To feed or not to feed - that is the question?
Yes is it all about winners and losers and that's the way it will always be!
Do you want big or small birds ?
From creeks and dams to bird baths, native grasses and fruits, farm crops to bird feeders, endemic plants, native weeds to exotic plants. Tree hollows, nesting boxes to artificial habitats.
It's all about choice after all - It's where we choose to live. Are we doing it for the wildlife or self gratification. In our backyard it's 50/50. My wife loves the formal, cottage gardens and feeding fruits and select seeds to wildlife. I like the gardens thick and natural, but the birds do drop a lot of seeds from the rainforest when they come to the yard to drink and eat. I like collecting seedlings from underneath the trees that the birds perch in and from around the bird bath and do a bit of land care in the yard and surrounding bush that has been disturbed. Our backyard is a good mix of both. I would like to think so anyway, and if I want to be a winner, I must make my wife happy!
As they say a happy wife is a happy life....
Nightowl.
Ah, compromise, compromise, Darin. We stare it in the face every day.
I think it comes down to trying to improve the habitat you have. There are different ways to go about it but the old farmer's saying is to pass on your land to the next generation in better condition than you got it. (that also should apply to urban habitat). Sometimes getting rid of exotics to plant natives can make a worse habitat in the short term. If you have a worn out bit of paddock, then planting a garden of exotic trees and shrubs might improve it. If you have areas of native bush you should be trying to conserve and regenerate them. There isn't one simple approach, the main thing is to be positive and creative.
I certainly support the notion of improving the habitat you have, GregL, particularly if it involved using vegetation indigenous to the area in which it's being planted. But, as I think you're implying, it's important to be careful how this is done. E.g., eradicating blackberries which might be habitat for bandicoots or firetails before you're replacement native vegetation is mature enough could well see wildife out of a home & perishing as a result.
I would have thought a worn out bit of paddock would be a golden opportunity to restore it with indigenous vegetation rather than exotics. And, yes, conserving existing high quality areas of native bush & encouraging their regeneration is an excellent way of protecting & extending habitat. In fact, it's probably the preferred way because remnant bush patches contain the original community of plants which can never be replicated. Once gone, they're gone for ever.
Yes blackberries & lantana are needed as a safe place for the animals to feed and hide , untill a time when it can be replace with native growth. And wattles are a great fast growing plant to start with. After about 8/12 years the leaf litter and branches is a good base to start rainforest . Sometimes you have to think out side the box G L and it could be the long way but a better result .
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
I think it is important not to make too many assumptions and go with what is best for your situation and your expectations. Basically, we all want better bird habitat, but how to go about it? There aren't any easy answers. In the end we want more natural ecosystems, dominated by natives, but there are different ways of getting to that goal. We will never get to the pristine environment that once existed, so there will be different views of the habitat we should be aiming for. As I said, if you are always trying to improve things, you are on the right track.
G.L. I was agreeing with you about a paddock of exotic as they do fill a need. Sometimes words don't come out the way if I was talking ( outside the box )
Camphor laurel is a host plant for the eggs of the Blue triangle Butterfly and may have save many fruit pigeons on the east coast. Like you said lets look at being positive .
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Darin, each time I come across a patch of Lantana I get excited as I know it will be more than likely full of wrens. i know it is a weed and we need to control it,. but in the landscape i observe there doe not seem to be anything else that is around and capapble of giving them what they need. I always think , as with the Camphor Laurel debate here locally, if we rip it all out then what do we ahve???? A bare Paddock??? A roadside full of grass ??? A 3 meter seedling native tree that will give shelter in 70 years time to the same variety of birdlife???
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Weed removal is such a complex issue - so many birds are reliant on them! Lantana is brilliant for small birds. Our advice (and what most bushcare groups and the like do now anyway) is to remove slowly and replace with natives (local if possible) with a similar dense structure (there are patterns you can use to do this - such as taking it out in a mosaic or starting at the least heavily infested areas). Yes it takes a long time, but it ensures that there is habitat remaining for wildlife to use.
