Sunday, February 22, 2015

What's a "pile" of chickadees, and why should you care?

Carolina Chickadee

On cool nights, chickadees (the ones in north Texas are Carolina Chickadees) sleep together in a pile to conserve and share body heat. This way, they stay alive to propogate. Normally this takes place in a hollowed tree, or brushpile, but could be in an artificial “roost” you set up (a roost could be a variety of cozy places, such as an unused birdhouse or any other place that offers some protection from the winds, weather and predators). Other birds seek out roosts too - but chickadees are known for “piling” in the winter and cool spring nights.

You’ll probably never see a true Black-capped Chickadee here. Ours is a

Carolina Chickadee

slightly different species called Carolina Chickadee. It has a black cap too – hence the confusing names. The term ‘Carolina’ stems from the late 1700s when everything west of each of the original states was informally earmarked for that state’s future expansion. So things in north Texas were ‘Carolina’.

Insect eaters like good fruit, too

Many insect-eating birds (in north Texas that’s Robins, Mockingbirds, Kinglets, Orioles, Thrashers etc.) will turn into fruit eaters whenever insects aren’t abundant. Insects aren’t around in cooler weather, and fruit (typically in the form of berries) gives them the energy they need. They may even try fresh seeds when they’re really hungry.

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.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

ROUND-UP, and similar products, linked to spike in chronic diseases

A new study published in the Journal of Organic Systems has linked glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide, Roundup, to an enormous increase in chronic diseases. The study proved – once again – that glyphosate and Round-up are lethal, even in small amounts.

More than 650,000 metric tons of glyphosate products were used over five years ago, with the amount being used increasing each year. This increase is contributing to the development of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, lipoprotein metabolism disorder, Alzheimer’s, senile dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, autism, and cancer.

The report details how there is a direct correlation between the incidence of these diseases and glyphosate use. It isn’t as if the toxicity levels of glyphosate are not already known by its makers. Monsanto was refusing to release to the public lab tests conducted in St. Louis,, which gave them authority to use glyphosate in China.

The poison developed by the Monsanto Company has been allowed on the US market since the 1970s. It isn’t just Monsanto who sells glyphosate at retqai8ol. There are over 100 different manufacturers of the product throughout the world. You can find it in other products with names such as Killzall, Clearout 41 and Honcho.

Although glyphosate is used primarily in agricultural settings, it is also sprayed by public authorities on roads and pavements. Even home gardeners still use the toxic chemicals to control weeds, although alternatives exist.

According to the new study:

“Within the last 20 years there has been an alarming increase in serious illnesses in the US, along with a marked decrease in life expectancy (Bezruchka, 2012). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the cost of diabetes and diabetes-related treatment was approximately $116 billion dollars in 2007.

Estimated costs related to obesity were $147 billion in 2008 and cardiovascular diseases and stroke were $475.3 billion in 2009. Health care expenditures in the US totaled 2.2 trillion dollars in 2007 (CDC, 2013a). The onset of serious illness is appearing in increasingly younger cohorts. The US leads the world in the increase in deaths due to neurological diseases between 1979-81 and 2004-06 for the 55-65 age group (Pritchard et al., 2013).”

The study points out that, “these findings suggest environmental triggers rather than genetic or age-related causes,” especially since chronic diseases are showing up in younger and younger individuals.

“During this same time period, there has been an exponential increase in the amount of glyphosate applied to food crops and in the percentage of GE food crops planted (Benbrook, 2012). We undertook a study to see if correlations existed between the rise of GE crops, the associated glyphosate use and the rise in chronic disease in the US.”

My advice; Read the label on any herbicide or insecticide you’re thinking of buying. Make sure it can’t harm pets, children, birds etc. besides killing weeds or bugs.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Killing all the bugs in your yard means saying goodbye to birds too.

In Texas, all but one species of wild bird (even those that eat seed like Cardinals) feed their newborns nothing but insects. They’re easier to digest since newborn birds don’t have fully developed digestive systems! When they leave the nest, young birds learn to find and eat seed – maybe at your birdfeeder with the help of their parents. The exception is Finches, whose nestlings can eat seeds.

If the parents can’t find bugs to feed their newborns, they’ll

probably go elsewhere.

Avoid stale seed or birdseed mixed with other stuff Birds will NOT eat “other stuff” but you are charged for it nonetheless. The “other stuff” tends to be twigs, plant stalks, stones, dirt and empty hulls left from the production process. Birds don’t like stale seeds either, and will quickly fly elsewhere for a decent meal.

