Thursday, June 28, 2012

I am Back! What is with the end of July temperatures?


For the past week, I have not been able to use the computer.
It was bittersweet. I missed it but on the other hand I was able to finish other projects because I was not on the computer. As of last night, I can use the computer.
Yesterday, I was out trying to take pictures with my phone and the camera did not work. Ugh!!!!!!!!! Technology is great when working and extremely frustrating when it is not!

Today's entry is about the heat.


What is going on? Here is the Midwest, we are roasting and drying out. The temps here in Michigan are higher and the conditions dryer than the temps in Florida. They have had more rain.

Colorado is on fire, literally... and the Pacific Northwest is still in the 60s. My Seattle family is still using their flannel sheets and sweaters. Mother Nature is totally playing with us.

Today there are areas in Michigan that could reach 100 and it is only June. So stay cool today. Remember your pets, keep them inside today also. Fill your bird baths, the birds, butterflies and dragonflies are looking for water too. Check on any friends or relatives who don't have air conditioning. maybe open your home to them, have dinner and a sleep over. Turn off the electronics and play cards, listen to a ball game or read a book.  Make some lemonade.... from real lemons.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Karen Workman & The Oakland Press Phragmite Articles

Phragmite plant


Karen Workman, Community Engagement Editor of The Oakland Press, has written two articles about Phragmites. I encourage you to read her articles. Workman has done an outstanding job of informing the reader about the plant and has listed many resources to contact if you are interested in helping to rid the State of Michigan from Phragmites. It can be done if we all work together.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Clematis in the Garden. . . .

                                                    Clematis in the Garden  


I was out in the garden this morning. The purple/blue Clematis was at it peak for blossoms. 

So I grabbed the camera and this is what I saw when I came in to post the pictures.                  

    



  1.                 The lightening was perfect. 
  2.                   The Subject is beautiful. 
  3.                   The wind was calm.
                                                     Which one is your favorite? 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

8 A M Walk in the Garden and the Rest of the Day

Little Rosy Cloud
Ode to Spring 

I walked through the garden today, and two different day lilies are blooming. I never tire of walking around to see what has opened. I am usually joined by my two cats, Lucy and Lily. My husband and I walked through our gardens on Sunday and counted over 115 different day lilies that we have planted. Of course, as stated in a previous blog all are tagged, so we can remember the names.



I am pleased to say, that even with this crazy erratic weather we are experiencing, (95 on Sunday and 45 last night), the plants in the garden are adjusting. The other 113 day lilies have scapes at various heights and promise to offer many photo opportunities for the next several months. .


Mrs. Snapping Turtle
I just walked into the house to make a cup of tea and the phone rang, a call from my next door neighbor. She had a visitor in her sunny back yard. Her backyard abuts the same wetlands as mine, but she has sun, where I have all the trees. Well, this visitor has been hanging around for a couple of days, visiting when the sun is out. Her dogs, just don't want anything to do with Mrs. Turtle and made all the ruckus they can to get this unwanted visitor to go back to her side of their idea of an invisible fence line. Mrs. Turtle, she would have nothing to do with leaving.

Future nursery site?
My neighbor tried a broom to discourage her, Mrs. Turtle just responded with hissing. She is on a mission. That is when my neighbor called me. What was she to do?  When I  arrived, I could see, this turtle was looking for a spot to lay her eggs. She had found what she thought was a warm sunny bank, near the wetlands. A bank higher than the water line, where the eggs would be warmed by the sun and and her offspring, when hatched, would just roll down the slope to the water.  After several attempts at digging a spot to lay her eggs, the turtle left on her own. She just couldn't get through the hard ground, clay, to lay her eggs.

I had just recently read an article, I can not remember where, on turtles and the trouble they are experiencing with finding the correct spot for laying eggs. As I have been reporting, Phragmites and other non-native invasive plants are changing the vegetation ecology around many wetlands, ponds and lakes with growth that is covering the open bank areas. Thick, shaded and cooler ground has replaced the open, warm and sandy areas.

I continued my walk, with out my tea and noticed the leaves of the Joe-Pye plants were riddled with holes. I LOVED that. Something was using the leaves for a nursery. The eggs have hatched and the caterpillars were enjoying the leaves. I found the little caterpillars and here is a picture.
                                                      Can you identify them?
                                                      I am not sure what it is.
                                                 That is my project for the afternoon.

It is now 9 A M  and I still have not had my cup of tea, with this non stop excitement of the morning, I can hardly wait for the rest of the day. Please, I welcome your comments with the caterpillar's name.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Brenda Dziedzic and Butterflies

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a lecture given by Brenda Dziedzic, Butterflies in the Garden,  you should go and hear what she has to say about Butterflies.

