After an unusually long and blustery winter, nesting season has begun in our South Carolina backyard. The sunlight suddenly has a kind of heft to it, a promise that every living creature seems to recognize.

Will this be the year the wrens finally select one of the nesting boxes I built from scratch and sited thoughtfully in various corners of our backyard?

Probably not.

It's been five years since we moved here from Chicago and I began the process of transforming our backyard into wildlife habitat and certifying it with the National Wildlife Federation.

Little by little, I've shoveled away our patchy lawn and planted flowers that catch the eye and provide nectar for bees and butterflies, such as milkweed, butterfly bush,