In Jo's Yard - 42 - All About Birds

There will be no post on December 30, 2019.  Next post January 6, 2020 - Happy New Year!

I thought I would end 2019 with this list of wonderful birds that I’ve observed in my yard.  When I moved into this newly built neighborhood in Fall 2016, there wasn’t even an anole to be found.  Now that the construction crews have left, and neighbors have all added landscaping, the native wildlife is returning.  In my Maryland surroundings, I enjoyed watching a wide variety of birds at the feeder and among the tall trees.  This neighborhood was formerly a Dairy Farm – there was little in the way of trees, so we all started from scratch.  I have a Birds of Florida Field Guide (by Stan Tekiela).  Whenever I see a bird, I add a post-it note to the page in this guide  (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2740531-birds-of-florida-field-guide). 

In 2019, Sandhill Cranes have walked right past me while I was weeding the front yard.   Mockingbirds like dense foliage and frequent the palms in my neighbors’ yards.  In my backyard, I’ve seen an Eastern Bluebird dive bomb a House Sparrow to defend its nest.  As the two seemed to wrestle each other to the ground – a Mockingbird appears to break it up!  The three birds each retreat to separate “corners” - the House Sparrow retreats into my birdhouse, the Bluebird and the Mockingbird to rooftops overlooking the yard.  Here are the birds I’ve observed.  After each, I added a link to the “All About Birds” website.  This is a wonderful website for identifying birds, letting you listen to their birdcalls, and describing their habits. 

·       Boat Tailed Gackle – Seen at my birdbath.  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Boat-tailed_Grackle

·       Cattle Egret – I think they have a funny walk – like their heads and their bodies are moving independently.  But there are some farms with cattle nearby, and these birds often keep the cattle company!  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cattle_Egret/overview

·       Fish Crow – A pair seen in m Wildflower garden, one feeding the other.  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/fish_crow

·       Great Egret – What long necks they have!  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cattle_Egret/overview

·       Eastern Bluebird – Whenever I see these, I think of “the bluebird of happiness”!     https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_bluebird  

·       House Finch – Seen in my wildflower garden, perching on the Tropical Sage and picking out seeds.  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_finch

·       House Sparrow – These birds chase and harass the Bluebirds, but they are very common  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/house_sparrow

·       Mourning Dove – We had a lot of these in the community backyard in Maryland.  They make a sad cooing sound.    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove

·       Northern Mockingbird – The state bird of Florida.  While its known for imitating the calls of other birds, it has its own beautiful song.     https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird

·       Northern Cardinal –    Cardinals don’t molt and don’t migrate. This female songbird is the one who sings - not the male.     https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/

·       Purple Gallinule – Actually seen at the Weichens Preserve.  But so unusual looking, I had to note it.  What amazing colors this bird has – and its big feet means it can walk on floating vegetation  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Purple_Gallinule/

·       Red-winged Blackbird – When I first saw one, his red and yellow wing markings really caught my eye!  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/overview#

·       Sandhill Crane – These are soooo big!  And they move at their own pace.  If they are crossing the road, no approaching car or golf cart or bike or person will make them move any faster!  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane

In Jo's Yard - 41 Planning Spring Maintenance

April 1 2019 A steady rain seems to wash away a lot more aphids and the Milkweeds are looking pretty good.  No sign of Monarch butterflies yet.  The rain helps green-up the front yard frog fruit a little bit.

The frog fruit in the front yard was cut in November (4 months ago).  It does not look good to me.  But the frog fruit on the sides and in the back is green and is definitely growing some.  It was not cut back because it was planted later.  Kirsten Sharp-Ortega from Green Isle Gardens (http://www.greenislegardens.com/about-us.html)is here, by appointment to help me plan for my Spring maintenance.  She points out that there is green “under” the top layer.  She will check to see if some natural (chicken poop) fertilizer will help, or just leave it be.  In the end, we decide maintenance will be scheduled for the end of April, and I will send Kirsten photos of the frog fruit in mid-April to see if it’s changed.

In the wildflower garden, I will add two more Stokes Aster plants.  Two of the 3 Blazing Star Liatris are coming back, so we will wait and see how they do this year.  The scorpion-tail can be cut back and shaped any way I want – I will let Green Isle Gardens do that.  Kirsten points out that the Helmut Skull Cap (Scutellaria integrifolia) is coming back spectacularly, and has spread to other places in the Wildflower garden.  After we check on the milkweed on the north side of the house, we will consider moving them either to the front or away from A/C and closer to the Simpson Stopper. 

She shows me where I can trim the Coral Honeysuckle.  The compact Firebush behind the Trellis has lots of buds.  I am looking forward to seeing the hummingbirds around here. 

The flatwood plum trees are doing well.  Even though the one that seemed “weaker” from the time it was planted did not get as many flowers, and does not have as many leaves as the other, Kirsten says it’s still healthy – the branches and twigs are flexible and not brittle.  She says that Flatwood Plum trees can be quirky and leaf out from the bottom up.  


   Flatwood Plum Tree starts to flower – eventually flowers & leaves are on the tree simultaneously

                          Blue Helmet Skull Cap in foreground, Red Tropical Sage behind it

In Jo's Yard - 40 Milkweed and Aphids

At the end of March 2019, Kirsten Sharp-Ortega of Green Isle Gardens (http://www.greenislegardens.com/) comes by to check on what maintenance might be needed in April.

The Milkweed in the wildflower garden seems to be growing well – originally 2 plants, one now has 2 stems and one has 3.  Leaves are green and evenly placed.   I had noticed that the stems were covered in yellow aphids.  But recently, I see the aphids have moved to the leaves, too.  Kirsten tells me that the aphids will only go to Native Milkweed that has not been treated with chemicals.  So there we are.  She inspects one plant and says I have a predator wasp that is turning the aphids black on one of the plants.  “So your yard is working”  - my own little eco-system.  Nevertheless, she takes a paper towels and wipes off some of the aphids on both. 

FROM:       http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasota/gardening-and-landscaping/horticulture-commercial/integrated-pest-management/beneficial-insects/

Wasp, Parasitic

Parasitic wasps are an extremely important and large group of beneficial insects with about 16,000 species occurring in North America. These wasps are very small, most less than 1/8 inch long and usually not noticed. Some wasp larvae feed and pupate inside the host and the emerging wasp leaves a small circular hole in the body of the host as evidence of parasitism. Many harmful insects such as aphids, whiteflies, scales, leafminers and caterpillars are parasitized. Other parasite larvae live on the outside of its host where they construct numerous small, white cocoons attaching to the body of the host. 

The aphids are the yellow spots all along the stems of this Milkweed.  There is a ladybug on the leaf in bottom half of photo – they eat aphids, too.