Winged Wednesday - Backyard Birding Basics

Wisconsin is one of the nation's hot spots for birding. The flyways for migratory birds along the Mississippi and the Great Lakes, as well as some fabulous lakes and wetlands bring many species through the state. If you are just getting into birds, here are a few tips to help you get started in your own backyard.

Indigo Bunting checks out our tube feeder.

Find a decent bird book you can use. A good guide will help you identify the birds you already have. I recommend something fairly small, perhaps one which doesn't have all of the species (you are unlikely to encounter all of North America's vast area of birds in your lawn), and make sure it has some really clear pictures. I strong recommend Stan Tekiela's Birds of... books. These field guides are broken down by state, are compact, and organized by color which makes finding the birds a snap.

Set reasonable expectations. Read through your guide and understand the birds and habitats. If there's no water nearby then you are unlikely to see much waterfowl; if there are few mature tress in your neighborhood then birds like Woodpeckers will be harder to come by. Knowing these things may drive your decision making on the next steps.

Feed the birds. Feeding solutions vary widely. You will need to decide what kind of feeder you want to use and what type of food to provide. Black oil sunflower is a pretty good catch all seed and can be fed from a variety of feeders.(See other posts on feeding the birds)

The American Goldfinch loves Coneflower and Black Eyed Susan.

Water the birds. Birds need water to bathe and drink. If you decide to setup a bird bath be sure to keep it clean. This can be a trying ask when keeping up with algae or messy birds. You may also decide you want to heat the bird bath during the winter.

Shelter the birds. There are a host of different bird houses which can be purchased to fit the needs of different species. Evergreens and woody shrubs also provide good cover for nesting or roosting birds. (Read more about bird houses.)

Landscape for the birds. Trees like Oaks which produce acorns can be very attractive to birds like Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, and Chickadees. Trees and shrubs with fruit like Hawthorns or Serviceberry may be attractive to Waxwings, Robins, or Gray Catbirds. Native wildflowers may attract Finches, Sparrows, and Hummingbirds. ((See our favorite plants for attracting birds)

Pace yourself. You don't need to all of these things at once, and some of things may simply take time. Trees don't mature overnight, and even after putting up a feeder it may take time for the birds to recognize that it's there. Be patient and enjoy.

First Flowers of Spring 2014 - False Indigo, Blue Lupine, and Columbine

After three years, our great backyard experiment is really starting to pay off. We started off the spring with cool, rainy weather, and we finally saw warmer weather in mid-May. The first plants to add color to the yard were the Serviceberries and the Eastern Redbud. These flowering trees and shrubs are regularly the first to bloom and add a splash of color. The Wood Violets also flowered, but while the ornamental trees and violets flowered, the garden plants grew tall and green.

Our Redbud seemed to be particularly pink this year.

We've had a recent warm streak, which brought with it semi-regular rain showers and thunder storms. With the warm weather and rain, the plants have grown. Yard maintenance has been relatively difficult to keep up with. The benefit has been each time I head out to weed, mow, trim, mulch or prune, I find something new has flowered.

Columbine has grown wild behind our air conditioner since we moved in. Last year, we put down some Columbine seed near the existing plant in a previously unused flower bed. Two additional Columbines now grow with showy red flowers.

The Columbine which prefers to grow behind the air conditioner.

The flower bed in the front has its first Lupines. Last spring, we planted a half dozen Lupine plugs, but only two of the six came back after the long, cold winter. (We've seen similar results with the Little Blue Stems planted in the same bed.) We've added two more Lupines to the bed for now and noticed that some may have seeded themselves as some really little guys are also popping up.

I would have been very sad if none of the Lupine had come back. This one is a fighter.

After multiple years of rabbits chewing back the False Indigo, the fence has paid off, and we have some tall, attractive purple flowers in the main garden. So far, we have 3 of 5 flowering, and the Bumble Bees seem to e enjoying them.

A small victory!

These plants are well ahead of the other plants in the garden. It will still be awhile before the Purple Coneflower, Black Eyed Susans, or Butterfly Milkweed flower. The Columbine, Lupine, and Indigo add visual interest to the yard by providing dashes of red, blue, and purple. They also provide a food source for pollinators. We have seen Cabbage White Butterflies, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, and Large Carpenter Bees, and it's just the start of June. We're hoping to be able to report a record year for pollinators this year, and we'll be trying to focus on capturing each visitor digitally.

How are your gardens doing this spring? Anything growing particularly well?

Winged Wednesday - Catching the Flycatchers

When getting started with backyard birding, you may find that it's easy to attract your first dozen or species by putting up a bird feeder. You may be able to increase the number or frequency by planting certain plants such as Cardinal Flower, Purple Coneflower, or Blue Stem grasses. The birds which can be most difficult to catch a glimpse of are the ones which you can manipulate less easily. Many birds have a diet filled with insects and small invertebrates. In an earlier post, we previewed some of the Thrushes you may encounter in your backyard. This post will focus on Flycatchers.

Eastern Phoebe came buy right after both our yard and our neighbor's yard was mowed.

Flycatchers are birds which specialize in catching flying insects in flight. Often they rely on a technique called hawking. Flycatchers may be found sitting on perches such as fence posts, shrubs, tree limbs, or wires. These energetic birds may bob a bit while perched. They make short flights out to catch insects before returning to their perch.

