More Birds... More Bugs... More Vegetables

A long time ago this area was a horse ranch, so there are old fence fragments here and there. We've noticed that the numbers of wild birds and bees and beneficial insects seemed lower than we expected in a semi-rural area. Angel has been on a mission to make the surrounding area more bird and bee-friendly. It's beginning to pay off. The actions she's taken are modest:

1. We had an old sink, very shallow. I mounted it on an old fence post in the open space behind the house.  Instant bird bath.  It's up high, so the birds feel safe from predators. They obviously enjoy it.
2. Planting more flowers on the property. Many species do extremely well here. They require weeding and a little irrigation in the summer months. Some of the flowers produce seeds that the birds find especially tasty.
3. Adding flowers to the vegetable garden. This brings in a wider variety of insects. Some of those insects are predators for others that we consider to be pests.
4. I cleared some of the overgrown areas  that border our property. The city doesn't have resources for this sort of thing, so that's the way we do things at the edge of the continent. Most, perhaps all, of what I cleared are invasive species. The cleared areas provide places for birds to hang out. Deer too (mixed feelings about those, but I can handle it).
5. Occasional scattering of wild bird seed.

Anyway, we're seeing more birds, more bees & wasps, more lady-bugs, etc. It's good. We've draped netting over the main vegetable garden. The small birds zoom through it without problem. They eat bugs and leave. The crows and ravens hate the netting and avoid going beneath it. This is good because they will tear out new shoots and shred larger plants. I've discussed it with the crows, but they just laugh. Hence the netting.

Lots of fun for all concerned.