Winged Wednesday - Spotlight on Sunflower Seeds

So in the past weeks, I've touched on Nyjer Seed and on Safflower Seed. Today, I'll provide some information on Sunflower Seeds. These are pretty common feeder seeds that many people use. These even make appearances in the general wild bird seed mixes which I do not recommend.

Sunflower Seed comes in two varieties: Striped and Black-Oil. The Striped are larger than the Black-Oil and have a thicker shell. The Black-Oil seeds are the more common seeds which many people use.

Sunflowers are native to the Americas and are plants that many people put in their gardens. They are cultivated for human consumption as seed and as sunflower oil.

A host of bird species are attracted to the seed because it contains vital oils. Many birds may also readily eat it because like them, it's native to the Americas. They would eat it even if you didn't offer it in a feeder. Some birds that you find eating your Black-Oil Sunflower seeds include: Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches, Black Capped Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, and Purple Finches, but really they are very good general all purpose seeds. A small list of birds seem interested in the Striped Seeds: Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Blue Jays, and Black Capped Chickadees.

These seeds can be easily dispensed in hopper feeders, tray feeders, or feeders made of wire mesh. One thing to note is that the shells of seeds can make a mess. They are totally worth the mess, and very easy to buy since they can be found anywhere from grocery stores to Farm & Fleet to Wild Birds Unlimited.

Top 10 Signs of Spring from the Past Weekend

Folks in Wisconsin got an early taste of Spring this weekend and may get an early taste of Summer this week. Here are some of the signs I saw that Spring had arrived this past weekend.

1. Dinner on the grill. That's right. Polish Sausage cooked over charcoal! It was pretty awesome.
2. Expanding the flower bed. I hadn't planned to do my digging and flower bed prep this early, but with as nice out as it was, I couldn't think of a good reason not to remove sod, put up some fencing, and setup the bird house.
3. Chickadees checking out the birdhouse. Just after getting the house setup with a "Sparrow Spooker" (I'll post more on this if it works), a couple of Black Capped Chickadees went inside. I don't think they decided to move in as we haven't seen them since.
4. Sandhill Cranes. I counted a total of 7 cranes this weekend while outside. I imagine they were headed to Horicon or Baraboo.
5. Killdeers. I first heard their high-pitch call outside of Farm & Fleet, and I assumed that I was hearing things. However, later while we were sitting out on the deck, I heard it again and made visual confirmation. It's amazing! We didn't see them last year until the Tree Swallows were back!
6. Bird calls. Our morning and evening walks with our beagle have been full of bird calls. We've heard American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Red Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Black Capped Chickadees, and plenty more. You know it's Spring when the male birds start looking for girlfriends.
7. Daylight Savings Time. I hate time change! I had really enjoyed that it was finally light out when getting up in the morning. Although, I must admit that I liked having sunlight after work today. Making the transition is always so difficult though.
8. Other dogs. Often times during the winter, Babe was the only dog we saw. We walk her three times per day, rain or shine or snow. But we were surprised that we didn't see many other dogs during the Winter. We saw tons of dog walkers this weekend. Makes one wonder where the dogs were pooping?
9. Green stuff in the flower bed. Green stuff and lots of it! I've got Purple Cone Flower, New York Aster, Black-Eyed Susan, Prairie Coneflower, and Dandelions coming up! What do you have in your garden?
10. The seasonal section at Farm and Fleet. I stopped in to pick up some water softener salt and was greeted by lawn mowers, weed whackers, seeds, pots, and a variety of gardening tools. While it wasn't ready yet, you could see that they'd been setting up the outdoor gardening center. In a few weeks, they'll have trees and flowers for sale. Looks like the stores have caught Spring fever too.

This Year's Plan

Below you'll find a couple of photographs of our lawn from when we first purchased our home. You'll notice the stark absence of trees. From talking to the neighbors, we've been told that the yard once had Red Cedar in the front and back, but currently we have none. So the big task this year will be planting some trees.

When I sat down with these images over the winter, I realized exactly how jealous I am of P. Allen Smith and his fancy digital whiteboard. I started with a sketch pad and noted the places in the backyard whereby planting a tree would be next to impossible. I didn't want to shade out our wildflower garden, and I'm not convinced that planting a tree in the shady part of the yard will work well either. So most of the tree planting will need to be in the front yard.

The front yard will host four trees. The north end of the yard will have a wind-block made of Eastern White Pine, Red Cedar, and American Larch. Conifers are native to the boreal forests of North America and provide excellent shelter for the birds. On the south side of the front lawn, I plan to add a Red Oak. The acorns will attract birds and other critters, and oaks are also popular with birds that eat insects like woodpeckers and nuthatches. I'll add a couple of Nannyberry Viburnums near the oak tree as well. Lastly, I still wanted to plant something in the backyard to give the birds who visit our feeders a good place for perching, so something small like an Eastern Red Bud seems like a good choice.

