Showing posts sorted by relevance for query for the birds. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query for the birds. Sort by date Show all posts

For the Birds: Baby birds are emerging

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Bewick's Wren fledgling. Photo by Elaine Chuang
By Christine Southwick

Baby birds are hatching — Spotted Towhees and Anna’s Hummingbird young have been spotted in my yard, which means Dark-eyed Juncos and Bewick’s Wrens are close behind. 

These are the first breeders, others will follow; Song Sparrows, chickadees, Flickers, Downy, Hairy, and Pileated Woodpeckers, White-crowned Sparrows, finches, and American Robins to name a few.

Nestlings and fledglings need our help — don’t poison them with herbicides such as Round-up which get on their parents’ feet and get brought into the nests and cause them to die.

Bushtit looking for bugs to feed nestlings.
Photo by Elaine Chuang
American Robins are in sharp decline
, and one major cause is the poisoning of their lawns and the worms they eat.

Spraying bugs also kills birds. Parent birds feed their hatchlings a solid diet of bugs. 

Caterpillars, gnats, aphids, spiders, mosquitos, and bugs in leaf litter are the babies’ food. 

There aren’t any fruits to eat until later in the season, so if the bugs are poisoned, then birds perish.

Rufous Hummingbird on nest.
Photo by Doug Parrott
Native plants and trees help provide the bugs birds need and recognize
. More shrubs and less lawn provide cover for the safety of birds, especially fledglings. 

As you start cleaning up your yard, look for ground nests before whacking and mowing weedy areas.

If you find a baby bird on the ground, and it has feathers, it is a fledgling, and doesn’t need your help – its parents are nearby ready to nurture it. 

Keep dogs and cats away from it, and it will survive. 

Many ground birds leave the nest before they can fly — they scurry in different directions to enhance their chances of survival — nests can provide a quick and tasty meal for raccoons and other hungry creatures.

Dark-eyed Junco nest in fuschia.
Photo by Christine Southwick
Here is a yes/no link to determine if the baby bird you found needs your help.

https://www.pugetsoundbirds.org/baby-bird-advice 

Let our local birds take care of the bugs. Smile as a new generation of birds prospers with your help.

---
Note: I carefully watered around the nest in the fuschia. Three juncos. 

Locally if you see a bird flying into your hanging basket, a junco probably has a nest inside. They usually hatch in two weeks, and leave the nest two weeks later.


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For the Birds: Cold Is Here - Will You Help Our Birds?

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Black-capped Chickadee keeping warm by
creating an insulating air barrier. Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

Cold and snow are hard on birds, especially since much of their native dense habitats have been destroyed by development, making it hard for them to find shelter, food, and water.

Trees, especially tall evergreens, give them places to hunker down during cold and windy weather. 

Trees are usually the first to feel the cut of progress, followed by diversion of water.

Over three billion birds have vanished in North America, mostly due to habitat loss. 

Habitat can mean the difference between life and death.

If you see a bird all fluffed up, it is trying to stay warm by creating warm air pockets around its body with its feathers.

We need to help birds (and other pollinators and wildlife) by providing food, shelter, and usable water, especially during cold weather.

Varied Thrush getting fast energy from suet.
Photo by Christine Southwick
Suet provides the fastest calories for needed warmth.

Suet and good quality seeds can provide that margin between survival and death.

Feeders offer quick, certain sources of calories, allowing birds to conserve their calories for warmth, not expending energy searching for their next meal.

Watch your feeders for clumping of seeds during damp weather.

If seeds clump, throw the seed out and wash the feeders with 10% bleach, rinse well, and dry before filling (a second feeder would be helpful); during times of fog and heavy moisture only filling feeders half full will help keep the seeds from molding. 

Yes, it’s more work, but the birds are worth it.

Spotted Towhee and Song Sparrow eating seed
below feeder. Photo by Christine Southwick
If you feed hummingbirds, winter is an important time to feed them. 

Anna’s Hummingbirds eat more bugs than any other North American hummingbird, but freezing temperatures kill the bugs, so nectar is very important. 

They need lots of quick energy early in the morning, and late into the evening. 

A feeder heater or an incandescent light near a feeder will allow them to come whenever they want to, especially for a much-needed early visit.

Fox Sparrow using much needed liquid water
maintained by bird bath heater.
 Photo by Christine Southwick
Water is hard to find since so many creeks and rivulets have been buried or diverted into drainpipes.

For liquid water, invest in a birdbath warmer.

Give our birds a fighting chance. 

