Nearby "I've never thought of that" places to see birds

 1.     Landfills are almost always full of all kinds of gulls (notice I didn’t say “seagull” because there is no such bird).

2.     Sewage treatment plants and settling ponds have lots of good food for birds, and you’ll get used to the smell in about ten minutes.

3.     Urban lakes, ponds and man-made reservoirs are excellent places for shorebirds and waterbirds. Remember, every lake in Texas (except Caddo) is man-made.

4.     Urban harbors and dock areas have lots of birds, especially if the water’s calm and there’s a minimum of boat activity.

5.     Vacant lots and abandoned industrial sites are usually full of birds, largely because of the lack of human activity, and the availability of nesting and roosting sites.

6.     Arboretums and parks are usually good sites, with mature trees, and many have benches and other resting places.

7.     Cemeteries are quiet and restful, often with large, mature trees. Birds love both!

8.     Roadside rest stops attract birds because of the avability of water, and (almost always) plants have been added to the sites.

9.     Utility line rights-of-way usually cut through heavily wooded, undisturbed land. The lines provide plenty of perches for birds.

10.   Edges of rural roads provide good habitat – mice congregate here, so many birds hunt here. You can also stay in your car as you birdwatch.

 

IT'S THE LAW !         The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and its amendments (which are federal law!) make it clear that it’s strictly forbidden to own, kill, injure or harass any native bird. Even ones that don't migrate! Generally, the law also unquestionably forbids messing with the nest of a protected bird in any way - even a little bit!  Cutting a tree down with a nest in it certainly qualifies as "illegal". If you see a possible violation, the Game Warden is the main enforcer, but any peace officer can start the ball rolling.

 The potential for harming a nest can happen any time of year, but NOW is the time of year when you're probably going to be okay. Anyway, before you take down a tree, dig a utility trench or ”clear” underbrush (where most birds nest) be absolutely, 100% sure there’s no bird nesting there. Occasionally I'll have trees cut down at my house. Before it comes down, however, I'll watch it carefully for a long while, making sure that no birds are nesting there.

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

natural, safe soil amendments

If you have children or pets who play outside, you certainly want everything you spray, shovel, till or spread on your yard to be totally safe. That’s why every landscape design I do, and many of the ones done by other professionals, are accompanied by the caution to avoid the use of artificial soil amendments. Materials found in nature are almost always safe and are often less expensive. Sometimes free! (note that not everything found in nature is good – for instance, arsenic is natural).  Some of the amendments are mixed into the soil, some go on top of the soil – so follow directions. Here’s a brief description of some:

 

NATIVE SOIL:
 

No matter how disgusting your soil seems, leave it be and improve it naturally. (Of course, remove large rocks and such). You can even cultivate it, but never get rid of it.  The native soil is what our native trees and flowers are genetically accustomed to growing in. If the soil is made too “good” or is fertilized a lot, our native plants may not grow. Especially if you’re planting a tree, save the soil you dig up, and refill the hole with it, possibly mixing in a little organic matter such as dead leaves.

Dead leaves, shredded into smaller pieces, make a superb mulch or soil amendment. A once-over with a lawn mower, shredding the leaves and blowing them right back on the grass, works quite well. It's obviously inexpensive and time-saving too.

 

ORGANIC FERTILIZER:

These work fantastically, and do not contain any filler material of questionable origin. Organic fertilizers don’t have abnormally-high levels of nitrogen or harmful salts, which probably will cause you to water your lawn more often in the future. Everything that’s in it is needed for healthy plant growth, and will not harm children, pets or birds.

 

CORN MEAL:

Horticultural corn meal naturally stimulates beneficial soil microorganisms, to control fungal diseases that might otherwise attack your plants. It also helps make nutrients more available to plants, acting as a mild fertilizer. Some people use it to control algae in ponds and other water features.

CORN GLUTEN MEAL:

Not to be confused with the above (on penalty of a brown garden), corn gluten meal is what’s called a pre-emergent; stopping seeds from germinating. For unwanted growth, it’s best applied about March 1 and again on June 1. Avoid spreading it where “good” seeds are planted (it won’t kill growing plants at all).

EARTHWORM CASTINGS:

Earthworms eat organic matter in the soil and excrete “castings”. Do I really need to say any more?  All good, nutritious soils have this naturally. It’s an excellent,  odorless fertilizer – good for adding to potting soil too. It’s sold under several brand names.

