Attracting Wildlife to Your Yard for Photos

Basically if you want to attract a particular type of wildlife to your yard you need to put out the right food…if you want deer to come around place out deer food, if you want birds, then put out bird food, if you want opossum then put out opossum food, if you want a hamster you’ll have to go buy one. Just kidding!

When attracting wildlife to your property you need to consider basics like food, water, and shelter, much like the saying where man has three basic needs to survive: food, clothing, and shelter or in some cases food, clothing, and a tax shelter. Wildlife often come with their own clothing which is typically fur and feathers. So you need to supply the food, water, and shelter(or which is also referred to as cover).

Some like to include a fourth necessity to that list to include a pesticide free property to protect the wildlife drawn in. I believe as a matter of practicality that controlling pesticides is really a subset of the other three necessities since you naturally want a safe haven for your soon to be photographic subjects. I’ll leave pictures of fauna in rigor mortis for the forensic bunch. Besides Mr. Moose, Mr. Bunny Rabbit, and Bambi will appreciate you.

Food, Water, and Cover

Generally shrubs and trees that produce berries, fruits, nuts, seeds, and nectar are good sources for drawing wildlife onto your property. Check the National Wildlife Federation(NWF) site for a list of plants native to your area before deciding what to plant. Follow this link: National Wildlife Federation. The local nursery should be able to advise as well

From the NWF page you can click on a map of your state for a list of native plant species. Pictures accompany each description and you will get further details about each plant by clicking on the name in bold. If you are unfamiliar with what wildlife you can expect to attract check the local wildlife agency.

Planting flowers that produce nectar will attract butterflies which are great subjects for macro shooters. Purple and white flowers are popular with many butterflies.

Planting a vegetable garden will attract rabbits and other mammals like raccoons, but be prepared to sacrifice some of your crop for serving dinner to a few critters in exchange for their photo. Another bonus of planting a vegetable garden will be an opportunity to take macro photos of the insects that will pay your garden a visit or take up residence there. Remember the focus here is photography, after all you hunger for pictures, not food.

In addition to natural plants some folks like to place feeders in their yards. If you decide to place a bird feeder in your yard it is best to supply cover nearby where they can retreat in the event a domestic cat approaches. Many birds are lost at feeders due to cat attacks. Different types of feeders and seeds can be used to attract different species of birds, so you can place more than one feeder in the yard in different locations. This also helps prevent some competition for food.

Hummingbirds, like butterflies will be attracted to nectar bearing plants and you can place feeders in the yard during the migratory season. The color red is a favorite of hummingbirds.

There is some controversy about the red dye used in commercial nectar mixes and red food coloring added to the homemade sugar and water mix others use regarding whether it is harmful to the birds.

There is no known scientific evidence that it causes harm, but by the same token there is no scientific evidence that it doesn’t cause harm. Consequently, if you prefer to stay on the safe side, then avoid the use of red commercial nectars and red food coloring. The feeders typically come in the color red and you can add a picked red flower to one feeder point as a temporary attractant.

If making your own solution of sugar water mix 4 parts of water to one part table sugar. Try to avoid hanging the feeder in the sun because the sunlight will spoil the sugar. The feeder needs to be cleaned frequently, some recommend every 5-7 days.

Placing a squirrel feeder in the yard can help keep this furry rodent away from the bird feeders. Different types are sold and corn is the common food used. Corn feed can also be found in pet stores or on the pet food aisle in some department stores.

In addition to supplying trees and shrubs as ground cover, rock piles and brush piles can be placed in the yard as a haven or even nesting area for some species. For your feathered friend checkout some bird house options.

If you are a property owner lucky enough that a river runs through it or where a natural pond exists you have the water necessity covered otherwise you can build an artificial pond if you are energetic or simply add a bird bath.

A Word of Caution about Plants and Toxins

When deciding on your choice of flora to plant be mindful that many plants can be toxic or even possibly fatal if consumed by humans. Children should be of special consideration when choosing plants especially since their smaller body weight cannot handle the larger amounts of toxin that it would take to affect an adult. Just because wildlife can tolerate the food doesn’t mean it is safe for human consumption. Some of our ancestors I think found out the hard way.

Children find berries and fruits naturally attractive. I can attest to that myself from two experiences I had as a very young child. Neither incident was a direct threat to me since toxicity was not an issue unless you consider my neighbor’s reaction which was very toxic. I was about age five when I picked a cumquat off the neighbor “lady’s” tree and also received her wrath for my Eve-like action. The fruit was just so enticing.

