A Small Nod to the Wild Side

Habitat all around the house is being cleared for new houses. I've tried to take a few steps to keep some native flora around for the birds. One small effort is a strip of lawn left fallow. I hope to see native plants growing there, but for now it's long turf grass. The other day, I heard our first Blue-black Grassquit for the yard (our 92nd species). The bird sang from the fallow patch. I'm sure it was picking grass seeds. We're also growing a cecropia, locally known as guarumo. This characteristic tropical forest tree has open branches that will afford parakeets, doves, woodpeckers, and other birds a clear view of potential predators as they eye our bird baths and feeder.