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Plants for Birds: It’s Not Too Late to Dig In!

By Noreen Weeden

 

Planting season in the San Francisco Bay Area is late fall through winter.  With a forecast of rain ahead, it is not too late to get some beautiful native plants in the ground to benefit our birds.  You may have heard that Plants for Birds is an exciting partnership of GGAS and the Yerba Buena chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). This season we are promoting a native tree, vine, bush and groundcover.  Each of these plants provide food for butterflies and birds.

Over one third of the birds in the US eat insects. Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author, has worked with student researchers conducting studies on the insects which eat or lay eggs on plants which are then consumed by birds.    In fascinating co-evolutionary strategies most insects require specific plants.  Many exotic plants and plants sold as pest free have chemicals in their tissues which repel insects.

Early last year I spoke with Kathy Kramer of Bringing Back the Natives fame.  She and her husband Michael May had taken Tallamy’s research and looked at west coast plant – insect associations.  Taking this further was a chance to evaluate San Francisco plant species.  Using that data, I took the San Francisco plant list and looked at CalScape- a CNPS plant resource.  After analyzing these a tree, vine, bush and groundcover were selected for the program which attract local birds and butterflies.  The GGAS San Francisco Conservation Committee then went to work to make it local by contacting local nurseries to see if they would be interested in selling these plants.  Qiting “Tina” Cai, an intern with CNPS, prepared graphics to promote these plants.

This season’s four fabulous featured plants:

Coast Red-flowering Currant Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum is an awesome plant. It blooms in the winter and is attractive to Anna’s Hummingbirds and the Satyr Comma and Ceanothus Silkmoth.

Coast Red-flowering Currant by Noreen Weeden

 

Anna’s Hummingbird by Noreen Weeden

Coffeeberry Frangula californica a bush with berries which Cedar Waxwing and other birds consume and the Gray Hairstreak and Pale Swallowtail Butterflies depend upon.

Coffeeberry by Neal Kramer

 

Cedar Waxwings by Noreen Weeden

California Honeysuckle Lonicera hispidula is a native vine with pink flowers appeal to Anna’s and Allen’s Hummingbirds and Chestnut-backed Chickadee as well as the Variable Checkerspot butterfly.

California Honeysuckle by Margo Bors

 

Allen’s Hummingbird by Noreen Weeden

Beach Strawberry Fragaria chiloensis was the selected groundcover.  This hardy plant grows in sandy soil and has small berries that California Towhee and Song Sparrows eat and are a draw for the Clepsis fucana moth.

Beach Strawberry by Noreen Weeden

 

California Towhee by Noreen Weeden

Super local San Francisco nurseries that are carrying these plants are Cole Hardware and Bay Natives.  Clement Nursery and Flora Grubb carry some of these featured plants.

Call ahead to order one or more of these plants to grow in your outdoor space.  We hope that you join us in digging in to invite more birds to your backyard, patio or deck.  Our plan is to select another set of plants for next fall and winter to enable you to expand your native garden.  You can contribute to local biodiversity while enjoying our native birds, butterflies and plants.


About Noreen: Noreen Weeden is an avid birder and GGAS’s now retired Volunteer Services Manager. In her position, Noreen inspired the GGAS community for over 15 years. Her extraordinary accomplishments include the restoration of Pier 94, Lights Out for Bird Migration advocacy, and inspiring GGAS staff and volunteers alike to help birds.

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Reflecting On An Unusual SF Christmas Bird Count
February 8, 2021
Bird like a Mother, With or Without Children
January 22, 2021
November at the Lagoon
January 14, 2021
Late Fall, Snowy Egrets
January 8, 2021
Food Fest for Birds
December 30, 2020
Fall is the New Spring
December 23, 2020
A World Exposed Volume 2: The (humming)birds and the bees
December 15, 2020
Pelagic Rookie
December 8, 2020
An Online Bird Art Show: “Wild Things”
November 30, 2020
The Secret Lives of Turkeys
November 23, 2020

Our Mission

The Golden Gate Audubon Society engages people to experience the wonder of birds and to translate that wonder into actions which protect native bird populations and their habitats.

Home page photo of Allen’s Hummingbird by Robert Ho. Home page photos rotate on a monthly basis. If you have a Bay Area bird photo you would like us to consider, email us at mramos@goldengateaudubon.org.

Home page bird illustrations by Tex Buss. We are grateful for her generous donation of time and talent!

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Golden Gate Audubon
2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G
Berkeley, California 94702

Phone: 510.843.2222

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, or by appointment

Email: ggas@goldengateaudubon.org

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Now you can manage all your GGAS business online — renew your membership, update your contact information, view past donations, or sign up for events such as classes, Birdathon or the Christmas Bird Count. Click here to access your account. (You’ll need to create a login name and password if you don’t have one already. If you forget your password, click on the “forgot your password” link.) You can also sign up for our new GGAS Chat to get updates on trips, talk with other members, and more!

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All photos on this site belong to the photographers and may not be used without written permission.
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGAS in the News
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
    • Adult Education Classes
    • Rotary Nature Center
  • Conservation
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
  • Volunteer
  • Bird With Us
    • Field Trip Information
    • Travel with GGAS
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Birding Resources
      • Authors
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • The Gull
    • Golden Gate Birder Blog
    • GGAS’s Birdathon
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Member Login
  • GGAS Archives
    • Trip Reports by Year
    • Past Speakers
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGAS Press Releases
    • Travel with GGAS – Past Tours
  • Contact Us
    • Join/Renew
    • Other Ways to Give
    • Planned Giving
    • Member Login
    • Volunteer Hours Reporting
  • Blog
  • Donate