Birds Enjoy Good Clean Fun

FROM opposite ends of the country, readers report seeing “pool parties” at their birdbaths. “Last October,” writes Pamela C. of Cazadero, California, “a mixed flock of about 50 birds flew into the hazelnut tree next to our birdbath. Juncos, chickadees, a ruby-crowned kinglet, a Hutton’s vireo, a few golden-crowned kinglets and seven Townsend warblers began competing for the bath.

“Water splashed everywhere as the birds bullied each other out of the birdbath. All the excitement caught the attention of an Anna’s hummingbird, which hovered by the birdbath to see what the fuss was all about. As if that wasn’t enough, a brown creeper flew into the tree to check things out.

“The birds continued to jostle each other in the crowded bath until two Steller’s jays flew down and chased all the others away. But the last laugh was on the jays—by that time, most of the water was gone!”

In Vestal, New York, Barbara L. enjoyed watching an amusing game played by sparrows that frequent her birdbath. “It began with one sparrow perched comfortably on a rock I’d placed in the middle of the birdbath. Another sparrow would decide that the bird on the rock had been there long enough and dive-bomb the rock-sitter, knocking it off its perch.

“As soon as the rock-sitter got pushed off, another bird would take its place, and the game would start all over again. As this was going on, other sparrows were leaping from the bath’s edge and skimming across the water to the other side. I thoroughly enjoying watching those little birds at play.”

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Scare Up a Showy Autumn Shrub

TRYING to conjure up something bewitching to cast a visual spell over your backyard this Halloween? Our crystal ball says look into witch hazel. It’s downright spooky how this shrub produces fragrant, spidery-looking yellow flowers from mid-October all the way to early December.

“That’s the wonderful thing about witch hazel—it blooms when nothing else is blooming,” notes Richard L. He should know—he has more than a dozen witch hazels in his yard in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. “They really extend the growing season—even if it’s snowed the night before!”

There are half a dozen different species of witch hazel, but the ornamental shrub Richard is referring to is common witch hazel, or Hamamelis virginiana. Found throughout eastern North America, it’s hardy in Zones 3 to 8. The flowers typically appear before its leaves fall and last for 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the weather.

Long before the first colonists arrived, Native Americans distilled astringent potions and lotions from the oil in witch hazel leaves, bark and twigs. By the 19th century, witch hazel extract was a staple in most medicine chests, used to treat cuts, abrasions and other irritations. Following World War II, the extract gradually gave way to newer medicinal products.

Fortunately, common witch hazel never went out of style in backyards. It grows about 12 feet high and spreads about 12 feet wide, although some can grow 25 feet tall. Even so, witch hazel is suitable for smaller yards, says Richard. “It provides plenty of shade—it’s nice to have one next to a patio or terrace.”

Common witch hazel grows well in soil that’s moderately fertile, as well as moist, well-draining and acidic to neutral. It thrives in full sun or partial shade. So if you’re trying to scare up some color in your yard for fall and winter, consider witch hazel. It works like a charm!

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Unusual Visitor Stops for a Rest

IN THE SUBURBS of Los Angeles, there are no open fields or marshes—just an unending landscape of homes, businesses and freeways. It’s not the kind of place you’d expect to see a great blue heron. “So you can imagine our surprise when my husband, Jim, and I saw one perched on the edge of our swimming pool,” writes Marilyn K. of Bellflower, California.

“We watched intently for about 15 minutes until the heron flew off and headed toward the ocean. We thought the bird was tired and had just stopped in for a rest…until I checked my goldfish pond and found one of my 8-inch goldfish missing. That heron had actually dropped in for a snack!

“As much as we enjoyed our unusual visitor, the pond is now covered with chicken wire. There won’t be any more free meals.”

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She’s Become a Hard-Hat Gardener

IN AUTUMN, her backyard in Palmerton, Pennsylvania becomes sort of a gardening hard-hat area, says Liz M. “We have hundreds of oak trees on our 2.5 acres of woods,” she explains. “When I say we get a lot of acorns each fall, I mean we get a LOT of acorns.

“Last year, for some reason, we had a bumper crop that matured earlier than normal. It seemed we had acorns by the millions. At night, a deluge of them would fall, so we’d have to go out every morning and clean them up so they wouldn’t grow in our garden. We had to be real careful on the driveway—it was just like walking on marbles.

“During the day, we could hear them falling all over—plop, plop, plop. That’s why I wear a bicycle helmet while working in the yard. Have you ever been hit on the head with an acorn falling from the height of a two- or three-story house? It really hurts!”

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Garden Clean-up Benefits Birds

AS YOU BEGIN backyard chores this fall, consider these bird-friendly suggestions from readers. “While cleaning up my garden last autumn, I made several bouquets from dried-up flowers and hung them from tree branches and on our fences,” writes Marla B. from Vancouver, Washington. “I used sunflowers, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and others that birds like to eat. I couldn’t believe the huge flocks of American goldfinches and dark-eyed juncos that feasted on them!”

In Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, Marie H. created a natural bird shelter after her husband trimmed branches in their backyard. “He had piled up the branches, intending to haul them away later. But the pile quickly become a shelter for birds. Rather than remove it, we added evergreen branches to the top to help keep out rain and snow and raked leaves around the edges for added warmth.

“Then we turned the shelter into a feeder by adding seeds, peanut butter, suet and cracker and cookie crumbs. My, were the birds happy! We plan to do this every fall.”

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Wagon Hauls a Passel of Petunias

SEVERAL years ago, her six children gave her a rustic old farm wagon as a Christmas present, writes Ann P. from West Winfield, New York. “I’d always wanted a planter that was a bit different, and the wagon was perfect,” she comments. “The following summer, I filled it with a spreading petunia called Purple Wave.

“Just six pots of these petunias did a wonderful job of filling the entire wagon. Ever since, people really notice this colorful yard decoration, which has become sort of a local landmark. Around here, our place is known as the farm with the wagon-full of flowers.”

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