Over the weekend we had a record snowfall. I believe the final tally was 30". We haven't had that much snow from one storm in decades. After the snow had stopped, I noticed a blue jay at our bird feeder. The feeder was relatively free of snow (it's one that attaches to the window with suction cups for that up close and personal view of feeding birds) and though some of the seeds looked frozen, so did the blue jay. He had ice on his feathers and on his beak. It made me glad that we had taken the time to put out feeders for winter and had remained diligent about keeping them full. He was not the only visitor, over the course of the day we saw cardinals and finches as well. When all you see in your yard is white landscape, birds not only add interest, but vibrant color as well, so it's nice to entice them in.
If sheltering and feeding your wild neighbors appeals to you as well, the National Federation of Wildlife has a program where you can "certify" your yard as wildlife friendly. See http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify-Your-Wildlife-Garden.aspx. I even purchased a yard plaque to show my dedication and, hopefully, raise awareness to those passing by. But providing bird seed is only a small part of the process. Wildlife also needs shelter, a place to raise young, water, and food from natural sources.
Last post I mentioned that my complimentary issues of "All Animals" from the Humane Society had useful gardening information about keeping pests out of the yard. The current issue (January/February 2013) had a simple two page article naming 6 berry producing shrubs for feeding wildlife. The six they listed were Juniper Tree, Serviceberry Tree, Viburnum Bush, Common Hackberry Tree, Virginia Creeper Vine, and Black Cherry Tree. Out of these six, I only own one, a viburnum. If I had read the list prior to planning my yard, I would have been on the lookout for the other five. But I do have a flowering dogwood that produces berries and a flowering crab apple, and those seem to be popular with the birds and squirrels.
