by Sue Healey, Tillsonburg Horticultural Society
It is the song of a little brown bird that tells me summer has come. On a summer morning it’s a Northern House Wren that I hear in the trees surrounding my home. Its clear repeating trill a sure sign that long, warm days are here to stay. Growing up, it was the lonely cry of Killdeer, echoing out over the sandy fields of Norfolk county that told me summer was here. Later, it was Bluebirds lilting through an old orchard that gave me the news. Always, it’s been the birds to herald the seasons and supply a soundtrack to them throughout the year. As my garden has matured my appreciation for what the birds add to it has only grown. Birdlife brings so many elements to a garden: sight, sound, and drama. They are a key element to a healthyecosystem, providing pest control, seed disbursement and soil enhancement.
My garden welcomes both common and rare species, and I value each one. All worthy of attention and once noticed, hard to ignore.
Long before we see them, a bird’s song lets us know they’ve arrived. The call of the Red-Winged Blackbird to herald the spring, the hooting of owls deep in the night, the soft cooing of a covey of doves, camouflaged in the rock garden. This year, a pair of sleek and shadowy Catbirds conducted their courtship under our witch hazel. Each evening the male serenaded his mate with a song long and complicated. Sometimes a melody, sometimes a wail and other times, a meow just as its commonname implies. There are other songs to be heard with morning and evening being peak times. There is the siren alarm of Cardinals, the chattering of Sparrows, Chickadees and Juncos, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and ones I haven’t yet named. Blackbirds signal the morning with a mechanical clockwork whir and the dusk sung into being by the Robins. Once you’ve begun listening, new and unfamiliar calls are quickly discerned. They can be just as quickly identified using widely available technology.
The melodies of birds would be enough reason to admire them, but they come in so many shapes and sizes, in a range of colours and patterns that it dizzies the imagination. It is no surprise that bird watching is a passion unto itself. In all parts of the world, there are birds to be seen and heard. Our own area is filled with a variety of songbirds, raptors, owls and much more. From dusky to rainbow, bird plumage adds colour to rival the blooms in the garden. Jeweled toned hummingbirds and glowing orange Orioles are easily lured to the garden with nectar producing trees and plants. There are others as colourful, finches both purple and gold, their schoolyard chatter as cheerful as their plumage. Rose breasted Grossbeaks, glossy, blue-black Grackles and barred Bluejays are some of the most striking to visit my yard. But they need not be boldly hued to be beautiful. Stripes and streaks or patches of exciting red or orange are common among woodpeckers, plovers, and sparrows. Downy Woodpeckers are easily spotted in bold black and white, topped off with a rakish tuft of eye-catching red. The Catbird is grey velvet with a rusty orange rump and the Golden-crowned Kinglet, sports black brows and flashy crest. Even the much-maligned Starling exhibits spectacular plumage; iridescent blues and greens overlaid with delicate speckles of white. What you might spy depends on your area and tree cover, and what you’re offering. While migration adds variety in spring and fall, birds can be enjoyed here year-round.
Best of all, birds add a touch of wildness. Their untamed naturebrings drama and interest to the garden. There are courtships, turf wars, losses, and victories and most of it done on the wing. Hummingbirds are small and lovely but incredibly territorial. The sword fights between these winged jewels rival theShakespearean duel. We have cheered for the one-legged Robin who persevered through one long summer. We are seized with excitement by the speed and skill of the Red-tailed Hawk as it dives to snatch a reckless rabbit. Crows mate for life, as do Swans and Canadian Geese. I have stood in awe, as a flock of swans flew overhead, listening to their air move over their wings. It’s all there if you just pay attention.
Drawing birds to your garden or backyard is as simple as adding a bit of habitat. Habitat is broadly a place for birds to live and more precisely, a place to find clean water, shelter from weather and predators, a place to find food and raise their young. While we may not be able to provide every aspect of a bird’s habitat, it’s easy to add one or two elements to most gardens. Water is one of the easiest features to add and happens to be one of the most important. My garden holds various pools of water; birdbaths and saucers that I replenish daily, and they use them all. Shelter is next in line of importance and again, easy to incorporate into most yards. Trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous provide shelter in heat and cold, food and nesting sights. Native trees and shrubs offer the best solutions to both birds and gardeners but even hybrid varieties, chosen for height or fruit production can benefit wildlife. Cedar, Sumac, Oak, and Spicebush are good examples and readily available.
Perennials and annuals offer nectar to hummingbirds and seed to finches, chickadees, and other small birds. Rudbeckia and echinacea are favourites of gold finches and sparrows, Monarda and Crocosmia bring hummingbirds until the frost. If plants are notan option, there are a myriad of feeder and food choices. As always, good research is advised to achieve success. The entertainment provided by the birds that come to visit the feeders is well worth the expense of maintaining them.
Summer is a fine time to listen and watch the birds in the garden. The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society is on summer break to give our members a chance to do just that. If you happen to be a fortunate member, the August Social is the highlight of the year. The birds will be singing a welcome at ‘The Garden of Eden’ on August 5th, 2025. Regular meetings resume on September 2, 2025.
📷 S Healey
