Unity with Birds in Winter

I've had lot's of time to watch the birds lately. When the ice storm hit, we put out extra food, and spent hours sitting by the window to watch them swoop in to eat.

Besides their intrinsic value as members of the Natural World, birds play many crucial roles in our ecosystems -- including pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal -- and are essential to human welfare. With an estimated 1,200 species facing extinction over the next century, and many more suffering from severe habitat loss, we must feel the impulse to protect birds. But what can we do?

I'm looking for ways to better care for birds, so I've been applying my Unity Art practice, a process that opens the doors of creative healing. My intention is to use my creative fire to forge a stronger connection between me and the birds.

Agenda:

1. Set bird intentions
2. Become a citizen scientist

3. Feed the birds

4. Plan a bird haven

5. Be an advocate

6. Bird collage

7. Bird haven tags

1. Set bird intentions:

The first step-in my Unity Art process is to define the project. That requires some research, meditation, and thought. I started by naming the subjects (birds), then dove into the science and folklore to figure out their importance, and then meditated on my relationship with the subject.

I know the names of most of the birds in my garden, but I want to get to know them better, and find out how to support them. I learned that some of my well-intentioned bird-feeding practices might actually harm birds.

I learned that grassland birds in the Willamette Valley are in particular trouble, because less than one percent of the area’s historic prairie habitats remain, and they depend on open, grassy areas to feed and raise their young. 

I learned that the best way I can support birds is to learn more so I can stop making stupid and dangerous mistakes.

My intention for how I want to heal our relationship:

I intend to get to know the birds in my garden so I can greet them by name, and offer them hospitality (food and water), and sanctuary (shelter and nesting spots). I also intend to become better informed about the birds in my Valley, what they need, how I can stop making well-intentioned mistakes that harm them, and how I can be a better advocate for them, so as to build a better connection between people and the birds who support us.

 

2. Become a citizen scientist:

I'm excited to become a "citizen scientist" and conservationist, help collect data, and learn about the best practices for bird care at the same time. As citizen scientists, we can contribute to programs such as Project FeederWatch, NestWatch, EBird, and BirdSleuth for kids. Learn more at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology!

3. Feed the birds:

I usually feed the birds year-round, but in the ice storm, it was very much on my mind. I was worried for the hummingbirds, especially, but all the birds seemed very happy to have a ready source of seeds and suet. We saw some shy birds that we don't usually see - a Townsend Warbler, and a Varied Thrush - which was fun. 

But even this simple, well-intentioned action has many hazards:

• Did you know that you ought to clean your feeder with bleach every 2 weeks to avoid spreading salmonella?
• or that hummingbird nectar can go bad in the heat of summer and cause a disease called Hummers Candidiasis, that causes the bird's tongue to swell up?
• or that feeding birds might be changing the natural order of bird dynamics? Some birds benefit more than others, and push out less dominant migratory species. 

One British study says:

"By leaving food out, we are effectively engaging in amateur conversation, yet sparing no thought to the complexities of that. We provide food believing that every species will benefit equally, yet would we ever take this approach in any other setting where wild animals are present? Framed in this way, feeding birds starts to feel a little naive."

Here's what I already supply:

• Black oil sunflower seeds in a simple tube feeder with a metal cage for perching: These are a crowd pleaser, and we always see chickadees, nuthatches, finches, and juncoes (who clean up the spillage).
• Suet in a wire cage, which is what the warbler found.
• Nectar in a glass feeder, for our loyal Hummer, who is an Anna’s Hummingbird. I make my own nectar with a mix of 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. (I needed to bring it in at night to keep it warm enough for Hummer to drink).

Here is how I plan to fine-tune my bird feeding habit: 

• First, I think I need to get a "weather dome" for my main feeder, to help keep my seed drier.
• And I want to add a thistle feeder for nyjer seeds, and a favorite for the finches.
• And I need to be more diligent in cleaning my bird feeders, including the nectar feeder, especially in winter. Damp weather paired with birds flocking to feeders increases the potential for diseases to spread, including salmonella. A good cleaning routine is twice a month:
• Clean your feeders with soap and water and rinse;
• Soak for 10 minutes with a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water;
• Rinse, and dry before using again.
• And finally, I think I will ease off on feeding year-round, and concentrate on feeding when the weather gets harsh. (This has the added benefit of making the cleaning regimen less onerous.)

4. Plan a bird haven:

The other part of my plan is to plant a bird haven in our yard, to feed native birds in a more natural way. Because habitat loss is the leading cause of population declines in many bird species, planting native vegetation in our yards is one of the best ways we can help improve the environment. You can grow plants that bloom and provide fruit in different seasons, providing food throughout the year. Remember that a variety of native plants attracts the greatest diversity of bird species.

Birds basically need three things to survive: water, food and shelter. I'm going to start with planning new food sources. 

The best way to feed the birds is to use as many native plants as possible in your garden, to provide berries and nectar. Our native birds can’t eat the overly-large fruit of some hybrids because the berries are simply the wrong shape or size for their beaks. Not only do native plants provide nectar and berries at the right times of year, but they also host the native insects which birds use as a major food source, especially when nesting and raising baby birds. Here are my ideas for additions this year:

Shrubs: I already have Thimbleberry, Douglas spirea, and a pretty little Snowberry. This year I'm adding a Red Flowering Current in the fall, and possibly a Nutka Rose (Rosa nutkana).

Hummingbird flowers: Aquilegia formosa (western Columbine), Lupinus polyphyllus (bigleaf lupine).

Bird seeds: The birdseed industry is huge, and it gets expensive to fill the feeders with quality seed - it’s actually easy to grow your own seed, or so the blogs say! I've ordered Black Oil Sunflower seed from Nichols Garden Nursery, and White Proso Millet from Natures's Seed. (I was going to buy Nyjer seed, but I found a blog that says birds won't eat the seed unless it's heat processed.)

Some notes on growing birdseed:

• You can’t sow seeds from a commercial birdseed mix, because often they are heat treated to prevent germination.
• Once you have your birdseed garden going, you can harvest and store your own seed for sowing in spring, and for filling your feeders. To harvest, cut the seed heads when they start to turn brown and plop them into a paper bag to finish maturing. After a few weeks, shake or crumble the seeds free. Or pick them out individually (some seed heads release their seeds more reluctantly than others). Store harvested seed and shovel it into your bird feeders as needed.
• Or leave your birdseed plants standing in the fall and winter, to let the plants self-sow (many will) and allow birds to come and harvest the seeds themselves.