What should I feed my backyard birds?

Black oil sunflower seed is the staple of most birds in this area. You can also provide thistle, safflower, corn, and peanuts for added variety. Feeders should be cleaned once a week to prevent the spread of disease. Offer your backyard birds fresh water for drinking and bathing.

Monarch butterfly on butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Describe a good location for a butterfly garden.

The first step is to choose a sunny spot. Most garden butterflies prefer sunny locations. Avoid wide-open areas where birds can easily spot their prey. Walls or borders of shrubs and trees provide adequate shelter from wind. Backyards are ideal for planting a butterfly garden. Choose native plants to provide a more natural setting for visitors to your garden.

What types of habitat can be created in a backyard setting?

Backyard wildlife habitats can be as simple or as complex as you wish, as long as the major habitat requirements of food, water, nesting, and resting areas are provided in correct spatial arrangement. Some projects that can be incorporated into a backyard landscape are wildflower meadows, butterfly/hummingbird gardens, privacy screens, driveway hedgerows, small food plots, garden ponds, feeders, and nesting and roosting boxes for birds and small mammals.