Short of tearing open the bag in the store, you can’t tell if seed is mixed with other stuff. But if you find it when you get home, complain to the merchant or shop elsewhere next time. From my years running a birding store I know that the middleman charges a tiny bit extra (about a penny a bag) for cleaning the seed. This charge, and the service, is usually the first to go in a price war. I’ve run across this at a nearby Tractor Supply, and a Wild Bird Unlimited in Flower Mound, so I don’t shop there.

Seed is also suspect when bought from many grocery stores and “big box” stores. It’s likely to have been sitting on store/warehouse shelves losing nutrition hourly. Stale seed is avoided by birds since it’s not nutritious anymore, and they need nutrition to survive.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

How to spot wild birds that are trying hard not to be seen

Spotting birds in nature has challenges that often discouraged us. Too often the birds win and we slink away in disappointment.

First, don’t use your binoculars to begin with. Binoculars severely limit your area of view to a very small portion of what it should be; a “target bird” may be just a few feet outside of your area of view, and you’ll never know it. Instead, keep binoculars handy, but in your lap, to use only when you actually see a bird.

At first, look at the whole expanse in front of you with your unaided eyes. Try not to focus on a single area or item, but let your eyes cover the whole viewing area. Movement is much easier to spot that way, which will easily locate a bird among motionless branches and such (since birds have a need for almost-constant motion). I try to ‘back off’ putting anything in sharp focus until I see motion.

Cedar Waxwing

When you see motion, it’s probably an actual wild bird. Swing into action! With a reference point in mind, bring the binoculars to your eyes and train them on the bird. (Practice doing this without losing your target bird). Then adjust the binoculars, focusing to get the sharpest view.

Resist the urge to look up the bird right then in a field guide. Instead, deliberately recite its characteristics to yourself such as “small bird, brown body, one white wingbar, short pointed beak, two white bars on head“ and such. After the bird flies away (which he’ll probably do in 5 or 6 seconds) you’ll have plenty of time to check your field guide.

That’s about all there is to it; except for obvious matters like avoiding loud noises, sudden movements and bright clothing. Also hope for a relatively calm day, when strong winds don’t put branches in motion, and more birds are out and about.

Hooded Warbler

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Start preparing for calcium season by saving eggshells

In egg-laying season (soon!) female birds need extra calcium so their bodies can produce eggs.

Sometimes they get it from eating paint chips (particularly the light colors). More often they get it when you put out egg shells (saved after making breakfast) broken into tiny bits. Sometimes they get it from the extra calcium added to most types of suet.

If they don’t get the extra calcium they need at this time of year, their bodies take it from the birds’ bones, weakening them.

Rinse off any “slime” before storing shells and, before you put them out for birds, heat them to kill any remaining bacteria.

Stressed birds Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology reports that birds in cities often live more stressful lives than their rural relatives. Just think about it – lots of cats and dogs, lots of noise, lots of lights at unusual hours, pollution and parking lots instead of fields full of seed. Birds can usually adapt to city life, but are likely to have shorter life spans and fewer healthy offspring.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Put out the welcome mat now for Purple Martins

Purple Martins

Purple Martins start scouting out potential housing in north Texas in late February. They’ll keep looking (until they find a home) into late April. Lots of people are “landlords” because Martins are pleasant singers, and exceptionally good and graceful fliers. They look for multi-unit homes on a tall pole. The housing they prefer to nest in is usually the kind that comes in a box, is well-ventilated, and isn’t welcoming to other birds. White is by far the best color in Texas, since it reflects heat. The homes are typically made of aluminum, and look like little apartments with round doors. The dimensions of the holes, and the “apartment” itself, are crucial in deterring predators and excluding pests.

Not all yards are good for Martins, however. They need a treeless (grassy) circle around the house with a radius of about 25 to 50 feet, so they can hunt for insects an fly around.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Are Monarch butterflies disappearing permanently?

Monarch

Every year, millions of colorful Monarch butterflies migrate from all over North America (including north Texas) to one small part of central Mexico, where they are right now. (They’re one of the few insects that actually migrate). However, illegal logging in this “Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve” has cleared more than 1,000 acres, imperiling their survival.

Monarchs (migrating)

Now’s a good time to clean feeders With avian activity winding down somewhat, most birdfeeders have gotten dirty. I know mine have! Cleaning is easy and good for birds. I soak mine for a few hours in a 10:1 mix of water and bleach (although I’m told diluted vinegar or laundry detergent is just as good). Several times during the “soak” I agitate the feeder to get stuff out of tight spaces. Then I brush it inside and out, and rinse it with fresh water. I’ll let the sun dry it, and the birds could be “feederless” for less than a day.