the fall and
> winter now.
> We do provide them with water and birdhouses, but let them forage for
> their
> own food.  That, and not using pesticides has made our yard a haven
> for birds
> and kept the problem insects to a minimum.  I have never had problems
> with
> birds eating my plants.  We have sparrows and morning doves here but I
> don't
> grow any sedums.  I do have several clematis species.   Gee, Pat, I
> sure don't
> know why these birds are munching on your flora and not on mine. I do
> sympathize with you. Anyone else have this problem?  
> 
> My friends who are more into birds than plants have told me that birds
> need a
> balanced diet and that you should put seed out year round for them.  I
> still
> don't do it because I want them to protect my plants.  In years past
> when I
> put out birdseed in the summer I had more insect problems.  So my
> birds are
> working birds and have to earn their keep here. And they do!  --Janis
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 08:59:31 -0500
> From: pat-mitchell@juno.com (Pat Mitchell)
> Subject: Re: fwd: Birds
> 
> >Now they spend much of the day foraging for food in the garden.
> <snip> >I've even seen birds pulling slugs from their hiding places 
> >Rachel - Oregon
> 
> I have stopped filling my bird feeder this summer, mainly because
> we're
> moving and I keep forgetting, but you make a good point.  We have
> goldfinches by the hundreds this year (another product of el nino`??)
> that sit on any purple flower in my garden.  They especially love my
> tall
> purple phlox.
> 
> Anyway, what does one do about *bird damage*?  The sparrows and
> mourning
> doves have taken a liking to my sedum (autumn joy and another one that
> resembles it  whose name escapes me), and they all have large,
> triangular
> *beak bites* in the leaves.  If I walk around the corner of the house
> and
> startle them, a whole flock rises up and scatters.  I have never had
> problems with insect pests on these sedum, so I don't think they're
> feeding on pests.  They're eating the leaves!!  To a lesser extent,
> they
> are chomping on the foliage of my clematis as well.
> 
> Any ideas or deterrents?  I don't use chemical pesticides in my garden
> either,  Not for any greater good, but because I'm too cheap to buy
> them.
> 
> TIA
> Pat
> USDA Zone 5 Milwaukee suburb - Wisconsin
> Pat-Mitchell@juno.com
> 
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