The wildflower garden did pretty well last year, but there were a number flowers we did not get a chance to plant. The bed will be extended and widened, and the following flowers will be added: Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Cardinal Flower, and Bee Balm. There is also a small, currently unused bed, near our air conditioner in which we found a single Columbine growing last summer. I've purchase more Columbine to add to this bed this year. We're hoping the addition of Bee Balm, Columbine, and Cardinal Flower will help our yard attract more butterflies and hummingbirds.

The shady corner is home to our compost bin which can be a bit unsightly. We had good luck with the Highbush Cranberry Viburnums and the Pagoda Dogwood which we added to this part of the yard last year, so we plan to add two more Highbush Cranberries. We will also plant some Ribes, particularly Coralberry, a type of Currant as well as a Highbush Blueberry. This corner is becoming the understory for our neighbors' oaks and maples.

The interesting part about our landscaping so far is that coupled with the different types of bird feeders, our miniature biomes attract different types of birds. The feeders full of sunflower seeds and peanuts are nearest the shady corner. Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers, and Black Capped Chickadees can be found in this part of the yard. Whereas the American Goldfinches and Dark Eyed Juncos can be found nearer the wildflower garden at the nyjer feeder. With some careful planning and clever plant selection, you too can create small habitats for the wildlife in your yard.

Winged Wednesday - Spotlight on Nyjer Seed

Last week, I posted some useful information about Safflower Seed, which has become my favorite bird feeder foods. This Wednesday, I'd like to share some information about my second favorite seed, Nyjer (also called Thistle or Nyger seed).

While often called "Thistle", Nyjer is in fact not Thistle. Thistle is in the genus, Cirsium, while Nyjer is part of the genus Guizotia. Guizotia are only native to Africa.The Nyjer seeds are very small and hard. The seed is black and fairly potent.

Because of its small size, there are special feeders with smaller mesh or holes so that the seed doesn't come spilling out. Tube feeders are generally recommended for this type of seed. The tube keeps the seed from blowing away or getting wet and typically allows multiple birds to feed. You may also find mesh bags sold as sock feeders. The only problem with tube and sock feeders is that some birds won't cling or perch to them even though they'd like to dine on the Nyjer.

Nyjer is typically associated with American Goldfinches, which is how it came to be called "Thistle", but other birds will also eat it. Dark-Eyed Juncos, Pine Siskins, and Mourning Doves will readily eat Nyjer. The problem for the Dark-Eyed Juncos and Mourning Doves is that they don't usually do well with sock or tube feeders. You can however spread some seed along the ground. Be aware that laying seed on the ground may attract English House Sparrows who will readily eat this seed from the ground.

We originally used a sock feeder which got a lot of attention, but eventually the draw-string broke. We now use a yellow tube feeder which has gotten even more attention. If you are looking for a good way to attract American Goldfinches, I'd recommend placing one of these near some flowering Black-Eyed Susans and native grasses like Little Blue Stem.

Last Year's Accomplishments

When I started this blog, I wrote a piece on what we started with. This was just a quick summary about what the lawn was like when we purchased our home. Today, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on our accomplishments from last year and touch on some lessons learned.

Before purchasing the house, just after we had gone to see it for the first time, I started sketching out the many ideas I had about what I could do with the yard. Shortly after moving in, sometime in mid-April, I began digging into the sunny corner in the back, removing the sod, and extending the existing flower bed. I had started some seed indoors and by late April, I had some Blue Lupine seedlings in the house. I decided it was time to plant, so I brought my seedlings out with some seed for Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, False Indigo, Sky-Blue Aster, and Butterfly Milkweed. In May we had frost almost everyday for the first two weeks. I had planted too early.

I ended up purchasing a number of plugs from Kopke's Greenhouse to replace the plants which I had lost. Our flower bed was full of Little Blue Stem, Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susans, Prairie Coneflower, Blue Lupine, False Indigo, and Butterfly Milkweed. Unfortunately, I didn't put up any fencing. The Lupines and Indigo were chewed down to the ground regularly, and the rabbits even appeared to have tried eating the Butterfly Milkweed.

By Mid-June, I was feeling rather dispirited with the flower garden, so I turned my attention to shrubs. I decided that the shady corner needed the most work. In the morning, it is largely shaded out by our neighbor's Sugar Maple, and for part of the afternoon, it's shaded by another neighbor's Oak. We set up the compost pile here and planted two Highbush Cranberries and a Pagoda Dogwood. These shrubs took right away and have been great additions to the yard. In fact, they stood up to a wave of Japanese Beetles.