Putting in a garden which includes non-indigenous natives or exotics, if that is your preference, is fine - it is your land. However, consider plant ownership like cat ownership, problems arise when both are not kept on their own property and allowed to wander and cause damage so both should be chosen wisely and with consideration. There are more inhabitants on a property than just the humans and their pets but the impact that both can have outside their property can be enormous, far reaching and long lasting.
As far as bush or indigenous plant regeneration a lot depends on timing the removal and replanting (if necessary) to, as much as possible, cause the least inconvenience to the wildlife present. Look at how the DSE time their burns - right at the worst time for bird and animal breeding and when the most damage will be done if a fire gets out of control. Learn from their mistakes by timing regeneration projects to have much less damage. No doubt it will never be perfect but doing nothing is much worse - weeds spread and effect more than just the species to whom they may be providing a benefit. It is amazing how quickly indigenous plants will return with just a little help including the removal of weed populations.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Holly, this is one of the tragedies of bush destruction. It takes so little time to bulldoze, so much time to replace. And the replacement bush will never be the same as the original. Revegetation can only ever be a partial answer to bush destruction. There is no full answer. As I've said before once it's gone it's gone for ever.
Qyn, I like the points you've made. I guess we're still learning about the most appropriate way to go about bush restoration. But I think that what a lot of people who plant exotics, especially invasive exotics, fail to recognise is that their plants can spread into & destroy natural bushland through a variety of methods: animal dispersal of seed, wind dispersal, water dispersal, human dispersal via agriculture machinery, motor vehicles etc. It's an insidious process which can occur over vast distances.
The question of being able to plant whatever one likes on one's land is an interesting one. Just what responsibility is born by someone who plants an invasive exotic in his/her backyard? Should a garderner who plants a Cotoneaster bush in his/her backyard be required to remove seedlings which invade nearby bushland. Should I be able to charge the olive industry for the cost of my time & labour in removing olive seedlings which have regenerated from starling-born seed from olive plantations? Should the nursery industry be responsible for the bridal creeper which occasionally grows on my property? There is certainly room, I believe, for a more enlightened & responsible approach to what people plant in their gardens & orchards & sell in their nurseries.
It's funny how discussion about exotics leads to the invasive exotics. The vast majority of exotics are not invasive, and many non-local natives are some of the worst weeds. All the talk about "water wise" gardening causes problems because it encourages people to plant exotics (or non local natives) which are adapted to dry conditions, these are much more likely to become weeds and burn during bushfires. Exotics which are not so well adapted to dry conditions are less likely to cause problems and will help protect your house in a bushfire. Most serious weeds were not introduced as garden plants, but I agree it is important to ensure that we do not cause problems. A lot of weed problems are caused by people dumping garden refuse in the bush, what can you say about such people?
In my area some plants regarded by farmers as weeds are local natives, the so-called woody weeds like biddy bush. These woody weeds are great bird habitat and act as nurseries for trees, protecting tree seedlings from grazing by wallabies.
Oh without a doubt, natives that are not native to a region can cause just as many problems as exotics (like the Cootamundra Wattle), definitely not denying that.
I have been having internatl debates recently about locally native vs 'native' when planting gardens - it is such a tough thing. It would be brilliant if everyone put, in their gardens, plants that are only native to their region - its pretty realistic though - and one of the biggest problems is that it is so difficult to get a hold of the plants! I am looking at how we can help people in that regard, but that is a fair way off. I suggest that people always research what they are putting in their garden and that, it is ok to put in some plants that are not from their region (provided they are not at risk of invading) but to look for local natives where they can to make up the bulk of their bird-friendly garden. I am not a fan of hybrid natives in general, but there are some, like sterile hybrid kangaroo paws - that are not going to be invasive and provide great food for birds when they are in flower.
