The Benefits of Attracting Birds
Balcony birdwatching is a rewarding hobby, and it gives you an excuse to stare out the window at your balcony garden. Wild birds will eventually become so used to you that they will learn your habits and wait for you to fill up the birdfeeder. Some may be brave enough to feed or hang out on the balcony while you’re working in on your garden's container plants. If you have a tree just beyond the balcony, you may be rewarded with seeing courting rituals (maybe you will even see a nest), hearing beautiful calls at all hours of the day and spotting beautiful new species visiting your feeder.
You can set up a container garden for the wild birds in your area – some gardeners go so far as to create an entire hummingbird and butterfly garden, complete with colorful red tubular blooming flowers and hummingbird feeders. Others set out decorative birdhouses in hopes that birds may choose to nest there. Especially in urban and other more populated areas, balcony gardeners will have success if they set out a birdfeeder or a birdbath. In our concrete cities, wild birds will spot a balcony filled with green container plants and stop for a rest, especially if there is some food or water for them. During the winter months in colder areas (when food is scarce), wild birds will appreciate your suet cakes and shelter. To learn more about which type of birdseed is best, read "How to Choose Birdseed."
But all of the benefits of birdwatching come at a price. Once a flock has found your feeder (or feeders), you will find yourself with a lot of extra garden maintenance, expenses and possibly some annoyances just to keep up with the flock. Read “Wild Bird Maintenance” to learn about some of the downsides to birdwatching. Even though there is a lot of extra garden maintenance once wild birds have found your balcony bird sanctuary, you may find that they are worth caring for.