The other time I had been playing with some reddish and orange peppers growing in the yard. I don’t believe they were considered edible nor do I think they were necessarily toxic. At any rate I never attempted to taste one, but did regrettably place my fingers on my lips after handling them. My lips burned and throbbed for a few hours. I learned my lesson and that pretty much ended my backyard foraging and Euell Gibbons ways.

So, plan accordingly and also keep an eye on the wee ones in your yard. If they are old enough explain the dangers to them. Otherwise, you may want to avoid the use of certain plants altogether.

Pest Issues

Be prepared for the pros and cons of attracting wildlife to your yard. You will have to accept some good with the bad, ie. like birds pecking garden tomatoes, birds decorating your patio with white splotches, and the aforementioned critters dining on your prize lettuce. Drop one letter in the word pest and it becomes pet.

Raccoons love gardens and especially corn. They also have a taste for dog food and cat food and love using pet doors to access Fido’s lunch.

Skunks have their obvious potential hazards. Here is a link should you have an unfortunate encounter with one: Skunk odor removal. I live in a suburb of Houston, Texas well within the city, but my backyard faces a utility easement with a small drainage bayou within. That location on the easement is of some advantage when it comes to wildlife access. I also have a low chain link fence. Some critters like rabbits and skunks are able to squeeze through the small fence openings. I welcome them and don’t mind them chewing on some of my garden veggies.

We do have deer on the outskirts of Houston where there is good forest cover, but it would be very unlikely if I saw one in the easement just because of the nature of the surrounding area being less forested than some other areas.

If I did live in a more forested area I would try to attract them for photos near the proximity of my yard or go to them near their natural habitat to avoid the possibility of having their browsing activity do damage to yard trees. Some folks prefer not to attract them for this reason. I have no personal experience with this, but have read that their appetites can be a real problem for yard trees. Deer like fruits like apples for instance, and eat the leaves, needles, buds, and twig ends of trees and shrubs. They do have preferred types of trees and shrubs.

You could construct a 6-8 foot fence to keep them out. Shorter fences can be jumped. Another problem with attracting deer and having them congregate in a small area is that disease can be more easily spread should there be a contagion in the small area. Normally in the wild they are more spread out in their territory and thus less apt to spreading diseases.

I have a bird bath, bird feeder, bird house, hummer feeder, a squirrel feeder, shrubs and trees for cover, a vegetable garden, and a loquat tree in my backyard. I have attracted various birds including hummingbirds, skunks, rabbits, opossums, and with the vegetable garden a variety of insects. The shrubbery has also provided nesting for mockingbirds in the past. I’d say not bad for wildlife in the city.

The loquat tree produces edible fruit which can be consumed by both wildlife and humans. It will take about three years from planting for it to produce fruit and it grows fast. The loquat fruit attracts skunks and opossums in the Spring.

They forage for the fruit that has dropped to the ground which tends to be partially dried. The loquat tree also loves to shed its leaves throughout the year which can clog my patio drain, but that is an issue I am willing to put up with. I have also made loquat jam using some of the fruits.

Some of these critters can even take up residence in your attic or other parts of your home. That is when they go from pets to pests.

Not too long ago I had a plumbing issue…my toilet would not flush! I called a plumber out who was unsuccessful in his attempts to auger through any possible obstruction in the commode. The plumber came to an eventual conclusion after some more diagnosis. He said, “Mr. Britton, it looks like you are going to need a new john, but I’d say you got your money’s worth with this one since it is over 25 years old.”

The explanation was that after a while the surface of the porcelain within deteriorated to the point where tissue and such could get trapped by clinging to the now rough surface which would result in a clog. I asked him how much it was going to set me back for a new john. Knowing they make more than doctors I prepared myself for shock. “Four hundred bucks!” was the reply.

Later that afternoon he proceeded with the removal and replacement of my toilet while I went about my business. The older toilet was carted out and placed on the front lawn. He came to me shortly afterwards and asked if I had any pets. I stated that the family cat went missing a few days ago just about the time the toilet problems cropped up. I confessed I was just kidding.

We proceeded to the front lawn where the toilet laid on its side and protruding from the hole at the bottom was what looked like a furry yet very soggy tail. The whack of a pipe wrench to the S-shaped section of the toilet base revealed the culprit…voila, a squirrel! I kid you not!

Apparently Rocky, sans Bullwinkle, had gotten into the vent pipe on the roof or possibly in through a sewer pipe and tried to make his journey to freedom, but didn’t quite make it. Unfortunate for him, but fortunate for anyone who might have been adorning the throne at the time of his possible escape!

Good luck attracting wildlife in your neck of the woods and hopefully you won’t have a costly squirrel predicament like I did.

authored by Lon Britton