COMPOST:

This is easily the best form of organic matter. (It’s the product of a natural decomposition process, where it takes decades.) The result is the kind of soil we should have. Compost can be made quickly at home or is sold at lots of places. It is full of microscopic beneficial organisms, loaded with nutrients, and it recycles things like old leaves, dead shrubs and grass clippings that could otherwise wind up in landfills.

 

MOLASSES:

Good soil is alive - containing microorganisms and fungi that help plants grow. Molasses feeds and stimulates these organisms, essentially acting as a natural fertilizer. Technically, it adds carbon to the soil. It is available in the wet or dry, granular form, or you can just get blackstrap molasses at the grocery store.

 

VOLCANIC SAND:

This sand helps plants grow when mixed into your native soil, unlike concrete sand or the kind of sand you buy for a sandbox.  Primarily it helps keep moisture in the soil, so you have to water the yard less. It also makes nutrients, found naturally in all soils, more available to your plants – so you need to fertilize less. There are several kinds available, and several brand names. Often called “lava sand”, it’s especially good at keeping your soil moist and your water bill low.

 

TEXAS GREEN SAND:

Mined from ancient seabeds, it’s packed with organic matter and trace minerals. It also contains a high percentage of iron and is non-toxic – so is an excellent iron supplement for your plants.

 

IRONITE:

This is a naturally-occurring mineral that has been used in agriculture for years. There is no man-made chemical process involved. Ironite does many things;  it’s a mild fertilizer, stimulating root growth and fighting the natural deficiency of iron common in area soils. It also helps plants take up the nutrients found naturally in even the most unpromising dirt.

 

NEEM OIL:

Derived from the Neem tree (which grows in India and Burma), neem oil is biodegradable and is a botanical insecticide.  It’s not really an amendment, but an insect-controlling spray. Neem oil is primarily used to control grasshoppers by disrupting their growth cycle. Neem oil can also control spidermites, aphids and whiteflies, as well as controlling most kinds of fungus. Sprayed on plants, it makes them unappetizing to many insects (ordinary soap and water will do this too).

 

ZEOLITE:

This is an underused material (sold under several brand names, such as Norit) especially for those who have used all sorts of chemicals in your yard, but now want to go straight. Basically it holds certain elements, releasing them to your plants with perfectly natural efficiency – or not releasing the harmful or unnecessary ones at all. It has proven detoxifying properties as well as an ability to deodorize.

 

Every one of these soil amendments is effective and they’re sold under a variety of brand names by responsible garden centers and feed stores. What’s more they won’t damage the birds and butterflies that visit your yard.

 

 

The Red-tailed Hawk is making itself useful

 

 

Red-tailed Hawk

The common Red-tailed Hawk feeds mainly on rodents (including squirrels). With its two-foot body and four-foot wingspan, it isn’t agile enough to be a serious threat to many birds (especially in heavily treed areas), although it may get lucky and catch a few.  

It's probably the most common hawk in North America. They have clear regional differences, however. Most of them do not have what call a red tail;  it's tail is rust-colored, tan, chocolate-brown or, especially in younger ones, sort of a dirty white. (They are sometimes called “chicken hawks” – but there actually is no such thing). Wherever they live, however, they are relentless hunters of mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels etc.)
 

Frozen birds.    If a small bird at your feeder suddenly sees a predator, like a hawk, he’ll normally fly to the safety of a nearby shrub. If safe cover isn’t close by, however, he’ll “freeze” motionless for a minute or two. He's hoping that the predator won't see him, since the predator's attention focuses on motion.

 

Clearly, the small bird would prefer the safety of vegetative cover. “Freezing” is far less effective, but it’s still better than being attacked and eaten by a hawk.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

 

 

The urban birds you may see every day

 

Red-winged Blackbird

 


Eurasian Collared Dove

Birds are everywhere in north Texas, even highly-developed areas. They may not always be the prettiest, best-behaved species. After all, different kinds of birds prefer different environments, which explains what are often called “urban birds” in environments of concrete, exhaust fumes, loud noises and garbage.

Grackles;

Actually, there are three species of grackles; but they all look pretty much the same, and they don’t care what you call them.  About 25 years ago, Denton had no Grackles. They gradually expanded their range northward from the gulf coast, adapting well to living in built-up urban areas as the natural vegetation was covered by development.

