June 5, 2006

In This Issue
	Make Your Yard Helpful To Wildlife *Poison Ivy's Itch Rises With Bad Air* Top 10 Ways to Help Nesting Birds *Go Native When Landscaping* Wildlife Photo of the Week *Lastest Messages From American Wildlife Blog*

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Dear Tom,

"A WREN In my backyard is killing bluebird and Tree Swallow nestlings. What can I do to help protect these birds?" says a reader in the latest issue of BirdWire. The editor replies "we recommend two strategies. First, move the Tree Swallow and bluebird boxes into an open clearing (near the center of your yard, for example). Next, place the wrens' favorite shelter in edge habitat. A wren rarely ventures into open spaces to challenge other birds for housing, especially if adequate shelter is readily available in its preferred habitat." Great advice! We hope you enjoy this issue of the Weekly and visit our web site and the American Wildlife Blog.

Make Your Yard Helpful To Wildlife

By Celeste Baumgartner "THERE'S NO PLACE like home,” as Dorothy said. With the price of gas, that is especially true this summer. It’s a good time to get comfortable on the porch. (Backyard habitat by Leisa's Images) Consider enhancing your yard while helping wildlife. Bird feeders, bird baths, fountains, all give you more to watch and listen to as you stroll the grounds. One of the best ways to add wildlife value is by using plants that will add color and interest and have birds, butterflies and dragonflies dancing through your yard. I enjoy seeing the critters flit about our “meadow,” a large patch of unmown lawn. Queen Ann’s lace, chicory, and ironweed bloom among the tall grasses. Monarch Butterflies lay their eggs and the larva feed on the milkweed that grows there. If you live in a... Read On

*Poison Ivy's Itch Rises With Bad Air*

By Jeff Nesmith WASHINGTON, DC-- Scientists have found another problem caused by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere: It'll make you itch. (Poison Ivy by Jennifer Anderson, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database) Poison ivy not only grows much faster in a carbon dioxide-enriched atmosphere, it also produces more "urushiol," the substance that causes most people to break out in a rash, said Duke University botanist William Schlesinger. The vine's exuberant response to carbon dioxide may have unsettling implications for human health as the level of the gas in the atmosphere continues to increase, and it does not bode well for the future health of... Read On

Top 10 Ways to Help Nesting Birds

By Bill Thompson, III SPRING is the start of the breeding season for most of our North American birds. They pair up with mates, build nests, lay eggs, raise young, and then some of them repeat the cycle--as many as three times. There are some things that you can do to assist your backyard birds at this busy time of year. Here they are: 1. Provide water for bathing and drinking on hot days. Actually, provide water all year long, if you can -- but make sure to keep it clean. Your birdbath may be the first place in your backyard a parent bird takes its offspring. Lots of family-style bathing takes place at summer birdbaths, and young birds can be dependent upon the only water source they know. So keep your bath filled and clean. Make sure the average water depth is less than three inches. Birds appreciate shallow water. 2. If you find a nest--stay away. If you happen upon... Read On (Bluebird building nest by Isidor Jeklin/Cornell Lab of Orinthology) )

*Go Native When Landscaping*

By Scott Shalaway WITH THE THREAT of frost finally over, many people head to their favorite garden center or nursery. As you shop, consider this lesson in plant ecology. Many gardeners favor showy, exotic plants but fail to consider the ecological implications of landscaping millions of small backyards. The total amount of backyard habitat in the U.S. is staggering. Though apartment dwellers may only maintain a window box or two, quarter-acre lots are common and many people maintain backyards that encompass an acre or more. (Dogwood tree) According to the 1998 Statistical Abstract of the United States, American backyards total at least 35 million of acres. That's more than 50,000 square miles of backyard habitat. Unfortunately, the typical American homeowner has been brainwashed to... Read On

Wildlife Photo of the Week

One of the wonders of Nature is the beautiful colors captured in this photograph of a male Wood Duck by Daniel Burgin. Wonderful blues, greens and reds contrasted by white stripes and patches of black..

*Lastest Messages From American Wildlife Blog*

Strange Song Alerts Sleeper To Good News I AWOKE this morning a bit disquieted. My first conscious thought was: that doesn’t sound like a robin. Every morning from early spring until the insects take over I wake up to the song of the neighborhood robins calling up the sun. They do their work tirelessly, letting the world know to “Cheerily, cheer-up; cheerily, cheer-up; get up, get up”. It is often their melodious song and the excited whinny as they fly from spot to spot that wakes me. But this morning, the song wasn’t quite right. It was coarser, a little raspy and the notes shorter, somewhat more abrupt. It just wasn’t right. I lay there digesting this slightly different sound, then slowly it dawned on me: the... Read On (Scarlet Tanager by James Ownby) Heavy Rain Shouldn't Affect Wild Turkeys THE RAIN poses concerns for wildlife agencies about future Wild Turkey populations. According to Bob Eriksen, National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Northeast regional biologist, an overabundance of rain during the breeding and nesting season can cause problems, but the rain would be harder on turkey populations if it came in late May and into June. While floods can wash out nests in low-lying areas and make hens more susceptible to predators when nesting, predators and lost nests are typical hazards in the lives of turkeys. "Wild turkeys are ground nesting birds," Eriksen said. "Hens incubating their eggs are normally more... Read On Why Plant Natives? WE ARE OFTEN asked about native plants and why they are a better choice. Native or indigenous plants are those which naturally occur in the region in which they evolved. Along with planting to the existing site conditions, using locally native plants will increase the chances that the plants will thrive at your site. Natives are often more resistant to insects and disease as well, and so are less likely to need pesticides. Best of all, local and migratory wildlife are adapted to using native plant species for food, cover and rearing young. Wildlife species evolve with plants; therefore, they use native plant communities as their habitat. Using native plants helps... Read On

That's it for this week. Be sure and sign up for the American Wildlife Blog for the latest commentary and please feel free to add comments of your own.

Have An EXCELLENT Day in your WILDLIFE HABITAT!

(Raccoon Raid)

Tom Patrick
WindStar Wildlife Institute

email: wildlife@windstar.org

phone: 301-293-3351

web & blog: http://www.windstar.org