Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2023 i Birds & Blooms

My favorite birds—painted buntings, cedar waxwings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and red-headed woodpeckers—are all boldly patterned and easy to identify. It probably goes back to my early days here at Birds & Blooms when I first got into birding. I was still learning and knew I couldn’t misidentify those birds with their one-of-a-kind field marks. When I went to the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas back in 2014 and saw green jays for the first time, I added them to the list of birds I love and can always correctly recognize, even now that my identification skills are a little more advanced. Green jays are truly spectacular in appearance, with their blue-and-black heads, green bodies and bold black necks, but they also have some pretty cool traits. Learn more about these…

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY Several bird species found in the Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas aren’t found anywhere else in the U.S. Why? According to traveltexas.com, the 120 miles along the Rio Grande offers highly diverse landscapes, ideal climate and unique protected habitats. Nine birding sites in the area are known as the World Birding Center. GREEN JAY HOT SPOT To see green jays and other South Texas specialties, such as great kiskadees and chachalacas, visit Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, Texas.…

ATTRACT LUNAS WITH MORE TREES Luna moth caterpillars nosh on the leaves of birch, walnut, hickory, pecan, persimmon, sweet gum and other trees. The 3-inch, bright green caterpillars might be as thick as a thumb. No matter the stage, members of this species rarely stray far from the host plants. Luna moths are found in the eastern U.S. and Canada, and live only in North America.…

THIS COOL LITTLE DRAGONFLY kept trying to land on me while I was at Ravine Gardens State Park early one morning. I waited for it to find somewhere else to rest so I could capture this photo. Jim Bailey EAST PALATKA, FL ON A HOT SUMMER day on my patio, I spotted this friendly dragonfly on my echeveria plant. The natural lighting was perfect, and my iPhone 11 Pro Max captured this amazing photo. Kimberly Ward DURHAM, NH AN AUGUST DAY found me at my favorite blackberry patch, which was practically dripping with fruit. I reached out to pluck a handful and froze when I saw this dragonfly sitting perfectly still. Camera in hand, I got as close as I could with time to take numerous shots. The beautifully colored…

Q My six yucca plants send up new leaves, but only two of them bloom. What can I do to get more flowers? Steve Richman ATHENS, PA Melinda: Yuccas thrive and flower best in full sun and well-draining soil. Make sure all six plants are receiving sufficient sunlight. Avoid excess fertilization, as too much nitrogen fertilizer promotes leaf growth and can interfere with flowering. See if the nonflowering plants are more exposed to fertilizer that’s applied to the surrounding area or lawn. Yuccas also tend to be biennial flowering plants, which means you may see flowers every other year, or different plants may flower in alternating years. Q By late summer my milkweed plants are attacked by milkweed bugs. How can I safely eliminate the bugs? Jan Mooney BALTIMORE, MD…

PLANT PERK As a self-cleaning plant, calibrachoa’s flowers will naturally fall off, so no deadheading is necessary for nonstop blooms. Bumble Bee Hot Pink Calibrachoa Calibrachoa ‘Balumotink’ This eye-catching beauty is irresistible to bees and other pollinators and continuously bursts with 1-inch blossoms throughout the summer months. Most gardeners grow it as an annual, although calibrachoa is technically a tender perennial. Attracts: Light needs: Part to full sun. Size: 6 inches to 1 foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Grown for: Trailing growth habit makes it perfect in hanging baskets. Flowers: Vibrant bicolor hot pink blooms with yellow centers. Care advice: Because of its abundance of blooms, regular fertilizing is the key to success.…

1 Cape Blanco stonecrop SEDUM SPATHULIFOLIUM, ZONES 5 TO 9 Cape Blanco’s luminous, silver-blue foliage lights up any combination in the garden or container arrangements. This is a cultivar of a native species, offering up tiny yellow flowers in summer. As a ground cover, it’ll stretch up to 2 feet. Why we love it: Truly a standout with its coloration, the shimmery leaves can play checkers in a landscape with black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’). 2 Petite Bicolor crassula CRASSULA, ZONES 9 TO 11 With the tiniest of leaves, this charming option shines in a mixed container or on its own. Move it indoors in winter and grow as a houseplant where not hardy. Watch for bees and butterflies to stop by in droves during summer and early fall when…