Since Grackles are bigger than most other birds, they tend to frighten songbirds away. They aren’t very picky about what they eat (stale fries, garbage etc.), so they fit right in to an urban environment.

Pigeons;

What we call pigeons are closely related to Mourning Doves. They’re correctly called “rock pigeons” or “rock doves” and are a major food source for city-dwelling hawks and falcons. According to fossil records their ancestors have been on earth about 310,000 years, and were domesticated about 5000 years ago.  The species was brought to this continent, for some unknown reason, by European settlers in the early 1600s.

            Their close relatives, White-winged Doves and Eurasian Collared Doves, are also adept at fitting into the urban environment. Until a few years ago, they were never seen in north Texas.

Starlings;

            Like Kudzu vine and Dutch Elm disease, Starlings didn’t appear naturally in this hemisphere. An eccentric Shakespeare enthusiast released about 100 Starlings in New York in the 1890s. He thought it was a clever idea to bring to the “New World” every species mentioned in Shakespeare’s writings. Now we have over 200 million of them.    In Europe, from whence they came, Starlings are actually decreasing in number.

House sparrows;

House sparrows aren’t really sparrows. True sparrows migrate here each winter. What we call a house sparrow is really a weaver-finch, and was imported from England in 1850, to combat a plague of insects in Brooklyn.  Galveston also imported some in 1860. By 1880, they were everywhere in the city, and their nests had clogged up that city’s water system.

North Texas hosts several species of true sparrows (Chipping Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Harris’ Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow etc.) which are actually quite attractive, and all migrate northward for the summer.

Cowbirds;

This bird is being slandered for adapting too well. Instead of building its own nest and nurturing its own nestlings, Cowbirds lay eggs in nests of other species, who incubate and raise them unknowingly.

Why?  For centuries they followed nomadic herds of buffalo (they attracted lots of insects) since that’s where the food was. They simply couldn’t stay in one place (like on a nest) for very long since the buffalo moved continuously, so they adapted.

 Crows & “blackbirds”;

            In normal usage, any bird that’s mostly black and somewhat aggressive is a “blackbird”. Often a large flock of “blackbirds” may occupy a single roost, and wear out their welcome rapidly with the noise and droppings. Actually such a flock may contain three or four kinds of birds with one dominant species; mostly Grackles or mostly Cowbirds. But there may be some Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds or Bob-o-links mixed in. They’re all “icterids” and they’re “birds of a feather”.

There may be a number of Crows too, although they aren’t technically icterids.  (We’ve reached the point where you don’t really care, haven’t we?)

Vultures;

The vulture (most numerous here is the Turkey Vulture) has an awful reputation, but it’s one of my favorite birds since they soar so gracefully on their 6-foot wingspans; riding invisible air currents.  Old movies incorrectly refer to them as buzzards. Vultures clearly fill an ecological niche as they search for “less-than-fresh” food such as roadkill.

Hundreds of them usually roost together overnight, and spread their large wings out in the morning to catch the sun and warm up. If you’re lucky enough to see one up close, check out the featherless head and neck.  It’s evolved that way so it doesn’t get ”food” on itself that can harbor bugs or weigh it down.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

 

Is it a juniper. or is it a cedar? well...

 A Juniper is a cedar, and vice-versa     It’s the same plant, with two different names. Many birds prize junipers for their dense, evergreen foliage and the berries. Interestingly enough, gin is made from the pressed berries of the common juniper plant (sometimes called “cedar”); a tall shrub that grows well here in north Texas. (That’s where the village of “Cedar Hill” got its name)


Yellow-rumped Warbler / Juniper

Only the female ones have berries (which are actually cones), which can stay on the plant all winter – unless some hungry birds get at them. A throng of hungry birds can strip one of its berries in an afternoon!

Know that we are currently in the "window" of time that's BY FAR the best time to plant a tree in this area; whether it's a juniper or something else.

 

 

Do Goldfinches waste Nyjer seed?      No. It may look like it, since there are lots of black “things” on the ground after a Goldfinch feast. But those are hollow hulls of the tiny Nyjer seed, which have been emptied. (“Nyjer” is a trademarked name for what many of us call "thistle”).

Most of what you see have been emptied, but few whole seeds may have fallen to the ground by mistake, however several ground-feeding birds (such as Thrashers and Towhees check out the ground for these “leftovers”.