By July, we finally had some blooms in the flower garden. In particular, the Prairie Coneflower was spreading like a wildfire. I decided it was time to add some shrubs to the sunny corner and planted two Red Chokeberries and two Saskatoon Serviceberries. While purchasing the shrubs, I stumbled onto some discounted Big Blue Stems, Obedient Plant, and New York Aster. The flower bed needed to be extended again. Unfortunately, once again the rabbits took over. They chewed down the Chokeberries and Serviceberries as well as the Asters. I ended up putting fencing around the bushes.

By August, the Black Eyed-Susans and Purple Coneflowers had bloomed, and some of the False Indigo started to make a comeback, however it never got taller than 4 inches or so. The Butterfly Milkweed flowered, and a handful of Lupines remained. Fall came, and only the Chokeberries fruited. While there was a certain element of disappointment to the year, I was quite excited that anything had flowered at all. One wintery day during January, I noticed Dark-Eyed Juncos in the garden picking at the remains of Black-Eyed Susans and Big Blue Stem, and it was then that I knew my experiment had been successful.

Today, we had our first Robin in the yard, and with Spring just around the corner I anxiously await the return of the plants. I'm curious to see which plants will return, assuming that some which I have written off will in fact return. But before they start popping up, I still have some work to do. I'll discuss that on Friday.

Gray Wolf Hunt Passes in Wisconsin and Other Wolf Hunt News

Some Wolf Hunting News

• WI Approves Wolf Hunt
• Montana's Wolf Hunt Problems
• Bemidji Town Hall on MN Wolf Hunt
• More On MN Wolf Hunt

Native Lilies for Your Lawn

Many people plant a variety of lilies, most of which are from Asia. Certain types of Tiger Lilies have overtaken roadway ditches. Asiastic Lilies (Lilium asiastica) have also become incredibly popular. Some people are unaware that there are species of lily which are native to the Midwest. While it's very easy to go to the box store and pick up Day Lilies or Asiastic Lilies either as small plants or as bulbs, planting native lilies can be more work. The lilies native to the Midwest are primarily taxonomical section Pseudolirium.

The Michigan Lily (Lilium Michiganse). This lily ranges widely across the central United States. It is commonly mistaken for the Turk's Cap Lily, and even the seed packet I picked up referred to it as such. The petals of the flower arch backwards pushing the stamen outward. The flower blooms in mid-summer in June or July. Seeds for this lily can be found from Prairie Future Seed Company at a number of retailers including Jung and Wildbirds Unlimited. Prairie Moon Nursery also carries seeds for this lily.

The Turk's Cap Lily (Lilium Superbum). The range of this lily only extends as far north as Illinois in the Midwest but spreads into the Northeast. This lily can grow upwards of 7 ft. The Turk's Cap Lily has reflexed petals much like the petals of the Michigan Lily. The orange blooms are present in June or July. In Wisconsin the Turk's Cap Lily is available at the Flower Factory in Stoughton; seeds are available through Prairie Moon Nursery. I've also been told that these plants should be available at the UW Arboretum Native Plant Sale.

The Wood Lily (Lilium Philadelphicum). This lily ranges from the Northeast, across the Great Plains, and into Canada. Unlike the other lilies above, the petals do not arch backwards, but it also blooms in mid-summer. This plant is listed by the USDA as threatened or endangered across much of its range. Prairie Moon Nursery carries seed for this variety of lily.

The large red-orange flowers are noted to attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. Like many of the Asian varieties of lily, these plants are noted for their large showy flowers. All three varieties are much less common than they once were, and have been largely displaced by Lilium Lancifolium (Tiger Lily) and Hemerocallis Fulva (Orange Day Lily) which have spread along roadside ditches. By planting these varieties of lily you are helping native plants that are in trouble as well as beautifying your lawn. It should be noted that starting lilies from seed can be difficult, and you may need to stratify your seeds. We currently have some in the refrigerator, and they'll be planted indoors shortly.

Winged Wednesday - Spotlight on Safflower Seed

There are a good number of choices out there when it comes to bird seed. Over the next few Wednesdays, I'll cover some of the seed options, the pro's and con's of, what birds they attract, and what feeders I'd recommend using with them. This week's featured seed is Safflower.

Safflower is a distaff thistle which hails from the Mediterranean, particularly northern Africa. Its seeds are small, white, and hard like rocks. It's not typically found in your generic wild bird seed mixes, but can be found by itself or in specialty mixes.

