Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy

This is an excerpt from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Book series, “Bird Gardens.”  I came across it through the National Wildlife Federation’s Habitat Steward Program and it’s such a nice succinct checklist that I wanted to share it with you. I’ll also add my own commentary in brackets next to each tip, I just can’t resist.

As we head into spring, this is a great time to run through this checklist – both to refresh existing backyard habitat elements that you already have and to consider new ones for the coming year:

• Re-create the multiple layers of plant growth found in natural areas. [Take a look around your neighborhood where development has not yet occurred and see what the original habitat looked like and included. This will give ideas for creating what our native species need to thrive]

• Select plants to provide nutritional foods during different seasons. [Thinking through each season is important – whether it’s flowers from March through October or fruits from summer through winter, take a look at what your plantings offer different species through the year]

• Plant shrubs and small trees in same-species clumps for adequate pollination of fruits. [This is especially important for holly plants and others that require a male and female plant]

• Provide at least one clump of evergreens. [With the winter snows we got this year, you can see how important evergreens can be. They provide a nice shelter for wildlife during harsh weather. Additionally, they provide nice nesting sites for birds that can be well hidden]

• Leave dead trees, standing or fallen, to provide nesting and foraging sites. Consider topping dead trees rather than removing the whole tree if safety is an issue. [Snags play such an important role in our ecosystem. The insects that work to decompose them provide great food for various birds and they provide the right sort of wood for woodpeckers to make cavities that are used both by them and secondary users for nest sites]

• Leave vines, or plant native additions. [Vines like the Virginia Creeper, Trumpet Vine and yes, even Poison Ivy, provide great food sources for birds through the fall migration]

• Limit the size of your lawn for less mowing, less fertilizing, less watering, and less pollution. [Lawns have an interesting history in our culture and I’ll do a whole blog post on that at some point but for now, just a note that lawns are actually a wasteland when it comes to wildlife benefit and in fact because of all the things we do to make them look as they “should,” we pollute our environment and waste water]

• Avoid invasive exotic (non-native) plants. [Plants and animals evolve together and the introduction of non-natives impacts that web of life]

• Supply a source of water – dripping or running water is a better attractant than still water. [Bird baths and backyard ponds are wonderful features – the sound of running water is irresistible to many animals because it sounds so fresh and good]

• Provide and monitor nest boxes of various types. [This is a great way to learn more about our resident birds as you get to watch them use the habitat around them in raising their brood]

• Leave some leaf litter on the ground. [Leaf litter is excellent – both for overwintering butterflies and other insects that need to get through the winter. In addition, as leaves decompose they provide rich nutrients that enrich the soil and make a healthier habitat in general. Birds will forage through leaf litter in search for food]

• Stop using pesticides in your yard. [Pesticides disrupt the balance in nature, harm other animals and get into our groundwater]

• Use only organic, slow release fertilizers, preferably your own compost, if needed. [Similar to pesticides, fertilizers do far more harm than good – leaf litter and other natural compost is the best remedy if you need to fertilize]

Restoring habitat in our backyard is a great way to draw in wildlife and get to learn more about them. I saved a pdf version of this checklist here so you can download it and use it: Checklist for Creating a Bird Friendly Yard.

You can also find more resources for backyard gardening and creating backyard wildlife habitat on our Habitat Restoration page of the website.

Mona Miller, the “Butterfly Lady”, just sent over her secret recipe for attracting butterflies and it’s the perfect time to give it a try! This time of year, Mourning Cloaks, Question Marks and Commas can often be seen. They overwintered as adults in the leaf litter and will be out looking for some sweets to nectar on as well as some sunshine to warm their bodies.

So to make this special blend, you’ll need:
- A ripe banana
- A swig of dark rum
- A spoonful of Molasses

Simply mix the ingredients together and put it out on a plate or other flat surface in the sun so the butterflies can get to it. You may need to take it in at night so raccoons and other animals don’t get into it.

Mona writes, “Viceroys, Admirals, Question Marks, Commas, Hackberry, Red Spotted Purples, Wood Nymphs are the butterflies that I have seen butterfly bar hopping.”

Nature lovers entering grades three through seven will not want to miss our Natural History Day Camps (June 28-July 2 and July 12-16) taking place at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve again this summer. 

Campers will explore the woods, fields, and water of the preserve and learn about the plants and animals that live there.  The camps will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. 

