Birds in Your Autumn Garden

Here are 10 ways to make your autumn garden and landscape welcoming to migrant as well as stay-at-home birds. Tips by Bill Thompson, editor of the Bird Watcher's Digest

Top 10 Things You Can Do for Birds in Fall by Bill Thompson is a great checklist for getting your yard ready for bird feeding. Our family has fed and watched birds here in western MA for four decades. Feeding and watching birds is a pastime in which our grandchildren now take pleasure.

I was happy to discover that my autumn list pretty much coordinates with that of Bill Thompson. However, a few items on his list aren't practical for me, and others over the years I have modified for my landscape. Here is Bill's itemized list:

1. Water in motion;
2. Keep the cat indoors;
3. Replace old dirty (bluebird) nests;
4. Feeder check up and inventory;
5. Let your garden go;
6. Let your lawn go;
7. Leave your leaves;
8. Scatter seed;
9. Keep hummer feeders up;
10. Make your windows safe for migrants.

My article about autumn birds in your garden landscape appears here.

Bill Thompson's list originated in the Bird Watcher's Digest Blog and was reprinted in the Duncraft Blog.