A Touch of Nature - 4/15/07

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Here At Bluebird Cove

Dead or Alive?

I was blessed to be able to rescue a Common Grackle that hit our deck door when a hawk was out for lunch. These are large birds but they certainly don't look as large as they feel when you're holding one. View our Grackle Rescue photo album.

Our son is one who truly enjoys the benefits of the internet. He's on top of what's out there and enjoys sending Randal links to all kinds of techie stuff. They share those genes.

I admit ... I've gotten used to what I consider the benefits of being online .... but my heart's desire is not in my computer. It seems to keep me captured at times simply because it's easy to get things done on this machine when the weather is too cold for outdoor fun. I think I surprised both of them when I put a video on You Tube.

I switched to a digital camera years ago, but hadn't used the video option. A couple weeks ago as I was watching a Pileated Woodpecker tearing apart the base of a dead tree outside our front door, I thought of the video feature, grabbed the camera and filmed away. Boy, was that easy!

Pileated Woodpeckers strike the hard woody surface of a tree at up to 20 times a second and up to 12,000 times a day with staggering deceleration forces of as high as 1200 g with each impact. That's equivalent to striking a wall at 16 mph face first each time.

Leaving dead trees (snags) in your yard is an important part of providing food and nesting habitat for woodpeckers. View my woodpecker video at You Tube.

Our photo gallery has close-ups of a Pileated Woodpecker at our suet feeder. Click the double arrows to the right to see more and also the Red-bellied Woodpecker. The tree that the Pileated Woodpecker was on had a Red-bellied Woodpecker nest last year. View the tree, holes and Red-bellied Woodpecker at entrance. Click the double arrows to view close-ups.

Tree ID Needed

Do any of you know what kind of native tree this might be here in Central Virginia? It's a scrawny little thing but has bloomed some each year and this year it bloomed more than ever. I'd love to have a name for it if anybody knows what might produce these pretty white flowers before the tree has leaves. It was blooming in March. You can leave your comments at the photo.

Eastern Gray Squirrels

We're in a community where deer are a problem to people who like to garden and especially for those who like to have roses, day lilies and hostas. They just don't work too well with the nibbling deer.

We are discovering that the deer aren't the only nibblers. This year we've seen deer eating our holly leaves and took almost all of the leaves from our viburnums. A neighbor has had them eat magnolia flower buds and they will compete for any type of food you put out for the birds also.

I took a few funny photos last week of a squirrel on our front porch that had removed a rather large ceramic snail from a large pot. He got it to the ground and continued to try to keep it in his mouth so he could carry it away. Now where do you think he was going to take that snail?

View the squirrel trying to steal the ceramic snail. Click the double arrows to the right for 2 more photos.

They are comical little things, but they've been chewing up our plastic pots for years and that's one annoying habit I wish we could get stopped. I've thought about putting out calcium for them to eat since that works for dogs that chew and babies who teeth. We've used it for our son while teething and to stop my dad's German Shepherd from chewing. I might also mention that we continued on calcium with our son and he never had a cavity growing up.

Earthworm Petticoats

My friend, subscriber and kindred spirit, Holly Dilatush, wrote me a bit over a week ago and shared a delightful visual image with me. I asked if I could share it with the rest of our kindred spirits and she thought it silly of me for even asking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

"A week or two ago as I was walking from my parked car toward the Learning Center, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom -- it had rained the night before and was a bit breezy -- from the corner of my eye I saw something moving on the sidewalk. When I glanced down it apperared to be a moving rosette/bloom. Upon closer inspection, it was an earthworm dressed in "petticoats" of cherry blossom petals -- almost completely covered -- 'stuck' to its moist body at all odd angles. "Petticoats" is what came instantly to mind. An earthworm out for a walk with its finest attire and parading across the sidewalk. It brought a smile and is an image I'll cherish for some time to come!"

Monarchs - Do You Know The Incredible Story?

The first warm days of late March trigger their northward flight from Mexico. It will be the great great grandchildren that we see heading back to the exact same location in the Fall. Read the whole story here: enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=364

Wildlife Habitat - Rock Piles

The more types of habitat your yard has, the more types of wildlife you will discover. A rock pile is very important if you want to attact toads, salamanders, lizards, and even birds if you've got large rocks. It gives them a hiding, nesting and feeding place with protection.

