If you watch quietly for awhile you might notice small birds clearing away the sticks and leaves to get at things in the soil.  In early spring birds like white-throated sparrows and juncos are passing through our area on their way north for the breeding season.  They stop in places like this to look for seeds and early insects to eat, to fuel their flight.

Leaving the stems and leaves over the winter provides cover for these birds and also leaves the food there for them. 

But when the birds make these openings, they create a perfect place for plant seeds to germinate. 

Unfortunately there are lots of seeds for invasive species in this area, so we tried to give the native species a helping hand by planting seeds of desirable plants in the holes.