Banshee Reeks is located five miles south of Leesburg off Route 15.   The cost will be only $130 per week, and space is limited.  For a quick look at last year’s camp, here’s the link from Nature Camp 2009.

Staff leading the camp are Phil Daley as Director/Naturalist; Paul Miller as Assistant Director, and Ellie Daley as Special Activities coordinator. Our summer intern will again support the camp as well.

These two fun-filled weeks in the outdoors is sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Piedmont Environmental Council, Loudoun County Parks and Recreation, and Friends of Banshee Reeks.

For more information contact LWC’s Phil Daley at 540-338-6528 or pedaley@verizon.net.  More details will be provided in the next issue of the Habitat Herald and on our website on the Natural History Day Camp page.

No, I’m not talking about the pulls you get in sweaters or problems that crop up in your plans….no no, this is a snag of a different type…… A good kind of snag is a dead tree that’s been left standing.  I’m not sure where that term came from, but I first learned about snags when I took the National Wildlife Federation’s Habitat Steward class and picked up a flyer that simply said “There’s Life in Dead Trees.”

So what’s so great about a dead tree? Well nearly every aspect of that tree, as it goes through the different stages of decay, is used by someone for something. They’re a critical part of a healthy ecosystem. Here are just a few ways that wildlife use dead trees: 

Hollow cavities serve as homes for flying squirrels, raccoons, wood ducks and even grey tree frogs. And let’s not forget about Chimney Swifts – before we started “cleaning up” our neighborhoods and habitat, Chimney Swifts used huge old hollowed out trees for their roosts.  They only shifted to Chimneys when their natural tree homes ran out.

Woodpeckers are another big user of dead trees. They make holes more easily in them and create nesting sites that, after they’re done with them, are used by secondary cavity nesters like Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Tufted Titmice and Screech Owls.

Insects working to decompose the wood provide food for woodpeckers, brown creepers and other birds that forage for insects in bark.

Bats, like the Silver-haired bat, roost under loose bark to rest through the night.

Dead trees that have fallen to the ground are called “nurse logs” which help young seedling trees and other plants take hold as they start to grow.

According to a paper written by the National Wildlife Federation, “the removal of dead material from forests can mean a loss of habitat for up to one-fifth of the animals in the ecosystem.” So, we should let our dead trees stand.

I love the dead trees in our yard – they are an absolute magnet for wildlife, great and small. And it’s so much fun to keep an eye on what happens with them through the years. We have an old Sassafras tree in our backyard that died a few years ago. First, I saw tunneling around part of the base. Now I’m seeing all sorts of woodpecker holes. As cavities are made, I look forward to seeing more and more animals use them for nesting and refuge.

Bill and Betty Ebert had this story play out at their feeder in Leesburg this week.  I thought it would be fun to share it with you here. You can click on the photos to see them larger:

The Red-bellied Woodpecker had already staked claim to the feeder area but a Starling decided to give it a go anyway…. “Hey! Get away from my seeds!” (the Red-bellied seemed to say) Ultimately, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker was victorious.

So with all this snow, I got to thinking about signs of the seasons (I also got thinking about the snow storm of ‘78 when I was a kid up in MA and the fun we had making tunnels! but that would be another blog topic all together).

In addition to snow, of course, there are other elements in nature that are winter through and through and when we think of them we may be brought back to some memory from younger days or think of some activity in anticipation.

So, I decided to make a list of things that make me think of winter and thought I’d share some of them here with you:

- Dark-eyed Juncos with those charcoal eyes and pink beaks
- White-throated sparrows calling “oh sweet Peabody, Peabody, Peabody”
- White-crowned sparrows so regal
- Wildlife tracks that I can clearly follow through a woods in snow
- Icicles forming on eaves
- Structures of trees without leaves
- Leaf buds on tree branches closed up tightly
- Crisp clear night skies with piercing stars
- Birds of prey hunting over farm fields and meadows and more easily seen in trees
- Leaves as insulation
- Roosting, flocking, sleeping in

What are some of the things that jump out for you in winter?

I received an email the other day from a woman asking about a resource that would match up local birds to bird houses and plans for making them. She was looking for something to be able to do with her children so that they could learn about nature and wildlife while providing nesting sites for birds.

