The "first Robin of the spring" is a total myth in Texas

American Robin

If someone you know is trying to spot “the first Robin of spring”, ask that he (or she) keep an eye out for the Easter bunny at the same time. Truth is, Robins live in Texas year ‘round. In addition to the native population, Robins from up north come down to the south (including Texas) when snow and ice up there deprive them of food. They’re calm all winter and live away from human activity, but Robins tend to get a lot more active now, as mating season approaches, territories are claimed and insects re-appear. They’ll strip a berry-shrub clean in no time!

 

RAT POISON KILLS MORE THAN RATS     Rat and mouse poison isn’t consumed just by rodents. When we see a rodent the impulse is to visit your local hardware store or big-box store and get some commercially-available poison (they’re all pretty much the same).  But what most of them don't mention on the label is that most of these poisons will kill owls, hawks, songbirds, pets and other non-target wildlife too. Maybe even children (or make them very sick).

These common rodent poisons are called “second generation anticoagulant rodenticides". They go under names like Hot Shot, d-Con, Generation, Talon, Spectrum and Havoc. The E.P.A. has declared them too dangerous for public use, and ordered them off the market. But many stores are selling off their huge, existing stocks. Some manufacturers are even defying the order and continuing to make it despite the EPA order (probably because they're making big profits).

There are rodent devices that are totally efficient, but far less dangerous to non-target wildlife, pets and youngsters. An internet search uncovers them. These, coupled with common-sense practices, effectively reduce mouse and rat populations ONLY.  Practices include putting tight lids on trashcans, not leaving pet’s food outside all night and the liberal use of ammonia as a deterrent.

soon-to-be-dead Screech Owl

Of course, the best rodenticide by far is owls (helped by coyotes, foxes, bobcats and hawks). Killing them off, along with the rodents, means that when the prolific rodents repopulate, you’ll be battling many more of them, but without natural allies.

 

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.

"Birds aren't coming to the birdfeeder I just put up. Why?"

 

Carolina Chickadee

One comment I hear a lot is the lack of visitors to a new feeder. Almost always, my advice is to…

 

Give it time.

It might take a week, or two, or even three before the birds in your area see a new feeder and feel good about visiting it. Try tying a piece of brightly-colored ribbon to it until the birds find it. Birds are curious about such things, but they're creatures of habit – slow to visit new things.

Freshness of seed?

Our wild birds are attracted by fresh, nutritious seed, and are repelled by seed that’s stale or dry (although it all looks the same to us). Seed starts to go stale the instant it's harvested. You may save a few cents getting seed that’s been sitting on a shelf or in a warehouse for a long time, but you won’t attract birds with it. Rats maybe!

Correct type of seed?

Birds in different regions of the country like different things. So, if the seed you use was mixed for wild birds in Ohio, California etc., the birds around here may prefer to try something else first.

    North Texas birds also avoid “filler” such as milo, whose sole purpose is to make the bag weigh more, at less cost (it's inexpensive). Some places might try to confuse buyers by calling it “canary seed” or something else. Don't be suckered in!

Safety for birds?

Songbirds are part of the food chain and are often hunted and killed (by hawks mainly). So it’s imperative that a feeder has a nearby escape route for small birds, or they won’t visit. A feeder in the middle of a big lawn will rarely be visited. A dense shrub or branch about 5 or 6 feet away is ideal as an escape route.  Just make sure a birdfeeder isn’t within leaping range (about 3 feet) of a cat hiding in a shrub.

No pesticides?

This guideline’s simple to remember’ Don’t Use Chemical Pesticides!  All birds eat bugs at one time or another. A bit in one location is OK if there's a stubborn bug problem, but NEVER use a pesticide or weed killer broadly (meaning, on everything). That includes a weed and feed fertilizer.  99.99% of all nestlings have to be fed insects ONLY.  If all the insects (including worms) are killed, wild birds just won’t stay in your yard.

No water nearby.

Just like us, birds have to drink water regularly. To fly well, they have to bathe often too. So a good feeder location should be close to water - at least a birdbath. That applies all year ‘round whether it's zero degrees or 100.

Strange, exotic plants?

Put native plants in your yard. For thousands of generations, wild birds here have learned when the plants in north Texas go to seed, when they open pollen-rich flowers and so forth. So the birds’ are genetically motivated to look for plants that grow here natively, and their activities are synchronized with the plants. If they see plants from some other part of the world, they’re confused. So plant natives!