I feel like I need to start every sentence lately with 'nature is complicated...' LOL
Well I'm sorry Holly and Woko, I appreciate where you're coming from but I'm not going to live in a garden of local natives, that's not the lifestyle I choose. In most parts of Australia the local bush isn't a very welcoming place for people, I like to live in a garden that is a retreat from the outside world. You can call me an ecological vandal with some validity, but a lot of native animals like my garden (sometimes too much) and I try to improve the general environment on my farm. I think it is better to be realistic about the sort of gardens people want, often the best local natives in my area don't like a garden environment with the extra water and nutrients. Making people feel guilty about the things they plant isn't going to help anyone, and usually it is better if people plant something rather than be put off by strict moralising.
GregL I am certainly not going to call you an ecological vandal - fair from it! Birds and other wildlife can and do use a how variety of different plant types and I have no problem with that. It is NEVER my intention to make anyone feel guilty for what they do or don't do in their own space, that couldn't be further from what I want to do. Honestly the thought that I am 'moralising' to others is pretty upsetting - I would have thought I would have been accused of being too flexible in my thoughts!
Part of my job and one of the reasons behind Birds in Backyards is to provide people with recommendations for creating a bird-friendly garden. There are a whole range of options out there and I need to put some framework around it though and provide some guidelines - as I think we are all in agreeance - there are a lot of different options out there, just to tell people to plant plants, and any will do, is not going to get it done. People need to look at their situation, what they want to do with their space and what their environment is like - obviously each case is unique -making it very challenging. We try to cover some of that on the website and I certainly do when I am giving talks.
One of the things I am very conscious of doing - that obviously hasn't come out in this thread here, is that people are not made to feel guilty for their decisions. We should 'share our space' - it isn't one option or the other.
Not everyone is going to want to plant local natives, not everyone is going to want birds in their garden, I am more than aware of that - all I can do is educate people about the wonderful birds that we can have in our gardens and give them some tools to create great habitat for them. Any habitat is better than none, my aim is just to help people find the best result for them and get the best results for the birds.
I apologise if I have caused any offence, it certainly wasn't my intention.
Hey Holly , an interesting discussion , and a perpetual one I think
I don't see anything offensive in your comments. To be honest I wouldn't have a clue what is locally native here and what is just native! As I rent, I haen't done any planting but I do have a friend who has a large gfarden and want it to be more bird friendly so we are going to work on that together.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I don't think anyone here is saying you should only plant a completely indigenous native garden if you don't want to but instead encouraging people to not purposely put plants that impact and spread where they can do a lot of damage as in the cotoneaster plant mentioned by Woko. I don't think asking people to have a bit more care is too much to ask. Indigenous native plants often suit their environment better and support the indigenous fauna populations too - but so do other non-indigenous natives and exotic plants if chosen wisely. Sometimes it is nice to have a plant that does nothing at all but look nice and that is fine too. GregL is correct in saying that some indigenous plants will not do well in places occupied by people who want another type of environment than the strictly native one and I don't have a problem with those choices but when an uninvited plant escapee ends up on my patch I'm not going to be too happy either.
But by the same token, even on your own land there are some plants that are considered noxious weeds and there are fines not only for planting them but also for not removing such plants from your property even if they arrived via other means. If people would consider the impact of what they do when it does impact on others then the world would be a nicer place. If that is moralising on my behalf then I can live with that too.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Hi GregL. What an interesting discussion this is turning out to be.
Fundamentally, what we plant in our gardens is a question of values, I would have thought. What do we value most: a garden with indigenous plants or a garden with a variety of plants from a variety of locations? Our values are usually determined by what we're taught & observe in our families but they can change through exposure to alternative information & ways of viewing the world. This happens as we get older. In my case I was exposed to information & world views through my membership of Birds SA & Trees for Live & from doing a TAFE course in natural resources management. I learned about the close relationship between vegetation species, communities & structures & wildlife.
If people feel guilty about the things they plant I cannot be held responsible for that. It's a choice they make & may well be a reflection of their changing values. Personally, I feel no guilt about planting tomatoes because I place quite a high value on reducing my food costs & eating fresh, pesticide-free fruit. I also have fire-resistant, non-invasive natives close to my house because I place a high value on surviving a bush fire. Where these fire-resistant plants are indigenous I prefer them because I place a high value on indigenous habitat for wildlife. Other people have different values & will plant different things.
