Archives

A TIGER SWALLOWTAIL NECTARING ON ROCK FLOWERS?

Mar31

      Today when I stepped out of my garage, I flushed a male eastern tiger swallowtail from my gravel driveway.  Later when I returned to the house, I found the handsome male tiger swallowtail had returned and appeared to be actively feeding on what might be described as rock flowers. 

       The answer to this question is obviously no.  Although we often see butterflies seemingly feeding on moist sand, soil, pavement, and rocks, they are definitely unable to extract calorie-rich food from these lifeless surfaces.

       The butterfly illustrated in the accompanying photo was actually using his long, coiled proboscis to sip much-needed sodium and other minerals found on the gravel. Often these minerals originate from the materials themselves.  In other cases, they originate from the unseen residues left behind by dead plants or animals.  Family pets or wildlife that urinate or defecate on the hard surfaces can also deposit the minerals.   

CONSIDER PROVIDING A NEST SITE FOR CAROLINA CHICKADEES

Feb24

      More often than not, when people erect a bird-nesting box in their Georgia backyard they do so in hopes it will be used by eastern bluebirds. The truth of the matter is bluebirds do not nest in every backyard. For example, they typically refrain from nesting in cities. They also avoid wooded areas. They much prefer nesting in more open sites often found at the fringes of urban areas, and the wide-open spaces of the rural countryside.

       However, if your yard is characterized by scattered trees or the presence of nearby woodland, erecting a box there might be just perfect for a pair of Carolina chickadees.

       If you decide to construct a Carolina chickadee nesting box, you can build it to the specifications of a typical bluebird box with one exception—drill the entrance hole 1 1/8-inches in diameter.

       If, on the other hand, you want to buy a Carolina chickadee nesting box, you will probably find it difficult to find one. This problem can be easily remedied by purchasing a standard bluebird box and installing an inexpensive 1 1/8’inch hole guard over the traditional 1 1/2-inch entrance hole cut in the box.

       This will do a couple of things. First, it will prevent larger cavity nesting birds from nesting in the box. It will also prevent squirrels from destroying the box by trying gain access to it by enlarging the entrance hole.

A WEALTH OF INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED USING THE BLOG’S SEARCH ENGINE

Dec6

       Did you know you can quickly access a wealth of information regarding backyard wildlife and plants without having to leave this blog?

       For example, if you would like information about bluebirds, coral honeysuckle or other backyard plant or animal, go to the bubble labeled SEARCH located in the right hand column.  All you have to do is type in the subject and hit return.  Instantly every blog that has been posted on the backyardwildlifeconnection dealing with that topic will appear.

       If you check it out, I think you will be surprised how much information is currently available to you. Also, this gives me insight and inspiration to write on various topics.

       If you have a backyard wildlife question or inquisitive about a certain subject, don’t forget to use the SEARCH!

Thank you to all who have been following my posts! Terry

CLOUDLESS SULPHURS SWARMING TURK’S CAP

Oct7

        The cloudless sulphur is a common resident in my backyard.  However, from late summer into fall, it is one of the most abundant butterflies my wife and I see nectaring at the flowers growing in our flowerbeds.  However, the numbers of cloudless sulphurs we spot throughout most of the spring and summer pale in comparison to what we are seeing right now.

        A couple of days ago, as soon as I stepped out onto my deck, my eyes were immediately drawn to all of the cloudless sulphurs feeding or hovering above our Turk’s cap.  When I approached the plant it seemed cloudless sulphurs were everywhere.  This prompted me to try to count the multitude of butterflies that had congregated on this single, sprawling shrub.  This proved to be quite a chore, as I could not see the entire plant at one time.  However, after several attempts the best that I could do was count at least 28 of the large, bright yellow butterflies.

        The cloudless sulphurs had descended on this perennial shrub to feed on the nectar harbored in its brilliant red, swirled flowers.  

        Until recently, the clear yellow butterflies had to share this bounty of nectar with a swarm of ruby-throated hummingbirds.  In fact, before most of these amazing little birds moved on south toward their winter homes, rubythroats far outnumbered cloudless sulphurs dining at this drought-resistant shrub.

        This sight of so many clear yellow butterflies feeding at the stunning red flowers against a backdrop of dark green leaves is truly breathtaking.  However, as much as I wish this spectacle would not end, I know, from experience, I had better enjoy it while I can. Soon many of these butterflies will continue towards their winter home.

        If you want to set the stage for this colorful event in your backyard, make a point of adding Turk’s cap to your home landscape.  If you do plant Turk’s cap in your yard, have a little patience.  There is no way you are going to attract large numbers of cloudless sulphurs right away.  In my case, as the shrub grew larger from year to year, it produced more blossoms, which, in turn, caught the attention of more cloudless sulphurs.

        If you are eventually as successful in attracting as many cloudless sulphurs as I have been, I am certain you will feel your patience was handsomely rewarded.

BACKYARD NECTAR ROBBERS

Apr8

A little more than a week ago while I was admiring the showy pink blossoms blanketing the large George Tabor azalea bushes encircling a chestnut tree in my yard, I noticed scores of large carpenter bees visiting flower after flower.  When I moved closer to floral show I realized that after the carpenter bees landed on the blooms, they immediately made the way down the outside of the blossoms to the junction of the petals and green sepals.  As it turned out, the hefty bees were robbing nectar from the large trumpet-shaped flowers.

