Archive | May 2025

SHOULD BLUEBIRD NESTING BOXES BE CLEANED AFTER EACH NESTING ATTEMPT?

May28

       In Georgia, the eastern bluebird’s nesting season extends from late February and early March to July and early August.  During this time, how often should bluebird nesting boxes be cleaned?

       The North American Bluebird Society suggests that boxes be cleaned after each nesting attempt regardless of whether or not it was successful.  The cleaning procedure should take place after the birds have fledged and should include removing the old nest, eggs that did not hatch, and any young that did not fledge.  This procedure removes parasites and encourages re-nesting.

BARKYARD SECRET – SQUIRREL TEETH NEVER STOP GROWING

May25

         Thank goodness, our incisor teeth are far different from those of squirrels.  While our teeth reach a certain length and do not grow any longer, such is not the case with squirrels.

       Take the gray squirrel, for example, its incisors grow roughly six inches per year.  This necessitates their having to wear them down.  They accomplish this task by gnawing on hard objects such as bark, wood, and nuts.  If they are unable to do so, the incisors get longer and longer and being to curl.  When this happens, the teeth eventually curl.  A squirrel with is malady can starve.  In some cases, the teeth can also grow into the animal’s mouth.  In extreme cases, the teeth will actually grow into the hapless creature’s brain!

BACKYARD SECRET – CURRENT DRAGONFLIES ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN THEIR ANCIENT KIN

May21

        Dragonflies are some of the largest insects that we see in our backyards; however, they are much smaller than their ancient relatives.

       The largest dragonfly alive today has an impressive wingspan of about five inches.  However, the size of modern-day dragonflies is considerably smaller than some of their ancient relatives.

       Remarkably, scientists have unearthed 300-million-year-old dragonfly fossils with wingspans that are more than two feet wide.

       Wow!  If the dragonflies in my backyard were that large, I would be afraid to leave the house.

BACKYARD SECRET – STAGERING SOWING ZINNIA SEEDS PROVIDES BUTTERFLIES WITH NECTAR UNTIL FROST

May19

       Zinnias have long been a favorite of Georgia gardeners. They not only adorn our flower gardens with a wide variety of blossoms, they provide food for a wide range of butterflies and other pollinators.  However, since we typically sow zinnias seeds only in the spring, zinnia blooms are scarce in autumn… This is unfortunate as pollinators often find food hard to find late into the fall. Here are a couple of ways you can alleviate this situation.

       One way that you can prolong the zinnia’s blooming period is by deadhead plants.  This will stimulate the plants to produce more blossoms.  The downside of this practice is you eliminate a food source for songbirds.

       Another way that you can enhance the availability of zinnia blossoms until frost is stagger the times you sow seeds.  By sowing seeds every few weeks well into the summer, when some zinnias fade away, they are replaced by plants just coming into bloom.

       This simple practice will enhance the available of nectar and pollen well into autumn a when food is often scarce and add color to your gardens.

BACKYARD SECRET – MALE & FEMALE ROBINS DON’T SLEEP NEAR EACH OTHER DURING THE NESTING SEASON

May14

        It is easy to assume that during the nesting season male and female birds spend the night together; Such is not the case with American robins.   At this critical time of the year, females sleep at their nests while the males spend the night in roosts with other males.

       Once the young are old enough to strike out on their own, they join the males at their nighttime roosts.  The females do not join the males and young robins until they have completed their nesting chores.

BEST PLANTS FOR WILDLIFE

May12

       For weeks, we have been scurrying about our yards planting plants that are both attractive to us and beneficial to wildlife.  Favorite plants include zinnias, coneflowers, snapdragons, salvias, sunflowers and butterfly bushes.  While you cannot argue with any of these choices, a family of plants that are arguably the most beneficial to wildlife rarely makes it to the top of the list are the oaks.  About now, you are probably scratching your head and wondering if I have lost my mind.

       More than 20 species of oaks are native to Georgia.  Many of them, such as willow, water, white and red, commonly grow in yards across the state. The truth of the matter is, however, few homeowners realize how important oaks are to literally hundreds of species of wildlife including moths, butterflies, mammals and birds.

       Would believe that here in the Peach State 447 species of moths and butterflies utilize oaks as host plants. A few of these lepidopterans include the likes of butterflies such at the great purple hairstreak, Horace’s duskywing, and banded hairstreak. The moths that lay their eggs on oaks includes the underwings, clymene, cecropia, rosy maple, polyphemus, and imperial.

       The pollen generated by oaks is also an important source of food for a large variety of native bees and other insect pollinators.

       The caterpillars found on oaks are principal sources of food for both migrating songbirds such as warblers.  The caterpillars are also the main source of food for songbirds that nest here. The importance of these insects cannot be underestimated when you consider most land-based birds eat insects (primarily caterpillars) sometime during their lives.

       Wild turkeys, waterfowl, white – tailed deer, chipmunks, squirrels, woodpeckers, blue jays eastern towhees, and others gobble up acorns.

       I cannot think of any other groups of plants that benefits such a wide variety of animals. With that in mind, if native oak is not currently growing in yard, set one out this year.  It will be an attractive addition to your home landscape and be a reliable source for wildlife for years to come.

       Before you plant an oak, do a little homework; find which species of oaks do well in your section of Georgia.  Other information that you should consider is the tree’s size, how soon it will produce a crop of acorns, and whether acorns are form annually,

       If you have room enough for a native oak, I recommend that you incorporate it in your landscape design.  An oak, along with a variety of other native and noninvasive ornamental plants, can help you create a true wildlife haven.

HAVE ANY CASES OF AVIAN FLU BEEN FOUND IN HUMMINGBIRDS?

May7

       As far as I know, there have been no cases of avian flu hummingbirds have been reported.  It seems that the wild birds that have been affected the most by the virus are raptors (e.g. hawks and eagles), and waterfowl (e.g. ducks and geese).

       However, this is not to say that hummingbirds are immune from the dreaded disease.  One of the reasons why it has not been found in wild hummingbirds could be that their life style lessens they will come in close contact birds that have a greater chance of being infected by avian flu

       If I ever hear of hummingbirds contracting avian flu, I will let you know.

Adult Male Ruby-Throated

BACKYARD SECRET – THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCHER RARELY EATS GNATS

May4

        In spite of its name, the blue-gray gnatcatcher rarely dines on gnats. It does, however, consume a variety of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.

       Often blue-gray gnatcatchers locate food by standing on a twig and moving its tail sideways.  The movement of the tail often results in hidden insects moving just enough for the tiny bird to spot them.

       If a blue-gray gnatcatcher captures a large insect, the bird plucks the insect’s wings off before swallowing it.

       A couple of days ago I heard my first blue-gray gnatcatcher of the year singing from the canopy of a tree in my backyard.  Since blue-gray catchers often nest in my backyard I hope a pair these tiny birds (4.5 inches long) will do so this year. If they do, I will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of this backyard neighbor throughout the remainder of the spring and summer.

       If you are not familiar with the bird’s song, open the MERLIN bird identification App on your smart phone and listen to its call.  Once you hear it, I suspect you might say, “I have heard this song before but did not know it was sung by a blue-gray gnatcatcher.