I'm not convinced that planting anything is better than planting nothing. Could I suggest it would depend on the situation. E.g., if an indigenous plant is unavailable then it might well be better to plant something to prevent soil erosion or the extinction of a rare butterfly rather than to plant nothing. However, if an indigenous plant is available then that would, for me, be the preferred option because of my values.
I actually want to replace the natives we lose (fallen gum trees, grevilleas that had served their life, etc) with things that might not be so destructive in the really hot season, and particularly if fires are around. We've heard about homes that were saved because they had English style gardens surrounding them. When we bought our home it was completely surrounded with lawns and some bushes and some gum trees further away from the house and we have about a 1/2 acre behind us which we call the paddock but in reality it's a downhill section filled with gumtrees, bushes, blackberries and some wattle. Our two sheep roam the area to keep the grasses low as we can't take a mower down there. My plan is to have pathways through it and to line the pathways with bushes that honeyeaters would like but that's a bit hard when we have sheep there at the moment so we'll have to do section by section and fence it off. It's a long term plan, definitely not something we can do in a short time.
Like you woko we've begun a vege garden and we also have some fruit trees here and intend to plant more. What are the fire resistent natives you mention? Would love to know what those are.
We've been planting more and more bushes since we shifted in as the garden around the house was fairly sparse and we want to encourage butterflies and birds to the garden more. Our neighbour has a garden filled with Salvia and exotics and her place is always filled with birdlife - we're slowing getting more of that to happen here too.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Hi Kathie. Our vegie garden is on the north side of our house, the direction from which a bushfire is most likely to come so hopefully it will provide a small buffer, fried tomatoes & grilled zucchinis in the event of a bushfire.
The fire resistant natives we use are mainly local species: Ruby Saltbush Enchylaena tomentosa is the principle species. Indigenous native herbs such as Tom Thumb Dichondra repens & Caustic Weed Euphorbia drummondii have regenerated & near the house we keep the Tom Thumb, a winter/spring herb, watered in summer to prevent it drying off. We've also encouraged the growth of several mosses by mowing & spraying feral grasses in late winter & early spring before their seed ripens thereby reducing their regeneration in the next season & opening up spaces. (It has been said that a feature of high quality bush is the mosses as they are an indicator of undisturbed ground.)
Native grasses are encouraged as, on the whole, they grow more sparsely & provide a significantly lower fuel load than feral annual grasses. Being perennial grasses they maintain a green tinge in summer & green up even more if there's any significant summer rain. Of particular importance is Brush Wire Grass Aristida behriana because of its low profile & greenness through much of summer, particularly after a summer rain.
We also use two native fire resistant species which aren't local to our area but which grow within about 50 kilometres of where we live: Coast Saltbush Atriplex cinerea & Creeping Boobiala Myoporum parvifolium.
Kathie, could I suggest that you Google <Fire resitant native plants> for plants which might be indigenous to your area or, if not local, then might be suited to your particular situation.
Of course, there are no guarantees in a bushfire. All we can do is minimise the risk as best we can.
I'm rather convinced that many of our bushfires are the result of the huge amounts of introduced annual grasses which dry off in summer & provide a huge fuel load. They're particularly prevalent along many Australian roadsides where a goodly proportion of native vegetation has either been destroyed or has been seriously degraded by these introduced weeds. And this is where a lot of fires start. So if we can keep the introduced annual grasses to a minimum & replace them with native herbs & grasses I believe we can reduce the incidence & severity of bushfires.
I really like your response here Woko. Thnis is an area I know zilch about so it is interesting to read and learn from everyone. I can see that there will alwayss be varying views on it. Yesterday i was out in an area that a fire had just gone through ( grasses mainly) and I was interested to see certain bushes still standing. I was wondering if it was just that the fire was fast or if they were fire resistant. There were lots of lovely redbakced Fairy wrens there last week but I couldnt get close as I was worried abotu snakes. Now there is no snake worry , but unfortunately no FW either
However,, the bonus was the intense BOP activity . I will find a shot and post it here and you can tell me if you know the reason if you can thanks
Sunshine Coast Queensland
That'll be very interesting, I'm sure, Holly. There's so much to learn about this topic. My brother-in-law who survived the Canberra bushfires of a few years ago, told me recently that many places with shrubs survived because the shrubs trapped flying embers. I've heard this from other sources but fire authorities recommend that shrubs be cleared near one's house.
