Sunday, December 7, 2014

What color is the Cedar Waxwings' tail?

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwings have already been seen frequently here in north Texas this year. They're starting to appear in groups, in yards now!

The tips of their tails are normally a very bright yellow. On a few of them, however, the yellow has been replaced by an orange/rust color. These birds have fed largely on the non-native honeysuckle vine (Japanese or Hall’s Honeysuckle). The native plant (Coral Honeysuckle) is a more natural food source, is less “invasive” and won’t turn the birds orange.

Who’s getting fooled? Everyone knows that squirrels bury nuts to eat later. But researchers in Pennsylvania and Connecticut found that squirrels often dig a hole, then don’t bury a nut in it. When a squirrel knows something is watching, and digging up nuts a moment after he leaves, he may dig fake burial holes to get the follower to give up (maybe it's a bird such as a Blue jay, another squirrel or even a human). A squirrel may even re-bury a sloppily buried nut to make it harder to pilfer.

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.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Now, when leaves are off the trees, is a great time to plan your birdscape

Just so we’re clear, that’s “plan”, not “plant”. (Although many trees and shrubs can be planted now).

In winter, you can see the “panoramas”, “vistas” and “views” that a good landscape plan should expose or capitalize on. You can also clearly see scenes you may want to block, as well as birdscaping opportunities.

Timing is better too. Starting advance plans now doesn’t push the planting phase into the heat of the summer – which dooms many plants and requires a lot of water. And is usually more expensive.

Cool weather is easily the best time, in Texas, to plant birdscape plants, including ones that provide food for birds when you forget to fill your feeder. Plant them this winter so that, when spring finally gets here, they will have acclimated to their environment, and can grow dependably, quickly and lushly,

A good landscape designer can look at a bare tree, and visualize how it will look when it’s green. He or she should also conceptually select and place plants so as to maximize the bird appeal and provide such things as nesting material and safe cover. Also, he can suggest other “non-plant” items to attract birds, such as birdbaths and birdhouses.

That’s part of what a professional does - I call it “Birdscaping” - a process adding bird-appeal to your yard and making it easier to maintain.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Birds absolutely, positively need to be able to fly at a moment's notice

Sandhill Crane

Nighthawk

Clearly, without the ability to fly, almost all birds would quickly become extinct. A bird that wants to stay alive does not have the option of 'putting on a little weight'. Birds’ anatomy is designed appropriately. The large flight muscles, anchored onto the breastbone, make up from 30 to 40 percent of a bird’s body weight. Obviously these muscles power the wings, so a bird's body simply can't be too much for the flight muscles.

Checking out a feeder Before landing on a feeder that’s not totally familiar to them (like a new one), birds will land on a nearby branch (within about 5 – 8 feet) and watch it for a while. If there’s no branch or perch to land on, the feeder won’t ever be thought of as “safe”.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

There are more birds here in cool weather, than in warm months

Spotted Towhee

There are unquestionably more birds in north Texas in the fall & winter, than in the spring & summer. That includes birds like Cardinals, Wrens, Robins, Woodpeckers, Titmice and Bluebirds that stay here year ‘round. After all, we’re in “the south”. Their relatives from up north come here too, because the ground (and their food supply) isn’t frozen and snow-covered. So the populations of these birds swell during the cooler months.

The cool-weather list also includes birds like Towhees, Goldfinches, Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, Sapsuckers and Juncos that come here for the winter. They too can find natural food in our comparatively-mild weather. Although, in a rare Texas snowfall or ice storm they can only find food around feeders.