Common Flycatchers in the Midwest include: Eastern Phoebes, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Wood Peewees, and the Least Flycatcher. Birds like the Eastern Phoebe or the Least Flycatcher may be attracted your neighborhood if there is ample vegetation which provides a woody understory. Cedar Waxwings are often attracted to lawns which have trees or shrubs that fruit such as Pagoda Dogwood, Serviceberry, or the Cockspur or Washington Hawthorns. Kingbirds tend to be more prevalent in rural areas; I can remember seeing them on fence posts while growing up Central Illinois.

Unsure if it's the same Phoebe, but this was from the first time we saw one in the yard which was in 2013.

There are other things you can do as well to attract these birds. Remember that native vegetation supports native insect life, and native insects support native birds. You can also leave the grass of your lawn a little longer, as this will also increase your lawn's insect population. You may also find that after mowing when the insects are all stirred up is exactly when these birds will come to visit.

Winged Wednesday - The Neighborhood Owls

We usually start to hear them in the late fall and then throughout the winter. We are certain that they must nest in the Spruces up the street from us each winter. Our Beagle doesn't seem to like walking this way when they are hooting during the winter. On very rare occasion we have caught a glimpse of them in the night.

Our local Great Horned Owls have generally been fairly elusive despite being incredibly vocal. This past week while working in the garden, the local American Crows were quite raucous. Initially I ignored them assuming that it wasn't anything interesting, but after over an hour of the noise, I decided to investigate. They cawed at a large brown lump in our neighbor's tree, so I concluded I should get a camera to improve my viewing.

The brown lump appeared to be two young Great Horned Owls attempting to get some shut eye.

The Owls managed to outlast Crows but took off when our neighbor's mowing service arrived.

Great Horned Owls are large native raptors which are distributed widely. Like other animals who do well in backyards, they are pretty adaptable, and their diet consists of a variety of small mammals and even Skunk. During the winter our owls duet together, and generally we've found them to be welcome company.

Common Critters - Striped Mammals - Raccoons and Skunks

Two of the larger mammals you may encounter in your Midwestern backyard aren't necessarily the kind of visitors you'd be excited to stumble into in the dark of night. They are also the kind of visitors you may want to keep away from your pets. Both of these visitors are adorned with stripes; they are the Raccoon and the Striped Skunk.

Raccoons are remarkably intelligent, adaptable, and persistent members of a family of mammals which includes Coatis and Kinkajous. Raccoons may be attracted to your neighborhood for foraging. They will happily topple over garbage cans, eat left out cat food, and even eat from bird feeders. Their industriousness can be a challenge; one often faced by campers who have to find inventive ways to keep these mammals out of their coolers.

Because of their nocturnal nature, you may never actually spot a Raccoon in your yard, but you can look for signs. Raccoon paw prints often look like little hands. You can also look for gnaw marks on your garbage cans or other outdoor totes. You may also find particularly gnarly looking scat in your yard. Raccoon droppings are fairly distinct; let's just say that if it came from your dog you'd be fairly concerned.

We've recently had Raccoon visitors and needed to move our bird feed tote into the garage. Note that it also means that we have been good about closing the garage door at night, since they would not be afraid to enter it while we sleep.

They were smart enough to go for the handles which fold over to form a lock for the container.

Based on the goodies I have in there, I assume they were after the peanuts or striped sunflower seeds.

Striped Skunks may also visit your yard during the night. They can be attracted to neighborhoods in surprisingly large numbers if folks leave food out for cats. They also enjoy rooting around the soil for grubs; the end result is almost a reverse mole hill. Skunks will also look for shelter in dense bushes or under decks. When I was in college there was a Skunk which lived in the bushes near the auditorium; he'd come out during the night and could be found foraging around the building. We haven't actually seen a Skunk in our yard, but we have had mornings where we could still smell Skunk lingering in the air when we let the dog out.

Neither of these species is on their own a pest. Having mammals in your backyard may simply be a sign of good biodiversity. They may be busily munching away on the insects, amphibians, or fruit you have growing in your yard. They could also be a sign that you or your neighbors could do a better job cleaning up after yourselves by not leaving pet food or garbage out. They can however become a problem if they interact with your pets or children, or if they manage to get themselves into places where they don't belong such as your shed, garage, or attic. Many counties no longer offer animal control services for problematic wildlife; if you encounter serious problems with Raccoons or Skunks please consider finding a company who can trap and relocate the unwanted visitor.

International Crane Foundation

The International Crane Foundation had been on our list of places to visit for too long, and this past weekend we made a trip to Baraboo to check it out. We were particularly excited by the prospect of seeing Whooping Cranes for the first time, but the fact that the grounds are home to every species of crane was also exciting.

The weather on Friday was cool and gray, and we even got sprinkled on a bit. The ICF was also doing a controlled burn of a portion of the grounds. A good chunk of the grounds appears to be Oak Savanna, and visitors are welcome to trek on birding trails while there.

We entered the park aware of the ICF's good work in helping to bring the Whooping Crane back from brink and then learned much about their efforts in trying to help other crane populations which are critically endangered or vulnerable including the Blue Crane and the Siberian Crane. (More detailed accounts of the ICF's efforts can be read in Chasing the Ghost Birds by David Sakrison.)

We were particularly impressed by the paddocks setup for the Whooping Cranes and Waddled Cranes, and generally speaking this was how we envisioned the entire park being setup. These species had homes which were open with a pond, reed beds, and even visiting Mallards and Red Wings Blackbirds.

Whooper catches a snake.

Whooper couple at home.

Waddled Crane in the reeds.

