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PLANT OF THE MONTH
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Wild Black Cherry blossoms
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Birds love the small dark red cherries that appear on Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) trees in late summer. Cedar waxwings, tanagers, orioles, woodpeckers, catbirds and others will visit to browse the fruit. At other times of the year, a variety of migrating and breeding birds will use these medium-sized shade trees for rest and shelter.
In late spring, look for dangling clusters of tiny white flowers gracefully hanging from the branches. Many caterpillars, such as the Tiger Swallowtail and Red-spotted Purple, use the tree as a host plant. Other pollinators love to visit the blooms, transferring pollen between flowers. Clip a few and enjoy their blooms indoors as well. Only clip flowers from your own trees, never from trees on public property.
Black Cherry is at home in sunny, slightly moist locations with sandy or loamy soils. It’s a good choice if you are looking for a fast-growing, salt- and drought-tolerant tree that will attract pollinators and birds and create some shade.
Plant near Black Walnut or other shade trees, or group with spring-flowering shrubs such as Serviceberries or Dogwoods. Or let it stand alone as a specimen tree to show off the unique, cornflake-like bark that appears as it gets older. The bittersweet fruit can be used in jelly and wine making, but avoid ingesting the seeds, stems and leaves as they can be toxic.
Photo: CC BY-NC 2.0 Anita Gould
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CARING FOR YOUR YARD
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Keep your feeders clean
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Spring Birdfeeder Maintenance
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After a long day of traveling, no one wants to arrive to dinner to find the plates are dirty and the food is spoiled. With spring migration underway, here’s how to be the best dinner host for our weathered and well-travelled bird guests.
Keep feeders clean
Birdfeeders come in a wide variety of materials and styles, serving up seed and nectar. It’s important to ensure birdfeeders are adequately and regularly cleaned to prevent harmful bacteria and mold growth.
Use the manufacturer’s instructions to take apart the feeder. Brush off stuck seed (an old toothbrush works for getting into cracks and narrow spaces). Dishwasher-safe parts can be washed in the dishwasher on hot. All other feeder parts, including wood, can be scrubbed with a solution of one-part bleach to nine-parts water. Rinse thoroughly and ensure all parts are completely dry before reassembling.
Clean your seed feeders at least once a month. During times of heavy use or wet weather, clean the feeders more frequently. Nectar feeders should be cleaned at least once a week or twice a week during hot weather.
Keep things tidy
Freshen up the area below your feeders by raking away old seeds, discarded hulls and bird droppings. Moldy or spoiled seed are unhealthy for birds and can attract unwanted critters.
Keep them coming back
Use our plant lists for breeding and migratory birds to discover which native plants you can add to your yard to provide a natural source of food and habitat year-round.
Some nurseries are offering no-contact curbside pick up. Contact a native plant nursery to confirm stock and whether they're offering safe pick up options.
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DID YOU KNOW
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Baltimore Oriole enjoying a fresh orange
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Migratory Birds Need Your Yard
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As days grow longer and warmer, migratory birds make their way north to their breeding grounds. After a long night of flying, birds need a safe place to stop, eat and rest.
Migrating birds have adapted their migration patterns over time to align with hatching spring insects and tree and flower leaf out. Landscaping with native plants can help migrating birds by providing reliable shelter and food sources.
Here are some tips for creating a backyard bird haven.
Design for diversity
Create a beautiful, layered garden with native plants to support a diversity of birds. Large trees like oaks, maples and black cherry will support birds such as vireos and gnatcatchers. Shrubs like dogwoods, serviceberries and viburnums will attract warblers and sparrows.
Make your yard bird safe
Keep cats indoors, on a leash or in an outdoor catio. To reduce window collisions, make your windows visible to birds by adding a window film or markers. Place bird feeders less than half a metre from any windows or more than 10 metres away.
Change up the menu
Some birds, like blackbirds, jays and woodpeckers, will eat seed, but many are looking for something different. Nectar feeders provide food for hummingbirds and orioles. Oranges, grapes and jelly will attract birds like catbirds, grosbeaks, and tanagers. For a special treat, add mealworms to the menu.
Enjoy backyard birding
Now is a great time to work on your bird ID skills. Download our Migratory Bird Spotter Guide to learn which migratory birds you might see in your backyard. Buy or borrow a bird field guide or download a bird ID app, like the Audubon bird guide, to expand your knowledge. Use this migration forecast tool to know when to wake up early to capture morning bird activity.
Photo: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Brent Boynton
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EVENTS
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Monarch on a bright display of asters
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Landscaping for Birds
Tuesday, May 5, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Learn about the birds in your neighbourhood. Discover the top native trees and shrubs you can plant to bring more birds to your property and ways to keep them safe.
Register for this webinar
Registration closes at noon.
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Landscaping for Pollinators
Tuesday, May 26, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Discover local native plants pollinators love and ways to use them to create beautiful landscapes. Sharpen your gardening skills as you learn how to provide safe and healthy pollinator habitat throughout the year.
Register for this webinar.
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Use our online resources to help you get started with your garden projects this spring.
Native Plant Lists
Discover native plants for your yard using our native plant guides. Learn what will work best in your yard to attract pollinators and provide safe and healthy habitat for birds. Download the guides here.
Sustainable Landscaping How-to
Learn more about sustainable landscaping by taking a look at our factsheets and how-to guides at cvc.ca/Landscaping.
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Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) continues to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic and is taking steps to keep our communities, vendors and staff safe. For public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, all CVC offices, parks and trails are closed until further notice. Visit cvc.ca for latest updates.
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At Credit Valley Conservation, we create connections between people and nature, knowledge and action. We lead the protection, restoration and enhancement of our local natural environment, and we inspire a deep appreciation for the role of nature in keeping us connected, healthy and happy.
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