Dallas Morning News – March 20, 2019

Feeding the Birds—a Change of Advice

I have always recommended feeding the birds. They are an important part of a natural organic gardening program. One sure way to limit their presence is to spray toxic chemical pesticides, so hopefully that isn’t a problem at your place. A favorite is the hummingbird. Not only are hummingbirds beautiful and helpful with plant pollination, they also help with insect control, reducing the need of pesticides.

Hummingbird feeders can be helpful in attracting these beautiful little birds, but most folks do it wrong. It is very important to change the sugar solution often – every one to two days so it does not spoil and cause diseases. Experts also recommend completely scrubbing the feeders with a 10 percent non-chlorinated bleach solution at least a few times a year, especially between seasons.

Turk’s Cap shows red flowers during hot weather at the end of summer and early fall.

Attract with plants

For most people, that too much trouble. Is for me. A much better way to encourage hummers and other birds is to provide more natural attractants – plants that provide food. Using red-blooming plants such as cypress vine, Gregg salvia, coral honeysuckle, Turk’s cap, red columbine and cross vine would be beautiful in the landscape and appreciated by the birds. Among the best choices are plants that have long tubular flowers, such as flame acanthus, pomegranate and red yucca.

Hummingbirds are attracted to flower colors and nectar, not fragrance, but the delicious fragrances of different plants are important for insect pollinators and people pleasure.

Using red-blooming plants such as Coral bean attracts hummingbirds

Beware the bird feeder

Feeding seeds to the other birds may be ill-advised as well. At home we’ve changed our bird feeding ever since pest control companies convinced us that birdseed in the feeders and especially seed splashed out onto the ground is enticing bait for rats and other rodents. And, there are other problems.

According to Audubon.org – “Feeders can bring unexpected species together and bring birds together more frequently than normal, creating ideal conditions for parasites and other contaminates. That birds often crowd into tight spaces to get at the tasty morsels also makes it easier for pathogens to leap between birds.”

Using the right kind of plants might be a much better way to go – especially plants that produce edible seed, berries or nectar. Good choices include yaupon holly, elderberry, serviceberry, hawthorn, dogwood, persimmon, loquat, fig, cedar, magnolia, crabapple, mulberry, wax myrtle, Mexican plum, black cherry, hog plum, Carolina buckthorn, barberry, cotoneaster, American beautyberry, holly, mahonia, Chinese photinia, rose, rusty blackhaw viburnum, coral vine, Carolina snailseed, sunflower, hibiscus, lantana, blackberry and nasturtium.

The mockingbirds in our garden definitely have a favorite food – chile pequin. They eat the small, hot, perennial red peppers like jelly beans as fast as they mature.

Chile pequin, or Texas bird pepper, is easy to propagate from stem cuttings