Safflower's biggest pro is that feeder pests are generally not interested in it. House Sparrows, Starlings, and Squirrels will generally not eat Safflower seeds.

The biggest problem with Safflower seed is that it can make a really big mess. Assuming the birds are eating all of the seeds, the hulls or outer casing of the seed will be discarded on the ground. The pile builds up quick and isn't easy to rake up. It's also been my experience that certain birds, particularly House Finches, will discard a good amount of whole seeds. These seeds may also germinate.

Safflower seed is pretty good for attracting birds. We've found that if you have Safflower seed the arrival of House Finches and Morning Doves is guaranteed. We have also found that Cardinals, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins, Dark Eyed Juncos, and Black Capped Chickadees will dine on this seed.

Initially we had this seed in a hopper feeder which had little to no tray. The volume of seed being tossed to the ground was enormous. We quickly learned that this will not work for Safflower seeds. Hopper feeders are fine so long as they have a good-sized tray. We are also now using a tray feeder which helped prevent a lot of waste. The sides of the tray feed have made it more difficult for the birds to simply discard seed. I'd highly recommend trying to use something like a tray feeder or a hopper feeder that has some edging to help prevent messes under your feeders.

DNRs Offering Opportunities

Looking for a way to get involved with simple conservation efforts? Here are some cool opportunities:

• Minnesota DNR - Frog Calling Count
• Wisconsin DNR - Invasive Species Poster Competition
• Michigan DNR - Lighthouse Keeper
• Iowa DNR - Campground Hosts
• Illinois DNR - Partners for Conservation

Everyone Loves Viburnums

People looking for shrubs may not be sure what plants they'll need and may not be sure what plants are native. I've been particularly impressed by the genus viburnum. The Upper Midwest is home to Highbush Cranberry, Nannyberry, Maple Leaf Viburnum, and Arrowwood Viburnum. The viburnum genus can be found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere, and these deciduous shrubs fruit with small berries. I've added some pictures of the Highbush Cranberries we planted last year.

Highbush Cranberry(viburnum trilobum) is probably the best known of the viburnums. It can be easily confused with its European cousin and is generally available at many nurseries. You can likely find it in its typical/natural form but also comes in a compact form. It blooms with small white flowers, and in the fall, the leaves turn crimson. The shrubs berry red, if they berry at all. The plants are gendered and in order to get berries, you'll need both male and female plants.

Nannyberry(viburnum lentago) will also flower with white blooms like the Highbush Cranberry. Nannyberry is shade tolerant, and we plan to plant it in our shady corner near our Pagoda Dogwood. The fruit start light green and become blue-ish later in the year. These berries will persist through the winter and should attract birds.

Maple Leaf Viburnum(viburnum acerifolium) is another option you may want to consider. The leaves of this shrub may be broader than the previous two viburnums discussed. White flowers on this shrub give way to red berries which become blue. The green foliage turns purple in the fall. This viburnum is less shade tolerant than the Nannyberry but does require some shade to grow well. This viburnum seems to be more difficult to find commercially when compared with the Nannyberry or the Highbush Cranberry.

Arrowwood Viburnum(viburnum dentatum) has a number of available cultivars including: Blue Muffin and Autumn Jazz. This viburnum will do well in partial shade and produce blue fruit in late summer. The flowers are white like the other viburnums, and this plant is tolerant of Black Walnuts and clay soils.

Generally speaking the viburnums are pretty hardy and low maintenance. Because of their flowers and fruit, butterflies and birds may be attracted to them as well. If you don't already have some, I'd recommend planting viburnums. They are pretty great, and I'm sure you'll see why everyone loves viburnums.

Common Critters - Backyard Reptiles and Amphibians

When we think of animals in our lawns and gardens we often think of birds and small mammals; yet they are not the only vertebrate backyard denizens. With the right conditions, your yard may attract amphibians and reptiles. The biggest key to attracting them is making sure that you aren't using chemicals. Amphibians are particularly sensitive to chemicals like pesticides and fertilizer because their skin is so porous. Here are some visitors which may indicate that you have a healthy lawn.

The American Toad is a fairly common amphibian in the eastern half of the United States. When growing up, there was a creek and a wood lot in the back portion of our yard in rural Illinois, and we used to find many toads in our yard. I was thrilled last year, when taking weeds to the compost, that there were toads living in my yard in suburban Wisconsin. Considering amphibians are considered to be in decline and considering that Wisconsin has had reported cases of Chytrid Infection, these amphibians seem to be doing well in our neighborhood. My wife and I often encountered them while taking our beagle for an evening stroll. They tend to be about the size of an adult palm and they eat various kinds of insects. They enjoy yards and gardens with plenty of plant life and where they can find shade in the afternoon. Having some open dirt is also a good idea because they will burrow and hibernate in winter.

