Once you’ve invited your winged visitors into your garden, plan time in your day to watch them. You’ll first notice their habits: Cardinals feed at morning and evening, for example, while mourning doves usually feed during the day. Although plants serve as the birds’ main food sources, add a bird feeder or two to your landscape. Place them at varying heights, and keep them filled to encourage frequent visits.
Bird-watching is a pastime enjoyed by nature lovers from every walk of life. Besides the pleasure of fresh air and sunshine, those who take up bird-watching as a hobby surround themselves with flowers, as well as amazing wildlife.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
This small bird blind is simple to build and makes bird-watching an up-close-and-personal event.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/Hildebrand Design
Soon after your garden is blooming and your feeders are in place, avoid the area a bit and give the birds some privacy. They’ll soon discover the food. Because songbirds are more wary than hummingbirds, they quickly fly away when disturbed. So you’ll need two essential skills: patience and stillness. After the birds have been feeding undisturbed for some time, opportunities will come for you to gradually reveal your presence. Move slowly, and they’ll soon adjust to you being there.
If your garden includes a water feature, you can watch the birds drinking and bathing. In areas safe from predators, some birds will even sun themselves on the ground, while others may take dust baths.
Encourage nesting in spring by hanging mesh bags – the sort in which onions are packaged – filled with bits of string, straw, dryer lint and even pet hair for birds to use for nest-building. In a landscape with a variety of tree and shrub species, several species are likely to nest. Robins, for example, often nest in lilac or medium-sized holly trees. By planting either type of shrub near a window, you’ll have a good view of when birds are sitting on the nest and after chicks have hatched. You’ll be able to watch the young birds as they eat, grow, gain confidence and eventually fly away.
You can easily view birds in the landscape from indoors, preserving the birds’ sense of privacy. Keep binoculars nearby to observe the details of bird plumage or a mounted camera with a telephoto lens to capture the moment. A field guide will help you identify any new feathered friends you might not recognize.
If you have a large landscape, you can construct a blind to provide cover to closely observe the activity in your bird garden. After some time, you’ll become familiar with certain species and, perhaps, even with some individual birds. Blinds are useful for getting close and photographing birds without alarming them, and they’re simple to construct and use. The blind shown here is easily assembled with porous shade fabric draped over a PVC-pipe frame. Add a comfortable chair, and allow the birds to become accustomed to the blind for a few days before you use it. Gather the necessary materials from the materials list, then take the simple steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions.
Materials
| From ¾ inch (19 mm) Schedule 40 PVC Pipe: |
| 4 |
6 foot (151.8 m)
(Two cut at 2 feet (60 cm) to fit basket shelf frame) |
Uprights
|
| 4 |
5 foot (1.5 m) |
Crossbars |
| 1 |
40 inch (102 cm)
(Cut at 2 feet (60 cm) to fit basket shelf frame) |
Basket Bar
|
| 4 |
4 foot (1.2 m) |
Crossbraces |
| 10 |
¾ inch (19 mm) |
S-S El Fittings |
| 4 |
¾ inch in (19 mm) |
S-S-S Tee Fittings |
| 8 |
¾ inch in (19 mm) |
S-S Straight Fittings |
| 8 |
1x¾ inch in (25x19 mm) |
S-S-S Reduction Tees |
| 8 |
1x¾ inch in (25x19 mm) |
S-S Reduction Bushings |
| Other components: |
| 2 |
6 foot (1.8 m) x 5 foot (1.5 m) wide |
60% Green shade fabric |
| 25 |
1 inch (25 mm) |
Stainless safty pins |