Create shelter, with evergreen shrubs and trees, and safe places for them to nestle down (Don’t poison their habitat with pesticides).

Provide liquid water and food especially during the winter, and they will reward you with bubbly songs and bug elimination the rest of the year.

Bonus article: A simple 7 ways to help birds www.3billionbirds.org 


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What’s Happening this Week in Shoreline? September 11 - 17, 2024

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

By Kate Ledbetter, Destination Shoreline

What’s Happening this Week in Shoreline?
September 11 - 17


Get ready for an exciting lineup of events in Shoreline this week! From the Recology Store Pop-up at City Hall and a class on reuse and sharing at the Tool Library, to the grand opening of the Kruckeberg Boardwalk and the ever-fun Rainbow Bingo, there's something for everyone. 

Plus, don't miss the Shoreline Farmers Market, a birdwatching workshop, and a business development session for artists. Whether you're looking to learn, connect, or just have fun, Shoreline has you covered!

For more details visit https://www.destinationshoreline.com/calendar.
 
Recology Store Pop-up @ City Hall
Thursday, September 12, 2024
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Shoreline City Hall
Due to the temporary closure of the Shoreline Recology Store, Recology is hosting small pop-ups for Shoreline residents at City Hall. Check. Visit Recology's website for full details. They will also be offering the option to pay your Recology bill in person.
 
Free Reuse & Sharing in the PNW Class @ Shoreline Tool Library
Thursday, September 12, 2024
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Shoreline Tool Library
Join Seattle REconomy Executive Director, Josh Epstein as he presents his TEDx presentation on how new economies of reuse, sharing, and circularity are creating more resilient communities. The presentation will be followed by an inclusive open discussion onthe topic.
 
Talk Time Class
Friday, September 13, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Richmond Beach Library
Practice speaking with other English language learners. Learn about American culture and meet people from around the world. Registration not required.
 
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Kruckeberg Boardwalk
Friday, September 13, 2024
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Come one, come all! It’s time to celebrate this massive achievement of increasing accessibility at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. Join us for the official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, boardwalk views, and refreshments! We will recognize the City of Shoreline, Shoreline voters (Parks Bond 2022), Forma Construction & Mithun, and our many supporters and community advocates.
 
Rainbow Bingo
Friday, September 13, 2024
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center
It's Talk Like A Pirate Day! Join hostess Sylvia O’Stayformore for ten rousing rounds of bingo, complete with prizes and a few musical numbers! Rainbow jello shots, beer, wine for 21+.  $20 Rainbow Entry – includes nachos and entertainment.  $10 Bingo packet at the door.  Purchase tickets online or call 206-365-1536.
 
Shoreline Farmers Market
Saturday, September 14, 2024
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
BikeLink Park & Ride
Shoreline's community hub for farm fresh & local foods, flowers, baked goods, local honey, live music, food trucks, kids programming, and so much more. Join us every Saturday through October 5th, located at the BikeLink Park & Ride (corner of 192nd & Aurora, across from Sky Nursery). 
 
Attracting Birds with Native Plants and Garden Habitat with Julie O’Donald
Saturday, September 14, 2024
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Did you know that approximately 50 species of birds live at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden throughout the year? In this workshop, join Julie O’Donald in opening your eyes and ears for the autumn migration birds. Outdoor time will include Birding by Ear and landscape examples of Garden Habitat. We will discuss the habitat layers that are preferred by different species of birds and learn which native plants are favored by different species. Classroom time will feature a photo filled visit to garden habitats and examples of native plants that bring gardens to life in each season. Many of these plants will be available for sale after the workshop, in the MsK Nursery. Fee course; registration required.
 
Making a Community Truly Welcoming and Inclusive
Saturday, September 14, 2024
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Shoreline Library
Our communities include people of different ages, abilities, gender/sexualities, and backgrounds. Join a discussion on how we can make our neighborhoods genuinely welcoming and inclusive. This event will include Q&A time and share action steps that you can take. Presented by Kevin P. Henry, who has been working in the fields of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, community building and media for over 30 years, in both private and public sectors. Registration not required.
 
Business Development Workshop for Visual Artists
Sunday, September 15, 2024
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Shoreline City Hall
“Creative Confidence: Selling Your Vision” is designed for visual artists who are ready to boost their sales and impact. If you're dealing with slow sales or struggling to move the needle, this workshop will give you a roadmap to increasing sales, securing public art projects, and building a sustainable, impactful career. Whether you're an emerging artist or aiming to leave a legacy, this program provides the skills and knowledge to succeed in the art world. Avoid common mistakes, effectively scale your business, and sharpen your business acumen. Discover modern marketing techniques to expand your collector base and strategies to stand out in the competitive public art realm. Learn from a panel of experts to gain confidence, sell your vision, and build a sustainable, impactful career.
 