Green Frogs are also an amphibian which means like our American Toad friends they are part of a phylum in decline. Frogs need more water than toads as they are far more aquatic, and with the destruction of our natural wetlands, frogs are being hit from both sides as their numbers have also dropped because of Chytrid Infection. Green Frogs are native to the eastern United States, and while they do not live in our yard (we don't have a pond), they do live in the pond at my work. My wife took the picture you can find below last summer. Green frogs aren't picky eaters and will eat insects, fish, and other amphibians. They can also be tracked by the sound they make; here's a recording from the WI DNR.

The Common Garter Snake seems to have been more common when I was a child. I remember running into these little guys regularly on the playground at school and occasionally at home (although our yard seemed to be more prone to Eastern Fox Snakes). While I haven't seen one of these in our yard yet, I remain convinced that they must be there somewhere. These snakes will eat insects, amphibians, small rodents, fish, and birds. They are often about two feet in length and have yellow stripes along a black or brown body.

One thing worth noting for all of the critters described above is that like many birds we wish to attract, these little guys eat insects. If you want them to hang around then avoid using insecticides on your lawn or garden; also make sure you are planting native plants which the insects will eat. While some people find these types of critters scary or disgusting, having amphibians and reptiles in your lawn is a great indicator that your yard is healthy.

Winged Wednesday: Plants for Birds - Alternative Native Plants

I picked up a book titled Garden Secretes for Attracting Birds, and generally speaking it has lots of good ideas. So if you are in the market for birdscaping ideas, I recommend picking up a copy. The book does not however distinguish between native and invasive plants. Here are few take-aways which I wanted to share.

Beware of Honeysuckle! Lanicera sempervirens is a native plant from North America, but it is not native to Wisconsin or Minnesota. There are a host of invasive honeysuckles which have damaged wild places in Wisconsin. Some of these species include: Tartarian Honeysuckle, Amur Honeysuckle, and Japanese Honeysuckle. Invasive bush honeysuckles can take over the understory of wood lots, forests, and even our preserves and state parks. Invasive Honeysuckles spread quickly from our yards to wild spaces because birds eat the berries and deposit the seeds elsewhere. There are some native species of Honeysuckle you may want to consider instead: Northern Bush Honeysuckle, American Fly Honeysuckle, and Limber Honeysuckle. When these native plants have their seed spread by birds, they don't damage our wild spaces because they evolved as part of the biome.

Norway Spruce is suggested as a good evergreen tree for attracting birds like Red Breasted Nuthatches and Cross Bills. Instead of planting Spruces from across the pond, consider planting some that already grow in the state; White Spruce and Black Spruce are both native to Wisconsin. White Spruces are popular plants in people's yards and make good windbreaks. Black Spruce is not as common in yards but is used by Black Capped Chickadees, Warblers, Owls, and Jays for nesting and roosting; in other words, there is not an advantage to planting their Norwegian cousin.

Common Foxglove is a flowering plant suggested for attracting Hummingbirds and American Goldfinches. There are a number of tall flowering plants native to the American Prairie. Plants like Lavender Hyssop, Blazing Star, Wild Bergamot, Blue Lupine and Joe Pye Weed all make excellent replacements for Foxglove. There are a host of other tall flowering plants, so when you are looking for plants for Hummingbirds, it's very hard to imagine why you would need or want to plant Foxglove. If you are looking for flowers which will have seeds to attract American Goldfinches, I would recommend Pale Purple Coneflower, Purple Coneflower, or Black-Eyed Susans as being excellent seed producers and very effective for attracting finches.

These are just some suggestions about plants from the book that can be easily replaced with native plants. The book itself is pretty good and had some helpful ideas, but be aware that if invasive plants attract birds, the birds themselves will spread the seed and therefore distribute the invasive plants across their territory. No invasive plants are truly confined to your yard or garden; they will make their way out and about. So take a look at the book and use your best judgement.

The Good Weeds

Wood Violets (Viola Sororia) is the state flower of Wisconsin. It often grows in shady spots of your yard like under trees. When left to grow on their own, they will spread rapidly and seed themselves. They are perennials returning each year, typically flowering in late Spring, they provide a nice splash of color before other flowers' bloom. Wood Violets may also attract butterflies before Summer flowers are available. Its roots aren't particularly deep, so if they are causing problems, they are easy to remove. Our yard is full of these little guys, but after I turned up the soil to setup our meadow garden, they started to take over so we pulled them to prevent them from shading out the seedlings.


