What We're Up Against


When I began landscaping my new yard here in Holiday and writing about it, I knew that it would be a long time before I saw much difference in the birds that visited me.  It's taken even longer than I would have guessed, however.  Although I have carefully landscaped my traditional-sized lot, my neighbors haven't and many of them have done essentially the opposite,  This is what I'm up against - and what many of you are up against also.  Throughout my neighborhood, yards have been stripped of any semblance of habitat for wildlife.  There is no structure for cover and nothing to provide food for anything other than a mole cricket or chinch bug.  The worst are those like this family that have eradicated everything that could be of some value and replaced it with gravel.  

In a former home and in a different setting, I used to drive down my driveway with some degree of anticipation  - hoping I might catch sight of the fox squirrel or barred owl that were resident near my house.  At certain times of year, I could see ruby-throated hummingbirds feeding on the nectar produced by my firebushes (Hamelia patens).  Not at my current home; at least not yet.  I have put up a bird feeder near my developing deciduous "woods" so that I can monitor what resides near me and nothing yet has changed.  I get the suburban birds one would expect; mockingbirds, cardinals, grackles, etc., but I've yet to get a migratory wood warbler, thrush, oriole or bunting except for palm and yellow-rumped warblers and they visited before I even started to plant things.

The butterflies, bees and other pollinators found my landscape soon after I started. It's the birds, however, that will someday make me feel that I've accomplished my landscape objestives.  The trees are growing and doing what they were planted to do, but I may have to expand it in the days ahead of me.  If we are to make a change, many of us are up against a real challenge.  I cannot do much to change the landscaping practices in my immediate neighborhood, but that doesn't mean that I (or you) cannot affect real change.  As they say, the best time to plant was 20 years ago.  The second best is now,  Do what you can.  I'll do the same and keep you posted.  

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