Most of the birds are in smaller paddocks which are a laid out in a circle. The nicest looking paddock houses the Blue Cranes.

Otherwise the paddocks left us feeling a little sad for the birds' captivity.

The staff are very friendly. The grounds are very clean with recycle and garbage bins stationed at every few exhibits. Some of the exhibits even have small amphitheaters. It's a very nice place to visit, and we'd strongly recommend stopping by if you are in Central Wisconsin. You can see all of the birds in under 90 minutes if you are pressed for time.

The ICF stands as a reminder of a few things for us. 1. How fortunate we are that such organizations exists, such that we now enjoy the regular and recurring presence of the Sandhill Cranes throughout Wisconsin. 2. That such organization are deserving of our support. 3. That it is very easy to neglect or delay visiting local attractions.

I've posted some additional pictures below from our trip.

Red Crowned Crane

Sarus Crane

Siberian Crane

Black Necked Crane

Brolga

Winged Wednesday: Two Orioles for the Price of One

It's May, and during May we watch for a host of birds which visit our yard for only a short period of time. Generally we are on the look out for Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Thrushes, Flycatchers, and Orioles. At the end of April, I hang our Oriole feeder which contains nectar, grape jelly and orange wedges. This year to our surprise we attracted two Orioles for the price of one.

This year the Grosbeaks arrived about the same time as the Baltimore Orioles, I think they were greeting each other and talking shop.

The feeder drew in the usual suspects first. The Baltimore Orioles arrived at the feeder on May 2 and have visited the yard everyday since. We've seen both male and female birds. The males are dark black with a neon orange underside. They often whistle for awhile up in the trees or on the phone line before coming down for a treat. The female birds seem to arrive later and come to the feeder less often; they are a yellowish orange with a grayish back and wings.

The male Orchard Oriole was squabbling with a female Baltimore.

This year, we also managed to attract a pair of Orchard Orioles. They arrived on May 12. They seem to be little smaller than the Baltimore Orioles and a bit more skittish. The male is primarily black with a bold chestnut red underside. The female looks a lot like the Baltimore females but is more yellow, almost softer in color.

Both species seem particularly interested in the jelly, which we bought on the cheap. It's generic grape from a squeeze bottle. Having used a jar and spoon in the past, I'd strongly recommend squeeze bottle, it's so much easier to fill the hanging feeder. They have also really gone through the orange wedges, but neither species seems particular interested in the nectar unless both the oranges and the jelly are gone.

Are you seeing Orioles in your neck of the woods?

Biodiversity Timeline

Let's talk a little bit about biodiversity. Biodiversity is a concept related to how many different species are part of a particular community. In this particular case, how many different species are part of our yards. In nature, the amount of life a place can sustain, the more healthy it is considered. In other words, high biodiversity and an ecosystem's health are directly related. The wonderful thing about our yards, is that we as the stewards have direct control over how biodiverse our property is. If we choose to maintain a homogenous monoculture of turf grass, then we elect to keep biodiversity low. If we choose to plant a variety of flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees, then we elect to increase the yard's biodiversity. Here's our biodiversity story so far.

2011

We moved into our home in April of 2011. The yard was fairly sparse, noteworthy plants included Siberian Iris, Tulips, Daffodils, and Asiatic Lilies. The yard had no trees and two ornamental shrubs. Its diversity is documented in the table below.

Flowers	4
Grasses	0
Shrubs	2
Trees	0

I immediately began to increase the yard's diversity focusing primarily on extending the existing flower bed and adding some shrubs.

End of Spring 2011

Flowers	13
Grasses	2
Shrubs	4
Trees	0

In the spring of 2012, we renewed our focus on adding native plants. We added trees to the yard in 2012, and it was the first year we started keeping track of our animal diversity. We wanted to see the impact the new plants had on the ecosystem of our yard.

2012

Flowers	13
Grasses	2
Shrubs	5
Trees	5

2012 Animal Species

Reptiles and Amph	1
Bees and Butterflies	13
Mammals	5
Birds	31

In 2013, we spent some time trying to dig out and eliminate the non-native plants with only some success. We also added a couple more trees and replaced some shrubs which had been chewed back by the rabbits.

2013

Flowers	11
Grasses	3
Shrubs	5
Trees	7

2013 Animal Species

Reptiles and Amph	1
Bees and Butterflies	14
Mammals	7
Birds	40

This year, we've focused on the front yard, and once again we've needed to replace some shrubs. Our most recent round of plant purchases included: Prairie Dropseed, Little Blue Stem, Blazing Star, Bee Balm (Genus Monarda), Obedient Plant, and Wild Onion.

2014

Flowers	14
Grasses	3
Shrubs	5
Trees	7

2014 Animal Species to Date

Reptiles and Amph	0
Bees and Butterflies	5
Mammals	5
Birds	37

From what we can tell so far, it appears that as we increase the diversity of the plant life in our yard, the diversity of the animals which come to visit increases as well. Between the flowers, butterflies, birds, and shrubs, we have interesting colors in our yard from May through October. And while the winter has less visual interest, the regular bird traffic provides more visual appeal than what the yard would have otherwise.

