Archive | February 2024

ADVICE FROM A HUMMINGBIRD FANCIER

Feb28

      One of my responsibilities is to evaluate the applications for various categories in the Community Wildlife Project, sponsored by the Garden Club of Georgia, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, and TERN (the division’s friends’ group).  Recently, one of the applications was seeking certification for a yard. The homeowner wanted to register as a Hummingbird Haven. This applicant went well beyond simply meeting the standards for certification.  In addition, to meeting the criteria with regards to providing hummingbirds with nectar-rich plants, cover, and feeders, she listed four additional actions that she employs to promote hummingbirds.  Below you will find a list of four simple things that each of us can do to promote hummingbirds in our yards too.  Perhaps they will give some to putting into practice some of these actions in your yard.  If you would like to receive an application for the certification for certifying your yard as a Hummingbird Haven, contact Melissa Hayes at Melissa.Hayes@dnr.ga.gov.

  1. We are sure to leave spider webs on plants and flowers so hummingbirds can use them for nests.

  2. We deadhead blooms to keep flowers blooming.

  3. We plant annuals at different times to assure constant blooms.

  4. We encourage friends and family to put out hummingbird feeders.

WHEN SHOULD BUTTERFLY BUSHES BE TRIMMED AND/OR REPLACED?

Feb25

       In Georgia, the best time to prune butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) is either late winter or early spring.  At that time cut them back to a height of a foot or two above the ground.  This will help promote new growth and a bounty of blossoms later in the year. 

       The average life expectancy of a butterfly bush is 10-20 years.  Consequently, once older bushes begin producing fewer flowers, it is time to consider replacing them. 

WITH MARCH JUST DAYS AWAY, ITS TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT HUMMINGBIRDS

Feb22

       Within a few days, March will be here, and Georgia backyard wildlife watchers will begin looking for the first ruby-throated hummingbird of the year.

       Consequently, if you have not maintained a hummingbird feeder throughout the winter, it is time to hang one up in your backyard and wait.  The first Georgians that are apt to see one are those folks that live in extreme South Georgia. Birds sometimes arrive there during the first week of the month.  Those of us living in middle and north Georgia will have to wait longer to see our first hummingbirds.

       The first to arrive are the males, they are followed in anywhere from 10 to twelve days by the females. However, sometimes the first hummingbird we see is a female.  This simply means we did not see one of the first males that reached our neck of the woods, or one simply bypassed our yards.

       I would appreciate it if you would report the arrival dates of the first male and female rubythroats that appear in your yard this spring.  If you do, include the date they were first seen along with the city and county where you live.  If enough people do so, we can tract the movements of the bird northward.  At the end of the migration season, I will compile the data and report when and how quickly the birds dispersed across the state this year.

       I hope you have a spectacular hummingbird season!

GRAY FOXES ARE SOMETIMES SEEN NEAR HOMES

Feb18

        When we think of backyard wildlife, the gray fox does not usually come to mind.  However, as Georgia’s undeveloped lands are shrinking, we are seeing these fascinating animals more often in residential areas.

       Recently on a cold, dark February night, as my granddaughter was driving home, she was both surprised and thrilled that she spotted a gray fox quickly darting across the road in her neighborhood.  I am sure most people lucky enough to see a gray fox catches a glimpse of one in a similar fashion. However, they are also showing up on security cameras as they scoot across backyards.

       Since suitable den sites are becoming increasingly more difficult for gray foxes to find, they sometimes will try to raise their young in backyards beneath porches and outbuildings.

       If you are wondering how to respond, if a pair of gray foxes decides to raise their young close to your house, here are a few tips offered by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation:

  1. Do nothing. Enjoy watching fox kits grow up and play in your yard.

  2. Scare the family away. Making loud noises near the den could convince the parents to move their young to a new den.  Gray foxes typically have more than one den and will move their young if they perceive a threat.

  3. Remove artificial food sources. Feed pets indoors and secure any garbage or compost stored outside.

  4. Erect a fence around your yard or block holes or areas which fox may find desirable to make a den. Make sure that the animals are not inside your yard or den before blocking it off.

