Bringing in the birds

This morning while out walking at 6am I was amazed at the dawn chorus - the birds were so loud & sounded so happy to be alive it was truly a celebration. By the time we got back at 7 they had quietened down & were going about their day. We often get asked about plants to attract birds to the garden & at the Nook we are fortunate to have regular visitors of the feathered variety. Jamie feeds them sugar water in the winter: half a cup of sugar dissolved in 1 litre of water.
The Bellbirds are busy in the Grevillea Victoria at the moment & their song certainly brightens up the nursery.
The birds in the spring also feed on insects with Bellbirds regularly doing a circuit of our large greenhouse looking for spiders they need the protein from these insects as they are nesting or feeding young, something to think about when you get your house sprayed for spiders & other insects.
The birds also love the shelter & security of larger bushy shrubs such as Pittosporum and Corokia.
We have developed the following list to give you an idea of plants you can add to your garden to bring in the birds - they won't all work in every area but you should be able to find one or two which would work for you. We would love to add to our list and welcome your input, let us know if you have noticed the birds enjoying something in your garden or district.

Nectar Lovers – Tui, Bellbird, Waxeye

Non native plants:

• Grevillea
• Lauris Noblis (Bay)
• Honeysuckle
• Prunus Companulata
• Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
• Correa
• Banksia
• Embothrium (Chilean Fire Bush)
• Tagasaste (Tree Lucerne)
• Phygelius

Native Plants:

• Knightia excelsa (Rewarewa)
• Phormium
• Kowhai
• Kamahi
• Clianthus (Kaka Beak)
• Cordyline australis (Cabbage Tree)
• Metrosideros (Rata)
• Pohutukawa

Berry Lovers – all the above plus Wood pidgeon, Kaka

• Coprosma – especially Lucida & Robusta
• Carpodetus (putuputweta)
• Aristotelia (Wineberry)
• Cordyline australis (Cabbage Tree)
• Corokia
• Rimu, Matai & especially Miro
• Elaeocarpus dentatus (Hinau)
• Gaultheria
• Lophomyrtus
• Muehlenbeckia
• Myrsine (Matipo)
• Pseudopanax (Five Finger)
• Lancewood
• Solanum aviculare (Poroporo)
• And of course anything from the orchard or berry patch that you leave unprotected

Lizards love flat growing coprosma with berries like acerosa & brunnea , Melicytus
(Porcupine bush)