Here's a list of a the current plant species which have been planted intentionally in our yard:

Flowers:
• Blue Lupine
• Blazing Star
• Obedient Plant
• Bee Balm
• False Indigo
• Cardinal Flower
• Black Eyed Susan
• Purple Coneflower
• Prairie Coneflower
• Columbine
• Butterfly Milkweed
• Pre-existing Tulips
• Pre-existing Daffodils

Grasses:
• Big Blue Stem
• Little Blue Stem
• Prairie Dropseed

Shrubs:
• Serviceberry
• Black Chokeberry
• Pagoda Dogwood
• Staghorn Sumac
• Highbush Cranberry

Trees:
• Bur Oak
• Red Oak
• Quaking Aspen
• White Spruce
• White Pine
• Washington Hawthorne
• Eastern Redbud

Plant by Habitat: Boreal Forest

Over past few weeks, we covered a variety of natural communities found in the Upper Midwest including: Deciduous Forests, Prairie, Pine Barrens, and Oak Savannas. Each post is intended to help readers select groups of plants which grow together naturally. This post will focus on the trees and shrubs which make up the coniferous and boreal forests of the Upper Midwest.

Red Breasted Nuthatches enjoy peanuts in addition to conifer seeds and insects.

The key feature of a coniferous forest, are of course the coniferous trees. In the Upper Midwest these forests are composed of dense stands of Eastern White Pine (More on Native Pines), White Spruce (More on Native Spruce), and/or Balsam Fir. When grown in close proximity these trees form a dense canopy which creates shade below throughout the year. These trees are home to native bird species such as Pine Siskins, Red Breasted Nuthatches, and Pine Grosbeaks; all of which will feed on the seeds of these plants by extracting their meal from the cones produced by the trees.

Black Hills Spruce is a subspecies of White Spruce which is generally easy to find.

These stands of Pine, Spruce, and Fir may not be entirely homogenous; other trees which can be found in these forests include: Hemlock, Paper Birch, and Quaking Aspen. Paper Birch is an attractive tree with white bark which many people choose to plant in their front yard. Quaking Aspen is another option; it grows remarkably quickly. Both the Paper Birch and the Quaking Aspen are deciduous, but neither grow a large shade- providing canopy (like an Oak or Maple would).

If the tree cover is dense, the understory will be sparsely populated, but some shrubs found in the understory include: Serviceberry, Witch Hazel, and Blueberry. Blueberry can be particularly tricky to grow as it requires a low soil ph ideally between 4.0 and 6.0. If your yard has much limestone, the ph is likely to0 high. Serviceberry and Witch Hazel provide interesting color at opposite ends of the year. Serviceberry will bloom with white, showy flowers in the very early spring. Witch Hazel will turn vibrant yellow in the fall.

Our Alleghany Serviceberry's showy spring blooms.

In the forest you are unlikely to come across much grass, however you may find other forms of ground cover including Wild Sarsaparilla and Bunchberry. I haven't seen much of either commercially available, so if you are looking for something to put down other than turf grass, you could consider Pine straw or needle mulch, stone, and/or try some ferns such as: Christmas Fern or Lady Fern.

Coniferous forests as described in this post are common in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan than in the rest of the Midwest. If you are unsure of these plant selection, please visit your state's DNR or Forestry website for information on coniferous forests in your state. Happy planting!

Winged Wednesday May's Birding Blues

Blue is an interesting color which isn't overly common in nature. Nature is full of brown, green, black, white, and perhaps yellow and red may even be more common. Wisconsin like the rest of the Upper Midwest can count on a couple of things to be fairly consistently blue: the sky, the lakes, and Blue Jays.

Regal Blue Jay looks down upon the yard.

Today however we had a very blue visitor. An Indigo Bunting dropped in for a visit. This blue Finch joined a colorful array of other birds as our Orioles and Grosbeaks arrived at the end of last week. It's been our experience in the past that they won't stick around; they'll visit a handful of times in May then find somewhere a little more wild for their nesting, but they are a sure sign that spring is really here. This particular Bunting showed some interest in the Oriole feeder, which have been because these birds are interested in fruits such as Serviceberry, Strawberry, and Blueberry.

Indigo Bunting gets a better view from the top of the bird house.

Of course, other blue migrants have started to arrive. The Barn Swallows have taken up their usual haunt in the parking deck at work, and we've started to see Tree Swallows around as well. Our nest boxes remain empty, but I remain hopeful that a pair will take up residence in our yard. We regularly see Tree Swallows over the retention pond near our home, and they typically take up residence in bird houses in a nearby park.

Acrobatic Tree Swallow takes break on a nest box.

The other blue migrant we expect to see but have yet to spy this spring are the Eastern Bluebirds. Typically we have only seen them in the park or when we make it out somewhere more rural, but last spring they came to check out one of the nest boxes in our yard. It was occupied at the time by Black Capped Chickadees. If they come around again this year, they'll find two nest boxes which are currently vacant, so we remain hopeful.

Hopefully he'll remember us and return.

Wisconsin State Flower: Wood Violets Among the First to Bloom

The Meadow Violet or the Common Blue Violet is state flower for Wisconsin and other states including Illinois, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. In Wisconsin school children were given the opportunity to vote for the State Flower and in 1909 the Common Blue Violet was selected.

This one is purple, but we have a number of them which are white as well.

Over this past weekend, the gray, cold, wet weather took a long enough pause for us to notice that our yard was starting to fill with violets. Part of maintaining our wildflower garden and other flower beds is the dedicated removal of weeds, but one of the exceptions we make to this removal is for the violets. (Side note, we don't hand weed the lawn so any weeds out in the turf grass are welcome stay, the Bumble Bees love the Creeping Charlie this early in the spring anyway.)

