Beckoning Birds.

One of the many joys of spring and summer is the glorious green of the natural world. Coupled with the bright colors of blooming plants in a garden, the many shades of the season are fresh and inspiring. Another simple element of gardening which can add to this natural beauty is creating an environment inviting to birds that are fun to watch, like the dainty hummingbird and the graceful bluebird. You can employ this tactic in your garden with a little information about the nature of these creatures and tips about their likes and dislikes.

The hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America, so its nest is extraordinarily tiny, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in intricate detail and resourcefulness. Only one inch across, the nest is put together by the female with an assortment of filaments taken from plants such as milkweed and ferns. Like some gossamer illustration from a fairy tale, it features a spider-webbing technique, complete with a disguised exterior of tiny pieces of lichens from trees to cause it to blend into its surroundings. It takes the female about a week to assemble it, and it is not unusual for her to lay her eggs before it is finished.

The rainbow of colors in the hummingbird's feathers makes it a beautiful, if fleeting, sight to behold. The males are especially spectacular if you can catch a glimpse of their iridescence backlit by the sun. Some have crests, others have neck tufts, and some have long tail feathers; they all have short legs and small feet. Their wing span is about 4 inches, and their chest muscles are well adapted for flying a mile a minute. They have been clocked at 90 wing beats a second. The black chinned hummingbirds migrate across the Gulf in a single flight.

The eggs are about the size of navy beans. She will continue to shore up the nest after the eggs are inside, working on the sides in order to provide a safe protected place for her young.

The ruby throated hummingbird is the most commonly seen in our part of the country. The male has a flash of red on his throat giving him his name and making him hard to miss. The female is less colorful, as is often the case with familiar birds, but she is full of personality, very industrious, and has few enemies, as she is too quick for any bird that might mistake her for a juicy moth. Due to her great swiftness in proportion to her size, she can outfly anything with wings. The male comes to a location first to check for feeders he may have visited before and to determine whether any of his favorite red flowers are present.

Certain flowers and feeders will attract these entertaining creatures to your garden. Hummingbirds are attracted to funnel shaped flowers, inside which they can put their long bills and use their tubular tongue to extract nectar and search for insects. Coral Bells, Cardinal flower, Weigelia, Butterfly Bush, Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Creeper, Swamp Azalea, Beebalm, Salvia, and Columbine are all good choices for Mississippi's climate and are easily incorporated into a garden. Hummingbirds have a distinct preference for red flowers and feeders, so most feeders are made with some sort of red ornamentation. However, the practice of coloring the sugar water inside the feeder may not be good for the birds, but they do enjoy the hanging feeders filled with plain sugar water. These feeders give avid birdwatchers a front row seat to observe the hummingbirds' comings and goings at close range. A combination of plants and feeders will lure them in, and if the food supply is ample, they will return again and again, addi ng excitement and grace to your yard or garden.

Another bird that causes delight in any garden is the bluebird. Birdwatchers can increase the likelihood of a sighting by keeping a few key things in mind. For instance, bluebirds like fleshy berries that ripen in the fall, and insect-hiding flowers also attract their attention. A prime spot to catch a glimpse of the bluebird is perched on a branch surveying a garden for possible locations of insects.

There are a number of shrubs and berries that thrive in Mississippi whose importance we often overlook. They provide the kind of berries and buds that bluebirds seek, and they are more common than one might think, including varieties of hollies, Pyracantha, common juniper, Serviceberries, Sumacs, Viburnums, and wax myrtle. Vines that are popular in our state are the colorful American bittersweet, honeysuckle, strawberry, Trumpet Creeper, and wild grape. During the warmer seasons bluebirds may survive on certain crawling insects spotted from their observation posts. They are experts at scouring areas of low cut weeds for grasshoppers, crickets, ground beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. They will always show up for meals at places that provide these food items because weeds and plants that support a natural habitat for the bugs they like is irresistible for them.

Bluebirds are cavity nesters, so rotting trees are their favorite spots. Fortunately for all of us they will nest in man-made adaptations of cavities in the form of nesting boxes. These boxes are a great asset to gardeners who wish to tempt these eye-catching birds onto their grounds. They may appear at breeding grounds during the winter, mid-February at the earliest, and on until June. Because this bird adapts to a nesting box he is more accessible than one might think.

Providing the right nesting box is simple, and certain precautions will make your particular box more user friendly. The size of the entrance hole should be 1 1/3 inches wide because it will keep out the larger birds, like starlings, which tend to be enemies of eggs and baby bluebirds. Other features of a good nesting box are a 1 to 2-inch roof overhang, no outside perch, and 5" x 5" floor space. The overall height of the box should be 5 to 7 inches with vent holes near the top and small drainage holes in the bottom. The construction wood should be at least 3/4-inch thick to provide insulation from sunlight. This style of nesting box mimics the sought after nesting cavity found in nature. The wilder the underbrush is, the happier the bluebird will be in his nesting box. When the nesting cycle is over it is possible for them to use the box for roosting.

One precaution to take when building a bluebird box is the possible access by the bluebird's predators. In their natural habitat bluebirds seek to avoid predators by using cavities for nesting where eggs and newborn birds will not be so exposed. The male guides the female to her nesting site and feeds her during courtship and incubation. When the nests are hidden in cavities the birds have a better opportunity to protect the nest. However, house sparrows and the nest-raiding starlings are still able to find the eggs, and racer snakes and opossums are also formidable enemies.

The masked raccoon is one of the worst enemies of the bluebird nest. Many bluebird houses are built with a small block around the entrance hole which makes it more difficult for the raccoon or opossum to reach inside and down to the nest. Greased posts that support the houses are also used to discourage animals from entering bluebird territory. Use these methods to build an inviting and safe home for these beautiful birds and enjoy watching them flit around your outdoor area.