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September 18, 2006
HAVE YOU EVER, watched Pileated Woodpeckers perform a mating dance in your backyard? David, who lives in Waterford, MI did. " It all began with the two birds perched about 3 or 4 ft. off the ground, on opposite sides of a white oak tree trunk. As I watched, the birds started to rhythmically hop around the tree, moving in perfect unison, remaining on opposite sides of the tree trunk. After they circled the tree about 10 times, one of the birds stopped. The other one kept on hopping around, ran into its mate and immediately started circling the other way. The dance resumed, and after completing 10 more circuits, they flew to a nearby tree and disappeared from view.The dance almost defied belief. You would’ve thought they were mechanical wind-up toys," says David.
GAINESVILLE, FL-- Wildlife corridors appear to support not only wildlife but also plants—especially the oft-threatened native variety.A six-year study at the world’s largest experimental landscape devoted to the corridors— links between otherwise isolated natural areas—has found that more plant species, and specifically more native plant species, persist in areas connected by the corridors than in isolated areas.
The results suggest that corridors are an important tool not only for preserving wildlife but also for supporting and encouraging plant biodiversity.
“From the perspective of whether corridors are an important conservation tool, the big question is whether they preserve a large diversity of species,” said Doug Levey, a University of Florida professor of zoology.
“The answer, for plants anyway, appears... Read On
By Scott Shalaway
THE E-MAIL was short and anonymous. The writer had found a strange creature on a lawn chair. The subject line read, "Help with creature." That's really what caught my eye.The only description was that the creature was, "The size of a silver dollar and covered with little hairs." Fortunately the e-mailer had also attached a digital photo.
When I saw the photo, I immediately experienced a flash of recognition. It wasn't something I've seen often, but it was vaguely familiar. At first glance, it looked like a small peach-colored fuzzy octopus. Several sets of long and short arms protruded from the side of the body.
For a moment, I was stumped. Then I decided it might be some sort of... Read On
By Camilla H. Fox
ESCONDINO, CA is not the first community to experience conflicts with Coyotes and other predators--nor will it be the last.Nevertheless, the community has an opportunity now to implement a proactive public education campaign that promotes educated coexistence and reduces wildlife conflicts.
Encounters between humans and Coyotes have become more frequent in our expanding cities and suburbs. The patchwork of green space and open areas provided by residential development offers much "edge" habitat where the Coyote can find plentiful sources of food, water and shelter.
Unfortunately, lethal control is frequently the knee- jerk response to the appearance of Coyotes and other predators in both rural and urban areas. Although killing predators allows public officials to argue they are "doing something," wildlife biologists tell us lethal control does not offer a long-term solution to Coyote conflicts.
Nonselective killing methods often remove... Read On
By Dr. Leonard Perry
THERE ARE MANY reasons your landscape should be attractive to wildlife.By meeting the four main needs of wildlife — food, water, shelter, and space—you can have a wildlife-friendly yard and even have it certified as such.
(Can you identify the insect and flower in this photo by Tom Patrick? Send answer to wildlife@windstar.org)Reasons you should consider this in your landscaping, if you aren't already, include:
• It's fun attracting birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and similar to your yard and watching them. This is also relaxing, a great stress reliever, a good hobby;
• It makes your yard more attractive, often with less pests, when landscaping for all seasons and with a diversity of plants;
• Habitat restoration is especially critical in developed areas, where natural habitats have been destroyed;
• Earth-friendly and least toxic practices such as reducing chemicals and conserving water helps improve soil, air, and water quality.
To help wildlife, whether you apply... Read On
Looking For Food
Cedar Waxwing stocks up on colorful nesting material- -quilting scraps--provided by Washington State wildlife watcher.
For more nature photographs, see
the Gallery on WindStar's web site
and Nature's Best Photographs Album in the American Wildlife Blog.
Mad Bluebird Mugs
Set of 4 (12-oz. each)
$29.95 Order NowUsually he's the "Bluebird of Happiness" but here he appears ruffled and disgusted with the onset of colder weather in this reproduction of the photograph by Michael L. Smith. This is one of the most famous nature photographs ever created and originally was seen in a National Geographic Society birding book.
Here it has been reproduced on 12-oz. porcelain mugs that are microwave and dishwasher safe. Makes a terrific gift!
Why Mow Roadsides?
I LIVE in an area that is the second largest for beef production in the U.S. Our native Ozark biodiversity has been converted to monoculture fescue in large sections of this county. The fence rows and roadsides are the only areas--frequently for miles--with seed heads or berries. These are dirt roads with very little traffic, yet over the last couple of weeks these were all mowed. The elderberries, summac and buckbrush are gone because of the mowing and I wonder just how and where the birds, rabbits, raccoons and deer will find the food they need in addition to the pollinators... Read On
Penny FrazierHigh Huckleberry Demand Hurts Tribes
THE HUCKLEBERRIES are ripening in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but this isn't a guide to finding secret patches. As a Yakama and a North Idaho property owner, I am deeply concerned about the future of this sweet-tart wild purple berry. I fear if we continue merchandising berries, we may see the huckleberry decline and face extinction as the wild salmon has. In recent years, busloads of commercial pickers have... Read On
Kara Briggs
Yakama, WACaterpillar Camouflage!
ONE of the "problems" with going into the garden is that I always manage to get distracted and spend more time out there than I had planned, leaving other less-interesting chores undone. Yesterday the distraction came in the form of an inchworm that both surprised and delighted me. It was a wavy-lined emerald caterpillar, and it was, to my amusement, clipping off bits of flower petals and sticking them all over its body as camouflage!... Read On
Cathy Gilleland
WindStar Master Wildlife Habitat Naturalist
Finksburg, MDIf you are registered to receive the FREE American Wildlife Blog, you can add comments to any of the articles, and if you want to pen your own article, send it to wildlife@windstar.org with the subject line "New Blog Feature."
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!
(European Starling--not a native species by Joannes Backyard)
Tom Patrick
WindStar Wildlife Instituteemail: wildlife@windstar.orgphone: 301-293-3351web & blog: http://www.windstar.org
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