Backyard Wildlife Habitats

I have 6 different birdbaths in my yard - and only 1 of them is used regularly.  The one that they use is a pedestal birdbath in the front yard.  I have a number of shorter birdbaths, and even a hanging birdbath, and I never see any birds using them.

Right now, it is pouring down rain outside and I can see FOUR robins, in different puddles, taking baths.  Do they just prefer the mudpuddles, or are my birdbaths not right?  I wonder if it’s the size & shape of them, or the location? 

I’m going to try moving the hanging birdbath away from some other flowers and shrubs - I’ll put it in the middle of the vegetable garden that we just cleared out.  Then, I can see if they’d rather be out in the open, or just don’t like that birdbath. 

I recently read that birdbaths should have water NO deeper than 2 inches - this may be my problem for one of my birdbaths, but the others are all shallow.  I’ll let you know if I have any success moving them.

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SC Wildlife Fed. Field Trip: 

Biodiversity Study In The Clemson Forest 

Saturday, October 11, 2008
 
 9:00am to mid-afternoon

The 17,500 acrea Clemson Forest is an important natural area of the upper piedmont.   Over recent years it has been featured in our Out of Doors newsletter, and has ben the subject of several of our conservation awards. This outing will provide a good overview of the Forest and ots biodiversity.  Our guides John Garton and Skip Still will take us on trails through hardwood stands, along creeks, and beside wetlands.  In route, we will look at wildflowers, various species of trees, and all the critters we can find, from birds to salamanders.  Biologists from the SC Dept Natural Resources will sample sections of a stream with electro-fishing equipment, which will allow us to capture and identify some of the 26 species of fish known from the creeks on the forest.    Only  $10.00 per person.  Bring your own lunch/drinks and we will have a picnic in the woods.   

You must be a member of SCWF to participate, but you can join at the same time as you register!  Click here for a registration form.

Simply fill in the form and fax to (803) 256-0690.  We’ll get you all signed up.  Hope to see you there!!  

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The SC Wildlife Federation is co-hosting a great event this Saturday - the Outdoor Family Adventure event in celebration of National Hunting & Fishing Day. 

Wouldn’t it be great if you could learn about fly tying, bass fishing, archery, or hunting safety in the same day, and in the same place—for free?  Well all of this, and much more, is possible at the Outdoor Family Adventure in Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day event planned for Saturday, October 4, 2008 IN TWO LOCATIONS!  The Cohen Campbell Fisheries Center in West Columbia and at Duke World of Energy in Seneca.

National Hunting and Fishing Day is a day for Americans to celebrate their outdoor heritage and participate in wildlife-related outdoor activities. DNR and SCWF always plan this educational event that offers “hands-on” outdoor learning opportunities for every age group, outdoor-oriented people and urbanites alike. From the novice to the experienced angler or outdoor enthusiast, NH&F day will offer activities that the whole family will enjoy.

Check out our website for more details and directions!

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We just received word from the National Wildlife Federation that we have passed the 5000 mark in the number of certified wildlife habitats in SC!  This is great news! 

Our success is largely due to the great ongoing support of our partners - especially the Garden Clubs of South Carolina and our four Community Wildlife Habitats in SC (certified or registered). 

There are only a few other states who have passed the 5000 mark - Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas.  For many years, SC has been number one in the nation in the number of certified wildlife habitats per capita - I need to do some math to see if we still hold that distinction!  Stay tuned….

In the meantime - is your yard certified yet?  If not, certify today and help us to stay in the lead nationwide!  You can either get certified online, or you can print an application from our website and mail it in.  Visit the SCWF website for details on both options.

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Well, I have 3 bluebirds flitting around my yard - 2 very bright, and one very drab.  They’re going in and out of the bluebird house, sitting on top of my platform feeder….???  What are they doing?  Surely it’s too late to build a nest, right?  I’ll have to look it up.  Anybody else have late nests?