We leave the violets in place for a couple of reasons. First of which is that it's the state flower, it just seems wrong to attempt to purge it. The second of which is value it has for the local pollinators. Our pollinator count for the year so far is 4 identified species: Cabbage White Butterfly, Bumble Bee, Large Carpenter Bee, and the Honey Bee.

This early in the spring, there may not be much other food available for these little guys. While the Lupine is starting to look bushy, the violets are looking showy, so even if you aren't concerned about the bees, these flowers can add a splash of color to your spring.

One note of caution this little flower can spread like wildfire especially if you are eliminating the competition so if you aren't looking for native ground cover it may not be the plant for you.

Plant by Habitat: Deciduous Forest

A recent theme for many posts has been planting by habitat, whereby we've tried to identify native plants which can be planted together to simulate natural communities. For most of these communities trees are the backbone with shrubs and other plants being the guts. Depending on what you already have in your yard, you could be off to a good start. This post will focus on the Deciduous Forest.

A number of tree species which can be easily found commercially may already be planted in your yard. In the Upper Midwest, trees common in yards and the forests include: the Sugar Maple, Red Maple, and White Oak. These trees are excellent shade trees for your yard, and they support a host of wildlife. Common forest birds which are likely to be attracted to these trees include: Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers, Black Capped Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers. Maple sap may even be eaten by migratory birds who take advantage of the Sapsucker's drill holes including Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. An Oak's acorns will attract a variety of other kinds of critters including Squirrels and Chipmunks. Mor e information on these trees can be found in earlier posts; Information on Oaks or Information on Maples.

Red Bellied Woodpecker comes down for a visit.

A number of other trees make up the skeleton of the deciduous forest; note that some of these trees may be more difficult to find than their Oak or Maple counterparts. These trees include: American Beech, American Elm, Basswood, Black Cherry, and Shagbark Hickory. Black Cherry will attract certain species of caterpillar which are eaten by birds, and the fruit of the tree will also attract our feathered friends including some which may not come as regularly to feeders such as Orchard Orioles. The Black Cherry is also very attractive when in bloom. The American Beech produces a nut which is smaller than an acorn. Beech nuts are eaten by Red Headed Woodpeckers, the Tufted Titmouse, and Red Breasted Nuthatches. The Shagbark Hickory's bark is an excellent hunting ground for birds like Nuthatches and the Brown Creeper as the bark is home to many insects.

Once you've selected some variety of trees for your forest planting, you'll want to move on to the understory. The Mapleleaf Viburnum is a good Viburnum to consider when looking for forest shrubs. This plant can provide excellent cover and protection for birds and small mammals. It may produce abundant fruit eaten by birds like Grouse or Turkey. American Witchhazel has showy yellow flowers in the fall. The fruit produced by this shrub is eaten by Northern Bobwhites, Grouse, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbits. Witchhazel can be grown as a shrub or managed to be grown as a small tree.

Birds like this Gray Catbird enjoy dense shrubby cover.

If providing dense cover with trees and shrubs, you may encounter a challenge in selecting flowers which will tolerate the shade. Here are some suggestions for native flowers which you may be able to find for this habitat: Jack in the Pulpit, Large Flowered Trillium, and Virginia Bluebells. Trillium has a showy white flower which appears in May or June. The Bluebells grow low to the ground and have small blue flowers which present early in the year in April or May, around the same time the Jack in the Pulpit flowers.

If interested in having a forest getaway, this post should be a good place to get started. Many other native plants also grow in the Deciduous Forest, ask your local nursery for more information. Happy planting.

Winged Wednesday - May Arrivals

In Wisconsin April is coming to a cool, rainy end, and it's time to start thinking about warmer, sunny weather in May. Although it looks like May will get started off mirroring April's end, we eagerly await our last round of migrating visitors. Our species count for this year is already slightly behind last year, but perhaps the next couple of weeks will help us make up some ground. So who are the birds we are looking forward to seeing in May?

Two female Grosbeaks have a morning bath.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak: We welcome a handful of these birds every year. Typically we get a couple of pairs who will hang out in our backyard for about 2 weeks before moving on. These Cardinal cousins come up from Latin America to do some breeding in Wisconsin's forests; they are happy to stop off at feeders and eat black oil and striped sunflower seeds. Their call is almost Robin-ish, and we eagerly await their return.

Male Oriole goes for the jelly.

Baltimore Oriole: We had orioles come visit for the first time last year. They visited for a little over a week in mid-May before moving on. During that time our Oriole feeder contained nectar, held orange wedges, and had spoonfuls of grape jelly. They didn't seem to take much to the nectar, but they did seem to enjoy the grape jelly. They nearly polished off a jar of the cheap stuff purchased at our local grocery store. Last May, the weather was fairly warm, so I made sure to clean the feeder at least every other day to prevent mold growth in the nectar. Our feeder is also suspended from a large ant moat to prevent insects from accessing the sugary treats.

This House Wren snagged a spider in the garden.

House Wren: Our summer wouldn't be complete without the House Wrens starting a family in our yard. Since putting up the bird house 2 years ago, we've had Wrens nest in it each year. They spend a lot of time foraging for insects in our wildflowers and regularly chastise me when I go into the garden. In the morning, they sing from the telephone wire which passes over the bird house and garden. They are rather talkative, sort of funny looking little birds, but their presence really brings the yard to life.

Which birds are you still waiting for?

