 |
| This flower fly will kill more pests than your toxins, without killing everything in sight. |
Birds and bugs are natural companions in the garden, so the Creation gardener should support the population and diversity of both.
Bugs love mulch because rotting organic material fosters activity of all kinds and holds moisture for the insect and spider populations. Birds love mulch for providing an enormous areas for feeding, with the movement of worms and bugs easily spotted. "Let's build our nest here, near the food supply." Mulching new areas means having a grocery store for all creatures open up, with very little work once the mulch is spread.
Trees and bushes help the bug population by giving them food and shelter. Where better to leave the babies than attached to bark, branches, and twigs on both? Birds take shelter in trees and bushes, but also feed all winter on the fresh bug food left to hatch in the bark and branches. The only time birds are truly without food is when a heavy sleet covers their food everywhere. The crystal palace look is stunning but the birds are cold and without food while the icy coating remains.
A trashy yard is defined as one where grasses and weeds are allowed to grow on their own - in certain areas, where leaves are not raked up and carted away, but allowed to stay in place and rot into the soil. A Creation gardener will leave one area completely untouched because rove beetles and cursorial (no webs) spiders will gather there between hunts for food. Starlings and grackles will prowl along the ground, flip a leave or clump of dried grass, and pounce on a bug. Those same birds will use their powerful beaks to dig up fat, juicy grubs to feed their children.
I cannot name the foods eaten by all the birds, but they seem to share one thing in common - they eat bugs with the rest of their diet. That is why I have many different watering stations for the birds, so they can drink and bathe year around. Most of their food is found in the Creation garden landscape, but I put the treats near our window, where we can enjoy cardinals, starlings, finches, sparrows, chickadees, and doves from a few inches away. They swing merrily in front of us while waiting their turn to eat. Squirrels have so many piles of seed to enjoy that they leave the birds alone most of the time.
 |
| I planted three stumps in the Jackson Bird Paradise. They are feeders and perches for all animals. The base rots into the soil to harbor more food. |
Toads
Since toads are great bug destroyers, I do two things for these noble creatures. One is having as many flat pans as possible to let them hydrate in the shallow water. The second is gathering small logs and rotting wood to spread around the yard, as shelter and food for them. They love the shade and also enjoy the bugs that congregate under rotting wood.
I may run an electric light outside at night to see if I can get a toad gathering there. LI has street lights and sees them gather there, with so much food attracted by the lights at night.