This is a really fun topic, not only because it’s fun to set up a new bird house and see the life stories that play out but also because it gives us a chance to look at the world from that bird’s viewpoint and consider the habitat and the features around us that will attract certain birds versus others. It makes us ask questions like: is this a safe spot to raise my young? will it be warm enough or too hot? where will the babies fly to for their first flight from the box? is there food and water around?

But I’m getting ahead of myself…. in terms of books that are great for bird houses and plans, there are two that I’ve found that are particularly good. The first is called Woodworking for Wildlife: Homes for Birds and Mammals. It was put together by Carrol Henderson and published through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.  I like this book the most because it is organized by bird or mammal (versus by type of house). 

So, for example, there’s a chapter on Eastern Phoebes and in that chapter the author provides and summary of the types of food the bird eats (e.g. insects, berries or seeds), the type of habitat it prefers, places that they like to build their nests and other specifics like the sound of its call and identifying marks. There are also full color photos throughout the book that include pictures of nests, eggs and fledglings.  Then, at the back of the book they have all the plans and instructions for building the nestboxes and platforms and the specific birds that will use each design are listed.

I’ve used this book to make all sorts of houses from woodpecker houses to screech owl houses and of course bluebird nestboxes. It’s really well done. Almost all the birds listed in this book are native to our area as well so it’s a great resource.

The second book that I’ve found on this is called Birdhouses and Feeders You Can Make, by Paul Gerhards. This book is primarily a book of plans and indeed it too has houses for birds that are local to Loudoun. There’s a table in the front that lists the different bird species and their particular needs and then for each plan they list which bird uses the box or platform type.  The nice thing about this book is that it also has feeder plans so you can get into building those too if you want.

These are fun activities to do over the winter. Best time to have your nest boxes up is by the first week of March or so, so that the birds will find them just as they’re starting to nest. Something to keep in mind is putting up predator guards as well (such as stovepipe guards to keep raccoons and snakes out as well as noel guards).

If you have bird houses or plans you’d like to share please let us know and we’ll post pictures and plans here. Also, I’m going to start doing some posts on general info on our local Loudoun birds and appropriate houses for them so stay tuned for that too.

I first discovered mealworms when I discovered Bluebirds. It was 1999 and I had just moved to Loudoun. I remember the day pretty well – it was a January day with a chill in the air. I was filled with excitement for all the new birds I was learning, right here in our yard and then I saw this flash of blue flutter to a limb. I ran through the house, binoculars and Peterson’s field guide in hand, going from window to window to get a glimpse. That was my first bluebird!

I then started researching it to find out what they eat, what habitat they prefer, what their calls sounded like and all of that. One article I read talked about feeding bluebirds mealworms to attract them. So, looking for some instant gratification to be able to see this bird again, I went to a pet store in Leesburg where they sell mealworms and bought a cup. I also picked up a small acrylic bird feeder, the kind you stick to the window, so I could put the mealworms in it and get good views of the bluebirds.

It worked! I had not only Bluebirds but also nuthatches, chickadees, tufted titmice, and even red-bellied woodpeckers coming for a snack. It was great.

I no longer go to the pet store for mealworms. I now order them online in larger quantities – it’s far cheaper in the long run that way, but it was nice to be able to try it out with small amounts first.

There’s not much involved in caring for mealworms but here are a few tips.

- If you buy them online (e.g Grubco or Nature’s Wayor other places) in large amounts, have a container ready for when they arrive. When I buy them from Grubco they generally arrive in a muslin sack with newspaper and all you need to do is shake them off of the newspaper into your container and you’re set.

- You need to feed your mealworms and oatmeal is great for them. They also need a source of water so just cut up some potatoes, carrots or apples and they’ll be happy.

- It’s also good to keep them cool so they don’t metamorphose into beetles too quickly. Some people raise their own mealworms and there’s all sorts of information on that but I haven’t done it myself. Here’s a YouTube video that shows how to raise them if you want to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c82fInUdLJ8 

That’s about all there is to caring for mealworms. Now, here are a few tips on feeders and feeding them to the birds:

- If you have starlings in your yard, you may want to take precautions to keep them away from the mealworms.  They will fly in as a flock and within seconds gobble up everything you’ve put out.

I use a couple of types of feeders, one looks like a cage with the holes in the metal big enough for Bluebirds and smaller birds like chickadees, wrens, titmice and nuthatches to easily get through but not big enough for starlings to get in. The birds seem to like this one as they can easily fly in and out.

Another type I have is the acrylic one that sticks to the window. That’s fun for up close viewing but I only put a small amount of mealworms in there at a time. The woodpeckers will come to this one which is fun to watch as well as mockingbirds and jays. The third type is an acrylic one that hangs and has a roof to it. You can lower the roof so that bigger birds can’t get in.

A type that I have seen but not used is one that is all enclosed. It has a hole on each end and acrylic sides so you can see the birds. I haven’t used this type because I’m concerned that a bird may get trapped inside, and feeling stressed not remember how to get out, so I’ve leaned towards the open style feeders.

- In terms of when to feed birds mealworms…It can be year round. They definitely appreciate them during the winter when food is more scarce but also during the spring and summer they may come to pick up some food for their fledglings.

The North American Bluebird Society also has a page dedicated to mealworms and you’ll find that here: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/mealworms.htm

Water is a huge attraction for birds and other wildlife any time of the year but it is especially so during the winter. Having a shallow dish (max depth of 2 1/2 inches) with fresh water provides birds with the fluids they need to metabolize the nutritious seeds and other foods they’re gobbling up throughout the day. It also enables them to preen and clean their feathers which keep them insulated and warm as well as ready for flight.

During our snowstorm in December and the really cold weather we’ve had the last few weeks, the birds were particularly thankful for this fresh water, with all sorts of different species dropping in. The Bluebirds seemed to especially enjoy it and just last week we had six of them here at once enjoying the fresh water.

Throughout these chilly months, the birdbath I use has a thermostat and heater built in so it turns on when the temperature drops down below 40 degrees and turns off when the temperature rises. You can see in the photo here the plug where I plug it in. In the summer, I just remove the cord. There are also heaters that you can get to put in your birdbath just for winter.

Keeping the water clean is also important. Bird droppings will get in there throughout the day. At our house, we also have raccoons that come in the night to wash their paws in the birdbath. Their paws are always so muddy… oh what do they get into? So, I have it as part of my morning routine when I fill the platform feeder with seeds, to also head out with my brush and watering bucket to clean and fill the birdbath.

In terms of placement of a birdbath, it’s best to locate it within a few feet of some trees or other vegetation so the birds have some protection both from the elements and from predators.

Keep an eye on those birdbaths for interesting birds – we’ve had reports of hawks and owls coming in for a drink now and then as well as the songbirds.

One of the things I love to do when I go for a nature walk is to look for the “stories” of the wildlife that live in the area that I’m walking through. I’ll confess, it often takes me a long time to walk a short distance because there’s so much to investigate, so many “clues” to see!

This time of year can be especially fun for looking for wildlife tracks and signs – there’s mud or snow to look for tracks and trees and shrubs are mostly bare making it easier to see signs.

So head on out and look for some tracks….perhaps some bird prints in the snow or a mammal track?

Ask yourself some questions…how big are the tracks, what direction are they going in? what would have brought that animal to this spot? Is there food or water nearby? If it’s a mammal track, can you tell if they were just passing through or did they dally there awhile?

You can also look for other signs – perhaps there’s some scat nearby or some feathers or fur or some chewed twigs and or a nest or burrow? Are there shells from nuts or seeds?

The stories will come together as you pull together these great clues, and you may even see the animals as you look for the clues. The other day, I was out taking a stroll and was quietly taking a photo of the deer print above when I heard a commotion coming towards me. A herd of about 9 deer was coming my way…

I was just as surprised to see them as they were to see me so I stood still as they passed by, resisting my urge to get a great leaping deer shot. I then came across a network of trails through the snow, smaller than a deer would make, that leads down a bank to a stream. My guess here is that raccoons and maybe opossums are using this trail. I’ll watch for more tracks and signs.

You can see more wildlife scat, tracks and signs photos from this nature walk on our Loudoun Wildlife Facebook page.

If you enjoy wildlife tracking, there are some great resources that you can use to make your identifications. One really handy book that’s small enough to take on a walk is Animal Tracks of Maryland, Delaware & Virginia by Tamara Eder. It also has a fun running rabbit drawing at the bottom of each page that moves when you flip the pages quickly as well as a ruler on the back cover for measuring the tracks. There’s no scat in this book though. The best overall resource for both scat and tracks is Mammal Tracks and Signby Mark Elbroch – complete with color photos.

You can also come along on our general nature walks. Our field trip leaders are great at helping identify tracks and signs. Check our Programs and Field Trips calendar for upcoming walks.