Senior Home Repair Fair
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
1:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center
Join representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and Sound Generations to learn how to connect to low-cost and no-cost home repair resources in Shoreline. Programs are set up to support low-income to moderate-income homeowners staying in their homes. Please bring your questions and we’ll work together to match you with the best program for your needs. We look forward to meeting you! Please call the Reception Desk to Register for this free event: 206-365-1536.
 
Reading Buddies at Shoreline Library
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
4:00 PM  6:00 PM
Shoreline Library
Volunteers help students practice reading out loud. Two students are paired by reading level with each volunteer. Book selection focuses on readers in grades K-8 and English language learners in grades K-12. Reading Buddies share eBooks on an iPad. Books selection changes every two weeks. Students may bring a book to share. Look for volunteers wearing the green Reading Buddies t-shirt. Add your name to the sign-up sheet for a 30-minute spot at your reading level.
 
Free Basic Bike Maintenance Class @ Shoreline Tool Library
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Shoreline Tool Library
Spend an evening at the Shoreline Tool Library learning the basics of maintaining your bike – adjusting gears and brakes, fixing a flat, cleaning, and being sure it (and your helmet) fit. Register online here.
 
Menopause 101: Navigating Change with Confidence
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Shoreline Library
Empower yourself with knowledge! Learn about common symptoms, self-care practices and evidence-based interventions to make your journey through perimenopause and menopause smoother. Presented by Vanessa Weiland, Board-Certified Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner. Registration not required.
 
For more information and more upcoming events, visit the Shoreline events calendar on https://www.destinationshoreline.com/calendar
To have your event included please email DestinationShoreline@gmail.com.

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For the Birds: Bird Migration is a happening thing

Monday, September 7, 2015

Black-headed Grosbeak male eating black-oil seed

Photos and Text by Christine Southwick

Gone are the Willow and the Olive-sided Flycatchers. Gone are the Orange-crowned and the Yellow-rumped Warblers. Most all of the warblers except for our hardy Townsend’s Warblers have also left for their wintering grounds further south.

Did you know that most songbirds migrate during the night, and find perches in the mornings? If you are an early-riser, like I am, you may hear bird calls, different from the calls of our backyard birds.

Swainson's Thrush

Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Swainson’s Thrushes are some of the migrating birds that I heard just this morning. I know that Wilson’s Warblers are on their way south though I didn’t hear them. There were probably others, and certainly there were others that flew earlier in darkness.

Why fly in the dark? Flocks of songbirds would be great targets for all sorts of raptors—Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Merlin and Peregrine Falcons. Even Red-tailed Hawks might find flocks too tempting to ignore. By flying at night, birds eliminate that danger. By flying high at night, they don’t have to worry about owls either. Sun and heat raising from the ground taxes their energy faster than cold, so flying at night saves energy. If it is too cold, birds will wait, rest, and feed at stops along their migration route.

Wilson's Warbler near rock in dripping bird bath

This month is the changing of the guard — Dark-eyed Juncos will increase in numbers, and stay in our yards through the winter until about April or May. Varied Thrushes and Fox Sparrows will start appearing in yards with leaves on the ground and in brushy areas. Himalayan blackberries are a favorite with these two species, both for protection from the elements and predators, and for food sources—spiders and other delectables.

Yellow-rumped Warbler at bird bath

The longer the migration, the more fat (fat equals energy and stamina) they need. Just before a long migration, some birds will double their weight, and then fly straight through the whole night. Amazing feats of distance have been logged now that there are newer ways of measuring individual bird flight.

You can help these migrants, and our wintering birds, by keeping food in your feeders. Water is just as important, and will bring many travelers down into your yard. Several of my pictures show migrants as they bathed, drank, and probably partook for the smorgasbord offered by my feeders.



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For the birds: Missing birds—usually a temporary situation

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Yellow Warbler, Photo by Tony Varela


By Christine Southwick

Several people have asked “Where have their birds gone?”

Evening Grosbeak,
Photo by Christine Southwick
The last week of Aug thru the first couple of weeks of September adult birds that had successful broods are finally replacing their feathers -- a process called molting.

The energy to replace each-and-every feather each year is high; too high to take place while a bird is actively feeding four to six babies.