Five Native Plants Other than Flowers for Butterflies

Everyone knows that during the summer, butterflies flit from flower to flower in our gardens, parks, and yards. Some understand that butterflies are after nectar and then plant flowers full of nectar to attract these painted insects. It's important however to remember that butterflies need different types of plants at different stages in their lifecycle. Here are a five plants to consider if you are interested in attracting butterflies.

Black Cherry Tree: These Cherry Trees are native to much of the United States and are generally good plants for attracting wildlife. Their fruits are eaten by mammals and birds alike, and the flowers which precede the fruit are a good early source of nectar for butterflies. These tree is important for the Eastern Tiger Swallow Tail and the Red Spotted Purple butterflies who will lay their eggs on this tree. Larger than most other Cherry Trees, these tree may grow 50 - 80 feet high providing some protections for the attracted butterflies.

The Black Swallowtail may use garden variety plants like Dill or Parsley as a host.

Oaks: Oaks as discussed in a previous post play an important role in the ecology of the Midwest. These large trees provide shelter and food for a number animal species. When we reflect on these species we often think of Squirrels, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Blue Jays. Oaks also are hosts for a few species of Hairstreak and Duskywing butterflies. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars eat the foliage of the tree before becoming butterflies.

Birches: These attractive trees are often found in front yards of people's homes. River Birch and Paper Birch are two common native trees you can find at most nurseries. Birch trees play host to a number of a caterpillars including: Mourning Cloak and Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies which are two of the larger and more attractive species of the Midwest.

Common Nettle: Stinging Nettle can be a real pain in the garden or yard especially when trying to remove it. If it's found in an out of the way location, consider leaving it in place. The Red Admiral Butterfly uses this weed as a host plant for its caterpillars.

Bluestem Grasses: Both Little and Big Bluestem Grasses make attractive lawn or garden features, and both are easy to find at most nurseries. These plants are known for being attractive to birds, but these grasses are also host plants for a variety of Skipper species.

This Indian Skipper may have grown up in our Bluestem Grasses.

Even if you don't plant these particular plants in your butterfly garden, keep them in mind as you do other landscaping in your yard. There are also a whole bunch of other plants which can be used to attract butterflies. Remember when landscaping, that butterflies need more than just nectar, so the next time you are looking for a new tree, grass, or shrub take a look at this list to get started.

Common Critters - Backyard Mammals - Leaving Trails Behind

There are two common types of backyard critters who leave some pretty obvious tracks behind even if we never actually saw our visitors. Both moles and voles leave telltale signs behind as they forage in our lawns.

Voles: There are a few different kinds of voles one may encounter including the: Prairie Vole, Pine Vole, and Meadow Vole. Voles make runaways along the ground which you are likely to encounter if you do any shoveling of snow in your yard or immediately after a thaw. We often find vole runaways which lead directly to the areas below our bird feeders. You may also notice damage to bark around your shrubs after the snow melts; this could be from hungry voles looking for a winter snack. Plantings thick with native plants, especially native grasses may attract these rodents to your yard. Voles play an important role in the food chain, as they are a staple in the diets of many raptors like hawks and owls.

Moles: These little miners are in fact quite different from voles. Moles of the Midwest include the Star Nosed Mole and the Eastern Mole. Lawns are generally ideal mole habitat as they burrow their way looking for worms and other soil dwellers to eat. This burrowing leaves a trail of pushed-up dirt and sod, mole hills, behind which helps with soil aeration. These can be easily pushed back in place by walking along the trail. Moles are one of the few native animals which will eat Japanese Beetles. While they may be annoying as they incidentally uproot some vegetation in their quest for insects, their endeavors are generally beneficial.

Your lawn has probably attracted both species at some point or another, so the next time you run across an odd path of grass in your lawn know that either the voles or moles have come to visit.

Plant by Habitat: Tall Grass Prairie

If you're interested in finding plants which grow naturally together, you've come to the right place. So far, we've touched on Oak Savannas and Pine Barrens; this post will cover plants you can find commercially available if you're interested in planting a prairie.

You too can grow a prairie. Here's a sample of ours including Purple Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan, and Blue Lupine

Many retailers carry prairie mixes of native seed. These mixes are often tailored to some specific growing conditions. So make sure you've thought about where you intend lay the seed down. Here are some questions to consider: Is it dry or wet? Is it clay? How much sun or shade does the site receive? The mixes often also have themes like "best for butterflies" or "good for birds." This will impact the content of the mix. Most retailers provide details about the content of each mix detailing an expected percentage of seed per plant.

One quick aside, if the site isn't getting a good amount of sun, prairie plants probably aren't the best choice, many depend on a lot of sun, after all it is the prairie.

As such, I won't be focusing on trees this time, instead this post will focus in on some good varieties of plants you may wish to purchase for your prairie.

Tall Plants: The prairie was home to many plants as tall or taller than an adult. If you are interested in these kinds of plants, that's great, but they certainly aren't for everyone. They can make a really nice background for other prairie plants.

Big Blue Stem is an attractive, tall prairie grass which can readily grow to 7 feet. We have found that birds really enjoy it in the winter including: Dark Eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, and Pine Siskins. During the summer, it's not unusual for us to find American Toads on the ground at the base of the plant which can be remarkably dense. Compass Plant is another attractive native which can grow to be remarkably tall. This isn't one we've attempted to grow ourselves, but we've seen the showy yellow flowers grown locally.

Purple Coneflower is also very easy to grow and it attracts both birds and butterflies.