One thing that bothers me about the approach to bushfire prevention, particularly in SA but maybe elsewhere, is the penchant for driving firebreaks through high quality bush. I would have thought this would not only create disturbance from heavy machinery but also open up the bush to light, both ideal conditions for annual weed infestation & therefore an increase in fire hazard.
I found a list of bushes relating to this topic. I'm also trying to find plants or bushes that our sheep won't eat
. Not so easy to find that out. But thought I'd share this list for those interested re fire resistant and fire retardent plants.
http://www.apsvic.org.au/plant_fire_resistant.html
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
This is all interesting reading about gardens and feeding birds, You will all probably get cross with me when I tell you I feed the birds, I put seed out for the parrots, and I feed the kookaburass and some magpies, we moved here 20 years ago, and I can honestly say there was not one bird to be seen anywhere, I live in a rural area and am surrounded by crops, I put some mixed parrot mix out and for months no bird came near it, but then one day a Blue wren was in the garden , and then another and another,then some Eastern Rosellas turned up, then magpies and some kookaburras, I started to throw some meat out for the kookas and magpies, and then the drought started, and it was unbelievable, I had so many birds here looking for water , I put water all over the place for them , had Gang Gangs , Eastern Rosellas , Crimson Rosellas, King Parrots, Dollar birds, and so many finches , hony eaters etc. afamily of owls have taken up residence here and have young each year, and its beautiful to see., I have kept feeding the birds for years, blue wrens don't seem to ever stop breeding, kookaburras breed every year, at one stage I was feeding 40 magpies in the drought, and you may not believe me but when the drought broke, these birds did not come back to be fed, I have planted heaps of trees , native shrubs, and plants , we are having a very dry year again this year and I notice a few more maggies are turning up, but it seems to be a good year for birds to breed., every one that comes here says our place is alive with birds, the down side is most farmers around here do not tolerate birds of any breed, and I have seen some shocking cruetly to galahs and cockies and other breeds of birds, and kangaroos for that matter, I have even seen a farmer shoot a pelican , some farmers have got in in their heads that if any bird is seen on their property it has to go, I am appalled at their attitudes, a lot of injured or sick birds seem to turn up here , and I will take them to vet or wildlife shelter, some survive some don't. I feel I have a oasis here with my trees , and birds, , I couldnt live any other way, right or wrong I think I have helped birds survive in this area where I live,
J.M.Stephens.
That's sad about the attitude of local farmers to native birds, Southern Skies. Re feeding, I suspect that you might attract a host of native birds using birdbaths alone, rather than risk transmittal of diseases and imbalances of one species over another through feeding. Feeding kookas for instance may help them to breed up and wreak havoc on the nests and nestlings of small birds like honeyeaters, etc. No doubt all the birds appreciate your efforts in planting trees and native shrubs. Sounds like your place will eventually provide a vital sanctuary and refuge from the local gun-toters.
J.M. where do you live?
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Unfortunately guns are the most common bird control method of farmers. Without mass shooting of birds the large areas of irrigated grapevines and orchards wouldn't be possible (or at least more expensive making them uneconomical.) The answer is to move into higher value crops so that nedding becomes more economic. A lot of new vineyards along the western slopes of the great dividing range use netting, which also has problems but is a lot better than shooting. These days people who buy rural properties expect to see lots of bird life, so the tolerance of shooting is a lot lower. At least graziers don't need to shoot birds, though the clearing for grazing land is also devestating for birds.