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 all-important direction of the entrance hole on a birdhouse

Tree Swallow

You could put up a birdhouse at a good height, with the right design and in just the right place, but birds still may turn down your invitation to nest there. Maybe it’s the direction that the entrance hole faces. That's hugely important.

Avoid facing it into the prevailing winds, or the direction from which most spring storms come, or where hot sun shines in. In the north Texas area that means the hole should face generally easterly – anywhere between north-northeast and south-southeast... In Texas’ extreme heat, you don’t ever want the hot, west sun to shine inside a birdhouse.

What’s the “correct” height? It’s not precise at all; almost any height will do. A “bad” height, however is one that offers easy access to a predator, or leaves the nest on view much of the time. For most birds, anything above about 6-feet works.

Tree Swallow

            The Cornell Lab of Ornithology did research, proving that the most birds fledge from boxes that face east. In fact, a few readers have reported that Bluebirds have laid eggs in well-protected birdhouses already. I’m reminding you early, but it’s certainly never too late to put one up since many Texas birds produce several broods – all spring and summer long.

Birds gotta fly!       Clearly, without the ability to fly, almost all birds would quickly become extinct. Birds’ anatomy, however, is designed appropriately. The large flight muscles, anchored on the breastbone, make up from 30 to 40 percent of a bird’s body weight. This weight is necessary, but weight from fat isn’t. All excess fat does for a bird is weigh it down, making flying (escaping predators) difficult.

 

 

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.

Start now on an easy-to-maintain Darwinian landscape

The second-to-last word in home landscaping that’s simple to maintain is the Darwinian landscape, where everything is done as nature intended and you take all your cues from the natural world. The result is a lush, attractive landscape that doesn’t demand constant maintenance. (The “last word” is the yard that’s just left totally alone, and becomes an overgrown, trashy eyesore.)

The guidelines and practices of a Darwinian landscape are too numerous to cover here, but an example is what I did yesterday. After letting fallen, dead leaves accumulate on my yard for almost three months, I went over them with a lawn mower. This chopped them up into millions of tiny pieces, which are still on the lawn, but are hardly visible and will filter down to become actual soil in the first rain.  This is exactly what happens in nature with decomposition; but in nature it takes many years, and I get it done in a day. It also releases all sorts of natural chemicals into the soil, so I can skip a regular artificial fertilization.

Yes I have a small patch of grass sometimes called a lawn, in recognition of the fact that human beings use the yard, and sometimes feel the need to sunbathe, play catch, or have an outdoor barbecue. My weekend can now be devoted to things I actually like to do. It is NOT like the perfectly manicured yards you see in magazines. But now I let nature guide my decisions, and I have lots of free time.

When I bought the house about 15 years ago the yard was nothing but a sickly looking expanse of grass, with a few trees. Now it is a wildlife haven full of wildflowers and native flowering trees. Lots of birds too. I try lots of things in my landscaped and see what happens. Sometimes, my experiments fail, and I learn something from it (not to do it any more). Sometimes they succeed, and I’ll inevitably do more of the same. I see what grows well. I see what the birds like to eat and where they nest, and what they ignore, etc.

And that’s where Darwin’s observations of natural selection and evolutrion have led me.

 

Do I dare to eat a cactus?       During the winter, Roadrunners are often forced to feed on cactus plants (in north Texas, the Prickly Pear is most common), since insects and lizards are scarce. They break off a piece of cactus and repeatedly smash it into a rock or tree trunk, softening the needles, to make it edible.

Greater Roadrunner

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

A simple, accurate i-phone app for backyard birders. Get it free!

Since I write about birds, I'm exposed to many applications (for the I-phone) that allegedly help identify local species of birds. Allow me to recommend one by the name of "Merlin Bird ID" created by the experts at Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Cornell is, in my opinion, the leading bird authority in the country. The Merlin app was created with the input of many, many thousands of people, nationwide, who participate in Cornell's "e-Bird" citizen/science project, as well as descriptors provided by the millions of visitors to their "AllAboutBirds.org" web site.

Merlin

Another thing that sets it apart is its simplicity. It doesn't plunge the user into a mysterious morass of technical terms. It asks you for simple responses about the bird in question. First, the part of the country, and the date, where you saw it. Then the relative size of the mystery bird; sparrow-like or goose-like and so on. Then the dominant color. Then the location; on the ground, swimming or whatever.

Then, using your input, Merlin lists a few possible birds that it could be. It also gives you pictures of each possibility and the sounds each one makes (I really like this part).

