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Although there are many ways to enjoy nature in your backyard, one of the most interesting ways to do so is to invite some feathered friends to live there. Most of us can recall a time in our lives when we observed a mommy bird catering to her babies in their nest. Planning your backyard landscaping to encourage birds to visit and nest can be fun, educational, and yes, even entertaining.

Do some background research first. Explore in books or online the types of birds you would like to draw to your yard. Some good websites to investigate are www.birding.com and www.birder.com. Once you make these decisions, you are ready to begin your project.

There are four main elements to include in your backyard plan: plantings, shelter for the birds, sources of food (both plant and feeders), and water.

1. Selecting Plantings
Firstly, birds love twittering among the landscape and finding places to rest, so an effective first step is to plant several varieties of flowers, bushes, and trees. Variety is significant because some birds prefer roosting in large trees while others are drawn to small shrubs, or flowers. Birds tend to be drawn to bright colors so including plants that have brightly colored blooms is important.

2. Providing Shelter
Not only do plantings serve as fine places to nest for many types of birds; they provide shelter for birds to protect themselves from predators. Birds are constantly seeking cover and are known to return to familiar, safe spots. Thus, another step to take in designing your backyard bird haven is to incorporate nesting boxes and bird houses into your plans. They provide real nesting possibilities as well as shelter for birds. Most birds seek boxes and birdhouses that face away from the wind.

3. Offering Food
Next, placing strategically located bird feeders in your backyard will yield great results in drawing birds to your yard. The types and sizes of bird feeders are endless. Visit your local garden supply store to check out what they have available. Be sure you have adequately researched the birds you hope to attract in order to assist in the selection of the proper bird feeder and feed for them.

4. Providing Water
A must-have element in a successful nesting habitat is water. The simple way to have water is to purchase a birdbath, set it up, and fill it with fresh water from the hose each morning. As this task may become cumbersome after awhile, you might want to invest in a bird bath or water treatment that uses a pump to keep water in the vessel circulating or moving. The sound of moving water is clearly one of the most effective lures for birds, as they are constantly seeking water in which to bathe and to drink.

Summary
Once you decide on the types of birds you hope to attract, you can then research the types of plantings they like. Additionally, those plantings will very likely provide their preferred food. Also, your research will tell you in what types of structures and plants a particular bird prefers to nest. Then, offering water for your avian friends can make all the difference in attracting birds. Finally, incorporate all this information into the plan for your backyard habitat. Staging your backyard to please your feathered friends is fun, educational, and will truly entertain.

Learn more about this author, Rita Chaney.
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