Subject: snipe and landscape design
Date: Dec 7 09:35:28 1994
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


In response to Emily Mandelbaum's posting:

Yes, those were certainly snipe. I don't think they were too inconvenienced
by being flushed by you, as a bird's life is full of flushing and
relocating. As long as you don't disturb a nest and make it fail, you
aren't harming birds by flushing them. Magnuson Park is a big place, and
they can move somewhere that will give them all the time they need for
foraging and resting. The dogs that are there certainly represent a greater
threat than the people, as dogs do find and destroy nests, sometimes
catching the incubating bird.

About landscaping: as you obviously already know, you should give birds
cover (protection from predators), food, and nest sites for a complete
haven. I think a good diversity of plantings is what is needed, especially
if it includes some evergreens (winter cover), lots of deciduous trees
(better for insects), and some fruiting trees for fruit-eating birds. These
qualities can be furnished by either native or non-native trees and shrubs,
and when non-natives grow faster than natives, they may be preferred if you
want a reasonably quick fix. We have planted a mixture of native and
non-native species in our once relatively bare yard, and birds are
responding well. I think willows, birches and alders are good trees to
attract insects, as are most legumes (the faster-growing they are, the more
leaf-eating insects like them--but you are committed to a pesticide-free
yard and somewhat unsightly trees as a possible outcome).

Of your list of trees, I don't think any are *particularly* attractive to
birds, although they certainly will furnish the cover (the evergreens all
winter) and nest-site parts of the equation. The mountain ash is an
exception; that's a fine bird tree. Most of those on your list are
relatively slow-growing, and such trees usually don't harbor much of an
insect fauna (that's why landscapers like them, of course). If you aren't
interested in warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and the like, you don't need
insect-rich trees. Non-native trees per se are fine for birds, but not many
of the trees that are so often used by landscapers. Fruit trees such as
apples, cherries, and the like are great for birds, and I notice their
conspicuous absence from your list.

I would also recommend having down-and-out weedy (dandelions, grasses)
parts of your land for seed-eaters, a much more "natural" way to feed them
than bird feeders, which essentially take the place of these formerly
occurring seed sources. Thickets of Himalayan blackberries are also great,
for both cover and food, and they could be tolerated on 8 acres, but I
suppose your neighbors would veto this even if you liked the idea. A pond
is a great feature for birds and other wildlife, and running water (a pump
system is necessary for this) really attracts a lot of birds, even shy ones
such as warblers and thrushes.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416