Less Tall Plants: Other prairie plants may grow more lowly, but be aware that how tall they grow in year one may not represent how tall they will grow in year two. Our Purple Coneflowers, Cardinal Flowers, and Little Blue Stem have gotten remarkably tall, all easily exceeding 3 feet.

Little Blue Stem is an easy to find plant which will grow as a bunch grass. It's remarkably easy to grow and the Dark Eyed Juncos seem to particularly enjoy it in the winter and early spring. Cardinal Flower has little red flag-like flowers which attract Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. It flowers a little later than some of the other wildflowers in our garden, adding some flavor to the garden a little later in the summer. This plant has actually done a little better when it's able to get some shade, our row that is in full sun seems to struggle a little more than a nearby row which gets a few more hours of shade each day.

Legumes are handy plants to include in your planting. Legumes help put nitrogen back into the soil which is beneficial for other plants.

False Indigo is a native legume which can grow into a big bush-like plant. It can be found with white or purple flowers which open earlier than some other plants you may include in your prairie such as Conefloewr or Black Eyed Susan. Blue Lupine is another native legume. Its blue flowers should appear in May ahead of the other native wildflowers. This plant is host to the Blue Karner Butterfly which is endangered. I've found that rabbits find both of these plants delicious so you may want to include some fencing to protect them as they grow.

And one more important but miscellaneous plant...

Butterfly Milkweed is a must have prairie plant for those who love the Monarch Butterfly. Its orange flowers may appear a little later than some of the other wildflowers, but it's a pollinators' delight. It doesn't seem to grow as tall as our Coneflower, but it can pretty dense, almost bush-like. Monarch Butterflies are attracted to this plant both for the flowers as adults, but it is also host to Monarch caterpillars.

Butterfly Milkweed's orange flowers up close.

There are many other plants you want to consider. The ones above only represent a small sample of the plants you want to consider. A number of other plants like: Prairie Dropseed, Blazing Star, Joe Pye Weed, Ox Eye Sunflower, and Prairie Coneflower are pretty easy to find commercially. The combination of height and color is up to you, and the choices are almost limitless. Good luck and enjoy.

Winged Wednesday - The Thrush Rush

The spring brings a wave of migrants to our yards, gardens, and parks. The time period from mid-April through June can make or break a bird count. One group of these migratory visitors who can really help boost a bird count are the Thrushes.

The Thrushes have traveled from the south in search of food and mates in the north. Some of these birds will stop and nest in the Upper Midwest, while others will continue their journeys northwards.

The most common of these visitors is the state bird of Wisconsin and Michigan, the American Robin. This Thrush thrives in backyards looking for grubs and worms. They are considered the heralds of spring, and they are the Thrush we can all pretty much count on seeing.

This Gray Catbird dug around in our compost before paying the neighbors' bushes a visit.

Eastern Bluebirds are becoming an increasingly common Thrush after their numbers had dropped off. Efforts to install birdhouses and monitor them over time have helped bring back the Bluebird. Like most Thrushes, they'll need the right situation to come bounding into your yard. In their case, shelter is the right incentive. Bluebirds will look for houses where they have the appropriate surroundings to forage for food, where there aren't too many other Bluebirds around, and they may require protection from House Sparrows and Starlings. (See an earlier post about birdhouses)

This Swainson's Thrush spent a couple of rainy evenings foraging in the bushes.

Other Thrushes may visit your lawn looking for food especially during or immediately after transit. In the early part of spring, berries may be their best dietary option. Parts of Wisconsin are still seeing snow, which means insect foraging isn't exactly an option. Plants like Staghorn Sumac, Dogwood, Hawthorn, and American Holly have fruit which may persist over the winter and provide food for these birds. We have seen Hermit Thrushes, Gray Catbirds, and Swainson's Thrushes scoping out our compost as well.

A Hermit Thrush at the edge of the compost.(Note - He may be hard to see, he's right in the center.)

As the weather improves, expect that you may see these birds in your yard if an understory of relatively dense shrubs is available, and if there are other sources of fruit such as Serviceberry, Chokeberry, or Nannyberry. Come fall, they will make their exit, and the following spring the cycle and count will start again.

Common Critters - Backyard Mammals - The Flying Kind

Just a few days ago, the Wisconsin State Journal reported about how Wisconsin's bats are struggling White Nose Syndrome, and given that we expect to start seeing bats more often as the weather warms, now seemed like an ideal time to do a post about bats.

The Upper Midwest is home to a number of bat species including:

• Little Brown Bat
• Big Brown Bat
• Northern Myotis
• Silver Haired Bat
• Hoary Bat
• Red Bat
• Eastern Pipistrelle
• Indiana Bat

Of these species, the Little Brown, Big Brown, Northern Myotis, and Indiana Bats are known to be affected by White Nose Syndrome. White Nose Syndrome is caused by fungus which can be passed by bat to bat contact and affects hibernating bats. It ultimately results in death; the mortality rate is above 90%. Solitary bats and migratory bats seem to be less affected.

Most bat species can be found hanging out in tree hollows, caves, or abandoned mines or buildings. The Little Brown Bat is the most abundant bat in much of the Midwest and is the species most likely to end up in your house.

Bats come out as the sun sets and feed on insects throughout the night. They begin their feeding as birds like Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, and Common Nighthawks finish their own. Some bat species are generalists, eating a variety of insects, while others like the Red Bat seem to be moth specialists.

