A Spa for Birds



            This fall I installed a new garden bed that included a water feature that can easily be seen from my window.  My "bird spa" looks natural and features continuously running water.  Created to attract a variety of birds, the system was designed by professional bird photographer Bob Schamerhorn, and is affordable and easy to install. This water feature takes birdwatching to a whole new level. 

 

 

 

To see outstanding bird photography or to order this instruction book, visit www.iphotobirds.com

 



Amazing Birds

           One summer I discovered these Killdeer eggs on the ground in a vacant lot.  I never would have spotted the beautifully camouflaged eggs had I not see the mother Killdeer.  She stumbled around on the ground, dragging one wing and acting like an injured bird in an effort to lead me away from her nest.  Realizing her tactic, I searched in the other direction and soon found the nest of eggs she was protecting.  Newly hatched Killdeer chicks are precocial, meaning that much like young chickens, their eyes are open and they can walk and forage for food soon after hatching.  Killdeer are named for the distinct "kill deer" sound they make.

The Spirit of Christmas

       
            One of the things I enjoy most about belonging to a garden club is community outreach.  Sure, we love planting, educational programs, gardening and floral design, but members do so many nice things for the community, especially during the holiday season.  Garden club members are generous with their time and talents, and seem to have boundless energy -- despite the hectic holiday season. If you want to make interesting new friends, learn new skills and have lots of fun volunteering, join a garden club!  You will be richly rewarded.

Members decorated the new Hospice House for the holidays, both inside...

and outside.

We helped 5th grade girls make fresh arrangements to take home for the holidays.


 



The girls did a beautiful job.

 

We spent time with senior residents making centerpieces for their dining room.
 



They enjoyed the activities.
  

At another school we helped after-school garden club members, both girls and boys,
 make fresh arrangements to take home for the holidays.
 



They used natural materials from the garden to make beautiful designs.

Birdscaping: Creating a Backyard Habitat for Birds

                If you enjoy observing nature, there are several ways you can enhance your yard to make it more inviting for wildlife.  Regardless of size, any yard can become a haven for birds with careful plant selection and placement.  With a few easy steps, you can invite birds into your yard and enjoy the many benefits of habitat gardening.  

Layering for a Safe Habitat

                A wide, flat expanse of green lawn is a dead zone for nature.  A safe habitat provides various heights and levels of plants to protect birds from predators and provide cover against harsh weather.   Shrubs of short and medium height, especially evergreens, provide cover and nesting sites for many birds.  Tall  trees provide protection and nesting for a variety of songbirds and migrating birds.  Even dead trees are beneficial for birds that eat insects and nest in cavities.  Planting one tree or shrub is a start, but planting a grouping of plants of various heights is ideal.    

Planting Natives for Food

                There are hundreds of plants from all over the world available for purchase so the best way to narrow down the selection is to choose native plants.  The birds in Virginia have co-evolved over time with plants available in this area.  Plants from China or the tropics may look nice, but native plants provide food for a wide variety of wildlife.  Native plants are also proven to grow in Virginia’s soil and climate so are more likely to thrive in your yard.  Nonnatives offer little food for wildlife and can also become invasive.  In the past, many homeowners planted Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) for privacy hedges, a plant the U.S.D.A. now lists as “very invasive” because it has escaped cultivation, spreads rapidly and threatens our native landscape.  Alternatively, a homeowner could plant wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) for a privacy hedge.  It is a native evergreen that offers protection from predators, and birds love the small berries available in winter when food supplies are limited.  Here are just a few native shrubs and trees that will look good in your yard, are easy to grow, and provide berries and food for birds and other wildlife:

Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp)

Crabapples (Malus spp)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Oaks (Quecus spp)

Mulberry (Morus rubra)

                In addition to trees and shrubs that provide food, birds are attracted to the seeds of many native flowers.  Enhance your garden and bird habitat by planting purple coneflowers (Echinacea pupurea), sunflowers (Healianthus spp), coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) and bee balm, (Monarda didyma).  A flower garden of native plants is an inviting buffet for birds as well as butterflies and other insects, including important pollinators. 

