Indholdsfortegnelse for December - January 2018 i Birds & Blooms

’Tis the season for traditions. At my house, the day we switch out one of the seed feeders for a suet cage is a big deal. We do it together, even though it’s really a one-person job. For the rest of the day, we sneak quick peeks out the window, anxiously awaiting our first suet eater of the season. And then there’s the day, later in winter, that I reluctantly agree to take our Christmas tree down, leaving a mountain of needles on the floor in its wake. We toss the tree over the railing of the side porch for the birds to roost and hide in for the rest of the cold season. This winter issue is jam-packed with bird feeding tips and advice you can use in your…

When it comes to hoarding food, few birds compare to the acorn woodpecker. Unlike woodpeckers that tap their way into tree trunks to mow down insects, these western birds bore small, tidy holes into wood, where they store acorns (and sometimes other nuts) by the thousands. In fact, just one family unit may create a winter stockpile of up to 50,000 acorns in a single tree, called a granary. One bird stands guard against any would-be thieves as the others focus on building their impressive cache. To make sure their treasures stay put, the birds knock each acorn into a hole, using their beaks as makeshift mallets. If an acorn starts to loosen, one of the woodpeckers will move it to a better-fitting cavity. Despite their name, these woodpeckers eat…

Q A flock of robins stayed with us last winter and ate all the berries growing in our area. How can we attract them to feeders? Susan Petch MILLBROOK, ONTARIO Kenn and Kimberly: Robins aren’t typical feeder guests, but there are some things you can try. It’s best to place an open tray feeder near one of the berry-producing trees frequented by the robins and stock it with raisins, grapes, apple slices or other fruit. You can also offer mealworms or suet. But it’s normal for flocks of robins to be nomadic in winter, wandering long distances and stopping when they find a natural food source. Once they’ve depleted the local berry supply, most likely they’ll be off in search of the next berry crop instead of sticking around at…

field EDITOR Jessica Allen Palmyra, Pennsylvania Lisa Barlet Newburg, North Dakota Linda Barnes New London, Ohio Barbara Ann Bennett Sunderland, Massachusetts Kristie Day Bialobzeski Ballston Lake, New York Megan Blackwell Conneaut, Ohio Sue Cassidy Hughesville, Maryland Doreen S. Damm New Port Richey, Florida Kathy Eppers Aledo, Texas Tiffany N. Ertle Homosassa, Florida Connie Etter Martinsville, Indiana Robin Evans Export, Pennsylvania Deanna Frautschi Bloomington, Illinois Karen Funk Hillman, Michigan Keith Golden Lake Carroll, Illinois Sue Gronholz Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Patty Hardin Long Beach, Washington Bobby J. Hiebert Jr. Salina, Kansas Joan Heid Chester, South Carolina Patrick Hogan Temperance, Michigan Grace Huffman Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Tracy Johnson Livermore, California Deb Kainauskas Jacksonville, Florida Roberta Klein Byron, New York Anne LaPlante Glencoe, Minnesota Darcy Larum Janesville, Wisconsin Nathan Lembke Bentonville, Arkansas Kathy Lorigan…

1 Blue spruce PICEA PUNGENS, ZONES 2 TO 7 Blue spruce is a large tree, but small shrublike cultivars max out at 5 to 15 feet high. The bluegray foliage is particularly alluring in the winter landscape when a dash of color is sorely needed. For a more blue color, select a cultivar known for its intense blue color. Why we love it: The lovely foliage, but also the range of shapes— mounded to lollipop to pompom. 2 Winterberry ILEX VERTICILLATA, ZONES 3 TO 9 Grown as a small tree or a shrub, winterberry doesn’t get much attention during the growing season. Come winter, though, this wallflower demands to be seen when it bursts to life with bright red berries. Why we love it: The impressive collection of fruit lasts…

SPECIAL WINTER EDITION I waited all winter for this noble varied thrush to come close enough for a portrait. The bird skirted the edge of my property, just outside of camera range, searching for food. It wasn’t until a rare snowfall covered its feeding grounds that it came to see what I was serving at my feeders. Sally Harris CARLSBORG, WASHINGTON This barred owl came to our yard for a few days last winter and hunted some of the red squirrels. I was able to get kind of close to it as it perched in this tree. Unfortunately, two days after I captured this shot, I found the bird next to a snowbank. I feel this photo is something of a memorial to it. Laurie Painter SILVER CLIFF, WISCONSIN Some days, the…

