WindStar Wildlife Garden Weekly
Connecting People
To Nature Through
Education May 14, 2007
Official
Publication of WindStar Wildlife
Institute
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Honeybee
Colonies Wiped Out
BY THE TIME John Miller realized just
how many of his bees were dying, the almonds were in bloom and
there was nothing to be done. It was February 2005, and the
hives should have been singing with activity, plump brown
honeybees working doggedly to carry pollen from blossom to
blossom. Instead they were wandering in drunken circles at the
base of the hive doors, wingless, desiccated, sluggish, blasé.
Bees are the glue that holds much of modern agriculture
together. Without the bees' pollination services, California's
almond trees--the state's top export crop-would produce 40
pounds of almonds per acre; with the bees, they can generate
2,400 pounds. Honeybees provide the same service for more than
100 other crops, from lettuce to cranberries to apples and
peaches, all across the country. Read how scientists are
responding... More
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Be A Good Nest Box
Landlord
Eastern
Bluebird arrives at nest cavity with insect by Arbor Day
Foundation
By Scott
Shalaway
CAVITY-NESTING birds
that use nest boxes are late this year, but who can
blame them? It's just been too cold. But the extended
weather forecast looks
promising.
I've seen several pairs
of Eastern Bluebirds and Carolina Chickadees that have
completed nests but the nests remain empty. Surely that
will change in the coming
week.
Carolina Wrens, on the other
hand, seem to disregard the weather. I've had two pairs
incubating eggs for more than a week, thanks in part to
boxes placed inside outdoor
sheds.
As nesting gets underway,
it's time to share some tips on enjoying nest boxes...
More
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Backyard Bird
Count Exceeds 11 Million
American Robins counted more than any
other bird. Photo by Leisa
ITAACA, NY--In just
four days in February, participants in the Great
Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) tallied more than 11 million
birds across the United States and Canada.
Together, they recorded 616
species and submitted more than 80,000 checklists-33
percent more than the previous high of 61,000 checklists
in 2000. The GBBC, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology and National Audubon Society, engages people
of all ages and levels of experience in learning about
birds and reporting their sightings for
conservation.
"There has never been a more detailed
snapshot of continental bird distribution in history,"
said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. "It used to take scientists years to gather
large-scale information about bird population and
distribution-and the GBBC does it in just four days each
year, thanks to a continentwide community of birders
reporting their counts online."
American Robins topped the list as the
most numerous species counted, with more than two
million robins reported from 60 states and provinces.
Participant Lorraine Margeson counted a flock of 750,000
robins roosting in... More
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Mad Bluebird
Flags
Large Flag is 27" x
37"(h)... $19.95
Garden Flag is 12" x 17"(h)...$9.95
He appears like he is looking directly
at you, but he's not happy about it. Usually he is 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.
These flags are true works of art and will bring the
world of nature alive whereever they are
displayed.
OUR GUARANTEE is unconditional
and 100% money back, if, for any reason, you are not
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Find more nature products in
the Nature Shop
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Wildlife Photo of the
Week
Roseate Spoonbill coming in for a landing by
James Shadle
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What Is Happening To the
Bees?
Honeybee colonies around the nation are
collapsing
By Alexei Barrionuevo
BELTSVILLE, MD-What is
happening to the bees?
More than a
quarter of the country's 2.4 million bee colonies have
been lost-tens of billions of bees, according to an
estimate from the Apiary Inspectors of America, a
national group that tracks beekeeping. So far, no one
can say what is causing the bees to become disoriented
and fail to return to their hives.
As
with any great mystery, a number of theories have been
posed, and many seem to researchers to be more science
fiction than science. People have blamed genetically
modified crops, cellular phone towers and high-voltage
transmission lines for the disappearances. Or was it a
secret plot by Russia or Osama bin Laden to bring down
American agriculture? Or, as some blogs have asserted,
the rapture of the bees, in which God recalled them to
heaven? Researchers have heard it
all.
The volume of theories "is totally
mind-boggling," said Diana Cox-Foster, an entomologist
at Pennsylvania State University. With Jeffrey S.
Pettis, an entomologist from the United States
Department of Agriculture, Dr. Cox-Foster is leading a
team of researchers who are trying to... More
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Capturing the Moment In A
Photograph
Northern Cardinal by the
author
By Doug Kreutz
WE LIVE in a region rife with wild
critters-from little lizards and warbling songbirds to
cunning coyotes, bounding deer and lumbering Black
Bears.
Catching a glimpse of such
creatures can be wondrous. Capturing one in a photo can
preserve the moment. Ah, but that photo part is easier
said than done. So we've asked some professionals to
share their top tips on making good wildlife
pictures.
Our experts include George
Andrejko, a photographer with the Arizona Game and Fish
Department; Rory Aikens, a department information
officer and avid photographer; and Tom Whetten, operator
of a wildlife photography tour business called Tom
Whetten Photography.
Step 1: Be
ready
Have
your camera handy-at home, in the car, on the trail.
Wildlife won't wait. If you spot a cardinal in the
backyard, a coyote in the park or a javelina in the
desert, you're most likely to get a good photo if your
camera is within easy reach... More
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 NOW
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NEW!
WindStar National
Master Naturalist
Course
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Info
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PLUS!
WindStar Wildlife
Habitat
Naturalist Course
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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!
Tom Patrick
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10072 Vista Ct.
Myersville, MD
21773
301-293-3351
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