Right now many resident adults are currently missing important flight feathers.

Purple Finch, male by Christine Southwick

Therefore, many of these birds will stay under cover in bushes and trees to save energy and keep safe. 

These adults are mainly eating bugs and fruits in place.

So they are not being seen at most feeders.

This includes our local Anna’s Hummingbird. The juveniles, this year's new birds, will come to the feeders, but there will still be fewer birds at your feeders.

Additionally, some of the birds that are at your feeders are migrants -- like Evening Grosbeaks and Purple Finches. Some of them have already left, and most will soon.

Black headed Grosbeak
Photo by Christine Southwick

Consistently keeping your feeders stocked with good quality food will give long-distance migrants like Black-headed Grosbeaks going to Mexico and warblers, like Yellow Warblers going as far as South America a good start by supplying the protein-loading needed to survive their long-distance migration. 

Especially this year with all the forest fires, many rest stops and roosts may have been eliminated, making a strong start imperative.

So yes, there are less birds at your feeders right now, but the resident adults will be back in another week or two.

Additionally, the smoke made even more birds to hunker down, and our rain will help them return.

Keep food in your feeders, your resident adult birds will return.

[For the visually impaired: the Yellow Warbler at the top is a fat little yellow bird, firmly attached to a small branch. His head is thrown back and his beak is wide open. He is in full song. The Evening Grosbeak and the Black-headed Grosbeak are very similar. They have sturdy looking bodies with orange throat and chest shading to vanilla on their lower body. Seen from the front, the Black-Headed Grosbeak has a mostly black head with shades of orange and white. His wings and tail are black with splotches of white. The beak is light colored, very thick and bends down. The Evening Grosbeak has more distinct markings which we can see in profile. His long feathers are black and the feathers in the middle of his back are brilliant white. The Purple Finch is a mottled red-purple color. He has the same strong beak.]



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For the Birds: Black-capped Chickadees—The Up-side Down feisty Ones

Wednesday, October 23, 2013



By Christine Southwick
Photos by Christine Southwick

Ask anyone to list their favorite birds, and Black-capped Chickadee will be included.

These acrobatic, feisty little birds with their pleasant calls and dee-dee-dee alarms, have distinct black and white faces, and often seem to look at you with intelligence, weighing whether it is necessary, or not, to fly away before finding the heaviest seed available. 

Black-capped Chickadees have the most complex social order of all our local feeder birds. The dominant bird eats first, making it fun to watch as flock members dart out singly from a branch, snatch the best seed, and then fly back to the cover of a nearby branch to open it. While they are pounding on their prizes, others dart, one after another. If you are lucky enough to watch a feeder where color-banded chickadees feed, you can see that they take turns in order.

Inquisitive and friendly, chickadees will be the first to find your new feeder, and announce their find to the other neighborhood birds. In the winter, nuthatches, kinglets, and Downy Woodpeckers often tag along with chickadees because they know these non-migrating bundles of energy will find all the winter specials.

Chickadees are the local watch birds. They are the first to sound the alarm "Predator!" The more loud "dee-dee-dees" there are at the end of their call, the more danger. Humans nearby rate an extra dee-dee. A Sharp-shinned Hawk gets four or five extra dee-dees, and every bird around hits the bushes, no questions asked.

Want these up-side-down bug seekers in your yard? Serve black oil sunflower seeds—shelled or unshelled. Have another feeder of high quality seeds, and/or suet, and you will have chickadee visitors. If you add flowering current shrubs, trees like serviceberries, dogwood, or small crabapples, and some evergreen trees, plus year-round water, and you will have resident black-capped chickadees.

Chickadees will readily use nest boxes with 1 1/8 inch holes and some wood chips within. The male feeds the female while she sits on her four to five eggs, and he helps feed the fledglings. While the young will fly away, the bonded pair will stay in your yard, and usually will raise a brood year after year.

Welcome birds, like these cute Black-capped Chickadees to control your bugs. You will be pleased and entertained at the same time, while helping to make the earth healthier by not using manufactured pesticides.

For previous For the Birds columns, click the link under the Features section on the main webpage.


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For the Birds: What Birds Need

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Spotted Towhee taking grub to nestling
Photo by Christine Southwick
By Christine Southwick

Birds have four basic needs to survive:
  • Food;
  • Water;
  • Safe spaces to hang out; and
  • Places to successfully raise their young.

