Does anybody have any suggestions for plants that I can plant to attract Birds and Butterflies??

I live in Northern Alabama.

I have some wooded area that has GIANT OLD white Oaks, cherry, Holiday trees, OLD Honeysuckle, and miscellaneous thicket. I was considering planting more dogwoods,(I have 1 HUGE dogwood (25 ft tall)and 3 that are about 10 ft tall all are the wild kind), Do dogwoods attract birds? And I have 8 Crepe Myrtles (which attract butterflies)I also want to add some berry plants into the edges of the woods. What kinds of berry plants do birds like best? I was considering turning an acre into a giant field full of lavender..does Lavender attract birds and butterflies??

Thanks for ALLLL the info Bill. I am still new to this site and not so good at navigating through all the information. I see that Humming birds like Willow for making nests. I was considering planting 2 weeping willow trees in 2 areas of my yard that flood during lots of rain. Someone at the Nursery near me told me that the willow tree will help control the flooding.

OOOOH and I see that birds like English Lavender. So my plan for an acre of lavender will work.

Thornius...Now I cannot wait to plant willow trees. <smile> Thanks for the info. How big do Mulberry trees get? And, Cardinals like holly don't they? I am scheming to attract Cardinals. I have a lot of purple birds I think they are house wrens. and yellow birds..not sure what they are...see I am an amateur.

Do you know any good links about Cardinals?

Some Mulberry trees get 30-40 feet high. Those we have in our area will reach 15 feet or more. Cardinals DO like Holly. Your purple birds are male House Finches or Male Purple Finches. The females of those two species are brown and white and look like a sparrow. Your yellow birds are probably American Goldfinches. They turn brown in the Fall and Winter but in spring and summer are one of the most brilliantly colored birds you can see.
Rabbit droppings are among some of the richest natural fertilizers in the world (after bat droppings). I don't know how acidic they are but they are miraculous when it comes to restoring eroded sterile land. You can use rabbit droppings on anything. Rabbits naturally use the same spot as a toilet every day making them one of the easiest house-broken pets in the world. You have to keep electrical cords out of their reach and have a cage for them to stay in when you are not around, but otherwise I let mine roam the house at will.

American Goldfinches (Male and Female)


Cedar Waxwing (In Mulberry Tree)


House Finches (Male and Female)


Two Bean Bags (Our pet male Lop-eared rabbit)


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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

The Goldfinches are still here, they have just changed color.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

They should be, loz. I dont think Goldfinches migrate, but they DO change color in Winter.

American Goldfinches (Winter Plummage)


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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

According to, "The Sibley Field guide to Birds of Eastern North America", (or Sibley's as we birders call it), American Goldfinches DO migrate somewhat But they stay in Tennessee, Maryland, and Northern Alabama, year round. In Winter they move into the southern Gulf Coast area and Southwest, and in Summer they travel as far north as Central Canada.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

Then I DO still have Goldfinches..I have a lot of those and the Purple Finches. I haven't seen a bluebird for a while I know their color changes a little in winter also. Do the blue birds go away in winter?

I have at least 4 woospeckers...I think they are Downy Woodpeckers...Or red cocked woodpecker. They have pointed little heads. And are spotted black and white...What kind of woodpecker is that?? I cannot find it in my book. I use to have a BIG woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker, I think. He would peck on my roof everyday at the same time. I found I had carpenter ants up there..Hummm a little woodpecker warning sign...After I had the ants removed he never came back. Next time I might just leave the ants just so I can see the KING SIZE bird again.

I think the Tufted Titmice are fun birds. They walk on the trees similar to a woodpecker...Hang upside down...seem to have A LOT of energy. I think I have seen the Cedar wax wing too..I also have the brown headed Nuthatch.

Hopefully I can catch the woodpecker on film. I do not know how to put pictures up on here. Where do I go to learn how to do this??

As you may have noticed from Thornius' pic's, sunflower seed is a GREAT way to attract songbirds, and suet cakes are great for woodpeckers, creepers, etc. If you plant sunflowers, you may get big flocks of goldfinches when the seeds are ripe! Don't neglect to put out birdbaths, even if you have water nearby. You WILL get lots of visitors to those baths. I once had orioles that would feed at my hummingbird feeders. They were hung high, about 6 feet, away from the house about 40 feet.