She is passionate about the insect order Lepidoptera or Butterflies. I have had the pleasure of hearing Brenda speak for Wild Ones, North Oakland Chapter. What sets Brenda above anyone else that I have heard speak on Butterflies, is that she explains how to attract them for the whole Butterfly life cycle.

Butterflies, as Brenda explains, undergo a complete metamorphosis. There are four stages to this beautiful insect. The egg, the caterpillar (larva), chrysalis and finally to the adult.

Brenda has a book. "Learn About Butterflies in the Garden."  It is a comprehensive book for anyone who wants to learn how to plant the types of plants from host to nectar plants to accommodate for all the four stages of the life of a butterfly. I have used her book to help plant the type of flowers that allow the complete life cycle for numerous butterflies. I have noticed an increase of butterflies for the last few years.


Monarch Butterfly
The Monarchs host and larva plants is Milkweed and Butterfly Weed. The nectar plants are Butterfly Bush, Joe-Pye Weed, Milkweed, Thistle, Goldenrod and Clover, just to name a few. I have planted them all. It is rewarding to see them in the garden. My neighbor gathers the eggs she collects on her Swamp Milkweed. This is one of her babies!

I  offer False Nettle and Nettle for the Red Admirals for a host/larval food plant. The adults nectar on Echinacea, Swamp Milkweed and Butterfly Weed.

Red Admiral on Echinacea
Check out Brenda's Book for detailed instructions for planning your yard to maintain the butterflies. 
Happy Butterflying!
 Keep your camera close by. 


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Day Off......



Everyone needs some time off.

Today is that day for me.

 Even though I was supposed to relax, I took my camera to the front entrance to the subdivision where I live and photographed the wildflowers that were planted last fall. There is a hill that has been a challenge to get grass to grow. It is sandy, in the shade most of the day and has a slope to it. I jumped on the opportunity to suggest to the Board to try planting wildflowers. It seems to be a success.

Wild Flowers on the west slope
Poppy


There is quite a variety of flowers.Several varieties of  Poppies,  some Bachelor Buttons and several flowers I need to research in my Wildflower Book.

Lots of Poppies!
 It looks better than the eroded slope that was there for as long as I have lived here. I think the change is for the good.

I will let you be the judge.

See you on Friday.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Linkedin with Nick Federoff, Things Green




It is Memorial Weekend and I am on the computer. What, it was raining in MIchigan. Bound and determined to make some sense of Linkedin to promote my blog, I surfed around. I stumbled on the Ecological Landscaping Association. Guessing that this group would have subjects of interest to me, I scrolled through and found Nick Federoff, Things Green. Nick is a syndicated Radio/TV talk show host in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

In the spirit of Memorial Weekend, Nick's topic of discussion was "lot of lawn...lots of mowers. Choose the best one for the job. The TV segment was informative,  I learned a lot about different types of lawns.

I sent Nick a comment that I would be interested in stating my case against lawns. His response: he was up for the challenge.

Others commented  and my first real conversation on Linkedin began.

Nick responded: he is always up to being educated - Challenge away.

 I argued lawns are water guzzlers and in the area of Los Angeles CA, where water is so precious, why not sustain less lawns and more natives. I was thrilled, because I now could talk about native plants. Others agreed that the LA area is dessert area, lawns in the dessert! How absurd. How much water is wasted on that!

California Poppy

Nick brought up that "natives are nice, but, most are ugly and can't live in an urban environment". "There are so many other plants that are fire resistant."  Visions of the fires seen on TV of the Los Angeles area where houses and plants are destroyed popped into my head.... Fire resistant natives were in the Los Angeles area, long before any 'other plants' from other parts of the world arrived. Many western natives need fire to germinate. They are not only fire resistant, they need fire to survive. I researched California Native Plants. There are lots to choose from and use in an urban environment, many of the plants that are fire resistant are beautiful enough for any garden. 

The conversation then discussed the loss of beneficial  insects. Nick stated that he didn't think that the fewer numbers of certain insects, like bees, are found in fewer numbers because of the lack of natives, but instead, parasites that use the bees as host insects.... and of course improper pesticide use.... Well, at this point others linked in. (Remember this is an on going conversation over a weeks time.)

Cameron Donaldson, Executive Director at Florida Association of Native Nurseries, FANN responded.

"Nick must be on a different planet."  Here on earth:
And when you're having trouble sleeping:
Thank you Cammie!


Realizing that there are concerned people all over the country, who are just as interested in stats on the  declining numbers of birds and insects and also agree that there is too much focus on the lawn as I do, Linkein has become my favorite tool.