Thanks for your reply and in all due respect to your opinion, I don't think there will be any imbalances of one species over another, or any transmittal of diseases. not here anyway, and if this did happen , I would be devastated. I planted heaps of natives which are native to this area, and have attracted honey eaters , wattle birds and fryer birds, I have only ever had 5 Kookaburras here at one time during the drought, I have now have only 2 and when their is signifigent rain , I do not see these kookas for months on end and sometimes it has been a year , and then all of a sudden they come back, its all very intriging and interesting, they may bring a baby back , and last year I had the great experience of seeing the mother teaching the young to feed its self, it was noisy and took a long time , but the young one finally caught on, was beautiful to see. We have had a very dry winter and Spring here and I think water will be scarce again, our dams are only a qaurter full so think they will dry up this again this year, We also so a lot of birds of prey and have a few Goannas that just wander through the garden when they feel like it, magpies are the best birds to have around, as they let you know when a snake or goanna is in the garden, or around the house, Anyway , sorry to prattle on, I get wound up sometimes
J.M.Stephens.
Hello, I live in Northen Country in Victoria , about 80 ks from Shepparton, and about a hour away from the NSW border, hot dry and dusty , but I love it
J.M.Stephens.
You are right with your comments on shooting, and I understand what you say, I know Cockies Galahs and Corellas can do severe damage to crops , also Currawongs can do dreadful damage to grapevines, I am not against culling of these birds if its for the good of the species and the good of farmers crops, but I am against shooting thses birds just cause there may be a flock of 30 or 40. A few years ago The Department of Substainability held meetings with farmers and suggested that all farmers got together and all put out grain for these birds, the cockies and galahs would go from one farm to another and leave crops alone , it has been proved to work very well, but most of the farmers refused to try this , and just scoffed at the idea, was very dissappointing, I understand several groups including the RSPCA are trying to educate farmers on how to deal with birds etc in a humane way, but will take a long long time to stop the cruetly that no one likes to talk about.
J.M.Stephens.
An orchard about 10kms down the road from us has a horn that blows at regular intervals to scare off birds. They have nets for their apple trees but still use the horns as the birds can get under the nets. I think they find it effective.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Southern skies, it seems you're providing a valuable refuge for birds in your area. Given that you're surrounded by farm & horticultural land, where do the birds come from to colonise your patch? Is there good quality bushland nearby? Now that you have lots of native vegetation (& good on you for planting the local species) do you find that you're artificially feeding the birds as much as you used to?
By the way, there's been lots of discussion on Birds in Backyards about the pros & cons of artificial feeding. Use the box near the top of this page to do a search on the topic.
Thanks for that , If I have been posting in the wrong place , my apolagies, interesting you ask where the birds come from, as I really have no idea, there is no signifigent bushland close to here, there a certainly corridors of trees along road sides, and along creeks etc, some farms may have about 1 acrea of bush around their houses, the closet signifigent bush would be about 80 ks away and the high country is about 180ks away, the Eastern Rosellas are here all the time and have never touched seed I have put out, the red rumped grass parrots were dying like flies in the drought, was horrible , they too would not eat any seed I had put out, they seem to be recovering but have only seen a flock of about 15 to 20 here, the Crimson Rosellas would not eat the seed I had put out either, but these parrots and the King parrots thoroughly enjoyed seed from CumQaut trees and native White ceder trees, the seed and nuts from these trees kept those parrots here for a couple of months , the Crimson Rosellas have moved on , but the King P arrots haven't yet, they are eating seed I have put out for them at the moment, but are also eating berries from a huge blossom tree, they seem to move on after Xmas for some reason,I planted heaps and heaps of native Rosea trees , which are covered in gorgeous red flowers early Spring into summer and these tress kept Wattle birds and fryer birds here for months, as well , they built nests in some very old iron bark trees that were here.Yes I do think that planting natives has bought most of these birds to this place, but also non native plants can attract them too, we have lots of white necked honey eaters and they seem to adore flowers on succulent plants,I do not neccessarily think a all native garden will attract more birds than a non native garden, I reckon a good even mix will do the job,
J.M.Stephens.
Its my choice to make a cottage garden in a small part of the yard and few natives drop in.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW