Indholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2018 i Birds & Blooms

Kelly Berry can’t wait for the annual autumn arrival of golden-crowned sparrows to her San Rafael, California, backyard. Living in Wisconsin, I’m not familiar with this sparrow species. After I read Kelly’s comment on page 62, I grabbed my Kaufman field guide to learn more. As their name implies, they’re cute little sparrows with bright yellow dots on the top of their heads. I read that their range is quite limited—they spend summers in Alaska and western Canada, but are spotted in shrubby, weedy fields on the West Coast during spring and fall. You’ll find another golden-crowned sparrow tidbit in our roundup of peanut-loving birds that begins on page 30. Like other native sparrows, such as the white-throated and white-crowned, the goldens stay on the ground, nibbling peanuts that other…

TWO OF A KIND Flickers in the East (yellow-shafted) have tan faces, gray crowns, red napes, black mustaches and yellow under wings and tail. Flickers in the West (red-shafted) have gray faces, brown crowns, no nape crescents, red mustaches and salmon under wings and tail. “A flicker visits every year and loves to peck on our metal chimney, adding a little sound to its boisterous call.”Stephanie Swayne TIGARD, OREGON ON GUARD! During breeding season, rival flickers face off in a display called a “fencing duel.” Two birds face each other, bills pointed up, bobbing their heads while drawing a loop or figure eight pattern in the air.…

THE BUTEO BUNCH Red-tailed hawks, like this one, are the most common members of the buteo group. These birds of prey are often seen perched along roadsides or soaring with barely a flap of their wings. Raptors in the buteo family have chunky builds, broad wings and short wide tails. Other members of the buteo clan include broad-winged, red-shouldered and rough-legged hawks. The telltale red tail color is most noticeable when an adult red-tailed hawk is in flight.…

1 SIMPLE AND STURDY This feeder makes it hard for squirrels to get the nuts, but wrens, chickadees and other birds find plenty of places to get a grip. Sunflower Seed and Peanut Feeder, $15 at perkypet.com 2 SQUIRREL BUSTER Squirrels make peanuts vanish in a flash, but European starlings and grackles are attracted to this snack, too. Block eager eaters with this squirrel-proof design. Brome’s Squirrel Buster Peanut+, around $58 at amazon.com 3 DOUBLE DUTY Holes in the sides of this recycled-plastic feeder are tailor-made for flickers and other woodpeckers to reach in for peanuts. They and other birds can also eat from the wire mesh hopper. Woodpecker Delight Bird Feeder, $50 at duncraft.com 4 BALL OF FUN Watch woodpeckers, squirrels and other peanut-lovers extricate their prizes from this…

Q I often see comments from people who are surprised to see pileated woodpeckers. Are they rare? I have three that visit my suet feeder daily. Ramona Anaya ALGER, MICHIGAN Kenn and Kimberly: Pileated woodpeckers had become rare in many areas during past centuries when forests were being cut down on a large scale. In recent decades they have made a good comeback. However, they still require some kind of forest cover with big trees, so they don’t appear in most people’s yards. Even when they live close to people, it seems to take a while for pileated woodpeckers to become accustomed to bird feeders. You are lucky to have them as regular visitors! Q I planted three perennial hibiscus shrubs, and I’ve read conflicting stories about pruning and winterizing.…

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 get a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the August/September issue, we hid it on page 9. 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 Sept. 12, 2018, and ends on Nov. 13, 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:…

Joe Pye Weed Eutrochium, Zones 4 to 9 This towering native perennial blooms well into fall, bringing the season’s last butterflies to your yard. Bees love the flowers, too! Joe Pye weed does well in wet soil, so plant it in a rain garden or soggy corner. Once the flowers fade, seed heads offer texture and interest to a winter garden. Attracts: Light needs: Sun or part shade. Size: 5 to 7 feet tall. Grown for: Showy pink blooms that smell like vanilla (use them for indoor bouquets). Foliage: Lance-shaped dark green leaves. Cultivars to try: Little Joe and Phantom reach 4 feet tall. For your smaller spaces, Baby Joe stays under 3 feet tall. POLLINATOR BENEFITS As confirmed here, Joe Pye weed blooms are big enough for more than…

1 Norway spruce PICEA ABIES, ZONES 3 TO 8 This well-known spruce has a pyramidal shape with shiny dark green foliage. It prefers full sun and moist soil, but it does tolerate most garden soils. The aptly named weeping variety adds a rustic, organic element when draped over fences or walls, or when grown in a rock garden. Why we love it: For years, Norway spruce has been a favorite tree for large landscapes. But now many dwarf varieties are available, and they’re perfect for smaller-scale home gardens. 2 Common juniper JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS, ZONES 2 TO 6 If you’re in the market for a small-space evergreen, look no further than the dwarf varieties of common juniper. They need full sun, adjust to poor soil and require minimal maintenance once they…

The sun was setting as this female northern cardinal perched on a branch, waiting for her turn at the feeder. The warm light from the sun hitting her feathers made her look all the more beautiful and eye-catching. Carolyn Stuart KANNAPOLIS, NORTH CAROLINA At a nearby lake where I like to photograph birds, white pelicans make their appearance in spring and then leave just before winter. One cold, foggy autumn morning, the pelicans were just becoming active. This one was circling me before it decided to land, so I waited for just the right moment. What I like about this image is how it captures the movement of the pelican’s wings in the early-morning fog. Dennis Adams BURNEY, CALIFORNIA My backyard is one of my favorite places to watch nature.…

INCHES, SPARROWS AND CARDINALS are happily filling up at your backyard feeders. All of a sudden, they quickly fly away, diving into the bushes. Less than a minute later, a hawk swoops through the yard. How did the songbirds know the hawk was coming? Did they smell, or maybe hear, it? To figure this out, it helps to know more about the senses that birds use to experience the world around them. Bird’s-Eye View The term “eagle-eyed” for sharp vision is no accident. Nearly all birds see at least two or three times as much detail as humans, making them able to spot food—or approaching predators—that much farther away. Most birds have excellent color vision, too. Night birds like owls may have a biological trade-off: They see very well in…

It’s a rush when you can confidently recognize an elusive or hard-to-identify bird. That burst of adrenaline and pride is just one of the many rewards of being a birder. But the differences between house finches and purple finches are particularly tricky. Here are some important things to know about these look-alike birds when they stop to visit your feeder. 1. Range The house finch is commonly found throughout much of the Lower 48. The range of the purple finch is restricted to the dense forests of the West Coast, southern Canada and the northeastern U.S. during breeding season. And purple finches may be seen anywhere in the southeastern states during fall, winter and spring. Before its expansion throughout the U.S., the house finch was native to the Southwest and…

975 The gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) contains about 975 plant species, including cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and squashes. Most grow fast, on vines, and are sensitive to temperatures near freezing. 90 Suikawari is a Japanese tradition in which blindfolded participants try to split a watermelon on the ground. The official rules allow for 90 seconds per striking attempt. 1800 In the early 1800s in Haiti, gourds were temporarily the nation’s official currency. That history is present today—Haiti’s standard coin is called a gourde. 1 Jack-o’-lanterns today are usually made from pumpkins, but the first candlelit Halloween glow-globe decorations most likely were carved out of large turnips. 2,624.6 As of Oct. 9, 2016, the heaviest pumpkin on record weighs 2,624.6 pounds. It was grown by Mathias Willemijns of Belgium. The world record regularly…

With eye-catching and distinct spotted plumage, northern flickers are arguably the most beautiful woodpeckers in North America. But their unique behaviors and characteristics are what really excite birders across the country. Similar to downy and hairy woodpeckers, northern flickers are primarily insect eaters, but they are harder to entice to backyard feeders. Flickers forage for beetles, flies and moth caterpillars, but ants are their favorite treat, and they work hard to get them. Using their curved bills, they dig underground (the same way other woodpeckers hammer into wood) where the protein-packed larvae live. “I think it’s so neat that they prefer to feed on the ground—it’s different from other woodpecker behavior,” says Emma Greig, head of Project FeederWatch (feederwatch.org) at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They like to feed on…

The growing season is just about over for many, and it’s hard to say goodbye to the garden plants you’ve nurtured all summer long. Instead of tossing healthy plants into the compost pile, use these tips to overwinter your favorites indoors. 1. TAKE STOCK. First, remember that not every plant needs to be overwintered indoors. Plants hardy in your zone are fully equipped to survive winter, and some borderline plants actually benefit from a hefty winter mulching. 2. START SELECTING. Take a careful look at each candidate. Those with high sentimental or monetary value take priority. As for the rest, some can help fortify the compost pile, and you can take cuttings from others (see No. 8). 3. NIX PESTS AND DISEASE. Before you bring plants indoors, thoroughly check and…

KATHY MATHEWS LOVES TO WATCH THE SUGAR MAPLES turn yellow, orange and red at Great Smoky Mountains National Park near her home. “Sometimes you’ll see all three colors on the same leaf,” she says. An associate professor of biology at Western Carolina University, Kathy has spent 10 years studying and predicting peak viewing time for fall colors. She still marvels at the magic of fall, when green leaves transform into brilliant eye-catching copper shades. This phenomenon occurs when trees stop producing chlorophyll, a green substance in leaves that interacts with sunlight throughout spring and summer to make food for trees to grow. Changing weather conditions in fall tell the trees it’s time to store sugars in the roots for next year’s growth. As the cool temperatures approach, daylight hours shorten…

1 Pamper your inner Anglophile with a stroll through the English Walled Garden. Six garden rooms overflow with blooms that evoke feelings of romance and whimsy, from the wisteria-laden Pergola Garden to the traditional Cottage Garden bursting with flowers. 2 Head through the Lakeside Gardens and across a bridge to Evening Island. Wander 5 acres of sweeping terraces and naturalistic flowering gardens, crowned with carillon bells. Views of the surrounding lakes are unparalleled, especially during summer sunsets. 3 Adults and kids alike love the Nature Play Garden, with boulders and rolling hills for climbing, tunnels for exploring and plants and trees to stimulate the senses. The nearby Children’s Growing Garden provides hands-on horticultural experiences for the entire family. SAVE THE DATE! Journey through the magic of the season. Work the…

answers on the bottom! True or False? A. SAPSUCKERS get their name from the way they drill holes into trees to eat the sap. B. UP TO 50,000 acorns have been found in a single tree—stored there by a family of acorn woodpeckers. C. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS have bright red bellies that are nearly impossible to miss. ANSWERS 1. RED-HEADED 2. RED-BELLIED 3. DOWNY 4. HAIRY 5. GILA A. TRUE B. TRUE C. FALSE…