Fresh Water

                Birds need water to survive, but they also use water for bathing and to remove parasites.  A birdbath will attract birds to your yard but it must be properly maintained by keeping it filled and clean.  Keep a scrub brush near your garden hose so that you can clean your birdbath when you refill it.  Place your birdbath in a shady spot near a tree or shrub that will provide protection from predators.  And, place it near a window so you can watch all the activity.

Homeowner Benefits

                By feeding and protecting birds, you are playing an important part in wildlife conservation.  You are providing a habitat at a time when widespread development is eliminating wildlife habitats in many areas.  At the same time, you, as a homeowner, will benefit in many ways.  Birds are fun to watch, especially during nesting season.  And, birds are also very beneficial at controlling insects in your yard.  Some birds feed solely on insects, but all birds, even seed-eating birds, catch insects to feed their young.  Birds will consume a variety of insects and spiders throughout the spring and summer.  Watching backyard birds is also a great way to teach your children about the environment and the importance of wildlife conservation. 

 

Thrashers, Eastern Towhees and Purple Finches are among the birds that love beautyberries.

 

Cardinals, Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings and many others enjoy dogwood berries.

 

Butterflies and pollinators love purple coneflowers, and  Goldfinches devour the seeds.

 

 

 

A November Walk

                                         "Autumn is a second spring
                                         When every leaf is a flower."


                                                                             --Albert Camus


          

           I took my camera on a mid-November walk through a state park. Many summer plants, once vibrant and robust, are now dried and spent.  It was a sunny day with a few fall colors but brown seemed to dominate the landscape. Even birds foraging in the fields were all brown -- sparrows and wrens. Even in autumn's winding down phase, many plants provided structural interest. 



Purple poke berries, Phytolacca americana, have succumbed to fall.

Pods of the honeyvine milkweed, Ampelamus albidus, have opened to disperse seeds.
 

Native coralberries, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, are a favorite of
robins and quail. They are sometimes called Indian currants.



Fields filled with clumps of little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, provide cover
for ground nesting birds such as quail.

Leaves of the invasice Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicere japonica, are tinged with
 fall color and berries have ripened..
 

Seeds of tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima. This is one of our worst invasive species
and is a threat to natural ecosystems. Dense stands grow rapidly, replacing native trees.                                                                                                                       

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Some sweet gum trees, Liquidambar styraciflua. still held their fall color.













 

The Other Pollinators

              When you hear the word “pollinator,” you usually think of the honey bee.  That’s because the honey bee, Apis mellifera, is an outstanding pollinator.  As industrious and social creatures, honey bees devote much of their time to efficiently collecting large quantities of pollen to feed the hive’s offspring, pollinating many flowers in the process.  However, some less obvious insects sip nectar in the garden, and while less efficient than honey bees or native bees, should be recognized as valuable pollinators.  Although often overlooked, a variety of moths, wasps, and flies pollinate flowers.

 

MOTHS

                Although the majority of moths are active at night, some nectar-drinking moths are diurnal, or daytime feeders.  One particular moth is busy in the garden all summer long.  The hummingbird moth, Hemaris diffinis, mimics a hummingbird in appearance and movement.  Its long proboscis, or tongue, makes it a good pollinator for tubular shaped flowers.  It can be seen nectaring on verbena, bee balm, petunias, and a variety of flowers. 

 

 

                The small yellow-collared scape moth, Cisseps fulvicollis, hardly looks like a moth.  It is another daytime forager found on a variety of flowers throughout summer.  It is active during the day as well as around dusk.

                The colorful ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva aurea, is a member of the bagworm family.  In addition to pollinating flowers, this moth lays its eggs on the invasive ailanthus tree, and the caterpillars eat the leaves.  The tree is also known as the “tree of heaven,” an invasive species from China that is crowding out our native trees in many areas of Virginia.

 

 

WASPS

                Wasps make good pollinators.  In fact, bees are descended from wasps and share many similar characteristics.  The common thread-waisted wasp, Ammophilia procera, drinks nectar as an adult, visiting and pollinating flowers along the way.  It also performs other garden duties, such as insect control, by feeding insects to its young.  It is not aggressive to humans but will sting if provoked.  Only the females can sting, and can sting repeatedly without losing its stinger. 

