3/1/16 Article in the April 2016 issue of BirdWatching Magazine
Last October, the national Wild Ones organization was contacted by BirdWatching magazine editor, Matt Mendenhall. In 2012 and 2014, Matt had written articles about yards that birds love and this time he wanted to feature yards belonging to Wild Ones members across the country. Our local chapter president, Ed Schmidt, asked us if he could forward our names for the article.
About Wild Ones:
We were honored to be chosen along with four other members from Seattle, WA, Syracuse, NY, San Angelo, TX, and Cincinnati, OH. The article is entitled, "Five Bird-Friendly Yards" and is in the April issue, now on news stands. The editor has also included links to our website and to the St. Louis Audubon Society's Bring Conservation Home program under "Tablet Extras".
Welcome to our website if you are a BirdWatching reader and have found us through the magazine!
I've been told that the entire issue will be available to enjoy online around the first of May. We'll be in the full swing of migration by then! I'll post the link when it is available.
I spent three days putting together information for Matt to use, and he chose these two photos to showcase our yard. Both of these were taken in June one year. This is a view looking south from the front yard.
6-13-10 Gate View looking south
This is a view of our Songbird and Butterfly Garden with purple and yellow coneflowers and butterfly weed in bloom.
6-13-10 View of Bird and Butterfly Garden
A couple more photos were in the backup file. This one is of the Bubbler area in spring when the Virginia bluebells, celandine poppies and wild ginger are blooming.
4-22-14 Bubbler Pond area in the Woodland
This last photo holds a very special memory for me. In the instant I took it, I realized It summed up our efforts of nearly 20 years. This is what gardening with native plants is all about - attracting the insects that provide the highly nutritious food for our beautiful native birds, like this Prothonotary Warbler who found breakfast on a Blackhaw Viburnum!
Prothonotary Warbler
We're so grateful for this opportunity to inspire others to take steps to help our native birds. By removing invasive plants, allowing dormant native plants to emerge and adding more native species with high wildlife value, we have enriched the lives of the birds and other creatures that come here as indeed, they have enriched ours!
Our list of bird species as of today, 3/1/16:
Yard (7/1996): 147 species + 1 hybrid
Warblers: 36 species + 1 hybrid
Bubbler (10/2000): 117 species + 1 hybrid
Warblers: 34 species+ 1 hybrid
Pond (9/2007): 75 species
Warblers: 16 species