Echoes of Leopold: The Spread of Invasive Species

Thus the English Sparrow, rendered innocuous by the shrinkage in horse was succeeded by the starling, who thrives in the wake of tractors. The chestnut blight, which had no passport beyond the west boundary of chestnuts, is being followed by Dutch elm disease, with every chance of spreading to the west boundary of elms. The white pine blister rust, stopped in its westward march by the treeless plains effected a new landing via the back door, and is now romping down the Rocking from Idaho toward California. Ecological stowaways began to arrive with the earliest settlements...-Aldo Leopold (Sketches Here and There)

What's remarkable about this statement is that it was true 1949 and remains true today. If nothing else the purchase and use of cheap bird seed with millet and cracked corn have benefited the House Sparrow and the Starling. Leopold missed the Japanese Beetle introduced to the U.S. in 1916, and he wasn't here to see the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer or the European Oak Borer. Native plants are under constant attack which can be likened to the spread to the European diseases amongst Pre-Columbian native peoples in the New World. Trees and plants native to the Americas have no or little defenses from these invaders, and we risk losing them because of our landscaping and agricultural behaviors.

Leopold wondered in the 1940's if the West would get a handle on managing Cheat Grass. This also seems to be a battle lost by native plants. The question remains whether or not we have learned anything in 6 plus decades.

Leopold dedicated a good portion of his life to reclaiming the landscape for native plants. He worked on the Curtis Prairie restoration and his famous farm alongside the Wisconsin River. This challenge us to reclaim landscape for native plants is passed down to us and has new standard bearers. Each time we make a decision about which plants put in our yards, which ones to remove, we are having the same effect. Leopold described it as having the same powers as God, the ability to create (via shovel) and the ability to take away or destroy (via axe).

Douglas Tallamy is one of these standard bearers. The author of Brining Nature Home challenges to landscape native plants to the benefit of native insects, birds, and other wildlife. It was in reading Bringing Nature Home that I first felt a moral or ethical obligation to give back my land, to make my yard a viable habitat. If you aren't sure where to start take a look at Bring Nature Home or The Living Landscape, and then also check out the National Wildlife Federation's Gardening for Wildlife program for ideas.

Don't Plant That Spruce! Plant This One Instead.

Spruces. Many people opt to plant Spruces when choosing an evergreen for their yard. Evergreens make for good wind blocks, provide shelter for nesting birds, and add some color in Winter. Spruce trees also make for an interesting topic of discussion for anyone interested in debating the line between native and invasive plant species.

Two of the most common Spruces planted are the Norway Spruce and the Colorado Blue Spruce. The Norway Spruce is native to Europe. The Colorado Blue Spruce is native to North America, but not the Upper Midwest. It is home to Colorado and Wyoming, but it has been planted throughout the United States. The blue color of its needles makes it a very attractive plant. As for whether or it is invasive or native, for purposes of this blog, it's invasive as it is not native to the Midwest.

Two native options which can be a little more difficult to find are the White Spruce and the Black Spruce. White Spruce can be found natively in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Its native range goes well beyond the Midwest spreading eastward to New York and westward towards Alaska and Montana. Black Spruce occupies a similar range spreading northward.

Black Hills Spruce

Finding native Spruces can be difficult, but a subspecies of White Spruce, the Black Hills Spruce, can be found fairly easily. White Spruce can be found in stands growing with Black Spruce, Aspen, and Birch. Spruce trees provide food and cover for a number of birds including: Grouse, Red Breast Nuthatches, Red Crossbills, Pine Grosbeaks, and Pine Siskins.

Red Breasted Nuthatch Visiting For Peanuts

To help form a partial wind block at the northern end of our yard, we planted a Black Hills Spruce in line with an Eastern White Pine. They are about 14 feet apart. Between these two but staggered to the South we planted a Quaking Aspen. Each tree is planted near the center of a 10 by 10 square. Something like this:

Pine
	Aspen
Spruce

This year we plan to fill in the empty spaces with other shrubs and native grasses to form a "no mow zone" at the North end of the yard, and to provide some cover for ground dwelling birds. If you have suggestions for which shrubs or plants we should add to our "no mow zone", feel free to send your thoughts our way.

Winged Wednesday - Invasive Birds

Just like our yards succumb to invasive plant species, they can also be inviting invasive birds species. Three common invasive include the: House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, and the Starling.

These birds are all actually pretty different from one another, but they also share some remarkable traits.

