Cover Provides Protection and Shelter From Bad Weather

Squirrel in nest box

Cover provides shelter from harsh weather rain, snow, and high winds. It also conceals animals from predators such as hawks and owls.

You may have a feature that already serves that purpose. Or there may be a row of shrubs that may benefit from adding more plants.

Some of the different types of shelter and place to hide that you can provide include:

shrubs and trees (especially evergreens)
thickets and hedgerows
grasslands
water
cavities
log and brush piles
rock piles and walls
house for animals such as bats and amphibians

I highly recommend a thicket. It provides shelter and a place to escape hunting hawks.

I have a thicket at the end of my city backyard. The bird feeders atlocated here. The birds are hopping around pokeweed stalks,rhododendron bush. I trim the scraggly stalks to keep it neat. Insummer there is luxurious growth, shade and hiding places.

A few weeks ago I watched a Sharp-Shinned Hawk hunt in the thicket atthe end of my backyard habitat. The House Sparrows were frantic as thethicket provided their only cover. I couldn't tell if the hawk wassuccessful or not. But, I am sure many sparrows were glad the thicketwas there.

The plants in my thicket include Baptista australia (butterfly host plant), Rosa virginnia native rose with plenty of rosehips), Joe-pye weed (butterfly nectar plant )and Daisies ( a favorite of mine and many bees).

Sometimes there are 25 or more birds perched on the stalks in thethicket, waiting their turn at the feeders. As they arewaiting they eat the dark purple berries off the pokewed plant.

My thicket sounds great but I didn't plan it. At first I called it a"mess" but then realized how much the birds used it. Then I bestoweddignity but naming it a "thicket" and that it was part of my backyardhabitat management plan.

The National Wildlife book Attracting Birds, Butterflies and otherBackyard Wildlife suggests the following:

one evergreen
two berry-producing plants
and one thorny species

These plants can be trees or shrubs. Shrubs are great plants for a thicket. You can strengthen an existing shrubby area or create new ones. Trees add nesting sites as places for birds to raiseyoung.

Key points in providing cover

Plant native species indigenous to your ecosystem
Allow the plants to take their natural shapes
Lightly trimming them tokeep things neat is fine
Tightly clipped and manicured shrubs arefar less useful for animals.
Mix the heights
Plant both evergreen and deciduous.
Choose a variety of fruit, nectar or seedproducers
Plant plants densely together and allow for growth
Use a shrub row to connect two or more open areas
Place bird baths and feeders 10 - 12 feet away from, ifpossible, to eliminate hiding place for cats
Planting a along a property line creates a living fence
Plant native flower and grasses in front of the thicket toadd more habitat and to finish the look

Good Plants to Choose

If you live in a natural desertout west, choose desert plants. Ecology guides that describe an area'secosytem are always helpful. When walkng through natural places,parks and refugees, see what grows naturally. Natural parks andpreserves often have list of plants and the staff and offer suggestions.

You may want to focus on plants and trees for butterflies, birds orinsects. There are many possibilities. And plants can bemoved ifyour change your mind.

For books on Creating a Backyard Habitatvisit the Sunflower Naturalist Store

More Pages on Creating aBackyard Habitat:

food

water

placesto raise young

attractingbutterflies

attractingbirds

From Cover Return to Backyard Habitat

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