Hello VABirders,
The other day I thought I heard a Worm-eating Warbler, so kept looking and
looking, but failed to find one. Ever since, I've been wishing and hoping
for one. Today I saw something bouncing in one of the hedgerows I've
planted in our yard. I followed the bouncing and finally, out popped a
Worm-eating Warbler, hooray! Only the second we've ever seen in our yard.
I remembered back to last year when I saw the first and realized that both
times I've seen a Worm-eating Warbler here, it's been low to the
ground. That made me thankful that I'm a wildlife gardener. I've learned
that birds/wildlife need "layers." Ground cover and tall trees aren't
enough, birds/wildlife need shrubs and understory trees as well, with vines
running through the whole "mess" for good measure.
If you have a hankering to get into wildlife gardening, remember to think
"native" first, as in native plants. I do have non-native plants in my
garden and some of them are super wildlife plants, but I concentrate on
native plants and use as many of them as possible, especially native shrubs
and trees.
If you live in the metro DC area and are looking for native plants, check
out the big plant sale this Saturday, 5/18, at Green Spring Garden Park,
4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, 703-642-5173. In addition to the
Virginia Native Plant Society, there will be many other vendors selling
native as well as non-native plants.
It's almost too easy. Plant natives, get birds!!!
Lori Markoff
Vienna
Fairfax County
canyon.eagle@xxxxxxxxxxx
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