The Rock Pigeon is very common in urban and suburban communities, in rural areas you can find these birds as well, sometimes living under interstate overpasses. Rock Pigeons are highly adaptable birds who do well in areas with a good amount of human traffic. If there are human hand outs they are happy to take them. They are the overseas cousins of the Mourning Dove and are more widely spread. They can be found pretty much everywhere around the world. Wherever humanity thrives, pigeons thrive as well.

The House Sparrow is another bird very commonly found around human habitation. This sparrow is an old world sparrow (Click here for a list of American Sparrows). They are fairly large for sparrows and not shy around feeders. They prefer to nest in cavities will displace native birds such as Black Capped Chickadees, Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows or House Wrens from bird houses. They are known to feed in large groups and can clean out bird feeders rapidly.

Starlings are fairly intelligent, problem solving birds. In many ways they remind me of our native blackbirds. During the cold winter months, when my yard is without Common Grackles, Brown Headed Cowbirds, and Red Winged Blackbirds, it is also Starling free. Starlings like House Sparrows are not shy around feeders, and they compete with native cavity nesting birds for nest sites.

In short each of these species have developed the ability, skills, and diets to succeed around people. They often enjoy food like bread, and in urban areas they may constitute much of the visible wildlife.

Here are some steps you can take to control invasive bird species.

Don't feed them.

1. Make sure they don't have access to food garbage.

2. Don't feed them in the park or in your yard.

3. Don't use cheap seed mixes. Purchase individual seeds instead like Striped Sunflower or Safflower.

4. Consider investing in specialized feeders, for example there are suet feeders which only expose the cake on the underside.

Don't house them.

1. Be mindful of what birds are nesting your nest boxes. While it's illegal to disturb the nest of a native bird, invasive species are not given the same federal protections. (Note you should check any local ordinances as well.)

2. Like the point above, check also on or around your house, in your gutters, etc. These birds tend to be content enough to nest near human activity. This should not be tolerated. (Like the point above, you will need to mindful of native bird and local ordinances.)

3. Non lethal repellent systems can be constructed or purchased, as well as lethal options such as poison or trapping. There are even businesses which may offer pest control services for large problems like roosting starlings.(One more warning about checking local ordinances.)

Go native

Exclude invasive species by promoting native species. Try planting native plants which the native birds can feed from, nest in, etc. Make your yard a little less "human-y" and little more wild. You may find that you don't even need bird feeders anymore to attract birds.

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.

Wisconsin Garden Expo - Top Picks

It's finally here; the Wisconsin Garden Expo at the Alliant Energy Center presented by Wisconsin Public Television is this weekend. Last year's expo included a number of seminars on native plants and green gardening. This year's expo has fewer sessions along these themes, but I thought I'd share which sessions we plan on attending and which ones we almost chose. Note that we are only planning on attending sessions on Saturday.

Hr	Top Choice	Back-up
9 am	Make Your Garden and Landscape Sustainable	Rich's Good Old Conifer Chat
10 am	Birdscaping in the Midwest	Controlling & Preventing Invasive Insects
11 am	The Good, the Bad, & the Hungry: Wild Things in Your Garden	Seed Starting
12 pm	Native Plants for Any Garden	Gardening for Hummingbirds
1 pm	Elements of Natural Stone	Basics of Permaculture
2 pm	Water Features in Your Yard	Going Green in Landscaping
3 pm	Edible Native Plants	Successful Seed Starting
4 pm	Butterfly Gardens	Energy Efficient Landscaping

Note that there are sessions which we did not list that are good to attend. Speaking from last year's experience we would recommend Attracting Bluebirds by BRAW. We have also been to Gardening for Hummingbirds multiple times. It's presented by the Rocks, they have a website here.

The Expo also brings in a number of vendors. We have a number of booths we plan to check-out. We recommend the following:

1. Agrecol
2. Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin
3. The Bruce Company
4. The Flower Factory Nursery
5. Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin
6. Madison Audubon Society
7. The Prairie Enthusiasts
8. Tallgrass Restoration
9. Wild Ones

Next Monday, I'll recap what we learned, what was exciting, and what was a dud. Hope to see you there!

Winged Wednesday - Feeder Pests

Many people add bird feeders to their lawn or garden in hopes of attracting a splash of bright color, some wildlife, and perhaps in hopes of hearing a spring tune as sung by a Northern Cardinal or American Goldfinch. However people often find, as we did, that getting the birds you want is not always easy. Feeder pests may include anything which frightens song birds away or anything which takes over the feeder preventing the desired birds from eating.