It may seem like there are fewer birds, but that's wrong. Only a few species fly farther south. During cool weather all birds are less active, and prefer to stay in cover - like tall vegetation and shrubs. Clearly this is because they're conserving energy for such vital tasks as staying warm.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Robins live in north Texas all year long

American Robin

Actually, there are more Robins in north Texas in cool months, besides being here all year ‘round. Robins from up north come here when snow and ice covers up their food (which happens infrequently here) joining with the ones already here. If a friend of yours will be watching for “the first Robin of spring”, he (or she) might want to keep an eye out for the Easter Bunny too. Wherever Robins happen to be, they tend to become more active and visible as mating season approaches. But they live here 12 months a year as long as they can get food, and take a bath every now and then.

clogged feeders? Whenever your feeders are outside, experiencing three or more straight days of continuous rain and/or high humidity, the seed in them can clump together and clog. Since birds feed heavily during breaks in the rain, I leave my feeders outside. But as soon as possible, preferably overnight, I’ll bring them in, empty the seed into a large pan, break up any clumps, and let it air-dry. Certain seeds (particularly hull-less types) are worse than others, so I recommend seeds with shells, which all birds are very accustomed to opening.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Spectacular fall color is possible in north Texas

Soapberry

North Texas is not known for spectacular fall color, unlike New England and some areas near the Rockies. That’s not because there are no colorful trees here (there are several). It’s because the dominant trees exhibit little or no spectacular fall color, as you might expect from when almost all of north Texas is in what’s biologically-called a “Post Oak Savannah”

Simply put; the sheer number of Post Oak trees (and its relative Blackjack Oaks), overwhelm the trees here showing nice fall color. Over the centuries this natural disparity has increased. Also, unspectacular trees such as Live Oaks, Ashes and some imported, non-native trees have been widely planted.

I suggest, if you want really dramatic color, you plant a “mass” of the same tree species (a “mass” is at least a dozen, planted in a grove). Not only is it more visually striking; it seems to attract more birds seeking protection within the branches.

· The Soapberry is my personal favorite. This medium-sized tree with an unfortunate name turns a bright yellow-orange in the fall. {see picture)

The Red Oak (also called shumard oak) turns into a reddish “torch” every fall (most of them, anyway)

· Bald Cypress, by itself can’t be called a spectacular tree. It’s an excellent background tree, however, since it displays a rust-red color all winter long (see picture below).

· Sweetgum is a dramatic tree. The tall tree transforms into a brilliant red {sometimes purple) in the fall.

· Bigtooth Maple is a small tree that’s hard to find in nurseries, but worth the search. It turns into a striking red each fall.

· Cedar Elm is a fairly comm90n native tree. Many of them (but not all) turn a yellowish about late October.

· Sumac is a shrubby plant that’s best used when randomly interspersed among large, trees. It's red.

These are all native to Texas, but are usually overwhelmed visually by our unspectacular oaks. In the ‘silver linings department‘ however, and thanks to rampant land-clearing, we have an opportunity to create a patch of vivid color anywhere we can plant a tree. By far the best time of year to plant them is right now, so the roots can grow all during a Texas winter.

Bald Cypress

Sunday, November 16, 2014

owls - a natural, low cost rat control that won't harm pets or other wildlife

Interesting but useless facts; Owls have twice as many bones in their necks as humans, enabling them to rotate their heads 270 degrees (not completely around as the myth claims). A typical adult Barn Owl (seen here in north Texas) can eat about 1500 rats a year, for only the price of housing. A group of Owls is called a “parliament” of Owls, but most people just call them a “bunch”.

binoculars for children:
When selecting binoculars for children,

there are three key criteria: 1. Choose one where the distance between the eyes (“IDP”) adjusts down to a minimum of 50-55 mm. 2. Avoid a toy/compact model – these almost always have smaller focusing dials, which save weight but are difficult for children to use. 3. Steer clear of extra-high magnification and toward a greater field of view, so a child sees more area and doesn’t just get frustrated.

The goal is to compensate for a child's decreased motor control, not just to make things lighter. “toy” binoculars are quite often cheaply made, poorly constructed and have vastly inferior lenses. These built-in flaws will quickly discourage a child from using them, since he/she can’t see much of what real binoculars disclose.

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