Dendelions (Taraxacum officinale) are a very common flower which many people have their yards treated for, but dandelions are much more than weeds. They are salad greens and can be turned into wine. Dandelions have large tap roots which is what makes them so difficult to pull. Dandelions are visited by House Finches and Goldfinches for food, and Hummingbirds may use Dandelion fluff as nesting material. Dandelions are also abundant and easily available for bees and butterflies.


Clover (Dalea Candida - White Prairie Clover & Dalea Purpurea - Purple Prairie Clover). There are a number of species of clover that may grow in your yard but not all of these are native. White Clover and Red Clover are fairly common, but these should not be mistaken with White Prairie Clover and Purple Prairie Clover. While all of them are nitrogen fixers, which are good for your lawn, the "Prairie" varieties are native and can get rather large. Both "Prairie" species grow a large taproot that may grow 6 feet deep. Both species of clover attract a host of pollinators. Both enjoy full sun and do well in dry conditions.

If you are interested in other weeds that aren't so good for your yard, click here.

Common Critters - Backyard Mammals - Part 2

Last week, I touched on common critters which you may find in your yard or garden. In Part 1 we talked about some of the really obvious mammals who are probably munching on your plants. This week will focus on some critters who are probably out there but you don't see them very often.

Moles are very common visitors to yards, and while we don't often see them, we do see the result of their handy-work. As they grub around under the grass looking for insects to munch, they push up the grass into molehills. We find ourselves stomping their tracks back into the ground after they've come to visit. The Midwest is home to two different species: the Star-Nosed and the Eastern Mole. While they may manage to disturb our yards; it's good to keep in mind that they are eating grubs and insects which we may not want munching on our plants later. It's worth noting that moles remain active in the winter, and while they are known for eating worms they will also eat snails, centipedes, and beetle grubs. The moles may in turn be eaten by owls, hawks, and coyotes.

Shrews are more closely related to moles than they are to rats or mice. Shrews also eat various small critters in our yards and gardens. Some shrews in your area may include: the Prairie Shrew, Cinereus Shrew, Water Shrew, Smoky Shrew, and the Northern Short-Tailed Shrew. Shrews like the Northern Short-Tailed have a venom to help them catch prey. Shrews eat insects, small rodents, and some amphibians. Pictured below is a Short-Tailed Shrew we had last winter come and visit a tray full of safflower seed.



Voles, unlike our previous two animals are rodents. They can be mistaken for mice and are a common food source for birds of prey such as Great Horned Owls or Red-Tailed Hawks. Voles carve out trails through your lawn; you may notice bare paths where there is no grass. These trails may have multiple burrows to help voles escape predators easily. They are veracious chewers and will eat roots, bulbs, and gnaw the bark off of trees. The Woodland Vole and the Prairie Vole are both native to the Upper Midwest and are considered to be of special concern in Wisconsin. The decline of the Prairie Vole is attributed to the loss of native prairie sod.

Groundhogs or Woodchucks are large rodents belonging to a group known as marmots. These mammals have been made famous by Punxsutawney Phil, and growing up in rural Illinois, we had our own Groundhog who ate fallen apples from our trees. They are certainly not the most common rodent in suburbia, but we had a very close encounter with one while sitting on our deck. Groundhogs are mostly herbivorous but will eat some insects. Because of their size and their need to burrow, groundhogs can become problematic for homeowners as they may establish burrows under the deck or stoop or near your foundation or driveway.

WI State Journal: Wetlands Development

In case you interested in checking out developments in the WI State Senate regarding the development of wetlands, I thought I'd post this. Of course, many natural wetlands have already been drained and developed for agricultural, residential, and business reasons, and many municipalities are struggling with rain water retention. Let's also not forget how our lakes in Wisconsin have become so polluted with lawn chemicals that they bloom hazardous algae every summer. Of course if we had more natural wetlands then we wouldn't have to solve any of these expensive problems. Feel free to check out the article: WI State Journal

Winged Wednesday - Bird Arrivals in March

Each fall a large part of the Wisconsin Bird population (and some of the human population) head south for warmer weather. The winter weather in the Upper Midwest is not generally friendly to the insect population, which forces those birds which depend on the insects to migrate. While many of these birds head far south to places in Central America, others only head as far south as places like Arkansas. The birds which remain state-side are the ones we can expect to arrive first. While I imagine that few people anticipate the arrival of blackbirds, I get quite excited about it because it's one of the first signs that Spring has come.

