Picture this: A variety of wildlife lives in the metro area

You don’t have to travel to the country to find wildlife.

Sometimes, it can be as close as your backyard.

Kansas City-area subdivisions can be home to a wide range of wildlife — everything from deer and turkeys to hummingbirds and songbirds.

That means great opportunities for wildlife watchers, especially those carrying a camera. The Star is launching a new series, displaying photos of subdivision wildlife.

If you want your work seen, please email photos to bfrazee@kcstar.com. Sorry, no cash prizes or ribbons will be awarded. You’ll just get a credit line and a little pub for some of your favorite photos.

I’ll take the first round. You can take it from here.

In the meantime, here are a few tips from the Missouri Department of Conservation on how to attract wildlife to your backyard.

▪ SET UP A “RESTAURANT:” The surest way to attract birds to set out feeders. The ideal location is along trees, where birds can perch before darting down to get food. Black oil-type sunflower seeds and white millet are considered ideal.

▪ TYPES OF FEEDERS: A simple wooden platform can be used, but many bird watchers get more specific. Some feeders have a roof and walls to keep the rain or snow away. A cylindrical, silo-type feeder can be used to offer sunflower seeds.

▪ GETTING SPECIFIC: Some birds such as the Baltimore oriole and the ruby-throated hummingbird are only late-spring and summer residents in Missouri. To attract the orioles, put out half a slice of oranges and grape jelly. To attract hummingbirds, fill feeders with sugar water. Suet attracts insect-eating birds such as woodpeckers.

▪ ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS: One simple way to attract ruby throats is to buy a hummingbird feeder and fill it with a nectar solution. A mix of sugar and water — four parts water to one part sugar — will work. There is no need to add red food coloring because most feeders are a bright color. Native Missouri plants such as red or orange tubular flowers, native honeysuckles, red buckeye, cardinal flower, Jewelweed, Royal catchfly or fire pink also attract hummingbirds.

▪ OTHER WILDLIFE: Deer, turkeys, rabbits and squirrels also will visit backyards. Many times, they are unwanted. They can mow down flowers and some bushes. I remember years ago when I set up a wooden platform in the far corner of my property and regular loaded it with cracked corn. It didn’t take long for the word to get around the deer community. The whitetail numbers climbed steadily at first, then reached frightening proportions on winter nights. I finally said, “Enough of that.” Today, the Department of Conservation discourages such practices and I can see why. My wife couldn’t keep a flower n the ground and the deer even beat a path in our backyard. Today, I am content to view deer and turkeys n the green spaces in our subdivision.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Picture this: A variety of wildlife lives in the metro area."