August 14, 2009 - 1
The action at the bird feeders is sometimes a bit slow during this time of year. With so many natural foods to choose from, it's no wonder that many of the backyard birds seem to be otherwise occupied. Peanuts and sunflower are still big sellers, so to speak, but thistle seed use has dropped so much that it seems like I can't give it away. Referred to as black gold, thistle seed is usually highly valued by the backyard finches and the feeders often require filling each day. Meanwhile, evening primrose is in bloom this week. A delicate and lovely wildflower, its petals can be seen to close in the heat of the day, as protection from the elements. The velveltleaf, AKA pie-maker, is also blooming in the planters where last year's seeds were planted during the spring. Its a good thing I put some seeds in the planters this year since the local deer population ended up consuming the few plants that grew wild near the feeders. Velvetleaf is also known as pie-maker because of the crimped edges on its seed pods.Backyard Tip of the week:
See if you can find any cool looking wildflowers in your backyard or favorite nature spot. Its easy to figure out what they are by searching the internet and using any particular features of the plant as the key words in your search. Many species of wildflowers have medical benefits so who knows, maybe you'll find the next great health cure right in your backyard. Well, maybe not, but you'll probably have fun just the same. Try it, you're sure to love it!
Backyard sightings for last week:
Including blue-jays, northern cardinals, brown creepers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, song sparrows, tree sparrows, American robins, Carolina wrens, Carolina chickadees. Catbirds, bluebirds, mockingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds, house finches, goldfinches. Red-bellied and downy woodpeckers. Northern flickers, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice, mourning doves, crows, starlings, grackles, red-winged blackbirds, grey squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, bunnies, a ground-hog, a bull-frog and a toad. Some deer, a few hummingbird moths, still a bunch of fireflies and plenty of butterflies.
Continued on next page...
August 14, 2009 Part 2 - Cool Sightings
© 2009 BackyardTV.com