The Common Grackle will be one of the first birds to return. They are black with a shiny iridescence and yellow eyes. They tend to move about in large groups and may roost at night with other blackbirds. Early in the day as the sun comes up and as they gather at night, the grackles can be quite noisy. Their call is quite shrill, and they will forage in our yards and gardens. They will eat human food from our compost piles, they will eat seed from feeders, and they will look for insects in the turf grass.

The Brown Headed Cowbird is another blackbird which will return early. In my experience they tend to be more interested in farmers' fields than in backyards, but we've had them visit our feeders. They have an interesting sexual dimorphism. The male's coloring is where the species' name originates. The male has a solid brown head with a black beak and black body. The female is a sharp slate gray. They will bicker with other birds at feeders, and their aggressive behavior can be unwanted at feeders.

Red Winged Blackbirds are probably my favorite of the blackbirds. The males have bright red shoulders with a golden wing bar. In the mornings and evenings they may gather with grackles and can be heard across town. They spend a fair amount of time by storm water retention ponds, where the male birds will display in the evenings. I enjoy how well they balance on the tall reeds and grasses.

The American Robin is not a blackbird, but the Wisconsin State Bird should arrive during March. The robins can be found in our yard and gardens eating grubs, worms, and other insects from the ground. Robins are a thrush and can be quite aggressive with one another. They even look cocky as they hop around the lawn, and they fly into windows thinking that their reflection is another robin. Their nests are small bowls which will be filled with small blue eggs. They aren't particularly afraid of people and may try to nest near your house such as atop flood lights or on overhangs. Robins are viewed by many as the official herald of Spring.

Common Critters - Backyard Mammals - Part 1

Squirrels are very common backyard critters with little fear of humans. They are attracted to our yards by bird feeders, compost piles, and trees, particularly oak trees. Depending on where you live in the U.S. you may see different kinds of squirrel visitors. In the Midwest we are likely to see Eastern Fox Squirrels, Eastern Gray Squirrels, and Red Squirrels. Both Northern and Southern Flying Squirrels can be found in the Midwest. Squirrels particularly enjoy eating acorns, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and cracked corn. If you have oak trees like many people do, whether they be White Oak, Pin Oak, Black Oak, or Red Oak, you will certainly end up with squirrels gathering acorns and burying them in your yard. Of course, squirrels can also get themselves into trouble by foraging in vegetable gardens and climbing bird feeders, and because they are more nimble and dexterous than rabbits keeping them out of trouble is a big ask. In the case of feeders, you may want to make sure to use baffles and be very aware of your feeder's placement. In the case of vegetable gardens, it's worth considering something like bird netting to put over your produce. More on Squirrels from UW Extension

Chipmunks are squirrel-like rodents who spend much of their time on the ground. Eastern Chipmunks and Least Chipmunks are common in the Midwest and can be seen feeding under bird feeders gathering any seeds dropped by our feathered friends. Because they burrow, some people find them to be a nuisance. We've often been entertained by their high energy antics, we've even witnessed them scamper up the bird feeder pole and devour some safflower seeds. Chipmunks will also try to compete with squirrels for morsels at bird feeders but will find themselves overpowered by their larger cousins. Chipmunks are capable climbers and will also eat berries from shrubs and small trees.

Ground Squirrels are very similar to chipmunks and can often be seen along the roadside next to farmers' fields. You may see them dart across the road, they usually appear longer and thinner than chipmunks and don't have the solid white stripes which are characteristic of chipmunks. The 13-Lined Ground Squirrel and the Franklin's Ground Squirrel both call Wisconsin home. We've had the 13-Lined Ground Squirrel visit our bird feeders and have witnessed short skirmishes between them and chipmunks competing over seeds. The Franklin's Ground Squirrel lived in the tallgrass prairie but as much of its habitat has been destroyed; it's now a species of Special Concern. If you've decided that the burrowing chipmunks and ground squirrels are a problem, before setting traps make sure you've correctly identified the species; also consider consulting with your local DNR or animal control.

Cottontail Rabbits are happy to make your lawn or garden their home. They enjoy eating grass, most flowers, vegetables, berries, clover, pretty much anything. They even chewed branches off of my Red Chokeberry and my Serviceberry shrubs. Fencing or raised garden beds can be an effective means to be prevent rabbits from eating what you've planted. We struggled for much of last Spring and Summer with the rabbits eating the Purple Coneflowers, Blue Lupines, and False Indigo. Eventually we put up plastic fencing around some of the plants, and this year we plan to fence off the whole wildflower garden until the plants have a chance to grow. We also purchased a beagle midway through the Summer, and we think she'll be an effective rabbit deterrent as well.

Wisconsin Garden Expo Recap

We spent most our Saturday at the Wisconsin Garden Expo where we met with some friends, spoke with some vendors, and attended a few seminars. I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight some of what we saw.

