Advice re draft 10 things about little birds for Canberra Times

["Barbara Preston" <>]

Hi All

Following my comment about the Canberra Times garden supplement, I thought I should be proactive, and drafted the following to submit to John Martin for the CC page. Please give me any feedback - esp re specific birds (I'm not very expert . . ) and the general idea. Thanks   Barbara

10 things to know

about little birds

1. Little native birds are treasures in our Canberra gardens. Making our gardens hospitable to them will repay us a thousand fold.
2. The songs of little birds are beautiful - from the melodious and amusing (Grey Shrike-thrush, thornbills and Willie Wagtails) to the evocative and heart-rending (Eastern Spinebills and Superb Fairy-wrens). The aerial acrobatics of Grey Fantails can beat the circus.
3. Little birds need water for drinking and bathing, plenty of dense foliage for security and a variety of appropriate feed all year round.
4. White-browed Scrubwrens, Superb Fairy-wrens and the rarer robins need dense shrubs and undergrowth and deep leaf litter with plenty of insects.
5. Small honeyeaters need lots of nectar plants all year round, especially away from the large nectar plants that Red Wattlebirds stake out in spring. If you like a formal garden, correa 'Dusky Bells' makes a fine low clipped hedge, and the beautiful correa baeuerlenii ('Chef's Cap') has neat shiny leaves and fascinating subtle flowers – plant them and you might have the pleasure of Eastern Spinebills visiting in winter (you usually have to work hard to make a formal garden bird-friendly - little native birds like complex gardens with diverse plantings).
6. Spotted Pardalotes (little flying jewels) eat lerps on eucalyptus leaves – their lovely bell calls are frequently heard, even if they are too high up to clearly see.
7. Pretty finches and little parrots eat grass seeds, so plant native grasses that you do not need to mow.
8. Currawongs eat the eggs and chicks of little birds – so do not encourage them with berry plants.
9. Cats eat little birds - keep them inside or in secure runs.
10. Chemical sprays that kill insects might kill little birds.

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