I like cats they taste almost as good as chicken. Cat the other white meat. Alt least your birds would be safe.
Jimmy

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Meet Clyde my Male Sugar Glider. Clyde says.
Keep it organic
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.
Pray for our Troops!

Here's one for you, JV!

(I'm in Catlover's corner! )

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Lynne's knitting journal
"I'm spayed, declawed, and housebound - how's YOUR day going???"

My favorite pets are cats, rabbits, dogs, and raccoons. I like horses pretty good too. I've had about 30 cats in my life (fifteen at once one time) 14 rabbits (11 at once one time) 20 dogs (3 at once) and 4 raccoons (one at a time). I have also have had 3 horses and have boarded 7 more that did not belong to me. Oh, and I've also had 30 nervous goats at once.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

All animals can be trained. My Dog for instance is a Bull Terrier..(full size, 80lbs..not a miniature) Bull Terriers are notorious cat killers. I trained him to be gentle with the cats from when he was a baby. The cats are his buddies. I chased my cats everytime they got near the feeders and bird houses and they stay away from them. Just my Neighbors cats seem to be clueless and not able to learn. Oh boy...

I hope y'all will keep this post alive!!

I am new...but this is right up my alley. I love bird watching/feeding. It is one of my true passions.

We have 8 Bluebird houses up and all were used last year. It won't be long and the little blues will be checking out the houses!! We have heated water provided and the birds really gather around them. (The blues really love those.)

I enjoyed reading the info here and will keep track of it...bye for now.

VAgardengirl

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I will plant my heart in my garden of dreams.

VAgardengirl, here is a link to the National Wildlife Federation's backyard habitat guide. This can help you make your yard attractive to birds. web page

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

cats don't tend to like citrus smells - have you tried using some kind of citrusy smelling oil/wax on your poles?

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"Every time I close the door on reality, it comes in through the windows. (Jennifer Unlimited)"

Hmmm, not sure about reapplying after all furniture wax is by nature water resistant (i think) and so shouldn't be affected, although repainting every year might be needed?

You can also getsonic cat detterents that emit freqwuencies they don't like but this might affect your dog as well (or even the birds?)

barbed wire sounds good - cats aren't stupid enough to try and hurt themselves on it

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"Every time I close the door on reality, it comes in through the windows. (Jennifer Unlimited)"

I had a dog that used to eat GLASS mayonnaise jars. It never hurt him a bit. He also ate socks and whole pairs of blue jeans. Now, I have a rabbit.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

I am enjoying this thread . We live in the middle of our wooded acres , and have many , many birds and other wild critters .

We have been blessed with lots of Eastern Bluebirds this winter . I guess the mild winter in this area has kept them here , plus we have lots of berry bearing trees and shrubs .

The Purple Finch have been more this winter than last , but not as much as a snowy winter .
There is at least one Hermit Thrush , which we usually don't see in the winter .

Last fall the Sapsuckers did a lot of damage to the large American Cranberry Bush in front of our house . Bummer ! I just hope the large girdled limbs will survive !

I always get a kick out of the fact that many do not know that the Gold Finch changes color , and is rather drab in the winter . We have a local community correspondent ,in our local newspaper , that does not know that . She is an elderly woman , and you would think she would have learned it by now ! But every year she announces when the Gold Finch return !( They are never gone ! ) No one has the heart to point it out to her .

I haven't counted how many birds I have sighted on our place since we moved here in '84 , but it is a lot ! Before I got this computer , that is how I spent a lot of my time ....birdwatching . I have them all marked in my 3 bird books .

Oui , persimmons attract raccoons and oppossums , as well as deer . We have persimmons .

We also have lots of Serviceberry trees , and Eastern Dogwoods . The birds love their fruits .

I have planted many other fruit bearing trees and shrubs , so there is a wide choice for critters .

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Or you can climb a tree and act like a nut to attract squirrels.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.

Help!! i live in alaska and have no idea what to do about bringing wildlife into my yard! can anyone help?

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Jake was here

again...

and again...