One of the most important aspects of any habitat is having places to raise young. You may be thinking 'well, birds nest in my trees all the time, so I've got that one covered' - but remember that we're talking about a wildlife habitat, not just a bird habitat.
The National Wildlife Fed. requires that you have at least two places to raise young from a list of ten. Mature trees are one of them; not only for birds but for arboreal animals like squirrels and opossums as well. If you don't have mature trees on your property you could very easily provide a nest box - and again, we're not talking just about birds, but for nest boxes, you could include bats as well.
Dead trees are important habitat for many species of birds and are favored by raccoon and other mammals; and if you have a pond, then you are providing area for amphibians and insects to raise their young.
If you find a burrow, leave it alone if possible. Something is using it for shelter or to raise a family. The same goes for wetlands and wet areas on your property.
And last, if you love butterflies you should do more than just plant nectar rich plants. Consider growing perennials, shrubs and trees that are host plants for butterfly caterpillars. Plants such as spicebush (Lindera benzoin), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) and milkweeds (Asclepias sp.) are all vital to the life cycle of many of the little winged gems that grace us in the summer.
(The image above is of an immature American robin (Turdus migratorius) - a very common sight in the Habitat during the summer months.)
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