As you find rocks in your area or visit other areas that allow you to take rocks, keep the rock critters in mind and build them a place to reside. View our recent rock pile habitat.

You can add one feature at a time to your yard and build gradually. Any thing you do will benefit some form of wildlife which will make you and them really happy. Get more ideas on creating a backyard habitat here: www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/wildlife/426-070/426-070.html

If You See a Turtle In The Road

Have you ever been driving down the road when that tire fragment in the distance begins to move? As you get closer, you realize that the tire fragment is actually a turtle, slowly attempting to cross the highway.

Turtles often make this perilous journey to get to a good, sunny location with loose soil in which to lay eggs, and to return back to familiar territory - be it a woodland, pond or desert burrow.

It is in just this situation that so many turtles lose their status as wild animals and are consigned to an unnatural, and unnaturally short, life in a back yard. By all means, help that turtle cross the road in the direction she (or he) was heading, if you can do so safely. But then leave her in the wild where she belongs.

The collection of turtles by passersby seriously contributes to the ongoing population declines in many species. Turtles and tortoises are particularly vulnerable to collecting, since they are slow-moving and generally non-aggressive.

Find out more about turtles and tortoises at the HSUS site:
www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/turtles_and_tortoises

Gardening With Allergies

Airborne pollen triggers allergic reactions in millions of Americans. These sufferers can reduce their exposure by making changes to their gardening practices. There are steps you can take to reduce your exposure.

One oft-mentioned solution is to minimize pollen by eradicating male plants of so-called dioecious species from the landscape. (Although most plants have both male and female flowers, or even male and female parts in each flower, dioecious species have separate male and female plants.) But “you can’t tell people ‘don’t plant male plants’ if you want plants to be able to perpetuate themselves,” says NWF Chief Naturalist Craig Tufts. And without male plants and their pollen to fertilize flowers, he adds, there would be far fewer berries and other food for wildlife.

Indeed, it is possible to have a healthy garden that pleases not only you but also the birds, bees and other animals that are the primary pollinators of many plants.

Read the entire article on the NWF website:
www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=114&articleID=1457

Pets Are Part of Our Nature at Home and We Love Animals

The recent horrors of the pet food recalls has kept us busy serving new customers, which has been a bittersweet experience when we get emails that pet owners have lost their pets just by faithfully feeding them. Neither of the brands we sell has ever been recalled. The extra money spent feeding natural foods from independent companies more than pays for itself in lack of vet expenses.

Free Samples of Pet Food, Supplements and Treats - These formulas are developed by Dr. Jane Bicks, a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian and author.

Pet Success Stories Using Nature's Remedies - Read how pet owners have used herbs.

Nature's Heartworm Program - Yes, there are successful herbal programs.

Healthy Pet News - Complimentary professional email newsletter with great articles.

Healthy Pet Corner - Resource site for cats, dogs, birds, horses, rabbits and reptiles.

Natural Herbs, Supplements and Essential Oils

Natural herbs and supplements bring the powerful world of nature into your body for health and healing. We've been using herbal remedies since the late 70's and have been so blessed by them.

It's been our full-time business since 1982. We'd appreciate you shopping with us.

Herbs and Supplements by Health Topic

Nature's Sunshine 100% Pure Essential Oils

Detoxify Your Soaps and Cleaning Supplies With Sunshine Concentrate!

This environmentally-friendly cleaning and washing concentrate is nothing less than wonderful. We've used it for 15 years for laundry, hand soap, pet baths, soaking produce, dishwasher, cleaning, and a multitude of other uses. This product has saved us money and health. No more "itch" of chemical soaps. Read more about Sunshine Concentrate.

The Frugal Life - Living Well With What You Already Have

Living more simply is a great way to effect change in your own personal environment and it helps the planet. The Frugal Life website has lots of ideas on getting back to basics. They also provide a free newsletter monthly and a forum where you can ask questions or search for information. Visit The Frugal Life site.

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© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins

All photographs are the property of the editor, Donna L. Watkins. This newsletter may be forwarded in its entirety by email but may not be placed on any website without written permission.

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