       It seems carpenter bees are too large to fit through the throats of the bright pink blooms to reach the nectar located at the base of the blossoms.  Faced with this problem, most other nectar feeders would abandon their quest for the nectar. 

       Such is not the case with these carpenter bees.  These bees have the uncanny ability to obtain the nectar from the outside of a blossom.  What I was observing was the bees chewing longitudinal holes at the base of each bloom and then dipping their tongues into the flowers’ sugary nectar.

       Since I first noticed what was taking place I have closely examined a number of azalea blossoms and found any number of feeding portals created by the carpenter bees.  In addition, my wife saw a wasp using a feeding hole after the carpenter bee that created it left.

       Insects such as the carpenter bee are called nectar robbers simply because they feed on nectar without pollinating the flowers.

       If you would like to witness this odd behavior, on a warm, sunny day, look for carpenter bees flying about your azaleas.  When you spot them, watch where they go.  After they leave, look for the feeding holes created by the bees.

        I think you will agree you do not have to leave the confines of your yard to witness fascinating animal behavior.

SKIMPING ON PLASTIC FEEDERS IS FALSE ECONOMY

Jan31

        There is no telling how many plastic feeders I have purchased over the years.  Although the birds used them all, many lasted only a season or two.  Since they were cheap, when they cracked or got cloudy, I simply bought another. 

       Eventually it dawned on me I could save a lot of money by spending a little money up front and buy a plastic feeder that would last for years.  The problem was how I could tell if I was actually buying a better feeder or simply spending more money for a feeder that would not last very long.

      PLASTIC FEEDER - 31 Jan 2018 When I told a friend about my dissatisfaction with plastic feeders, he recommended I purchase clear plastic feeders made of a polycarbonate named Lexan™.  He told me he has been using a feeder made of the material for a couple of decades.

       After hearing his praise, I did some research on Lexan™.  It seems since this manmade material is transparent, impact and crack resistant and resists ultraviolet rays and clouding, it is ideal for many types of feeders.

       With that in mind, if you are looking for a long-lasting feeder, before you purchase one, check the label and make sure it is constructed out of a polycarbonate such as Lexan™  Do not let its sticker price keep you for buying it.  Keep in mind; it should outlast a host of far more inexpensive models and save you money in the end.

BACKYARD SECRET: WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MOST DEATHS AROUND BACKYARD BIRD FEEDERS?

Dec8

 According the  a study of bird feeding in the United States and Canada called ProjectFeederWatch, window strikes are  responsible for more deaths at feeders than cats, hawks or any other factor.

       This conclusion is based more than 2,000 deaths reported during the study.  According to the analysis of these data, nearly half of all deaths are caused by birds striking windows. If these data are correct, the study leaders estimate that one in ten birds might be killed by flying into buildings annually.

       While this is indeed a cause of concern to those of us that feed birds in our backyards, these deaths might represent only two or less percent of North America’s fall bird population.   

       This conclusion is based on volumes of data collected by literally thousands of citizen scientists that submitted detailed logs a wide range of subjects relating to their bird feeding programs.

       This monumental study was sponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Bird Studies Canada, National Audubon Society, and the Canadian Nature Federation.

ESTIMATING HUMMINGBIRD NUMBERS BY NECTAR INTAKE

Aug3

Lately it seems like everywhere I go folks are talking about how many hummingbirds are visiting their backyard feeders.  Indeed, it seems there is no shortage of these small, flying dynamos invading Georgia backyards this summer.  With that in mind, most hummingbird fanciers would like to know how many hummingbirds they are feeding.

       Several years ago, an Arizona hummingbird fancier named Stephen Russell came up with a novel way to estimate the numbers of hummingbirds feeding in his backyard.  This technique is based on the amount of hummingbird food the birds consume.  Here is how it works. RUBYTHROAT AT FEEDER 2 - Blog - 2 August 2017

       I will not go into all of the calculations he used to determine how many birds a gallon of hummingbird food mixed at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water will feed.  Suffice it to say he determined that a quart of hummingbird nectar will feed 137.25 birds.

       Therefore, if you know how much food disappears from your feeders in a day’s time, you can easily calculate how many birds you are feeding.  For example, if the birds consume a pint of nectar in a day, your are feeding roughly 68 hummers.

       If you try this technique, let me know what you think of the estimate obtained using the Russell formula.

 

 

BACKYARD SECRET: NEST BUILDING AND PARENTING ARE NOT SHARED BY MALE AND FEMALE RUBYTHROATS

Apr14

In the world of the ruby-throated hummingbird, males do not assist the females in nest building, incubation of the eggs, or feeding the young.  To the contrary, although males are sometimes seen in the company of females until eggs are laid, their attraction for one another wanes shortly after mating.

FEMALE RUBY-THROATED__ HUMMINGBIRD

BEGINNING BIRDERS WORKSHOP SCHEDULED

Apr29

BIRDING WORKSHOP

If you would like to learn how to better identify birds, but simply didn’t know where to begin, this is the workshop for you.

The workshop will focus on how you can identify the birds that you are likely to see in and around your home.

Topics covered in the workshop will include:

  • Tips on identifying birds by sight and sound
  • Choosing the right binoculars and spotting scopes
  • Selecting the best field guides and other birding aids
  • Where to find help indentifying birds
  • Sharing your sightings with others
  • Much, much more