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BACKYARD SECRET – BUTTERFLIES HAVE AN ODD WAY OF TASTING THEIR FOOD
We taste food by placing it in our mouths; such is not the case with butterflies. Unbelievably, butterflies taste food with their feet. It seems that when a butterfly lands on a flower, before it unrolls its straw-like proboscis and begins dining on the flower’s nectar, they taste the potential source of food through their feet. They are able to accomplish this amazing fete because their feet are cloaked with cells (chemoreceptors) that let a butterfly know whether the flower contains sugary nectar.
BACKYARD SECRET – SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPERS SHUN YELLOW FLOWERS
Sometimes a wildlife secret hides in plain sight. A good example of that is, in spite of the fact that the silver-spotted skipper visits gardens across Georgia; it is not generally known that this handsome butterfly shuns yellow flowers. While the silver-spotted skipper occasionally nectars at yellow flowers, it by far prefers feeding at purple, red, blue and pink blossoms.
If you want to see if this is true, closely watch which flowers silver-spotted skippers visit in your flower gardens this summer.
BACKYARD SECRET – PARTS OF FOX SQUIRRELS SHINE IN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT
Remarkably, when viewed under ultraviolet light, the teeth, bones, and flesh of fox squirrels shine pink. This trait is so rare that in Florida researchers use it to identify their remains at archaeological sites.
MOCKINGBIRD SANG DURING FIREWORKS
Both male and female mockingbirds sing, however, by far the male sings the loudest. These birds sing both day and night; however, young males are more apt to sing during the nighttime hours than adults. Last night I learned that loud noises do little to deter them from singing.
For several days, a mockingbird has been loudly singing in the neighborhood. For the past few days, I heard him singing both during the day and at night. When I got up went outside the each morning, he was still singing. These vocalizations continued throughout the day.
Last night the whole neighborhood celebrated the 4th of July by setting off firecrackers and fireworks. Prior to the beginning of the celebration the lone singer continued to sing. When the sun finally set, I was certain the bird would stop sing. Boy was I ever wrong! In spike of the fact some of the explosions were so loud literally shook the house, and the skies full of beautiful fireworks the bird continued to sing. When the lights and sounds finally faded away, he was still singing.
When I got up and greeted the day, the tireless songster was still at it. If this mockingbird was not deterred by all that went on the night before, what will?
ARE SQUIRRELS DETERRED BY COFFEE GROUNDS?
Recently it has been reported that coffee grounds spread below bird feeders deter squirrels from visiting bird feeding stations.
Before I recommend this practice, I want to know if you have tried this technique. If you have experimented with it, please let me know his bizarre practice actually works.
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PLANT TRUMPET CREEPER
One of my favorite native vines is the trumpet creeper. The problem is experience has taught me you have got to be careful where you plant it.
Trumpet creeper is a great wildlife plant. Its thick foliage provides nesting and escape cover for birds and other wildlife. In addition, the vine’s large showy blossoms are a great source of food for a variety of pollinators ranging from bumble bees, moths, and butterflies to orchard orioles and ruby-throated hummingbirds. It sounds like this is a plant that all wildlife gardeners would like to see growing in their yards; unfortunately, this is not the case.
The problem is that the trumpet creeper aggressively spreads for the spot where it is planted. In fact, it is not uncommon for trumpet creeper to spread 35 feet or more. Consequently, I would recommend that you never plant trumpet creeper close to your home, barn or other structures. If trumpet creeper reaches a building, it will quickly attach itself and potentially cause damage to the structure. It matters not whether the exterior is covered with brick, wood or siding, trumpet creeper will attach itself to the material.
That being said, it does well growing along fences, arbors, and the like. I have even seen it grown beside poles to create a trumpet creeper tree.
BACKYARD SECRET – LEAVING HUMAN SCENT ON A BIRD NEST WILL NOT CAUSE BIRDS TO ABANDON IT
Most of us have heard that, if we touch an active bird nest or young birds, the scent we leave behind will cause the nesting birds to abandon it.
This advice is false. The reason why this is the case is most birds have a poor sense of smell.
While we will never know where or why this myth originated, some feel it was perpetrated by adults to discourage youngsters from disturbing bird nests.