We started the expo in the main hall looking at the various vendor booths. We noticed that it seemed to be more crowded than last year, to the point of being somewhat claustrophobic. We also had this experience in some of the seminars. While it's good that attendance was high, the folks planning the expo may want to address the overcrowding. We had pretty good conversations with the folks from the Bluebird Restoration Asso. of Wisconsin, Wild Ones, and Midwest Decorative Stone & Landscape Supply. I also took a gander at the new Fiskar's StaySharp mower; it looks really cool!

We took in a few seminars as well. I was most impressed with Samantha Peckham of Olbrich Gardens who spoke on The Good, The Bad, and The Hungry. Her presentation grouped wildlife into two categories: the ones we want to have in our lawns or gardens, and the ones we don't. Her "Good" category consisted of three subgroups: "Parasites & Pathogens, Predators, and Pollinators." While parasites may not sound like a good thing, she specifically addressed Milky Spore and Bt used to control insect populations. Some of her garden good guys included: Parasitic Wasps, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Lady Bugs, Swallows, Robins, Amphibians, Bees, and Butterflies. She also included some more controversial animals like Coyotes and Foxes because they help reduce rodent and lagomorph populations. Her list of "not so good guys" was more contentious, and I've no intention of adding Chipmunks, Squirrels, and Red Winged Blackbirds to a list of backyard bad guys (while I don't like them at my feeders all of the time, I rather enjoy them in the yard). However she also spoke about Yellow Jackets, Gypsy Moths, Tent Worms, Japanese Beetles, and Emerald Ash Borers which can certainly be problematic in a lawn or garden. It is however worth noting, that Ms. Peckham suggested that it would be okay to disturb a Red Winged Blackbird nest and remove it as they can be very territorial; this is however unlawful as these birds are protected by the North American Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

We also enjoyed a presentation about water features which was presented by Shane Wagner of the Bruce Company He presented a lot of interesting information about three types of water features: Bubbling Urns, Pondless Waterfalls, and Ponds. He gave excellent details about how much each of these projects would cost and how to do it yourself. After his presentation we were convinced that we no longer want a pond.

Liza Lightfoot of Avant Gardening spoke about natural stone in landscaping. While she seemed to really know her stuff, there was a malfunction with the PowerPoint and the presentation ended 15 minutes early.

Birdscaping in the Midwest was presented by Mariette Nowak, formerly of the Wehr Nature Center. Her presentation validated much of what we've tried to do in the yard so far, and we were excited when plants such as viburnums, chokeberries, dogwoods, and serviceberries all got a shout out, as we have planted shrubs of these types. The most interesting part of her presentation were the graphs that demonstrated how increasing your yard's native plant density will also increase your overall bird abundance as well as the variety of species that spend time in your yard. When living in suburban Milwaukee on a small lot, she had counted close to 90 different species in her yard. She also plugged Doug Tallamy's Bringing Nature Home, which was awesome! Her presentation was generally good and had a lot of information, but it was too long for the allotted time so the end was rushed.

Generally the expo was fun, and we came away with some good ideas about how best to go about this year's landscaping. It's too bad that we'll need to wait another couple of months before we can really do anything.

Green Stuff? In February?

As the snow started falling this morning just as I was headed off to work, I had to wonder how we managed to have such a lovely, balmy weekend only 6 days earlier. Last Saturday, I spent some time out in the yard cutting back some our of plants. I brought the beagle out with me for some company and came to two realizations while I was out there.

Firstly that I needed to do some weeding. And I needed to do it in February.

Secondly, I had some green. Some of plants had come back and were just as ready for Spring as I am.

I was not overly surprised that I needed to pull some Quackgrass, and I even found some spots in the yard where I could justify taking the mower out. (Note: I did not actually take the mower out.) I did however notice that many of the invasive plants which I thought I had successfully removed last Fall were blooming. It appears that we will be stuck with Purple Pansies and Asiatic Lilies forever. They seem to be doing quite well in front of our house.

Pansies are hybrid plants based on European Violas.

The Lilies seeded themselves.

When I made it to the backyard though I found cause for some celebration. Some of the native plants which I planted last year were coming back. It was late Spring last year when I started pulling up the invasive plants which the previous owner had planted and began adding native plants like Purple Coneflower and Little Blue Stem. Neither of these plants were coming back, but I as cut back some of the native plants, I found three surprises.

The Blue Lupine is coming up already. This was good news considering the rabbits had chewed it to the ground.

The Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida Columnifera) was looking very green.

And here's some white clover which despite being invasive adds nitrogen to the soil, so I usually leave this one alone.