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Attracting
Birds It's hard not to enjoy seeing the baby Gambel's quail in the spring. I'm happy to watch the various hummingbirds that visit my regularly cleaned and filled feeders and I get a kick out of any of the young birds that frolic around the desert garden as they're learning to fly. The woodpeckers that thump holes in my house's woodwork or bang on the cooler first thing in the morning don't particularly endear themselves to me. The house finches that eat the purslane, portulaca and other succulents have ruined quite a few hanging baskets. The thrashers that rip through young lettuce seedlings uprooting and ripping everything in their path have caused me to invest in lots of bird netting or protective row covers over the years. The white-crowned sparrows have a fondness for my lettuce crops and manage to get at it through the netting. And when the prickly pear fruit becomes ripe in late summer and many of the birds are eating it I can't tell you how unsightly purple bird droppings can be on my sidewalk and the car's windshield or hood. Still, I've learned to take the good with the bad. This past August I spent a couple hours sitting about five feet from a hummingbird feeder for over an hour while nearly a dozen little hummers battled for position. It was a humid, cloud covered day and I can't tell you how entertaining it was to hear and see the hummingbirds in action. I was glad I took the time to sit and watch because by the next day most of the little guys had gone elsewhere. When we first moved into our house, there weren't too many birds around, but over time
the environment has changed and I think anyone can make their desert garden a little more
bird friendly. You've got to think of your garden as a good hotel. If the room has
comfortable furniture, there is a swimming pool to take a nice refreshing dip and the
restaurant provides good food, then the guests will have an enjoyable, safe stay. On the
other hand if the hotel doesn't provide much furniture, the pool's a dry hole in the
ground and the nearest place to eat is ten miles away, then don't plan on too many
customers.
Cats love to watch, catch and eat birds, even if they're still in the eggshell.
Dogs like to chase things, including birds and they'll chase birds right out of the yard. Children and some adults with BB guns want something to shoot at and if a bird lands
near by it quickly becomes the target. If you're so inclined, and don't mind an abundance of mourning dove, finches and sparrows you can have a bird feeder that you can fill with seed or grain. Unfortunately that communal dining brings together both healthy and disease ridden birds. I've also noticed that injured birds with damaged legs, eyes and wings always seem to find the convenient sources of food. In addition bird feed can get expensive and you may find you're feeding rabbits, rock squirrels and a whole bunch of other animals you may not want to encourage. I have two bird feeders that I built and put out feed once in a while when I get the urge to sit at the computer and do occasional bird (and animal) watching out the window while I work. Hummingbird feeders that require a sugar water will need regular cleaning and filling. Since many hummingbirds are migratory you may find different species just passing through. In August I had the easily identifiable Rufous and distinctly noisy Broad-billed hummingbirds at my feeders. I have trouble distinguishing between the Anna's and black-chinned which were also around quite a bit. The female hummingbirds were noticeably more cooperative when it came to picture taking.
Shelter and much of the food comes from the trees, shrubs and cacti in your landscape. Nesting birds will find suitable locations to build their nests. Other birds search out safe havens to roost at night. I've found that doves and finches seem to take to plant filled hanging baskets on the porch if they're available in the spring and summer. If you like yard art you might try building a birdhouse or two to see if any of the local birds take up residence when they're nesting. I had one birdhouse that I hung from a mesquite tree and a flycatcher and his mate moved in to raise a family. Although I thoroughly cleaned the birdhouse once the flycatcher and its young moved out I never had any other birds move in. Water is a must for happy feathered friends. Not only do they drink to quench their thirst some of the birds like to bathe regularly. Personally I don't think I'd want to drink my bath water but it doesn't seem to bother the birds. Of course it doesn't hurt to keep the bird bath or watering bowl cleaned regularly and filled with fresh water. When the concrete watering dishes I have available get really dirty, I'll clean them out with Clorox to kill algae before I rinse and refill. If you have a drip irrigation system you might notice that some birds like to drink the
fresh water coming from any visible emitters. If that's the case, then you'll want to head to the library or a bookstore for a field guide to birds so you can try to find out what the feathered thing was that fluttered its way across your yard. The problem is a lot of times those feathered fellows frequently fly away long before you get a really good look at them. I had a little yellow bird darting in and out of the creosotes and mesquite off and on for about two weeks but it would never sit in one place long enough for me to get a good look at it. Then one day I happened to have a pair of binoculars with me and I got to look at it long enough to see a distinct black cap on its little yellow head. From that quick, up-close look I was able to identify the bird as a Wilson's warbler from the picture in my National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States. There are other birds that I see on occasion and I never do really know exactly what they are except they look like some sort of gnat catcher or fly catcher. And then there's always a bird or two that about the only identification I come up with is "it's kinda cute whatever it was." Other times the only way you'll know a bird is in the area is because you'll hear it. Some will be easy to identify from their bird call. Others may not be too recognizable at all. That's when an educational CD-ROM that combines pictures and sounds might be useful. I have a Peterson multimedia guide called North American Birds that includes a bird call with each bird it describes. You don't have to be an ornithologist to appreciate Tucson's desert birds. They are part of the desert environment and sooner or later we all cross their path. If you're curious then you might want to know what it is that whistles from the top of your mesquite or pokes holes in your citrus. And if you're a gardener you can't help but appreciate the biological control of an insect eating bird. Additional References
Roger Tory Peterson online - A world-renowned birding authority. If you're looking for help to identify that black-headed grosbeak or black- throated sparrow you might want to look for a copy of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States will not only give you pictures of birds but it's also a good beginners guide to identifying plants, animals and insects found in Tucson's deserts. Tucson Audubon Society - Check out what the local chapter for the Audubon Society has to offer bird watchers. The Bird Gallery - Here are a few modified photographs of some common birds found in The Tucson Gardener's yard. (2000) |
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sort of life
list. However, when an unusual bird (unusual to me, anyhow) pays a visit to my garden I
get a wee bit excited. You might find me pull out an inexpensive pair of binoculars and
maybe a camera in hopes of identifying the feathered friend. You might even say I have a
love hate relationship with birds. 
dove, small Inca dove,
house finch, sparrow, Gambel's quail, roadrunner, cactus wren, cardinal, curved-bill
thrasher, mockingbird, great-tailed grackle and so forth are fairly easy to identify once
you know what you're seeing. It's the unexpected visitor that might get you to scratching
your head and make you wonder what it was you spotted.