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.