Food is fairly easy to provide. Plant, or keep, native trees, especially evergreens—the bigger the better. Plant native fruiting trees and bushes. Dogwood, Crabapple, Hawthorne, Serviceberry, Snowberry, Twinberry, Elderberry, Nine Bark, Quince, berry crops, and even many of the maples are good sources of food. 

Many birds eat the bugs that come to the flowers, some even nibble the flower buds; eat the fruit once it is ripe; and find bugs in the leaf litter in the winter. 

Juvenile Hairy Woodpecker on dripper
Photo by Christine Southwick
Don’t use pesticides: you will kill or starve the bug-eating wildlife. Bird feeders with black-oil sunflower seeds, and suet feeders will make your yard even more inviting.

Water can be hard for birds to find during our dry August’s and our cold spells. Free running water is a great magnet, and can be as simple as a dripper into a garbage can lid, or as complex as a recycling stream. As long as standing water is changed once a week, there is no danger from mosquitoes. In the winter, invest in a birdbath heater to keep the water liquid and drinkable during freezing spells

Safe spaces to hang out can be provided by trees, bushes and shrubs of varying sizes and densities, and minimum amounts of grass. Birds have evolved by being able to locate food: some find it on branches, others on trunks. Some find it using trees and shrubs as launching posts-others find their food in the leaves and bark beneath trees and bushes.

Dead snag in park
Photo by Christine Southwick
Places to successfully raise their young can require a little more planning. 

Dead trees can provide more places for birds to raise their young than live trees. If you have a dead or dying tree, make it into a snag. Leaving logs and branches on the ground will provide hiding places for ground nesters. 

Placing nest boxes, with the correct sized holes for native species will benefit local birds, and bring you the wonder of watching babies grow and thrive. Leave a small, controlled area of blackberries, or add a brush pile in a back corner. Leave some tall grass or weeds from March until Labor Day.

And build an indoor-outdoor run for your cats — belling them isn’t enough — they hunt by stealth.

Give birds what they need, and they will come.


Christine Southwick will be a speaker at the upcoming Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds on September 10, 2011. Her topic is "20 Birds You Wish Were in Your Yard," The entire event covers September 9-11, with more speakers, guided walks and field trips, exhibits, and kids activities. See the detailed schedule on the website.



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For the Birds: The Birds and the Trees

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Barred Owl
Photo by John Riegsecker

By Christine Southwick

As early as December, Barred Owls and Anna’s Hummingbirds start making their nests. Owls use large holes in trees, first created by a Pileated or Hairy Woodpecker; Anna’s may find a small forked branch under a weather-protecting cedar or fir branch.

Brown Creepers spiral up, and Red-breasted Nuthatches climb downward on pines searching out little hidden bugs and spiders, while Red-breasted Sapsuckers tap shallow holes in nearby large Douglas Firs to access sap.

Deciduous trees supply perches for both resident and migrating birds. These trees offer bugs, fruits, nesting sites and shelter from summer rains and strong sunlight for migrating warblers, Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Cedar Waxwings to name a few.

Brown Creeper (5 inch bird)
Photo by Doug Parrott

Coniferous trees offer food, nesting opportunities, and year-round protection from the elements. Evergreens, even more than deciduous trees, provide protection from predators. Western Screech Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls are particularly fond of local cedars.

Conifers attract a different set of birds— fewer migrating birds and more resident birds such as Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Merlins, and our local woodpeckers— Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Northern Flickers.

There are birds found in forests and yards with mixed types: Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, American Robins, and flycatchers for example. Alders and black cottonwoods are great trees for cavity nesters.

Female Pileated Woodpecker creating nest
Photo by Doug Parrott

Some birds use barren tree-tops on tall trees— Olive-sided Flycatchers, Merlins, Bald Eagles  use these trees as hunting perches to locate and capture flying prey— bugs, or other birds. Band-tailed Pigeons need tall trees for easy take-offs and landings.

Did you know that 71% of Shoreline’s canopy is located on private property (per 2011 Shoreline canopy assessment)? Trees enhance people’s yards and give character to local neighborhoods.

Female Merlin on top leader of tall tree
Photo by Barbara Deihl

Have you noticed that most of Shoreline’s streets have less than five feet of planting space between sidewalk and streets? That means that the evergreens that so many of us take for granted have to be grown on private property, not on city street right-of-ways (ROW).  Even the smaller Shore Pine grows to ten feet wide, and would obscure line-of-sight needed by drivers.

It really is up to each homeowner to keep our city green and healthy for ourselves, the birds and the other wildlife that depend on trees for roosting, eating, nesting, and shelter.

