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.

"cleaning up" your yard scares away birds and encourages weeds

     At this time of year, many homeowners clean up withered plants and fallen leaves out of habit. This habit sells a lot of rakes and plastic bags unnecessarily! Years ago I admit I did it too, just because I saw my neighbors doing it.

        Boy was I wrong!  A knowledgeable friend of mine advised me that bare, exposed ground actually encourages the growth of unwanted plants – “weeds”.  This plant growth is nature's way of holding bare soil in place. Dead plant debris, left on the ground, becomes an organic humus, resulting in looser soil and gives your soil an ability to hold more water and nutrients. So your "wanted" plants grow bigger and better. You can rake up the debris and buy humus in bags every year, or let it develop naturally for free. It’s your choice.

Normal plant debris also adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. So, again, you can buy fertilizer in bags every year, or add it to your soil naturally. Normal plant debris also acts like a mulch. Since sunlight can’t reach the unwanted weed seeds, weeds don’t grow. Also, any additional seeds (usually blown in by wind, or dropped by birds) have difficulty reaching the soil, so they can’t get a foothold. Water doesn’t evaporate from the soil as fast, either. So your water bill should be lower.

        Please keep in mind that I’m talking about a “normal” amount of plant debris and leaves. If they pile up by an outside wall or on a sidewalk, by all means clean up.   For years, what I’ve done successfully is shred excess plant debris into tiny pieces (with a lawn mower), and put it right back on the landscape.

        An amazing array of birds, butterflies and small animals live in plant debris. Insects do too! Often these ”beneficial” insects control things like borers, aphids, mosquitoes and termites. Insects also serve as food (remember the food chain?) for the aforementioned birds as well as encouraging frequent visits by migrating species. Rake up the plant debris and insects - followed quickly by birds - go elsewhere.

A word of advice:  be sensitive to your neighbors’ preferences. Take some time to explain to them why your landscape is “natural”, not manicured. Even if they don’t agree with you they should know that you have a long-term plan, and your landscape shouldn’t be blamed on laziness or neglect. It’s very ecology-minded too. The National Wildlife Federation certifies “backyard habitats” and supplies a yard sign to help you provide information.

          You may not be comfortable with leaving plant debris on your entire yard. Instead, do a little at a time. This year, for instance just leave one flower bed “messy”. I’ll bet the soil there will be richer, will require less water and your plants will be healthier and bigger next year. Then the following fall “naturalize” a little larger area;  keep taking it one step at a time.

Most visibly, you’ll have fewer unwanted weeds by leaving plant debris (mainly fallen leaves) where it falls. A once-over with a lawn mower shreds debris into small, fast-decomposing pieces. The results certainly justify what appears be laziness.

 

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.

 

Have lots of baby birds around your house next spring

Birdwatcher’s Digest reports that increased

 

 

supplemental feeding (birdfeeders) during the winter leads to greater nesting success (more baby birds) the following spring. Just make sure you use FRESH seed, not the junk sold in big box stores and such.

 

It's also helpful to have evergreen plants around (for shelter)and filled birdbaths (so birds can keep clean - necessary to staying warm) in bad weather.

 

Why there is no such thing as a “weed”.   We think we know what a “weed” is but do we really? To most of us, it’s a plant that’s growing in a location we don’t want it to grow. By that definition, the term persists. (I offer the example that a crape myrtle growing in your driveway is a “weed”.) That’s an arbitrary, imprecise definition, but it’ll do for now.

There are precise, horticultural definitions of “tree”, “shrub”, “flower”, “grass” and so on. But there’s no defition for “weed” because it usually depends on one’s feelings and individual tastes – highly variable stuff.

A plant’s “uselessness” also depends on who’s doing the talking and defining. Blackberries for example. The berries taste good and provide food for a great number of birds (Robins, Brown Thrashers, Bluebirds, to name just a few), and many species nest in blackberry brambles (Cardinals, Field Sparrows, Yellowthroats are some). But the thorns can tear up clothing, and cause humans pain. Are they weeds?

An extreme example is poison ivy. Lots of birds like its waxy white berries. Birds, not being allergic to it, flit among the leaves and branches unconcerned. So it may be a “weed” growing near your house, but not when growing in the “back 40”

 

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.

Why is feeding birds such a popular, year-'round hobby?

 

Suet feeder

 

Thistle feeder

 

Window/tray feeder

Lots of people feed birds in north Texas – it’s one of the biggest hobbies there is, for Texans of any age. But WHY do it at all?  And, what does it take for someone to get started?

First let me say that there are no rules and procedures. None! There is no club to join (unless you want to), there’s no “must” wearing apparel, and you don’t have to travel anywhere (again, unless you want to). Getting started is as simple as hanging a birdfeeder in your yard, and filling it with fresh seed that north Texas birds like. You can do it every month of the year. Your interest will probably build exponentially from there.

You don’t even have to buy a birdfeeder. You could merely put fresh seed on a plate on the ground if you like (it works, but has drawbacks). Or you could just put a peanut butter sandwich in the fork of a tree (remember; there are no rules). Of course, there are extra things you might do to make your yard its most attractive to birds.

If you were to ask someone why they feed birds, he or she’d hem and haw a bit before answering something like “it’s fun”. It just makes you feel good – you instantly become part of nature when you put out a birdfeeder. You feel an indescribable emotion when you see a flash of color from your window, or watch an unusual species feast on food you gave them.

A few avid birdwatchers have a way of making the rest of us feel insignificant.  It doesn’t matter, however, if the bird you’re seeing is a Northern Harrier, a Lesser Goldfinch or an Indigo Bunting. That may or may not come later. All you really need to know now is that there are several very good reasons to start feeding birds.

• Feeding birds is something you can do year-'round. Any time of year is the best time; birds are always hungry. And there are always birds around -'though the species may differ seasonally.
• It’s inexpensive. Very few hobbies are as inexpensive as feeding birds. Part of the reason is that it’s done in your own yard – no travel required.
• It’s calming and relaxing. Few things are more blissful than looking out your window at several carefree birds on your feeder, knowing that you’re responsible for their food.
• It’s educational. Seeing things like courting rituals, eggs hatching, “pecking order” at feeders, fledglings being taught where to eat etc. is profoundly instructional.
• It controls bugs. Since most birds eat bugs by the thousands, birds are cheaper and safer by far than whatever chemical you’ve been spraying.
• It’s physically undemanding. Even if you have difficulty walking (or almost any other disability) you can handle birdwatching.
• It helps them stay in their habitat. Your house probably sits where some birds used to live - eliminating their food sources and habitat. Mine does! To help set matters straight, we owe it to them.

Getting started doesn’t take much effort at all. Just put out a birdfeeder (or 2, or 3, or 4), and go back inside. A word of advice: get feeders that are well designed and well-built. Few things are as discouraging as a feeder that falls apart during the first squirrel encounter, or one that doesn’t last through a severe storm. Also, if you have a lot of trees, be certain a new feeder is really squirrel-proof – printing nice words on the box isn’t enough.

hopper feeder

 

squirrel-proof feeder

Fill it, or them, with good-quality, fresh seed (the kinds that north Texas birds like) and just sit back and enjoy. That’s all!

 

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.