Best-ever backyard birding tips Hundreds of easy ways to attract the birds you love to watch

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This is a book meant for browsing. You can go from start--"Bird-Attracting Basics"--to finish--"Less-Wanted Guests"--or choose a chapter that interests you--about landscape plants for birds, perhaps, or water features- -and dive right in. Or simply open the book to any page and peruse the tips there--you're bound to find something new to add to your own list of best practices for bringing in the birds. Throughout the book you'll also find opportunities to "Take a Closer Look" at the birds that are most likely to spend some or all of their life cycles in a home landscape setting. Use these features to learn more about your feathered favorites, including which foods they prefer, where and how they raise their young, and what you can do to make them feel at home. From seeds and feeders to houses and roosting sites, discover page after page of easy, practical, actionable ideas for enjoying maximum bird- watching pleasure. Start with tips that offer almost-immediate results and advance to plans for long-term bird benefits. Find out how to "borrow" bird- friendly elements from beyond your property lines and how to bring birds close for easy window-watching from the comfort of your favorite chair. The tips that appear in this book have been gathered by and from knowledgeable birders, dedicated gardeners, experts in a variety of subjects, and amateur naturalists. Many of them are people just like you, who began by watching the birds around them and turned that simple pleasure into a passion for bird conservation. There's something for everyone--for every bird lover and for (almost) every bird--among the hundreds of hints ahead. Let's get started: Open this book and let it open your eyes to the wonderful possibilities of surroundings brimming with beautiful birds. Excerpted from Best-Ever Backyard Birding Tips: Hundreds of Easy Ways to Attract the Birds You Love to Watch by Deborah L. Martin, Rodale Garden Books Editors All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.