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WITH MARCH JUST DAYS AWAY, ITS TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT HUMMINGBIRDS
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
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:
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Do nothing. Enjoy watching fox kits grow up and play in your yard.
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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.
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Remove artificial food sources. Feed pets indoors and secure any garbage or compost stored outside.
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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.
BACKYARD SECRET – MOTHS MAY NOT BE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT AFTER ALL
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
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
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.
BACKYARD SECRET – THEODORE ROOSEVELT WATCHED BIRDS ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE
As remarkable as it may seem, during his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt kept a list of the birds he saw and/or heard on the grounds of the White Hose. His list contained the names of 91 species of birds, including a pair of redheaded woodpeckers.
Can you say you have seen so many species in your yard?
A BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER VISITS ENGLAND
Recently a blogger reported finding a black and white warbler on Liverpool Street in London. Our fellow blogger was curious as to how rare this sighting was, and what the bird might eat.
It is possible to see a black and white warbler in Georgia throughout much of the year. During the Georgia Breeding Bird Atlas Project, black and white warbler breeding was documented throughout the northern half of the state. Some nesting was also found below the Fall Line.
The bird breeds throughout eastern North America and a wide swath of Canada. The birds’ winter in the Southeast as far south as Central America, and the northern portions of South America and the Caribbean.
However, on rare occasions, black and warblers miraculously show up in Western Europe. The species has been seen at least 14 times in England. Some British ornithologists suggest that these oceanic flights to England are aided by fast-moving Atlantic storms.
As it turns out, other North America Warblers, such as the blackburnian, Cape May, magnolia and Canada, have also successfully navigated the long journey across “The Pond.”
As you might expect, when one appears it creates quite a stir in the birding world and birders (sometimes called twitchers) flock to see the bird.
EATING TO STAY WARM ON FRIGID NIGHTS
Last night when the temperature dipped to 14º F, I knew the birds in my backyards were facing a life and death struggle to survive the cold weather. For example, the tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees that frequent my feeders throughout the day had to burn far more body fat than normal just to keep from freezing to death. This meant these small birds could have easily lost 70-75% of their stored body fat between sunset and dawn.
To ensure that they had enough stored fat in their bodies to meet this challenge the birds, they could have eaten some 20% more fat-laden foods before sunset than they do when temperatures are higher. This helps explain why we see them visiting our suet and black oil sunflower seed feeders more often when the weather turns cold.
WAXMYRTLE – GREAT FOR WILDLIFE AND BIRDS TOO
The southern waxmyrtle (Morella cerifera) is a great evergreen shrub or small tree for Georgia backyards. The plant is attractive and provides food and cover for birds and other wildlife.
Since this Georgia native grows 3-5 feet a year and can reach a height of 15 feet or more, it can be used to create an ideal natural privacy fence. If you use it for this purpose, place the transplants 4-5 feet part at least 5 feet from your property line.
The shrub’s thick foliage creates super nesting sites for birds as well as a place to escape severe weather and predators.
