Kate

@melisse I'm a bit envious that your viburnum is producing fruit!  Mine was quite young when I bought it and has not fruited yet.  I believe they reach 5 years of age before they begin to bear fruit so I have fingers crossed that may happen next year.  Birds using it for shelter are mostly Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmouse.  I have also noticed some beneficial native insects like hoverflies using the bush as a host which is exciting. I'm not sure, but I think birds may just be prioritizing other food sources like seeds while they are still abundant in late fall/early winter and may start to feed on berries further into the colder weather.  You may be onto something with the aged berries being more appealing.

A big project this year will be replacing invasive shrubs with native plants that provide more year round shelter and food for birds.  I'd like to increase the variety of plants and add a trellis.  The majority of my yard is grass so it would be nice to establish some more space for flowering plants and shrubs.  I'm happy with the placement of my feeders, but I'd love to find a more protected spot for the bird bath.

I live in Maine have been slowly phasing out the invasive/non-native plants that were put in by the previous owner of our house.  There are some areas that are very sparsely planted with non-native shrubs that I am looking to replace with native plants that will provide more shelter and berries/fruit.  During the summer I have a flower and vegetable garden, but would like to focus more on choosing plants that will attract more birds and beneficial insects.  Though I already see quite a variety of birds visiting our yard, I am curious to see how changes to the garden and landscaping might impact that.