I saw one of the males hopping along the ground after a grasshopper.  The grasshopper would hop away, and then the bluebird hopped after it, pecked at it, etc.  I wasn’t sure if the grasshopper was just putting up that good of a fight, or if the bluebird just wasn’t used to something that big.  Then, a cardinal swooped down from the bird feeder and grabbed the grasshopper and flew up into a tree.  The bluebird chased him, but I couldn’t see the result.  I imagine the cardinal won. 

So, maybe there’s just an abundance of some insects that the bluebirds are looking for in my yard right now.  Hmmm, and I’m out of mealworms.  Wonder if I should go buy more now?  I’m afraid that I’d buy them and the bluebirds would leave, and I’d be stuck with a container of mealworms.  Maybe someone else would eat them.  So, I’ll probably go buy some mealworms.

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I love having my black-eyed susans, and I’m trying to make more.  I’d love to have lots of them under the maple tree out front.  So, last year, when the flowers were done, I’ve collected the seed heads.  Last spring, I scattered the seeds in areas where I wanted the flowers, kept them watered regularly, and….nothing.  Not one of them sprouted!  So, I’m trying a different method this year. 

I’ve collected the seed heads from most of my plants already.  Right now I have them in a five-gallon bucket (no, it’s not full).   Anyway, I do have one healthy plant that I want to move, and one plant that’s a little TOO healthy that I can divide.  So, I’m going to try to move those plants to the desired locations under the maple tree, and spread the seeds around those NOW.  I figure, the mature plants spread their seeds in the fall, so it must be the time to do it. 

We’ll see if this method works better.  Let me know if you have a tried-and-true method that you’ve used!

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I wrote another post recently about the story behind my angel trumpet plants, and how big they were getting.  I just have to show them off.  Check out these pictures!  I had to get a pic of me in there for some perspective - that’s my angel baby’s plant behind me - and I’m 5 feet 11 inches  (my “baby” Lauren in my arms - she’s 2).  My mom thinks I should move this one, because it’s right next to the pathway, but I would hate to damage it!  I think I’d rather move the pathway! 

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We were wondering where the caterpillars were…well, I’ve found some!  I’ve got monarch caterpillars in my yard, and my mom has black swallowtail caterpillars in her yard.  My 4-year-old loves checking our milkweed plants daily for more baby caterpillars.  We also found a monarch caterpillar on my coreopsis plant, hanging upside down in a “J” shape - which means he was getting ready to form his chrysalis.  So, she saw him hanging there, then later that evening, we went out and saw the chrysalis!  She already understands that he’s turning into a butterfly inside there!  And, she can clearly pronouce “chrysalis”.  I’m so proud!  I might try to capture some to take into her preschool class.  We’ll see how that goes! 

Can you find the chrysalis? 

Here’s one of Mom’s Black Swallowtail Caterpillars: 

And another shot of Black Swallowtail caterpillars from Heidi Johnson of Keep the Midlands Beautiful:

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Well, I am extremely disappointed, but we’ve decided to postpone the Women’s Outdoor Recreation Retreat that was scheduled for this weekend because of Hanna.  Even if it doesn’t head directly for Camp Bob Cooper, we’ll lose a number of our instructors and volunteers as they need to respond to a possible emergency situation anywhere in the state.  The sailboats are already stowed for the duration of the storm, so we wouldn’t have been able to sail. 

Hanna will probably not cause too much trouble for SC, but I guess when you’re responsible for 160 women who are counting on you to keep them safe, teach them about outdoor recreation, and provide them with a memorable weekend experience, it’s better to be safe than sorry!  Sorry ladies!

Stay tuned to www.scwf.org for details about the rescheduled retreat - spring ‘09.

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I know we need the rain, but this is a little ridiculous!  We had so much rain in the last couple of days that it washed pinestraw and mulch out of our flower beds and deposited it all over the yard, and some of it washed into a culvert in the back corner of the yard.  The grass looks great, but there’s pinestraw everywhere!  Guess I have some yard work to do!

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