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The Big Move is Over... Articles to Follow
Well, the husband, 7-week old, dog, and myself have settled in to our new digs.
It's been stressful to say the least -- I was in Internet withdrawal for a couple of weeks.
What's more, I ran out of scheduled posts for ya'll. I'll be working on some new articles shortly.
Here are some future topics:
- A series on discouraging unwanted pigeons, yellowjackets, racoons, snakes, and more
- Hummingbirds vs. Bees at Your Feeders
- A Quick Start to Container Wildlife Gardening
- 5 Dwarf Bushes for Wildlife
- Stings, Bites, and Misconceptions: Dragonflies, Bees, and Other Insects
- Thistle Seed, aka Nyjer Seed, aka Nyger Seed
- Chipmunk Basics
- How to Attract Toads
- Nut Feeders
- The Basics of Balcony Wildlife
Got Mosquitoes? How to Discourage and Destroy the Pesky Mosquito
Mosquitoes driving you nuts? Here are a few tips on how to deter and kill mosquitoes.
Common Woodpeckers in North America
Downy Woodpecker Wolfgang Wander, GFDL
The U.S. has 22 species of woodpecker's, according to Sibley's. All have chisel-like bills and stiff tails and are generally found in wooded areas.
5 Steps to Prepare Your Wildlife Space If You're Going to Be Busy
Is your life about to become very busy? Wondering how you're going to keep your small outdoor space for wildlife going?
Do Caged Bird Feeders Really Work?
Young Squirrel on Caged Feeder
Leshoward, some rights reserved
Are you fighting to keep squirrels or larger birds like grackles and starlings away from your feeders?
Are you wondering if caged feeders are worth the money?
Where to Find Woodpecker Birdhouses and Plans
Northern Flicker Natures Pic's
Without large trees around, attracting woodpeckers to a birdhouse may be problematic. Some kinds of woodpecker will only nest in large trees.
However, if you want to encourage woodpeckers to nest, the kind of nest box you should provide depends on what kind of woodpecker you're trying to attract. Here are a few products and plans:
It's a Boy!
On a personal note, I gave birth to a 7 1/2 pound baby boy last week. He is our first child, and we are very excited, albeit sleep-deprived!
Thanks for hanging in there and reading this blog.
The presentation provides an overview of the importance, life history, and conservation of crop-pollinating native bees. Also included is information on the great things the NRCS is doing for pollinator conservation in the U.S.
7 Reasons You Don't Want Squirrels in Your Home
Squirrels inside your house can be more than a nuisance. Here's some reasons why:
Zinnias are Flowers with Wildlife Attraction Power
Monarch on Pink Zinnia
Derek Ramsey, GFDL
Zinnia, a genus of 20 species, can easily be started from seed or bought from a local garden center. They flower easily and work well in containers. The most common species of zinnia attract bees and butterflies via the flower and wild birds via the seed heads.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers up a clear, short, detailed article on attracting wildlife to small spaces.
This pamphlet is designed to give you ideas on how to turn your porch, deck or window into a wildlife garden, with helpful hints on how to arrange food, water and shelter elements of habitat for wildlife in small spaces. Songbirds, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and moths comprise the majority of wildlife species that will visit a porch, deck or window wildscape.
From National Geographic:
This summer scientists hope to finally crack the case of the mysterious ailment afflicting bats in the U.S. Northeast—before time runs out for the animals and the local environment.
Want to know why bats are important? See Attracting Helpful Bats Good for the Environment, You, and the Bats.
Keep Squirrels Away from Your House
Have a problem with squirrels invading your home?
Whether they are living in your walls, attic, or other space, you can try the following solutions to the problem:
Scientists are seeking to determine why honeybees and bumblebees are dying off in the United States and in other countries, and the new study indicates that emissions from power plants and automobiles may play a part in the insects' demise.
How to Attract Fascinating Woodpeckers
Red-headed Woodpecker
Mdf, GFDL
Want to attract woodpeckers to your wildlife porch, patio, deck, or balcony?
If a species of woodpecker is in your area, the easiest way to attract is to provide their preferred food in certain feeders.
The Struggle to Blog: Upcoming Blog and Personal Changes
On a personal note --
I started this blog after some radical life changes last summer (I married, quit my job, moved two states away, sold the old house, and became pregnant).
My hopes were to stick with several articles a week for the blog, but I may have to downgrade my posting frequency yet again for this summer.
The baby is due anytime in the next few weeks, and we move into our own home at the end of June
I'm going to try to stack up several feature articles to take care of you, my reader, while I'm fighting sleep deprivation and changing diapers.
Hang in there! I'll be back full-force as soon as life allows.
Profiling the Flashy and Fascinating Cardinal
Male Northern Cardinal (WikiMedia)
Are you fortunate enough to live in an area where you see cardinals?
Are you interested in trying to attract cardinals to your porch, patio, deck, balcony, or other small outdoor space?
A link to Cornell's information on the Northern Cardinal.
Another field guide entry on the Northern Cardinal. It includes audio of the cardinal's voice, as well as audio for similar-sounding species.
Cardinals belong to a group of birds called "grosbeaks", meaning that they have a thick bill especially adapted for cracking open and eating seeds
Cornell's All About Birds profile on the cardinal that lives near the Mexican border.
I'm Back! Stay tuned for more articles and links
Well, I'm recovering and ready to start writing again. I'll try to have my Friday feature ready to go at the usual time, and it will definitely be done by Friday COB regardless.
Thanks for hanging in there!
If you're missing today's post -- I'm taking a sick day
A little under the weather folks -- see you tomorrow!
Book Review: Attracting Butterflies and Hummingbirds to Your Backyard
Sally Roth's book, Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard
Summary
Sally Roth covers not only nectar, water, and other butterfly edibles, but also plants -- host plants, nectar plants, and garden design.
She also offers a look not only into the behavior of hummingbirds and butterflies, but a very useful gallery of the common butterflies and hummingbirds in the United States.
Sprinkled through the pages are gorgeous pictures, useful sidebars of top 10 plants and tidbits, and instructions for small projects.
3 Great Deals on Plants to Attract Wildlife Simply and Inexpensively to Your Patio, Deck, or Balcony
Once a month I like to try to find a few quality products on sale. I search places like Duncraft.com or Wayside Gardens so you won't have to.
This month, it's plants on sale. Two of three attract butterflies, and the lovely columbine attracts hummingbirds.
Stuck Growing Wildlife Plants in a Small Outdoor Space? Try One of These 8 Forums
Trying solve a problem about gardening on a porch, patio, deck, balcony, or other small outdoor space?
What is Safflower Seed and What Kind of Wild Birds Does Safflower Attract?
Safflower (WikiMedia)
Ever wonder what safflower seed is?
Or what kind of wild birds it will attract or discourage from your feeders?
Site Roundup: Top 3 Free Plant Databases
Want to identify a plant? Find out where it grows? Determine what kind of growing conditions it needs?
This week's roundup may help. I'm covering the top 3 free plant databases.
Want to know more about a particular plant? Its distribution? What it looks like?
Look it up in this plant database.
HortiPlex is part of the vast, highly active GardenWeb. Entry quality varies and is based on user remarks, photos, and ratings.
Want to know more about a particular plant? Its distribution? What it looks like?
Look it up in this plant database.
