Well-manicured lawns which are treated with herbicides for dandelions and other "unwanted" plants are poor—even dangerous—habitat for birds. (Goldfinches love dandelions!) A yard with a neglected corner or fencerow, which is a tangle of native shrubs and vines, is far more attractive to wildlife. The following list includes perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines which are recommended as beneficial wildlife plantings.

Pokeberry, a common weed, is very attractive to robins, catbirds, and cedar waxwings. Cardinals and yellow-rumped warblers also love the berries of poison ivy!!

There are many good books on wildlife plantings and "birdscaping" your yard. Check your local library or bookstore for more ideas.

*Make sure the species you plant is not invasive.

Illinois Audubon's 10 Tips For Attracting More Birds to Your Yard

1. Provide natural food. Different birds have different appetites! Your yard should provide a variety of seeds, berries, fruits, buds, and flowering plants which are rich in nectar. By choosing shrubs and trees which provide natural foods, you will attract birds and other wildlife to your yard. Flowers and fruits also are attractive to insects, many of which are also eaten by birds. Native trees, such as wild cherry and eastern red cedar are much better for wildlife habitat than many exotic species which are offered at nurseries.
2. When choosing trees, shrubs, and vines, try to find species which have fruits and seeds maturing at different times. Summer residents need plenty of food for themselves and their young during the nesting season. But migratory species need foods in spring and fall when they are passing through. Other birds are winter residents, and need seeds and berries to provide food during the cold months. Include blackberries, raspberries, pokeberries, elderberries, etc. for summer feeding; Virginia creeper, wild grapes, sumac, various dogwoods, and chokeberry provide fall fruits; hollies, hawthorn, winterberry and others have fruit which hang on during the winter months.
3. Water is as important as food in attracting birds and other wildlife to your yard. If you have a pond, creek, spring, or other natural water source, the birds will find it! If your yard does not have any of these, then you can create a water supply that will attract wildlife. This might be as simple as a birdbath or two, or you might add a "mister" or "dripper" to a birdbath that will be even more enticing to birds. If you want to do more, you can create your own pond or water garden. Plans and kits of all kinds are available at garden centers. Be sure that your pond is "bird friendly," with a shallow place for bathing, and gently sloping sides that are easy to navigate. Avoid steep, slick sides that make it difficult for the birds to use. You might be surprised how quickly your pond will attract frogs and other wildlife if it has a few plants around it, too. A well-landscaped pond or water garden will bring you lots of birds and even more enjoyment!

Are We Killing Our Birds With Kindness?: Tips For a Healthy Feeding Station

• Give your seed feeders (especially tube feeders) a good shake before you refill them to dislodge any compacted seed. Dump out any wet clumps of old seed.
• Clean all hulls off platform feeders and seed trays daily.
• Keep some old spatulas and brushes handy for cleaning the feeding stations.
• Disinfect feeders by scrubbing with a weak bleach solution (1/4 cup in 2 gal. of warm water) at least once a month—more often in summer or during rainy periods. Rinse feeders thoroughly and allow them to dry before refilling with seed.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after filling or cleaning your feeders.
• Move your feeding station when the ground beneath is covered with seed hulls and droppings, or at least rake up the hulls regularly to allow the grass to recover.
• Store your seed in a clean, dry, air-tight container, such as a metal or plastic garbage can.
• Don't allow large amounts of seed to become wet, as on a platform feeder. When it is rainy, feed only from covered feeders, or put a very small amount of seed at a time out on platform feeders.
• Wet weather will cause hulled sunflower hearts or chips to spoil. Offer them in covered feeders.
• Put out only the amount of seed that will be eaten in one day. This will deter raccoons, deer, and other animals which otherwise may be attracted. Feeders can also be taken in at night, but should be put out at first light for the "early" birds—especially in very cold weather.
• If you find a sick or dead bird at your feeder, dispose of it at once and then halt feeding for a few days. Clean all feeders and the ground around them.
• If you offer suet, be sure that in warm weather you use rendered suet or the heat-resistant suet blocks which are offered for sale. Unrendered suet can spoil, and can become runny and stick to bird feathers.
• Reduce window kills by placing feeders a safe distance from them. If birds regularly strike a window, use screening or netting to block their hitting it. A light coating of Bon Ami can cut reflections on windows.
• Though birds may not be totally dependent on your feeders, if you are going to be gone in mid-winter you should arrange to have an over-sized feeder or ask a willing neighbor to check and fill feeders while you are away.
• Don't discontinue feeding with the first warm day of spring. Birds will need supplemental food until there is a good supply of insects, especially if the natural crop of seeds and fruits has been depleted.
• A variety of foods will bring more kinds of birds to your feeders. Use tube feeders to dispense sunflower hearts and black oil sunflower seeds. Mixed seeds can be offered on platform feeders, in hopper feeders or on the ground. If you get too many blackbirds, house sparrows, or pigeons, you may want to discontinue this kind of feeding and stick to tube feeders. If you feel, however, that all birds deserve a chance to join the feeding, you can always scatter cracked corn or mixed seed well away from the other feeding stations used by smaller birds.
• Brush piles can serve as cover for small birds, especially if your yard is visited by sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawks.
• If you attract birds to your yard, try to eliminate access to your feeders and yard by cats. This can sometimes be a difficult issue, especially if you have neighbors who let cats roam.