      

 

A SEED MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IGNORED BY BIRDS

Feb15

      When you feed backyard birds mixed seed, you quickly notice that the birds that dine at your feeder have definite food preferences.  Milo seeds are often the most numerous seeds left on the ground when it comes time to refill feeders.

       Milo is the seed produced by sorghum plants.  Milo seeds are easy to identify since they are round, and reddish brown in color.        Unfortunately, milo is not a favorite of most of our backyard birds here in Georgia.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Backyard Feeding Guide, states that no birds seem to like it. The Cornell University’s Laboratory or Ornithology notes that their bird feeding studies found, although the seeds were eaten by cowbirds, house sparrows did not eat them. 

       Oddly, the Laboratory of Ornithology reported its seed preference tests found that milo is a favorite of many ground-feeding birds in the western United States.

       Unfortunately, milo is a main ingredient in many of the least expensive seed mixes.  Since milo seeds are largely ignored by Georgia birds, it is false economy to buy those brands containing large among of them.  Instead, before you buy your next bag of mixed seed, read the label on the bag. If it states that milo is a key ingredient in the mix, consider buying another brand. When you purchase a mixed seed mix containing no or only a small amount of milo, the birds will waste less seed.  In addition, fewer seeds will be left on the ground below your feeders to eventually rot and pose a health threat to the birds you are trying to help.

Uneaten milo seeds

 

BACKYARD SECRET – MOTHS MAY NOT BE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT AFTER ALL

Feb11

The photo shows a moth on an outside light.

       We have all seen moths and other insects flying about our outside lights.  It is a popular theory that light attracts moths and other insects.  However, researchers now believe they have solved the mystery of why these insects fly endlessly around lights.  According to the results of research reported in Nature, the insects that we see swirling around outside lights may actually be trying to fly away from the light. Yes, they are turning their backs on light.

       The authors of this research report reached this conclusion employing advanced camera technology.  Using this equipment the photos taken of insects flying about sources of light revealed that the insects were actually twisting their bodies to face away from the light source.  This behavior is called dorsal light response.   When insects display this behavior near a source of light, they become trapped end up continuously swirling around it.

BEEBALM WAS PLANTED IN THOMAS JEFFERSON’S GARDENS

Feb8

       I am always on the lookout for heirloom plants that have link with our history.  With that in mind, I found that unbeknownst to me, one of the plants that has been growing in my yard for years was grown by Thomas Jefferson.  The name of this plant is beebalm (Monarda didyma). 

       The gardens that Thomas Jefferson designed and built on his plantation known as Monticello are recognized as botanic showpieces.  While Jefferson is known to have experimented with plants from around the world, roughly 80 percent of the plants grown in his gardens were native to North America.  Some say beebalm was planted to attract hummingbirds.

       Although winter has Georgia in its icy grip, it is not too early to plan on what you will be adding to your gardens this spring.  With that in mind, beebalm is a plant you should consider introducing into your home landscape.  This native perennial is beautiful and is a bee. butterfly and hummingbird favorite.

       Now that I realize it is a plant that adorned the gardens at Monticello, when I point it out to visitors to my home, and talk about its value as a wildlife plant, I can tell them it is a plant that was grown by Thomas Jefferson.  In my mind, that makes it extra special. 

 

IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

Feb4

The cardinal was the bird most reported in the USA on the 20-23 GBBC.

       By far, the largest bird count in the world is the Great Backyard Bird Count. Last year, an estimated 555,291 people from 202 countries identified more than 25.5 million birds representing 7,538 birds during the four-day 2013 Great Backyard Bird.

       This year the annual event will, he held February 14-19, 2024. 

       It is extremely easy to take part in this survey.  All you have to do is select an area you would like to survey (e.g. your backyard) and count all of the birds you hear or see there in just 15 minutes.  You count only those birds you can identify. The free Merlin Bird ID app will help you identify the birds in your locale.  You can survey as many areas as you like each day during the four-day count.

       Once you have completed a count you submit your data online using The Great Backyard Bird Count website, the eBird Mobile app or Merlin.

       That is all there is to it.

       This is a wonderful event for people of all ages and skill bird identification skill levels.

       For more information on the event, and how you can participate, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website online.