Natural Gardening for Birds by Julie Zickefoose

Author:Julie Zickefoose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2016-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

STEP-BY-STEP BRUSH PILES

Brush piles are simple to construct and require no tools. You may want a saw to make the job easier, but if you keep an eye to size as you gather brush, you won’t even need that.

1 Position four logs or thick branches about 6 feet (1.8 m) long in a square. (If you want to provide a great winter hideout for rabbits, keep the corners of two of the four bottom logs at least 4 inches/10 cm apart.)

2 On top of these, place five or six thinner limbs, propping them in an upright position against each other to form an inverted cone, or teepee shape. Put the leafy ends of the branches toward the ground.

3 Place smaller branches, with the leafy ends down, against the uprights to fill the spaces. This allows roosting birds access but keeps out nighttime predators, such as raccoons and cats. Make the brush pile thickest on the side facing the prevailing winds to offer the most protection.

4 Add more branches as the pile breaks down over time. As you rebuild, crisscross the sticks to create a honeycomb effect.

Christmas in July

A cut Christmas tree makes a good shelter for birds when placed upright since most of the needles will remain on the tree for several months. As an added benefit for the birds, position the Christmas tree close to a feeder so that it can provide cover (as long as the needles remain) if a pesky cat wanders into the area. If you choose to make the tree permanent, plant vines around it to improve its appearance once the needles fall off.

To stand the tree up, you can try the following techniques:

Tie it to a post or a deciduous tree

Cement it in for a more permanent fixture

Put the trunk in the ground and support it with stakes

Anchor it in a large bucket or tub filled with sand and gravel

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