This male indigo bunting sang from a sunflower at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area near Poolesville, Maryland. I love this photograph because of the brilliant colors, especially the rich contrast between the blue, yellow and green, and the sharp detail of this beautiful bird. James Stone BURKE, VA I braved 101-degree heat on a summer day in search of giant sunflowers in Ennis, Texas, where I had seen them years ago. A homeowner allowed me in her fields and said I was lucky to have come in time—the flowers were being harvested the following week. It wasn’t long until a gorgeous male painted bunting landed on a sunflower! He was perfect, singing away, seemingly unfazed by the heat. I was thrilled! Clarissa Elizondo EULESS, TX A pair of Baltimore orioles nested…

Males and females of many bird species display different traits and behaviors, and this is especially true for hummingbirds. According to Peter Pyle, staff biologist at The Institute for Bird Populations, the real difference between adult male and female hummingbirds is in the head and neck feathers. Females do not have full bright gorgets as the males do. Instead, in most species, they sport white throats that are sometimes spotted with dull gray-brown dots, and perhaps a small patch of iridescent feathers, depending on the species. They also tend to have slightly less-vibrant back and wing feathers. Reason to Shine Male hummingbirds have showier feathers for one reason: to attract potential mates. “It’s all for display purposes,” Peter says. He notes that they have an impressive trick to get the…

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 June/July issue, we hid it on page 25. 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 July 6, 2023, and ends on Sept. 13, 2023. 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:…

Jays are a familiar sight across much of the United States and Canada, with 10 jay species spread across the continent. These corvids are all visually striking in their own way, but perhaps none so much as the green jay, a tropical bird found in just one corner of the U.S. Travel Required To see this unique flier in the U.S., you’ll have to travel to southern Texas, which is the very northern edge of the green jay’s range. Green jays are also found in parts of Mexico and northern Central America, with a second population in South America—however, some think those birds, living almost 900 miles away, are an entirely different species because they are larger and live in different habitats. Frequent Hangouts Where they live in south Texas,…

Pizzas come in all shapes, colors and flavors! But the basics are usually the same: crust, sauce, cheese and toppings. As a gardener, you can grow many of the ingredients for your sauce and toppings right outside your back (or front) door. SAUCE Roma Tomato Great pizza sauce starts with delicious Roma tomatoes. Early Resilience is a rounded Roma with a deep red interior color, uniform maturity and good-quality flesh for cooking, which is great for a pizza sauce. This variety produces determinate, bushy plants that are resistant to blossom end rot, giving you a large yield and less fruit loss. Oregano Cleopatra oregano’s foliage makes this herb one worth appreciating for both its ornamental value and flavor. Unlike most Greek and Italian oreganos, it has a mildly spicy, pepperminty…

2022 GRAND PRIZE WINNER: WATER LILIES Christopher Baker MADISON, AL WIN $1,000! Send us your favorite shots for a chance to score the top prize. GRAB YOUR CAMERA AND GET OUTSIDE, because it’s time for the annual Birds & Blooms Photo Contest. Send us your best photo in one (or each) of our three categories—birds, butterflies and blooms—for your chance to win the $1,000 grand prize. Enter by Sept. 1! You’ll see the 12 finalists in the December/January issue and at birdsandblooms.com/contests, where you can vote for your favorites in each category. ENTER TODAY! It’s easier than ever to submit your photos! Go to birdsandblooms.com/contests for the official rules and entry details or hover your phone’s camera here.…

1 Milkweed is the one and only host plant for monarchs, which prefer local, native varieties. 2 Though monarchs are the most well known, two other orange-and-black butterflies in the U.S. use milkweed as a host plant: queens and soldiers. 24 Prostrate milkweed (A. prostrata) is endangered, with only 24 populations remaining in South Texas and northern Mexico. 140 More than 140 species of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) are found in nature. 48 The lower 48 states (and nine Canadian provinces) all have native milkweed species to choose from. 5 Milkweed flowers typically have five downward-facing petals, and an upward-facing corona made up of five hoods. 40 The floss from two bags of ripe milkweed pods (40 lbs. total) could fill one life jacket for World War II sailors. BIRDS & BLOOMS (ISSN 1084-5305) (USPS…