Gardening for the birds

With the gopher invasion taking down tomatoes everywhere I look, microtus helping themselves to the squash plants, right at the start of their stems, thus rendering the remainder of the plant dead, and the destruction of other various plants by other various rodents, I find myself appreciating the birds who come to the garden. This little yellow bird sat atop this blooming/seeding catnip plant and picked away at the small, black, seeds inside the seed pods, while I stood not more than 8 feet away. While I stood still, with my camera pointing in his direction, I heard a delicate rustling under the plants to my right, and when I looked that way I saw a small, furry creature and the opening to its burrow. I remained calm, so as not to interrupt the feasting bird, and made a note of where that little rodent has made its home. A spade will be dispatched to that area later. A small fig tree I grew from a cutting has had its roots eaten away, and I fear for my larger fig trees. I feel a certain vigor returning in my setting of gopher traps.