Be green, plant a tree, keep the tall ones, and help many species of birds.


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For the Birds: Wanted - 99-year Leases for Rest Stops

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Trees provide food and shelter to raise young Western Wood-Peewee
Photo by Elaine Chuang


By Christine Southwick

You are driving from your “snowbird” condo, to your summer abode. Your gas tank is almost empty. The station you always use is out of gas. You have enough to get to the next station, but when you get there, the land has changed, and development fills that space. Now what?

If you were a bird with this scenario, you would probably fall to the ground, too exhausted and too hungry to travel on.

Black-necked Stilts stopping at the Potholes in Eastern WA
Photo by Elaine Chuang


If you were lucky, you might find enough water, food, and shelter to recover and travel to your breeding or wintering grounds. If not, you, and possibly your whole flock, would die, never to fly again.

This is frequently happening throughout the US. Many migrating birds are finding familiar rest stops and watering holes on their bi-yearly flyways being poisoned by pesticides and fertilizers, drained and plowed for crops, or made into half-filled strip malls.

Habitat loss is the number one cause of bird deaths.

There are fewer and fewer places for birds to rest, feed, raise their young, and find good water.

Distances between resting and refueling stops are often becoming so great that many birds traveling thousand-year-old migration routes will die from exhaustion, not being able to reach the next safe stop-over.

Snags, used first by woodpeckers, provide places for nesting, resting, storing food
Photo by Elaine Chuang


How can you help?

Have a sick tree, or one you fear in your yard?

Make a snag out of the bottom fifteen-twenty feet. Snags are safe, and dead trees shelter local birds from winter storms, offer nesting sites, and provide food. Besides, snags make excellent backdrops to watch the birds that use them.

Trees are the lungs of the earth, so plant a tree or fruiting bush to replace any you take away. (Note: 71% of Shoreline’s tree canopy is in private yards)

Weeds, including dandelions are eaten by many birds Am. Goldfinches
Phoro by Terry Dunning


Don’t make your gardens so clean that they become sterile for wildlife.

Gardens that don’t have bugs, can’t feed birds, salamanders, frogs, or any other wildlife. Make a small brush pile for birds to hide, escape, and find shelter from winter cold. Leaves and weeds are loved by many birds.

If you clear a wild area, don’t do it between March and August. Wait until Labor Day, by then the young have left their ground nests.

If you must cover a ditch, offer water and shelter to replace that which you have eliminated.

When you change the landscape to suit your tastes, ask yourself who and what you are depriving of water, food, and the shelter needed to raise their young.



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For the Birds: Help the Birds by Using Leaves

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Bewick's Wren in leaves
Photo by John Riegsecker

By Christine Southwick

Before the advent of leaf-blowers, most home owners allowed leaves to stay around plants, at least until spring. People would rake them off their lawns and pathways, but it was a lot of trouble to get around the base of bushes, and sometimes the rake would hurt the plants.

Then, garden experts started advocating cleanliness around plants to prevent diseases and eliminate slugs and snails (not that anything really eliminates slugs).

Now, after years of these practices, scientists have found that leaves have more beneficial benefits than people suspected, including preventing soil-borne diseases caused by rain splashing onto plants.

Bluebird with caterpillars for nestlings
Photo by Tania Morris

In early spring, when birds start nesting, the breeding birds depend upon caterpillars for fuel. One of the most nutritious meals for nestlings is caterpillars. Where do these caterpillars come from? Moths and butterfly pupae overwinter in leaf litter. Eliminate leaves in your yard, and you are literally killing the butterfly and moth caterpillars that nesting birds need in the spring for successful rearing of their young.

Varied Thrush, wintering thrush
Photo by Christine Southwick

Additionally, leaves provide shelter from cold and winter food for under-noticed wildlife such as toads, salamanders, shrews, earthworms, and many beneficial insects including beetles, centipedes, and spiders. These insects improve the soil, and are eaten by our local Varied Thrushes, Spotted Towhees, Bewick’s Wrens, Robins, and Song Sparrows to name a few.

Leaves are a natural much, suppressing weeds, fertilizing the soil as they break down, keeping the soil warmer, and helping perennials grow stronger roots systems. Leaves keep the soil from compacting, and return nitrogen and phosphorus to the soils, thereby making the soil healthier for plants, trees, water, and wildlife living in areas where leaves stay.