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

North Texas hosts more birds in cool weather than in warm months

 Forgive me if I led you in the wrong direction a while back. What with all the talk of Hummingbirds leaving and other birds migrating to warmer climates, you may have gotten the impression that this area is empty of birds until spring. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and a look out your window may be enlightening. Without a doubt, there are more birds in north Texas in the fall and winter, than in the spring and summer.

True, some birds (like Hummingbirds, Buntings and Swallows) have left for their annual winter haunts in South and Central America. Other birds (like Goldfinches, true Sparrows, Juncos and Kinglets) that spent last summer in northern regions, however, are arriving in north Texas as we speak. To them, this IS south – our comparatively mild winters agree with them.

Mockingbird / Yaupon Holly

Many, many other birds stay right here. These include Cardinals, Chickadees, Mockingbirds, Bluebirds, Titmice and Woodpeckers. Of these some are what’s called “partial migrators”. They may travel only a short distance to where food or shelter is better. Out to the country, where food is more plentiful, for instance. Robins for another example. The ones that live here stay right here. But the Robins that were in, for instance, Michigan last summer, come down here for the winter. So populations of some species actually swell, although they’re less active in cool weather.

In actuality, many of the cool weather birds are already arriving here. Even at this early date, a few Juncos, Kinglets and Goldfinches have been seen. Depending on weather, however, the bulk of them may arrive late November. Cedar Waxwings normally arrive here a week or so after that. True Sparrows, like the White-throated or Chipping Sparrows, are already here in throngs.

Sadly, wild birds have a high mortality in cool weather – it varies among species, but can be as high as 70% of the first-year birds. This is mainly from exposure to the winds and weather, coupled with a lack of fresh, energy-producing food. That's why birdfeeding in cool weather is so important. Birds, like us, also want to get out of the weather, especially at night . They seek out “roosts” for the night. Roosts can be almost any warm, protective space. Some species, Chickadees are one, huddle together in a mass, sharing body heat. Birds need birdbaths in cold weather too. At first, this seemed odd to me too, but not after discovering why they fluff up their feathers. The fluffing creates tiny air pockets, which insulate birds’ bodies quite well. Dirty feathers, however, won’t fluff up. So birds need to bathe in the winter (the actual bath takes only about a second).

Bathing, warm roosts and fresh food are what birds need in cool weather. North Texans have been doing a good job of providing these basics, so we continue to have more birds here in cool weather, than the spring and summer.

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.

Now is the time to start attracting Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebird

Bluebirds are here in Texas year-‘round, but are mainly active in the spring*. Recently they were almost wiped out, but are now on the comeback trail. They still need your help, however.

During the middle of the 20^th century, Bluebirds (all 3 species) nearly became extinct in North America. Pesticide use, habitat destruction and heavy competition from imported bird species decimated Bluebird populations.

This drew the attention of concerned individuals and groups who started an effort to provide human-made nesting sites (birdhouses) in the remaining suitable habitat. These became known as “Bluebird Trails”. At the same time, such nasty pesticides as DDT were banned and Bluebirds made a comeback from the brink.

Since Bluebirds like grassland habitat, you can put up a Bluebird house or two on the edge of your lawn (at least 100 ft. apart though). Do it now, and in the spring you may see them raise little Bluebirds. They’re here all winter, scoping out potential nest sites for when it warms up.

*Bluebirds living in Texas do not migrate in the typical sense that they fly to South America for the winter. They are what are called “partial migrators”. The ones spending summers up north (roughly north of the Mason-Dixon line) fly a little to the south for the winter (Texas is part of “the south”). The ones that are here in the summer stay here all winter, but usually fly a few miles to less developed land where the food supply is more predictable.

 

Eastern Bluebirds

Bluebirds insist on having grassland in front of their home, since it promises an adequate supply of insects. For this reason the homes must be at least 100 ft. apart – to ensure that each residence has its own territory. I’d mount the birdhouse on a pole, set right on the edge of the grassland – facing any direction but west.

They hunt from a perch on top of the birdhouse, so I recommend adding a perch a foot or so above the house, where an adult can scan the territory for insect activity (unless there’s a well-placed tree branch within about 3 ft. of the birdhouse).

Though it may go without saying to most of you, sharply limit the use of pesticides - they kill Bluebirds' food (although they treat mealworms like candy, and it's almost all nestlings will eat). Even then, never spread pesticides over your whole lawn.  Local use, like on a fire ant mound, is okay.

 

 

OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.