The Great Backyard Bird Count

Listening to the chirps and warbles of birds while sipping coffee on your back porch can be a relaxing way to start or finish the day!

Northern Cardinal Pair in Spring

There are many benefits to attracting birds to your backyard. Hummingbirds join bees as great pollinators for garden flowers. Birds like owls, hawks, and other raptors are excellent at controlling rodents by hunting rats, voles, mice, and squirrels.

ruby throat hummingbird flying on the nectar feeder

As natural habitats are diminished in our community, attracting backyard birds provides a critical refuge for both local and migratory birds. Watching birds can even improve your health. One study published in Scientific Reports found that seeing or hearing birds improved people's mental wellbeing for up to eight hours. A 2017 study published in Bioscience found that neighborhoods with a prevalence of birds had lower incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Creating a haven in your backyard can be achieved! First, planting native plants can provide a food source for the birds in your area. Offering food in bird feeders allows for better viewing opportunities and provides supplemental food for birds. Putting out nesting boxes can offer a place for birds to hide from predators and nourish their young. Common birds in Northwest Florida that might take advantage of nesting boxes are the Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Screech Owl, Downy Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Purple Martins. The wonder of watching one of these birds build a nest, lay eggs and hatch its young in your yard creates incredible memories with your children or grandchildren.

small nest with five white eggs

Did you know that you could help scientists learn how birds are affected by environmental changes? From February 17-20th, people around the world are invited to take note of the birds that they see in their backyards and report the birds they observe. It's called the Great Backyard Bird Count and it's easy to participate in it! All you need to do is watch birds for at least 15 minutes at least once between February 17th-20th and then take note of those birds in your backyard. Directions for how to enter the birds you see can be found at
https://www.birdcount.org/participate/.

At Executive Landscaping, we want to help you create a backyard oasis centered around the things that bring you happiness! Perhaps that includes creating a bird sanctuary for you and your family to enjoy!

Written by Robin Diedrichs & Photos captured by Robin Diedrichs - a Back Yard Birder! Robin is a full-time 5th grade teacher with Volusia County Schools who has been on staff at Executive Landscaping for one year. Robin has been instrumental in streamlining our CLIPitc program which assists our employees with client scheduling and interactions. and interactions. Robin holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Education from Stetson University and serves as an adjunct professor at Stetson University working with education majors. Some of Robin's accomplishments include, grant writing, after-school program development, Teacher of the Year 2017 for VCS schools, and team member for Governor Desantis writing the new Florida BEST standards for ELA.