Bats like birds need shelter and food. Bird houses are an everyday occurrence in people's yards, but bat houses can be as well. Bat houses simulate the roosting space found in dead trees, they operate very similarly to the bird houses which are occupied by cavity nesters like Chickadees and Bluebirds. Your yard itself can provide food as well if you aren't using chemicals to eradicate insects and if you leave your grass a little longer. Increasing the biodiversity of your plant life will also increase the diversity of the insect buffet served to these aerial mammals.

If you aren't sure if there are bats are in your neighborhood, wait for the warmer weather then wait for sunset. Watch the sky just above your lawn before it gets truly dark. You should be able to see the bats if they are present. You can also find a nearby street light which attracts insects and watch to see bats participate in this served-up meal.

Bats are interesting backyard mammals which are somewhat accustomed to living alongside humans, and if we think of them as the Swallows of the night, they don't seem quite as troubling.

Plant by Habitat: Pine Barrens

In the previous Plant by Habitat post, we identified some plant species to combine in a yard to create an Oak Savanna, in this edition, we'll describe some plants which are found in Pine Barrens.

Pine Barrens are habitat found in the Upper Midwest in parts Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Pine Barrens are home to coniferous trees like Jack or Red Pine which do well in acidic soils. Poor soil quality and highly acidic soil are characteristics of the barrens which impact what types of plants grow in these communities.

Sandy or acidic soils in your own yard may prompt you to consider planting species found in pine barrens together. The first step for creating your Pine Barren is to find the correct tree species. First you'll need Pines, and you'll start with Jack or Red Pine. You can also consider Oaks, which are commonly also featured in Pine Barrens.

Once the trees are selected, you'll want to move onto the shrubs and understory. A pine barren doesn't support much of an understory, hence the name, but certain shrubby plants are found amongst the pines. These plants include two which are commercially available and which strongly support wildlife: the American Hazelnut and the Low Bush Blueberry. Hazelnuts are eaten by a variety animals including small mammals, Wild Turkey, and Grouse. The sweet blueberries are enjoyed by people as well our animal neighbors.

Lupine is an attractive ground cover found in the Pine Barrens.

Much like the Oak Savanna, this habitat was filled with prairie grasses and wildflowers. Plants common to the Pine Barrens include June Grass, Little Blue Stem, Blazing Star, and Blue Lupine. The Lupine is of particular importance to the habitat. It is a legume and puts nitrogen back into the soil for use by other plant species. It is also the host for the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly whose caterpillars feed on the leaves.

Endangered butterflies may not be the only interesting visitors to your lawn if you successfully establish a Pine Barren. By planting Jack Pines and Blueberries in particular you may help the recovery of the endangered Kirkland's Warbler as your yard may become an attractive nesting site.

For More Information:

WI DNR - Pine Barrens
MI DNR - Pine Barrens

In the News - White Nose Syndrome Hits Wisconsin's Bats

This from the Wisconsin State Journal: Fungus Afflicts Wisconsin Bats

More Information on White Nose Syndrome

Interested in building a bat house? WI DNR has instructions.

Common Critters - Backyard Mammals - Marsupial of the Midwest

Marsupials are a group of mammals typified by carrying their young in a pouch. People often associate marsupials with Australis as well known marsupials include Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, and Koalas. People often don't realize that a wild marsupial may be foraging in their yard by night or digging in their garbage. What marsupial is this?

The Midwest's only native marsupial and the only one native to the United States is the Virginia Opossum The Virginia Opossum can be found in much of the United States and in Mexico as well as some parts of Canada. It's highly adaptable and tolerant of human neighbors similar to other familiar mammals like Raccoons.

This particular Opossum was larger than a domestic cat but slinked elegantly under our neighbor's deck at dawn.

While the Opossum may look like an oversized rat to some, the cat-sized marsupial is something quite different. It is most active at night and is often struck by motor vehicles. Opossums are omnivores and will eat fruits as well as insects and small animals including nesting birds and their eggs. If you have a compost, fruit trees, or leave your garbage or pet food out at night, your yard may become an attractive foraging ground.

Opossum's leave really interesting tracks because their paws are specially designed for climbing and grasping. The tracks feature four toes similarly positioned to fingers with a thumb to the side. It's key to remember that features like this and their pouch make them distinct from rodents. They are unique creatures in North America even if they are widespread.

Winged Wednesday - Composting is for the Birds

Having a backyard compost is useful for a number of reasons. It prevents yard waste from being landfilled. It can used to provide nutrition to the plants on the property. And it turns out that it can be a good way to attract birds.

Our compost pile is the back corner of the lawn.

Here's a short list of items you are likely to find in our compost:

• Dried out grasses and wildflowers
• Fruits and vegetables from our kitchen
• Leaves from the previous autumn
• Sod removed from the yard to make way for other plants.

This small combination of organic materials does a remarkable job attracting birds for various reasons. In the spring, birds stop by the compost in search of nesting materials. They are happy to eat fruit scraps from our kitchen especially blueberry and strawberry. They can forage for leftover seed from the wildflowers and grasses.

White Throated Sparrow forages in the compost.

The compost also supports other life. Insects live in the compost amongst the decomposing plant matter, dirt, and debris. The White Throated and White Crowned Sparrows which came to visit us last year spent a fair amount of time scratching away at the borders of the compost. Black Capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, and the occasional Gray Catbird have been know to land in the compost and pick away a little bit as well.

Of course the American Toads like the bugs in the compost too.

Our yard has many features which help attract birds including: feeders, houses, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, and our man-made brush pile contributes to the success of our yard's biodiversity just as much as the decorative features of the yard.