 

 

              Another pollinating wasp, the blue-winged Scolia dubia, is an asset to have in the garden.  These solitary wasps lay their eggs underground on the larvae of green June beetles and other lawn pests.  Adults, busy sipping nectar throughout the garden and providing for their young, are not a threat to people if left alone.

 

FLIES

 

                Not all flies are houseflies.  Many flies are important pollinators. For example, some foul-smelling flowers depend on flies for pollination.  Other flies are simply mistaken for bees.  Flower flies, Syrphidae, mimic bees, wasps and yellow jackets in appearance, but are actually harmless.  Many are beneficial because their larvae eat aphids and other garden pests. 
  

              Tachinid flies, Tachinidae, covered with hairy spikes, can also be found sipping nectar.  In addition to pollinating flowers, they produce larvae that consume the larvae of other insects.

 

              While bees continue to be perhaps our most valuable pollinators, many secondary pollinators shouldn’t be overlooked.  With so many flowers that require pollination in a limited season of time, it takes a variety of pollinators to get the job done.  As gardeners, it is important for us to recognize the benefits of having a variety of insects in our garden by providing a variety of nectar sources and limiting pesticide use.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween!

 

                                 Trick or Treat!

 

 

Don't Eat Too Much Candy.

           What do you do with leftover pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns after Halloween?  Put them in your yard.  The color is a nice fall accent in your garden.  And soon, you'll notice a squirrel nosing about, looking for a snack. Chipmunks will also find it.  Birds, too, will enjoy the seeds.  In fact, the seeds and pumpkin guts in the picture above completely disappeared within two days, my porch was cleaned up by hungry birds.  I have also witnessed deer eating leftover jack-o-lanterns.  Once I lived in a city where the local zoo accepted leftover pumpkins -- as a treat for elephants.  If it isn't eaten,  a pumpkin will eventually decompose, providing food for insects. It would be such a waste to simply throw away a leftover pumpkin.

Observing Nature's Presence

           Sometimes we get so wrapped up thinking about the past or the future, that we overlook the present.  Mindfullness is the new buzzword for putting away your electronic devices and living in the moment.  Sounds like sage advice for good mental health, so I  took a stroll in my yard to focus on the moment and mindfully observe my present surroundings.  I soon realized I was not alone.

A monarch stopped by for a drink.

It would be hard to miss this colorful orb weaver.



A fence lizzard watched me watch him.

This box turtle spent the afternoon near my back door.



A  caterpillar caught my eye.  Upon closer inspection I saw the white  cocoons attached to his head...wasp parasites.

A steady stream of yellow jackets flew in and out of a hole in the ground.

I caught this fat spider in the act of weaving.

 

Reliable Plants to Transition into Fall

           By the time autumn rolls around many flowers in my garden look awful.  They bloomed beautifully during the summer but by now they look dried up and way past their prime.  Joe-pye weed, ironweed, milkweed, marigolds,lilies, zinnias and many other flowers are now spent.  However, here in the first week of October there are a few gems that continue to look vibrant,  carrying color into the fall season. 

Butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii,  provides nectar for a variety of butterflies,
like this admiral, all summer and into fall.

My dalhias look as nice now as they have all summer.

These mid-sized cannas have bloomed like crazy all summer
and are still full of blooms.

My zinnias have seen better days, but still provide nectar
for migrating monarch butterflies.

Montauk daisies, related to chrysanthemums, are outstanding fall bloomers.

Coleus, always reliable, provides color in containers or in the garden.

Dragon wing begonias bloom non-stop until frost.

Fall asters have started blooming, and insects and pollinators love them.

This mandevilla, a tropical vine, won't survive the frost but continues to bloom
profusely until then.  It is a nectar source for migrating hummingbirds.

This re-blooming iris never bloomed last spring but looks great now.

















 

Mushrooms Aplenty

 

           Many mushrooms are seasonal. With cooling September temperatures and ample rain, more mushrooms appear during this period than any other time of year.  I did not know this when I went for a walk with my camera one day at the end of September, and happened to notice a large number of interesting and colorful mushrooms.  Unlike plants, mushrooms lack chlorophyll and do not reproduce by seeds.  Instead, mushrooms, which are fungi, usually live on dead, organic matter. And unlike plants, they rely on spores rather than seeds for reproduction. Here are some mushrooms I spotted recently after a September rain.