Spotted Towhee searching through leaves and wood chips
Photo by Christine Southwick

Leaves can be put directly onto flowerbeds, and around plants. Larger leaves will break down faster if you run the lawnmower over them, but it is by no means a requirement. Madrone, laurel, and magnolia leaves take a long time to decompose, and should be shredded if you use them.

I beg neighbors for their small maple leaves. Most neighbors only think I am a little weird. I would rather that they used the leaves in their yards, but it takes a while for healthy change to catch on. These smaller leaves work well as mulch for my shrubs and flowers, and I love watching “my” wintering birds dig in the leaves searching for delectable tidbits.


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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Pigeons, Starlings and Sparrows

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Songbird Sparrow. Photo courtesy PAWS.

The most common roosting birds in cities and suburbs are pigeons, European Starlings, and English House Sparrows. All are highly adaptable, and very capable of finding shelter and roosting sites on and in buildings. They eat food from garbage cans and bird feeders, and in parks where people offer them handouts.

Wild pigeons

Pigeons, also known as Rock Pigeons, were introduced into North America in 1606. They nest under bridges, inside barns, and on building ledges, rafters, and beams. They lay eggs throughout the year and raise several broods of one or two young, who can fly about 35 days after hatching.

Rock Pigeons were the first birds domesticated by humans, raised for food and used later as message carriers. Wild, city pigeons are feral descendants of domesticated Rock Pigeons.

Starlings

The European Starling was introduced in New York in 1890 and has since spread across the continent. In spring, the starling's plumage is black with iridescent tints of green and purple, and the bill is yellow. In winter, the bill is dark and the plumage is lighter and speckled.

Starlings often roost in large numbers, and during fall and winter they flock to and from their communal night roosts. They nest in cavities, including holes in freeway signposts, and they compete aggressively for nest holes in trees with native birds such as flickers and bluebirds.

Starlings raise two to three broods per season, each with four to six young who usually leave the nest 21 days after hatching. Known for their diverse vocalizations, starlings can imitate the sounds of other birds and animals.

House Sparrows

The House Sparrow was introduced to North America in the mid-19th century and now lives throughout the United States. The male has a brown back and wings, pale gray underparts, and a black bib. The female has a solid grayish-brown breast and no black markings.

House Sparrows always live close to humans, and are frequently seen in large flocks in city trees and hedges, or under the eaves of buildings, where they build their nests. They raise two or three broods during the spring and summer, each with three to seven young. The youngsters leave the nest at about 17 days after hatching.

Solving and preventing conflicts

Roosting birds, like pigeons, starlings and sparrows, rarely cause damage, but when they gather in large numbers their droppings can get messy and unsanitary. Habitat modification can keep birds out of areas where they are not welcome.

Bird-proofing with netting

Bird netting made of weather resistant material is available in a variety of sizes and is a versatile tool for bird-proofing. To prevent birds from roosting on window ledges, anchor the netting to the roofline, stretch it across the front of the building, and secure it at the bottom and sides.

You can overlap large panels of netting and hang them in front of a garage or other open door. Netting can also be used inside buildings to prevent perching on rafters and other horizontal surfaces.

Physical barriers

  • To keep pigeons off flat surfaces, such as ledges, you can modify the surface. Make a false ledge by fastening wood, stone, or metal over the surface, angled, at least 60 degrees. The birds will slide off when they land.
  • Use parallel lines of monofilament line or stainless steel wire to make a barrier. String the lines through eyelet screws a few inches above the roosting surface. Keep the lines taut by placing the eyelets no more than 18 inches apart.
  • To prevent starlings and sparrows from nesting in buildings, seal holes under eaves and in outside walls and replace loose shingles and siding. If the birds have already nested and are caring for babies, wait until the young have fledged and left the nest, then remove all nesting materials and close openings.
  • If you put up nesting boxes in your yard, choose ones with small openings that accommodate chickadees, nuthatches, and wrens. Boxes with holes larger than 1 inch in diameter fit starlings and sparrows, therefore you should avoid them if you do not want to attract these birds.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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Nature Speaks: The Delights of Mabon - Welcome Autumn

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Golden Yellow Daisies Still Blooming in October and Feeding the Honey Bees

Article and Photos by Jennifer Rotermund

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.”  
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

I was a sun-lover when I moved to Seattle 15 years ago. Growing up in Upstate NY, I experienced Summers that were warm and humid. The sun was life-giving, and life outdoors was vibrant and verdant. My Summer vacations were filled with hours of napping on our soft green lawn, long days running and climbing through the woods and nearby mountains, or on family road trips searching for the best forest creek full of rocks on which to explore and climb. So, it was with this youthful enthusiasm that I approached my new life, all those years ago, as a newly transplanted north westerner, only to discover Summer in the northwest is our dry season. Our lawns go dormant and look dead, humidity levels remain low, and nature retracts, seeking refuge from the sun, awaiting the return of life-giving rain. I was a sun-lover when I moved to Seattle. Now, I love rain. In Seattle, rain is life. Rain is countless kernels of liquid life gifted to us free of charge, landing directly on our trees and in our gardens. Its a soothing balm that heals a dry crust of soil made angry by the Summer sun. Rain is cleansing and refreshing. I love feeling its return in September - and the return of Autumn.

