Wildlife Garden

Creating a haven for wildlife in your own garden

Attract Birds

There are many different plants, trees and flowers that you can plant in your garden to attract birds to your area. Having different species of birds visit your backyard environment can be very entertaining and relaxing. Recently a family of Australian Cockatoos visited my backyard, and one of them was obviously young, and still being [...]

Environment and Wildlife

Many people like to keep wildlife as pets. We see it in pet shops everywhere. Turtles, frogs, lizards, dragons, snakes and more. But do we consider environment and wildlife, and the effects one has on the other, when we make a decision to keep an animal in a cage, that would otherwise live naturally in [...]

Feathered Friends

September 26th, 2011

Bron

On a recent trip to Queensland, I met a gentleman who was proving to be very popular with the local birds in the area. The ‘feathered friends‘ obviously had developed a great trust with this man.

It was delightful to chat to him about the birds, as he was very knowledgable, and obviously has been a bird lover for a long time.

I’ve found quite a few videos showing people feeding birds at public places, and it just azazes me how the birds come to have such a trust in humans who show them a bit of kindness.

They are truly relaxing to watch, no only in our gardens, but also in the unexpected places, such as where this gentleman often goes walking and feeds the birds.

It just goes to show, that we can attract birds, and wildlife, in places other than those where we normailly consider a great haven for our feathered friends.

Backyard Birds

September 4th, 2011

Bron

Backyards can be a great haven for wildlife and birds, especially if you have a lot of trees growning in your yard. Backyard birds can be delightful to watch.

Although I’ve always been a great animal lover, I’ve never really been into bird watching as a hobby or interest. Maybe as you get older, and life’s priorities change a little, you notice more. What ever the case, I find I get so much enjoyment out of putting seed out for the little backyard birds that come and visit outside my window each morning. It’s relaxing, calming, and just a pleasure to watch nature ‘close up’.

Depending on where you are located, backyard birds will vary in species. One day I’d love to live in an even ‘bushier’ area and enjoy some of our beautiful species of parrots, kookaburras (a personal favourite of mine) and many other of our native birds. However, for now I just enjoy watching these hungry little sparrows outside my kitchen window.

May your day be filled with precious moments today.

Attract Birds

July 2nd, 2011

Bron

There are many different plants, trees and flowers that you can plant in your garden to attract birds to your area. Having different species of birds visit your backyard environment can be very entertaining and relaxing.

Recently a family of Australian Cockatoos visited my backyard, and one of them was obviously young, and still being fed by the mother. At first glance, it was not obvious to an untrained eye, like myself, that one of the cockatoos was actually still a baby. That is, until the mother started feeding it. It was interesting to watch them, and made me more determined to create an environment in my garden that would attract birds and give them a safe haven to live in.

Your garden can be a retreat, not only for you, but also for the local bird population, and other native creatures in your area. Birds will be attracted to places where they feel safe from predators, so small birds will often live in bushy, or even prickly and thorny plants.

The bird groups fall into broad categories of nectar feeding, fruit and seed feeding, insect feeding and carnivorous. So to encourage birds to your back yard, you will need to be aware of the type of plants you have growing, and some you might like to add to your garden.

Nectar feeding birds will be attracted to gardens containing a variety of flowers. These birds have brush tipped tongues for dipping into the flowers to collect the nectar. By going from one flower to the next, they manage to collect and distribute pollen, and therefore aide in cross pollination.

Fruit and seeding eating birds, like parrots, and many rain forest birds, love the berries as produced on the christmas bush. They also love the grevilleas.

Insect feeding birds like similar bushes and plants to the nectar feeding birds.

The carnivorous includes the kookaburras, currawongs, butcher birds and owls. Encouraging them into your yard will require you to refrain from using pestecides so the natural biology in the garden will bring in lizards, worms and frogs etc.

Having a garden that will attract birds and wildlife can be very rewarding in that you will have the pleasure of observing nature in it’s own environment.

Enjoy your garden.

Cheers

Aussie Blogger

Environment and Wildlife

February 27th, 2011

Bron

Many people like to keep wildlife as pets. We see it in pet shops everywhere. Turtles, frogs, lizards, dragons, snakes and more. But do we consider environment and wildlife, and the effects one has on the other, when we make a decision to keep an animal in a cage, that would otherwise live naturally in the wild?

The benefits and enjoyment we can get from observing an animal, lizard, bird or other creature, in it’s natural habitat, can far outweigh what we might experience from keeping it in captivity.

Recently, while staying in a resort, we spotted two Australian Water Dragons living in the garden and pool area. Although their natural environment has been taken over by residential and commercial property, the water dragons live in the relative safety of a natural garden, whilst still retaining their freedom. They have adapted partly to society, accepting food from humans, but embrace the balance of environment and wildlife complimenting each other.