Is your garden full of birds? Mine is, and I have a cat. I don't want to confine her to the house so I put a bell on her collar. I found that one bell on her collar isn't enough to alert the birds as she is a clever minx and walks carefully so as not to tinkle. Now she wears three bells and she can't figure out how to stop them all from tinkling. She hasn't been able to catch a single bird since wearing three bells.
Ponds
If you plan a pond, plant waterlilies and other floating plants to cover the water surface and prevent evaporation. Be sure and put in some mosquito fish to keep your pond free of mosquitos. A pond should have some connection to ground level so that frogs can come and go. Believe me, frogs can be stupid and they won't walk the plank.
Irrigation
If you have very sandy soil, a drip system may not be the best solution because the water will not spread around the root ball but drains away quickly instead. In this case you will have to continue with overhead watering or hand watering the individual plants if you have the time and inclination. Drip systems work well with normal or clay soils. Many native and drought tolerant plants do not like to have warm wet roots in summertime. Water early in the morning, but try not to water at all during heatwaves unless unusually prolonged. If a heatwave is forecast, water the day before so that your plants can take up the water and protect themselves.
New plants
Note that all plants, drought tolerant or native species or not, need water when they are fresh in the ground, and for the first couple of years until a good root system is established. A new garden should be planted in late fall or early winter to take advantage of winter rains to get the roots down. The plants will be healthier and will need less water in the spring and summer.
Birdbath
If you plan to install a birdbath, be sure that you can refill it easily as water evaporates quickly in hot weather.
Pruning ball habitat
Oh, what to do with all those sticks and vines? Well, you can roll them up into a large ball, cutting and bending where necessary, adding to it each time you clip. When it is a big old thing, just roll it into a shady corner of the garden and let it become a nice covered area for birds to scratch in.