Landscaping ideas for birds and other wildlife? Which plants are best? (1 Viewer)

[Avon Avians]

(Warning. This is a long thread.)

Hello, folks!
I'm posting this thread mostly for suggestions or information regarding this topic, especially based on experience.
We recently moved from Avon, CT to Northumberland, NH. The state has a rather greater abundance of wildlife overall, although our yard is more "suburban" than where we used to live.
I see it as both a "clean slate" and a "work in progress" because while it's rather lacking in wildlife-attracting trees, shrubs, and flowers, it also offer new planting opportunities.

Here are some pictures of our front yard.



And here are some pictures of our backyard, which is far "superior" in my opinion.



Here's a list of wildlife that are occasionally present in our yard.
(It's not exhaustive.)

Black-capped chickadee
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
Ruby-crowned kinglet
American goldfinch
Purple finch
Pine siskin
Northern cardinal
Dark-eyed junco
American tree sparrow
White-throated sparrow
Chipping sparrow
Common grackle
Red-winged blackbird
Brown-headed cowbird
European starling
American crow
Blue jay
American robin
Brown thrasher
Gray catbird
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Mourning dove
Rock dove
Cooper's/Sharp-shinned hawk (Probably both)
Deer mouse
American red squirrel
Eastern gray squirrel
Eastern chipmunk
Groundhog
Raccoon
Striped skunk
Black bear (Apparently, although it is only known from damage evidence)
Spring peeper
Gray treefrog
(We probably have other amphibians as well, as we haven't spend much time searching for them.)

Although many wildlife species have shown up in our yards, wildlife in general are not often seen in our yards, except for a few.
In particular, our front yard is rather devoid of wildlife.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what plants (trees, shrubs, flowers, etc.) would be the best for attracting wildlife?
In particular, I'm interested in attracting the following birds and wildlife.

Tufted titmouse
Red-breasted nuthatch
Golden-crowned kinglet
Eastern bluebird
House/Carolina wren
Baltimore oriole
Red-bellied woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker
Flying squirrel (Not in our house, though, like back in Connecticut)
Red fox
Weasel
Green or Northern green frog
American toad
Eastern or Red-spotted newt

I'm also interested in attracting more black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, eastern gray squirrels, and eastern chipmunks, since they are rather scarce on our new property, unlike our old one back in Connecticut.

Does anyone have any suggestions about which plants would be ideal for attracting some of these wildlife?
(Please note that I'm mostly looking for trees and shrubs that are fairly fast growing, or that produce fruit/nuts rather quickly. We live in zone 4.)

Thanks for reading this far!
Any input would be appreciated.
God bless!

 

[MikeInPA]

Running water will attract anything.

 

[Avon Avians]

Running water will attract anything.

Yeah, I had considered installing a water feature. I believe that frogs and newts prefer still water, so maybe a feature with both a running side and a more calm side. I know that probably most aquatic vegetation will be enough to attract amphibians, so I'm mainly asking about trees and shrubs that attract birds and mammals, particularly ones that start attracting wildlife in a short period of time (I already know that oaks are good, but they take a long time to mature).
I also believe that brush piles will attract many of the wildlife that I listed?

 

[MikeInPA]

Yeah, I had considered installing a water feature. I believe that frogs and newts prefer still water, so maybe a feature with both a running side and a more calm side. I know that probably most aquatic vegetation will be enough to attract amphibians, so I'm mainly asking about trees and shrubs that attract birds and mammals, particularly ones that start attracting wildlife in a short period of time (I already know that oaks are good, but they take a long time to mature).
I also believe that brush piles will attract many of the wildlife that I listed?

The sound of running water will bring migrating birds down to drink and becomes a regular drinking and bathing feature for local birds. I live in a small woodland surrounded by fields, I would see birds high in the tree tops but when I created a running water feature it brought them down to where I could see them. These were all taken at my recirculating waterfall and stream on May 14th alone. Waterfall Birds

As for brush piles I have several, I‘ve found that Sparrows make the most use out of them, absolutely none of your wanted list from what I’ve seen.

In my yard I find Spicebush and Winterberry are great for berry eating birds.

 

[KC Foggin]

If you get hummingbirds, they love Salvia and Texas Sage.
All my Woodies love suet and I get them Hot Pepper suet as it keeps the squirrels away. Nuthatches love the suet as well.

 

[Avon Avians]

The sound of running water will bring migrating birds down to drink and becomes a regular drinking and bathing feature for local birds. I live in a small woodland surrounded by fields, I would see birds high in the tree tops but when I created a running water feature it brought them down to where I could see them. These were all taken at my recirculating waterfall and stream on May 14th alone. Waterfall Birds

Almost everything I've heard about having backyard ponds and other water features has just been a motivation for us to install one.
I love those bird photographs! I've never had much success photographing warblers, except maybe for the myrtle warbler.
We had a lot of myrtle and black-and-white warblers back in Connecticut.
Thanks for the tip.

As for brush piles I have several, I‘ve found that Sparrows make the most use out of them, absolutely none of your wanted list from what I’ve seen.

That's hard to believe. Not even wrens?
The activity of foxes, weasels, and other mammals is rather difficult to monitor because most mammals, save for squirrels, chipmunks, and groundhogs, are nocturnal. I monitor nocturnal wildlife with a trail camera. I've never gotten foxes or weasels on my cam, but back in Connecticut I've captured an opossum, a raccoon, a black bear, and a coyote.

 

[Avon Avians]

If you get hummingbirds, they love Salvia and Texas Sage.
All my Woodies love suet and I get them Hot Pepper suet as it keeps the squirrels away. Nuthatches love the suet as well.

For the most part, we don't need to attract hummingbirds. They are already present!
I can attest to the fact that woodpeckers and nuthatches relish suet! Woodpeckers love it year-round, while nuthatches tend to prefer black oil sunflower seeds until colder weather comes.
I don't have a problem with squirrels or chipmunks at my bird feeders, but hot pepper suet might have some value in deterring that marauding black bear who comes around, along with the raccoons!

 

[Avon Avians]

The sound of running water will bring migrating birds down to drink and becomes a regular drinking and bathing feature for local birds. I live in a small woodland surrounded by fields, I would see birds high in the tree tops but when I created a running water feature it brought them down to where I could see them. These were all taken at my recirculating waterfall and stream on May 14th alone. Waterfall Birds

As for brush piles I have several, I‘ve found that Sparrows make the most use out of them, absolutely none of your wanted list from what I’ve seen.

In my yard I find Spicebush and Winterberry are great for berry eating birds.

Update:
I saw my first red-bellied woodpecker on Veterans day this year. I was mad with excitement, as they are very rare in this region.

A tufted titmouse showed up on Thanksgiving day and is now a regular visitor to our winter feeders. They are somewhat rare here. Apparently there is just one, and it flocks with chickadees.
(It's very interesting that both rare birds showed up on November holidays.)

Green frogs and even bullfrogs travel through our yard when it rains. One time, we even had a painted turtle crossing our road. If we built a pond, such animals would almost certainly colonize it if they passed by.