There are several good bird field guides on the market, in bookstores. One is Sibley's, another is Stokes, and another is authored by Roger Tory Peterson. Audubon puts out a field guide to birds in both an eastern and western version, depending on the region you live in. They also have a special paperback on North American Waterfowl. Your local bookstore should have several of these. The Audubon book is fine, except that all of the photos of the birds are in one section, and the text in another, making it inconvenient to use at times when you need to ID a bird quickly. The best bird guides are those that have the pictures and text for each species together, so that all the information is right there alongside the illustration. Almost all field guides contain seasonal range maps so you know which species are most likely to be seen when in your area. National Geographic also puts out a bird book. All of the various field guides have advantages and disadvantages. It's a good idea to have more than one, because what one doesn't offer, another will, and vice-versa. Good birding, and please let us know which ones you find most helpful for you.

I agree that your location is better for sun than shade perennials. If you are getting "bright direct sun from noon until sunset", that could be more than 8 hours in midsummer, and gardening books define full sun as 6 or more hours of direct sun. (Shade plants will be "stressed out" by hours of hot afternoon sun.) In addition to the good choices above, I recommend native plants in the legume family, such as Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo), and Senna marilandica (yellow flowers, foliage similar to locust tree). Perennial legumes often do well in sunny locations with nutrient poor soil, because of their ability to fix nitrogen. Baptisia and Senna look their best if given some space to fill in (3 feet for Baptisia, 2-2.5 feet for Senna).

If you check through several different states either Conservation or Natural Resources departments many of the plants suggested for wildlife and nature plantings are both invasive and originate in another country. I used to spend Saturday mornings listening to well known writers extoll about the native plants for birds and butterflies. Then when I checked most were considered invasive not just in my area but in other parts of the US. Giving you a Chinese wisteria does not suprise me at all.

Hi, Kids, These are my feeders. As you will see, they are kinda close to the house. That's both good and bad...the birds are easy to see and the feeders are easy to fill but it also limits the type of birds I get. ie: no Ring Tails in my yard ;( These are the two tube feeders that are just off the deck. One Thistle and one Safflower. The squirrels don't bother them. The dome baffles are mostly for protection from the weather. I have a seed try for the Safflower tube but I can not attatch it until the tube is empty. This shows the edge of the deck, the suet feeder on the pine tree, the two tube feeders and the heated bird bath. You can also see the older 'bird condo' in the back. This one shows the tube feeder that is hung from the tree that is just outside the den and kitchen windows. It is for black oil sunflower seeds. This is the one that the squirrels have not yet gotten to. I see them on the tree, reaching...but they can't get to it. I see them on the pole above the feeder but, they are unsure of the larger dome baffle. It's been up since Nov. 18th but I have not seen a single squirrel eating from the feeder. Lot's of squirrels on the ground below, but that is as close as they have gotten...so far. Same feeder taken to show how close it is from the house/deck. Same feeder, looking up from the ground. It's about 15 feet up...another reason the squirrels are unsure ? Last one. This is my view of the same feeder from my desk. This is to show you how close it is to the house...about 12 - 15 feet. Also, Claire, you can see some of the plants that hang/sit in front of the window...from the birds hitting the window question. OK...one more. This is my view from inside the house, through the slider screen. My desk and chair are about 4 feet from the slider. From my chair I can look from the tree feeder to the suet and pole feeders...like watching a tennis match. Sorry about the ugly grill. I hope these come through and I hope they are not too big. Let me know. sooey