It's incredibly accurate (for instance, it will exclude a bird from New England or one seen only in the summer). Also, it gives you range maps of the birds. And it can go into greater detail on the bird's behavior if you want. For instance you can find out that the actual Merlin is a small species of Falcon, occasionally seen in Texas and areas mainly to the west.

Right now, you can get Merlin at no cost - free!  At some point in the future, however, it may have a price tag, for new buyers.

The unique way a woodpecker eats suet

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

If you look closely, you’ll see that a woodpecker has many tiny barbs on the end of his (or her) long, narrow tongue.  So the tongue has sort of a bottle-brush shape. The barbs catch on the suet and break off tiny pieces. The “regular” part of the tongue brings these pieces into the woodpecker’s mouth. Although many birds peck at suet with their beaks, only our woodpeckers (in north Texas, the Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are common) are adapted like this.

Hairy Woodpecker

 

A birdfeeder outsides a sick person’s window has a magical healing effect. Of course it can’t replace following the advice of a physician, like taking aspirin, or whatever’s prescribed, but helps quite a bit. This helps even if the illness is just feeling depressed, tired, a cold or something else relatively minor.

  It has been proven over and over that people who experience nature are able to recover more quickly and completely from stressful events. A birdfeeder is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to experience some nature. Both heart rate and muscle tension decrease much faster in stressed individuals when watching bird activity. 

The calming effects are certainly quantifiable.  I’ve put a feeder (actually two) and a birdbath outside the window of my home office. When I’m feeling particularly stressed, just looking out the window for a while helps noticeably calm and refresh me.

 

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.

 

Easily creating a wren-yard in any size back yard

            

Bewick's Wren

 


Bewick's Wren

In this area, Wrens are the easiest bird to attract …they may already be in your yard in fact. I’m talking about the kinds of Wren native to north Texas, not the House Wren that’s inundated many other areas. Inviting Wrens into your landscape is relatively simple, because they’re often attracted by the way we live

            Our native Wrens are the Carolina Wren and the Bewick’s Wren. They look pretty much alike, but the Bewick’s (pronounced like “Buick”) is gray, not tan like the Carolina Wren. They’re both slightly huskier than other Wrens, and probably won’t be able to get in a “one-size-fits-all” birdhouse sold by many big-box stores, which are sized for a House Wren. Their tails tilt upward (unlike most birds) and they flit about nervously (as if they’ve had too much caffeine). They’re also very loud!

            Wrens have shared living space with humans for ages.  They’ve learned to use our houses, garages, vehicles and tools as homes and breeding places, although they prefer old woodpecker holes, birdhouses, or a dark, natural cavity. If nothing else is available, they’ll construct their own home – a globular cave of sticks, grasses and leaves with a small entry hole on the side.

            They’ll make their nests in unusual, unlikely places. Last year, a Wren built a nest in a hanging basket I had up. Until the nestlings fledged, we watered the basket with ice cubes...they melted slowly enough not to saturate the nest.

            It’s not just housing that attracts them; it’s also the countless spiders and other insects found in the exterior nooks and crannies of all homes. These insects are its food supply – Wrens rarely eat seed. The slender bill is slightly curved, enabling them to grab and retrieve food that’s beyond the reach of most other birds.

            Of course, some of us are better at attracting Wrens than others. For example: if you spend hours manicuring and weeding your yard and spraying for bugs (or having it done) you probably aren’t inviting Wrens. If, however, you let brush piles accumulate, and let vegetation grow naturally, you can almost be certain of attracting Wrens – no matter if your lot is big or small.

            That’s the first key to attracting Wrens; having plenty of nest-building material around.  Small twigs, long grasses; even fur from brushing a family pet. In this area, tall, native grasses (at least 1 ft.), coral honeysuckle and holly shrubs work nicely.

            The second key is a brushpile; just a random mound of branches with lots of “cubby holes” on the inside. In the winter, it’s a comparatively warm and sheltered place to “roost” during bad weather. All year ‘round, a brushpile provides safety from the many animals that would like to have a Wren for dinner. The brushpile encourages the growth of some insects, which Wrens keep under control as they dine.

            Water is essential year ‘round too. A shallow birdbath (2” at most) is ideal. Wrens like to poke around among the leaves at the edge of a shallow water body – that’s where the insects and tiny snails are. A bit of “messy” vegetation on the ground near a birdbath simulates this. Since most yards around here aren’t 100% debris-free 100% of the time, they make ideal homes for our native Wrens.

Carolina Wren

 

Carolina Wedn

 

 

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.