W hen frost sets in and food disappears, non-migratory animals that depend on summertime insects and plants find a sheltered nook and slow things down—way, way down. Breathing, heartbeat and even body temperatures ease to a bare minimum in winter. Hibernation lasts several months and allows wildlife to survive freezing temperatures and conditions. Winters are tough for many warm-blooded animals, especially when food sources are slim, which is why hibernation is so important. To prep for their seasonal slumber, mammals such as groundhogs, bats and bears gorge for weeks in fall to fatten up. Once heart and respiration rates slow, body temperatures drop and less overall energy is used, those fat reserves last for months. Animals that hibernate are often hiding in plain sight. For example, bats settle inside manmade…

Find the Hummingbird In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above left. Enter to win at birdsandblooms.com/contests if you find it. Winners receive a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the October/November issue, we hid it on page 54. HIDDEN OBJECT GUIDELINES No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and possessions, or of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec). Sweepstakes begins on Nov. 1, 2017, and ends on Jan. 3, 2018. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contests for official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Contact Us! CUSTOMER CARE For subscriptions, renewals, gifts, payments, account info and inquiries: Email: customercare@birdsandblooms.com Visit:…

TO-DO-LIST December Hunker down near a window with your camera to capture flurry-filled photos of birds at your feeders on a blustery day. After each big snowstorm, check on your landscape. Secure loose branches, cut back damaged twigs and toss on extra mulch where it’s needed. Fill your feeders daily, preferably in the late afternoon, to give birds a boost before they roost for the night.…

Keep your restless green thumb busy, no matter the weather, when you grow a flower garden inside by forcing spring bulbs to bloom. From daffodils and hyacinths to irises and tulips, the bright colors and sweet scents cheer up any gardener dealing with winter cabin fever. POT THE BULBS Fill a container most of the way with moist potting mix, or pebbles if you’re planting hyacinths and paperwhites. Create a shallow hole for each bulb and plant it root side down, 1 to 2 inches deep, leaving the tip exposed. Crowd the bulbs in, but keep them from touching one another. COOL THEM DOWN If your bulbs aren’t prechilled, place the pot in a dark, cool spot, such as a garage, unheated sun porch or fridge. Keep them at a…

A Bee-utiful Home Paper tubes stuffed inside an upcycled beer bottle lure the solitary mason bee, an important pollinator. Visit uncommongoods.com to buy this mason bee house for $30. Color Your Year Give the coloring fanatic in your life an extra challenge— an intricate bird or garden scene for every month of the year. Buy the Floribunda and Birdtopia coloring calendars at amazon.com for about $10 each. Double- Duty Decor Songbird Tweets String Lights add classic holiday color to any outdoor space. Plus, they’re made of seed that birds will gobble up! A set of 10 “lights” is available at gardeners.com for $25. Seed Starting Made Easy Each SproutBrite seed kit includes 10 types of seeds and an information booklet. Choose from herbs, heirloom veggies and wildflowers. Kits can be…

WHY I LOVE IT From Homosassa Springs to Kings Bay, the communities of Citrus County are filled with hundreds of natural waterways. My family heads to the water every chance we get, from renting a boat to cruise the Homosassa River to basking in the sun at Fort Island Beach. BIRDING IN PARADISE Whether you’re paddling down the Withlacoochee River by canoe, hiking the Chassahowitzka River Trail or driving along state Route 44, you’ll find a diverse range of bird-watching options to suit every preference. Citrus County has 21 sites that are part of the Great Florida Birding Trail (floridabirdingtrail.com), a network of hundreds of top-notch birding sites across the state. (Check the website for closures before you visit.) A few favorites include Crystal River Preserve State Park, to see…

answers on the bottom! True or False? A. FERMENTED BERRIES, when eaten, may B. BLUEBERRIES are one of the few fruits that birds tend to avoid at all costs. C. ANTIOXIDANTS found in berries have been shown to help birds handle the stress of migration, according to some scientific studies. ANSWERS 1. BOHEMIAN WAXWING 2. AMERICAN ROBIN 3. NORTHERN CARDINAL 4. DOWNY WOODPECKER 5. CEDAR WAXWING A. TRUE B. FALSE C. TRUE…

29,000 Arctic terns hold the record for the farthest migration. One trip from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to their winter territory in Antarctica is about 29,000 miles. That impressive zigzagging flight south is done at sea—they are rarely spotted from land. 1 The common raven is one of the smartest birds on the planet. Thanks to that ingenuity, ravens survive in all kinds of habitats—from tundra to Texas heat. 2 Two of the three ptarmigan species, rock and willow, live mainly in the Arctic. The third, white-tailed, also lives as far south as Colorado. (Psst! The “p” in ptarmigan is silent.) 6 Fast-flying peregrine falcons are found on six continents. 77 After studying the DNA of 77 redpolls, researchers found almost no genetic difference between common and hoary redpolls. This…