Groundhog Day - Remembering A Close Encounter

February 2nd is Groundhog Day, perhaps one of the most absurd "holidays" of the year. While I could care less about what Phil thinks of the weather, today is a good day to learn a little bit about groundhogs and to remember a close encounter we once had on our deck.

Groundhogs or woodchucks are good-sized rodents. Their mountain dwelling cousins, marmots, make some frequent rounds in nature shows about the Alps. Groundhogs are herbivores and seem to do quite well living near us. I saw them somewhat regularly growing up in rural Illinois, often on the edges of fields or near the edges of wooded creeks. Groundhogs burrow and hibernate during the winter.

Not long after moving into our house, we sat out on deck, enjoying the mild warmth of spring. When a decent size brown furry thing came trotting through the neighbor's backyard. He climbed up on the deck with us. Made his way around, and then back around out via our front yard.

The view from my folding chair


Around the grill


Then off to parts unknown.

Making the Most of Winter and Starting the 2018 Count Well

It's very easy as a gardener, birder, and well as a human to write winter off. It's dark. It's cold. The flowers aren't blooming; the trees are bare, and many of our feathered friends have migrated.

All that said, each year, I begin my count anew. If you are a recent visitor to the blog, here's the short version. When we bought our home, there were very few plants in the yard. So I planted a bunch of native plants hoping to increase the ecological utility of the lawn, and as a measure I count how many different species of butterflies, birds, mammals, and reptiles / amphibians I see in the yard each year. On New Year's Day the count starts over.

Common Redpoll

The count always brightens winter up some. I think it's healthy to be reminded just how much life is still active in the cold. We've counted 17 different species of bird in our yard since January 1st. Three of which are winter migrants: Dark Eyed Junco, Pine Siskin, and Common Redpolls. They are a reminder that there are places colder and dark than the Wisconsin winter. (So count your blessings)

Pine Siskins

As I noted earlier this week, you can also identify the mammals skulking about your lawn too. So far our mammal count is up to four: Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Striped Skunk, and Virginia Opossum.

We typically see somewhere over 40 species of bird and 7 or so mammals in the yard through the course of the year. This means that after the first month of the year, we've probably seen close to a third of the birds we expect to see and half of the mammals, assuming this is a typical year. I'm hoping that this is a sign that this year's count will be better than typical.

Winter is a Great Time to ID Backyard Mammals

Many nature lovers turn to birding as a hobby and it's relatively easy to understand why. Birds are fairly charismatic, sometimes brash. The males are often brightly colored. At dawn and dusk, they sing which reveals their positions. They fly from branch to branch giving away their position. In short, they are easy to watch.

Mammals on the other hand tend to stay hidden. Many are nocturnal. Many burrow underground are stay hidden moving through the brush or under the snow. Larger mammals like deer, coyote, and fox are certainly findable and some common backyard mammals like Eastern Cottontail Rabbits and Eastern Gray Squirrels are easy to spot. But there is plenty mammalian activity which goes undetected. You need an assist to see some of the activity.

Snow can be a great assistant especially if there's no wind to cause drifting. Mammals moving around at night while you are asleep will leave their tracks behind. So if you are curious to know who else is living in your neighborhood, take a look around outside after a fresh snow. Last night we had a wintery mix which left a crusty ice snow behind. I found some really interesting tracks when I ventured out this morning.

Skunk Tracks with telltale 5 toes.

These alien hand prints belong to the Virginia Opossum

2015 Year in Review

At the start of each year, I like to reflect how the year in our little yard went. We've spent a lot time trying to turn our quarter of an acre lot into a place rich in biodiversity. This year saw the fewest amount of new plantings since we moved in. The only significant additions were another Eastern Redbud as well some additional Bee Balm and Cardinal Flower.

Overall species diversity improved some either that or our ability to identify them has gotten better.

Here's what it all looks like.

Year	Bees and Butterflies	Birds	Mammals	Reptiles and Amphibians
2012	13	31	5	1
2013	14	40	7	1
2014	15	40	7	1
2015	15	47	7	1

Noteworthy newcomers to the list included:

Sandhill Cranes - who skulked about the neighborhood this year

Eastern Wood Peewee

Palm Warbler

Here some picture highlights from last year

Summer Tanager


This is from the second Eastern Bluebird nest, we had 9 fledge in total over 2 nests.


Wood Ducks came by for a short visit one spring morning too.

2015 was a really great year, and we're hoping to do some additional planting this year to make 2016 even better.

Forget the Blue Spruce, Go with a Midwestern Evergreen

I encountered something strange recently. Folks had homes built in a fairly typical mixed Oak, Pine forest in Wisconsin. They had removed most of the trees to put in turf grass, and then replaced the Pines and Oaks with Colorado Blue Spruce. I haven't quite wrapped my mind around bringing the suburbs to the wilderness, but here's a thought for Midwestern homeowners: forget the Blue Spruce and plant something that would naturally occur locally in your yard.

The Colorado Blue Spruce is a very popular conifer. They have vibrant color, and spruces planted together make excellent wind blocks. However, their native range is a corridor of the American West, and Blue Spruce has little ecological value in the Midwest. It's even become somewhat invasive in places where it's grown for Christmas trees, having escaped some plantations in the Northeast.

There are a number of evergreens native to the Midwest which are commercially available including: Eastern White Pine, White Spruce (sub species - Black Hills Spruce), and Eastern Red Cedar which should be considered in place of planting Blue Spruce.

All plants bring some value to our yards; that's why we plant them. In some cases, it's aesthetic like color or texture, in other cases it's functional like shade or barriers for privacy. All of the plants in our lawns also have some ecological value and function, some more, some less. All of these evergreens will establish roots that will help with water infiltration, and all provide cover for wildlife including nesting birds.

Eastern White Pines can be found in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and northern parts of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. These Pines have good wildlife value and are a food source for both birds and mammals. Pine Warblers, Crossbills, and Pine Siskins, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers can all be found foraging in Eastern White Pines. White Pines have low salt tolerance and are not necessarily good candidates to plant along roadsides.

White Spruce (subspecies Black Hills Spruce may be easier to find commercially available) is native to the northern part of the Midwest including parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. White Spruce is an important food source for many animals including Red Breasted Nuthatches, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Siskins. White Spruce is also an important part of the Red Squirrel diet, and Snowshoe Hares rely on White Spruce as a winter food source. White Spruce is a salt tolerant species and can be planted along roadsides.

Red Cedars procedure "berries" which a host of birds eat, most notably Cedar Waxwings. These berries can be an important food source in late winter or early spring especially for birds like Robins who may arrive to find colder than expected conditions. It is also a fairly salt tolerant species so it can be planted along roadsides.

When next you decide to plant an evergreen, consider one of these three before you purchase the Blue Spruce.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.