Remember, the birds are depending on us to provide healthy feeding areas. If we do not do so, then we are contributing to the unnecessary deaths of birds at backyard feeders. Outbreaks of avian diseases have occurred in the midwest, as well as other parts of the country. Help protect our song birds by maintaining a healthy birdfeeding environment. The birds will thank you !!!

Teachers: Contact us about our Jr. Birdfeeding Challenge Program. Enroll your class in this informative and educational project.

Youth Leaders: Sign up your young people for our Youth Seasonal Bird Census project. We provide all the materials you need for this educational activity, which can be done in any or all of three seasons: fall, winter, and spring.

Nature's Gems: Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies and moths are among our most familiar insects, and many of them are quite beautiful. Even people who ordinarily dislike "bugs" find the colorful, scaly-winged butterflies attractive. There are about 20,000 kinds of butterflies and 100,000 species of moths that have been identified. While most are tropical, there are probably 600 butterfly species and more than 8,000 kinds of moths in North America.

How can we tell butterflies from moths? First, most butterflies are daytime fliers, whereas most moths are nocturnal (although there are some exceptions to this general "rule.") Second, the antennae of moths are usually feathery, while those of butterflies are club-like. Third, moths generally have plump, furry-looking bodies, while butterflies are more slender and smooth in appearance. There are other differences, too. Butterflies (except skippers) tend to be more graceful fliers, while the flight of most moths is jerky and erratic.

Butterflies and moths have similar life cycles, going through four stages—egg, larva (caterpillar,) pupa, and adult—known as complete metamorphosis. Adults lay their eggs on various plants or—in the case of some moths—in stored grain or other places. Since many caterpillars prefer one or more favorite plants, the adults often choose these same plants on which to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into tiny caterpillars, which have huge appetites and eat almost constantly. They grow so fast that they soon must shed their outer skins for larger ones. Each caterpillar will shed four or five times before reaching full size. They are then ready to form pupae—the next stage in their lives.

Butterfly larvae find a firm support and attach themselves to it, each one forming a naked chrysalis. Many moth larvae spin silken cocoons, and others roll up into leaves for pupation. Some butterflies and moths will spend the winter in this stage, waiting until spring to emerge as adults. For others, the pupa stage lasts only one or two weeks. Critical changes take place in the pupae, as the former leaf-chewing caterpillars gradually become nectar-sipping adults.

When the transformation is complete, the adult insects emerge, ready to dry their wings and fly to freedom. The adults do not grow in size. Some, like the giant swallowtails, are large when they emerge. The blues, coppers, and hairstreaks, on the other hand, are only an inch or so across. Most will feed for several days before mating and laying eggs to begin a new generation. Butterflies may live for several weeks if they are not eaten by a predator. A few will survive for several months. The giant silkworm moths are not so lucky. They will live only a few days—just long enough to find mates and lay eggs. For nature has provided these nocturnal beauties no means of feeding; the adult moths have no mouthparts.

Of all North American butterflies, the monarch is most familiar. The orange and black monarch is common across the United States and Canada all summer, where it lives on milkweed plants. Eggs are laid on this bitter-tasting plant, and caterpillars feed on it. Even adult monarchs retain the toxic substance in their bodies, making them distasteful to birds and other predators. In autumn, eastern monarchs migrate southward, across the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, to winter in the mountains of northern Mexico. Western monarchs over-winter in central California. How these seemingly fragile insects can survive such long distance migrations is one of nature's most interesting secrets.

Many butterflies are disappearing because their home territories are being destroyed. Wetlands, meadows, prairies, and woodlands are being converted to highways, shopping centers, and residential and industrial areas. In Illinois, the Karner Blue, a tiny one-inch butterfly, is endangered. Other species may soon join it as more habitat is lost.

How can we help butterflies? First, we can help organizations like the Illinois Audubon Society save valuable habitat for butterflies and other wildlife. Second, we can plant wildflowers or other favorite plants to attract these beautiful insects. By providing nectar sources for adult butterflies, and plants needed by their caterpillars for food, we can help butterflies and moths increase their numbers. Our reward will be the sight of these colorful "gems" winging their way among backyard gardens and over the treetops.

• Planting For the Birds
  
  
• Illinois Audubon's 10 Tips For Attracting More Birds to Your Yard
  
  
• Are We Killing Our Birds With Kindness?: Tips For a Healthy Feeding Station
  
  
• Nature's Gems: Butterflies and Moths