As for Nick Federof... he asked for a challenge. I accept.

I challenge you all to share your thoughts with Nick at Thingsgreen.com. I double challenge you to share your comments with me. The Comment box is right below :).

Friday, June 1, 2012

"Michigan Hummingbird Guy" & the E.L. Johnson Nature Center

Can you see it? See what!....They have the nets up again!
 (I think I would fly into it if I was a bird, too.
I could barely see it to take the picture. )
On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, I had the extreme pleasure of attending a bird banding demonstration held at the E. L. Johnson Nature Center Bloomfield Hills Schools. The day was perfect, blue skies and mild temperatures made walking around the center enjoyable and the birds were very active. Not to mention it was right in the middle of the mating, nesting, feeding and soon to be fledgling season.

The Bird Field Research program targeted for the 4th graders of Bloomfield Hills Schools, is opened for the day to the Supporters of the E.L. Johnson Nature Center. Along with the students we all learned that records of birds sighted on the property date back to 1947. Dr. Richard Olsen, doctor, homeowner and ornithologist in his own right, started recording the birds he sighted. Since 1980's, the now E. L. Johnson Nature Center following in Dr. Olsen's footsteps started this school program and has worked with several bird banders. Since 2006,  Allen Chartier has worked with the future ornithologists. Their responsibilities include:
  • helping to check the nets, this is done in a timely manner so the trapped birds do not become stressed,
  • banding, weighing, measuring and recording of the data of each bird. 
  • Releasing of the captured bird. 

Allen Chartier talking to the guests
Bird Banding equipment. 
We arrived at 11:00 a.m. and met with  Allen Chartier, Michigan Hummingbird Guy, and the other families. Allen had set up his nets and there were birds in the bags awaiting their turn to be banded. Chartier's bird banding equipment was neatly displayed, the bands, of various sizes, to fit the smallest hummingbird to the larger woodland birds awaiting the birds.




To Chartier and the students delight and surprise, one of the birds caught was an Indigo Bunting, that was banded in 2006. What makes this even more interesting, this particular bird migrates south for the winter. Yet it has returned again for the sixth time. Being six years old is quite an accomplishment for any bird in the wild . Yet even another welcomed surprise happened during the week, not since the early 1950s has a Alder Flycatcher or the Orchard Oriole been spotted on the property, and this year both visited the Nature Center!

Rose Breasted Gross Beak 
The rose color under the wing shows  that
this is a two year old male. 
The first bird of the day was the Rose Breasted Gross Beak. Quite a noisy fellow! A question was asked if Chartier ever gets nipped by the birds. Quick to respond, he showed us the size of the beak on the bird who feeds itself by crushing seeds, and said, "You make it look like it doesn't hurt". Chartier explained the correct way to hold the bird, he measured, weighed by placing the bird in a bag, placed the band on the leg and then recorded all the information.


After all the recording was finished, Chartier was assisted by a student to release the bird. All were cautious so not to get pecked, some intimidated, but all were pros after listening to this patient man, who one could tell dearly loves these feathered friends.


Cow Bird which had a band from
the previous year. 
There were 6 birds banded during our allotted time with Chartier. 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 female  Red-Winged Black Bird, 1Grackle and a Cowbird, and the Rose Breasted Gross Beak. All were treated with respect, and this is duly noted, because a Cowbird, is a very destructive bird. These birds are not nest builders, it was originally a bird of the Plains, they followed the buffalo herds. Existing on the bugs attracted to the buffalo and its dung, they served a purpose of keeping the insect numbers in check. Because they were always on the move, the birds needed to find other ways of having their young and developed a method of laying their eggs in other bird nests along the way. Leaving the hatching, feeding and caring to an unsuspecting bird. The decline of the Buffalo herds and the loss of the open plains, forced the Cowbirds species to make changes to survive, one such change is it has moved East and into Michigan. The cowbird is one of the biggest threats, though not the only one, to Michigan's Kirkland Warbler.

There are two interesting facts that I will take away with me from this enjoyable experience:

Female Red-Winged Black Bird
with Brood Patch

  • The Downy Woodpeckers, male and female have brood patches. What is a brood patch? It is an area on their under body that swells and expands and radiates heat, like a heating pad, to keep the eggs warm during incubation and the newly hatched baby birds warm also. Most species only the female has the patch as shown in the picture, 
  • The Downy Woodpecker is so called because of the fluffy down surrounding the base of the beak,  
This Downy Woodpecker had the
last word of the day.
"Become a Supporter of
 the E. L. Johnson Nature Center".