Echinacea seed heads beginning to be eaten by birds

The Great Medicine Wheel turns to the Western Gate as we welcome Autumn’s return. Mabon, an ancient term for the Autumnal Equinox, marks the brief time in September when the Sun aligns with the Earth’s equator, and the length of day and night are roughly equal. However, the days are shortening quickly now. And as we spend more time indoors, so too - if we allow it - do we find ourselves turning inward, slowing down and reflecting. Our ancestors would spend the coming few weeks pulling in their final harvests (just as we do now in our p-patches and vegetable gardens) and collecting seed for next year’s crop. In fact, similar to Spring, Autumn is a time when we often feel compelled to take stock of what we have and clear out what is no longer needed. This is a natural process we feel, perhaps now encoded into our DNA after so many generations. This drive, I believe, is what gave us the phrase I hear every Fall called, “putting the garden to bed.” I love that phrase. It’s perfect for this time of year, but I think the value and true meaning held within the wisdom of that phrase has been somewhat altered over the years. 

Nigella and Calendula seed heads are full of nutrition

Typically, when clients call me in to “put the garden to bed” in the Fall, they include requests to cut everything to the ground, rake up and throw away all of the leaves and fallen debris, and generally make everything look very neat and tidy. But when I think from the perspective of the soil life - from the beneficial fungi to the beloved earthworms - or when I think about the neighborhood birds over-wintering outdoors, and then I think about “putting the garden to bed,” I imagine a thick, warm blanket of leaves and fallen-over perennial stalks keeping Winter’s eventual frost from touching the soil. I picture layers of old fern fronds, bowing down to the ground, providing shelter to small birds through a cold Winter storm. I think about my Summer flowers, turned into mini food banks in seed pod form, delivering necessary sustenance to our wildlife through Winter’s time of scarcity. When I think about “putting the garden to bed” (and I do, just like everyone else), I remind myself that Spring cleaning is my time to clean-up and clear-out the garden. Once Winter’s cold hands have released their grip, when both the air and the soil temperatures are lifting new growth back up from the garden bed, that is when I prune and clip and rake and prepare for the new growing season. But in Autumn, I remember that just because I’m spending more time indoors, does’t mean that the wildlife outdoors has that luxury.

Fall Color taking hold at Ronald Bog

Of course, there are a few exceptions to this light-handed approach to the Fall clean-up, and a balance of the practical can be weighed here. Pathways need to be maintained, if regularly traveled, for safety purposes - composted leaves can be slippery. Rake fallen leaves directly into garden beds as mulch, being careful not to smother small plants. Also, invasive plants that may have taken hold while everyone was away on Summer vacation still need to be pulled out, or else Spring cleaning could feel unnecessarily disheartening as these weeds take hold at a fresh new pace in March. Then, a few rare trees, such as Black Walnut and Eucalyptus, through a process called allelopathy, suppress the growth of any plant covered in the tree's leaves. Don't use those leaves for mulch. Finally, it's best to rake up the leaves and any fallen fruit from fruit trees - pests and fungi can over-winter in the fallen leaves and reinfect the tree the following year if not cleaned-up.

True, our gardens are ours. We can't help but feel a sense of ownership over something we tend and manage so carefully. Yet, it's not just us and the plants in the garden. There's a rich diversity of life out there - much of it also tending and caring for the garden. And, it's so easy to do our part to care for it. Now, at the beginning of Autumn, with the return of the rains, is the time to begin again.

~~~~
Jennifer Rotermund is the owner of Gaiaceous Gardens (an urban farming and wildlife gardening business with a teaching garden/urban farm and certified wildlife habitat/ sacred sanctuary located in Shoreline). She is a Permaculture Designer, is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Habitat Steward and serves as a Docent at the Kruckeberg Garden. She is also an ordained minister with a particular focus on earth-based forms of spirituality.



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