Common Feeder Pests include:

1. English House Sparrows
2. European Starlings and other Blackbirds
3. Squirrels
4. Hawks
5. Neighborhood Cats

House Sparrows pose two problems for native song birds attempting to feed. First they descend in large numbers, and second they are bullies. They will attack native birds both at feeders and in nests or nest boxes. They do very well in areas of human habitation and will eat human leftovers or use them as nesting material. If you want to attract native birds to your feeders, you need to prevent a House Sparrow invasion. Avoid wild bird feed seed mixes. Most of these seed mixes are filled with cracked corn, millet, and other fillers; excellent sparrow food, not so good song bird food. Be mindful of the feeders you use, House Sparrows often need somewhere to sit or perch while feeding. They are generally not clingers. For example, they enjoy peanuts but are more likely to eat them from a tray feeder than from a metallic mesh tube with no perches. You can also disturb or remove House Sparrow nests as they are not protected because they are invasive.

Starlings are also an invasive species which may take over feeders in large numbers. If given the chance, they can eat you out of house and home. Follow the plan above for preventing House Sparrows, and you're feeders should remain relatively Starling free. These birds can also be disturbed as they are invasive. Other blackbirds such as Brown Headed Cowbirds or Red Winged Blackbirds are native and should not be disturbed. Generally if you do not have millet or cracked corn, they will avoid your feeders. They also require some perching space.

Squirrels and other mammals like raccoons may take interest in bird feeders. The best means to protect feeders from mammals is with careful placement and the use of baffles. Be mindful of power lines, fences, and tree limbs; if the critters think they can make the jump, they will certainly try. Baffles are often made of metal. They come in many shapes and can be mounted above or below a feeder. They are designed to block a mammal's path. Note they can be used in conjunction with birdhouses as well.

Hawks are a particularly tricky matter. Cooper's and Sharp-Shinned Hawks will target feeders as hunting grounds. You have two choices. Take your feeders down long enough for the raptors to find other hunting grounds, or let nature take its course. You can also help even the odds by providing good shelter for birds. Dense grasses and wildflowers, shrubs, evergreens, and trees all help give the song birds a fighting chance.

Just like hawks, cats may come to your yard looking for a meal. Keep your feeders high, baffled, and provide some cover for the birds. Keep the ground area near your feeder well mowed and open so that the cats can be spotted.

Keep in mind that many of these animals are quite adaptable and surprisingly clever, so be vigilant and adaptable yourself, and happy birding.

Squirrel Coming to our Feeder

Blackbirds on our Feeders - Clever Grackle

Replacing Invasive Plants

Invasive Plants - Non-Native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. (as defined by the USDA)

Why replace your invasive plants?

1. They do not tend to provide food for native insects
2. Because they aren't eaten by the native insects, they do not provide food for native wildlife like birds
3. If they fruit or seed, they may not provide food for native wildlife like birds
4. They may require more care (fertilizer, water, pesticides, etc)
5. They may not be appropriate for your USDA zone, and they may die
6. Invasive plants eventually escape our lawns and may degrade our local environments

Doug Tallamy presents other benefits of working with native plants and details some problems caused by invasive plants in his book, Bringing Nature Home.

Our yard contained a lot of Asiastic Lilies. They are quite popular, and they look like this:

I really like the look of my invasive plants, what should I replace them with? This will be the focus of many the posts, but here are some quick wins whereby you can replace your invasive plants with similar native plants:

1. Asiatic Lilies - Replace with Wood Lilies (Lilium philadelphicum), Michigan Lilies (Lilium michiganense), or Turk's Cap Lilies (Lilium superblum)
2. Purple Butterfly Bush - Replace with Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Pink Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), or Narrow-leaf Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)

We left the irises and tulips in tact for now. They were a gift from our current neighbors to the previous owners, and I don't have the heart to take them out. The tulips are also my only early bloomers, as I already pulled the daffodils. But these could be replaced with native early blooming flowers as well.

What We Started With

Everyone has to start somewhere. We started here:

The Front

The Back

Our house is about 60 years old. The previous owners removed multiple Red Cedars or so I'm told. So the yard started with no trees. In the front, they planted Asiastic Lillies. These were also planted along the south side of the house. Also in the front, we found a Rose Bush, two Purple Butterfly Bushes (buddleja davidii), and a Black Eyed Susan.

There were also some other perennials in the back and on the side: tulips, irises, and daffodils. There is also an evergreen of unknown origin in the planter on our stoop. Other than perennials, we found some annuals which had been left and seeded themselves: petunias, marigolds,and pansies.

As the backyard seemed like the best location to start experimenting, we decided to start there. Knowing that in time, we'd remove nearly everything the previous owners had planted and replace these plants with a variety of native plants.