Parker County Today June 2016 | Page 53

along with places to nest. Check with your local nursery for the plants that suit your yard best. In addition, plants add beauty to any yard. Food is the next key element. Feeding stations help replace diminishing natural food sources. Multiple stations with different feeders and food will reward you with a greater variety of birds. Don’t forget suet which provides needed fat for cold winters, nesting and migration. It is important to feed year-round and to keep your feeders full. In turn, you will benefit from frequent visitors. The Wild Bird Center of Weatherford carries a complete line of feeders suited to any feathered backyard visitor. Water is another key and often overlooked component. Water is as essential for wildlife as it is for humans and in our hot Texas summers, a necessity. A bird bath attracts birds and provides clean water for drinking and cleaning, essential to bird health. Use a water feature, such as a Water Wiggler, dripper or mister to keep water moving. Birds respond to the sound of moving water, which also prevents insect breeding. Bathing birds splashing in the water are truly a joy to watch. Nest boxes complete your backyard habitat, providing a nesting place for cavity nesters and helping to replace natural breeding cavities lost to development. The sounds and sight of fledglings is certain to bring a smile to everyone! In the winter, birds keep warm in the place they call home. We carry many colorful and whimsical houses as well as more traditional and specialty nest boxes to complete any backyard habitat. The Wild Bird Center of Weatherford has everything you need, including friendly advice, to make your b ackyard a wild bird center and give back to nature! JUNE 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY 51