Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

June is National Pollinator Month. The most famous pollinators are butterflies and bees. However, other animals such as bats and rodents also serve. Among birds, the best known are hummingbirds (North and South America), but sunbirds (Africa) and honeyeaters (Australia) are important too. Also bear in mind that caterpillars are nature's hot dogs, so attracting butterflies and moths will also feed birds. It takes about 10,000 caterpillars to fledge a clutch of chickadees! Here are some ways to celebrate National Pollinator Month ...

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Today is cloudy, windy, and cool.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/13/25 -- It's too windy to plant above-ground things, but I can plant underground things.  I planted 3 black hollyhock roots in the telephone pole garden.  Then I watered them and some other plants.

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, several brown-headed cowbirds, and a female fox squirrel with nipples showing.

I also saw a red admiral butterfly.  :D

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I planted 6 mixed hosta roots, 2 in the forest garden and 4 in the log garden. Then I watered them and some other plants.

More hostas are sprouting in the forest garden. \o/

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

One potted ramp and one potted horseradish are sprouting.  :D

I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, several grackles, and two mourning doves.

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I started clearing off the telephone pole garden, where I'll be planting some bulbs later on. 

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I did more clearing off the telephone pole garden, 

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I did more clearing off the telephone pole garden.  It's pretty well cleared now, except for copious amounts of bergamot that I need to move elsewhere so it won't take over the whole bed.

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I started transplanting bergamot from the telephone pole garden.  I'm moving it to the streetside edge of the hedge along the west end of the savanna.

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I transplanted more bergamot.

EDIT 4/13/25 -- I transplanted more bergamot.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Today we went out to the lake. These pictures primarily show the pollinator gardens around the parking lot and the approach to the lake paths.

( Walk with me ... )

A Pollinator Pathway is a pesticide-free corridor of native plants that provide nutrition and habitat for pollinating insects and birds.  Pollinator Pathmaker is a program that designs gardens for wildlife rather than humans.

These things are great, but to me, a little weird.  I have to stop and remember that most modern humans A) can't think like other species and B) rarely even see other species.  Me, I spend time outside not just doing yardwork but watching how everyone else uses my yard.  A plant is covered with insects?  I will put out more of it.  My pollinators' favorite late-season plants are 'Autumn Joy' sedum, garlic chives, goldenrod, and Shithouse Marigolds.  Only one of those is actually native.  Cup plant and sunchokes, two other natives, are also popular.  Midseason they love coneflowers (I have yellow and purple) and mountain mint, along with the zinnias and cosmos that come in the Monarch Mix.  I generally favor natives, but everyone gets a vote. 

Today is sunny and mild, a beautiful fall day. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of house finches and a juvenile cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

There are honeybees on the metal tray feeder and also drinking from damp soil in the potted plants. I saw a black swallowtail female on the cup plant flowers.

EDIT 9/7/24 -- I started setting up the core of the next fire in the firepit.

EDIT 9/7/24 -- We hauled two piles of grass to the grass wall.

EDIT 9/7/24 -- I sowed more seeds of blue false indigo and yellow false indigo in pots that haven't sprouted.  Some of the other little pots have seedlings in them too, like the yarrow, bergamot, and mountain mint.  :D

EDIT 9/7/24 -- I watered the patio plants, picnic table, and septic garden.

EDIT 9/7/24 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I watered the notch in the prairie garden, telephone pole garden, grass patch, and seedlings in the savanna.

I've seen a lady cardinal at the hopper feeder.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Today is partly cloudy and warm. It's supposed to rain tomorrow.

I haven't fed the birds yet. I've seen a large flock of house finches and a fox squirrel.

I've seen a tiger swallowtail.

We moved the picnic table into position near the septic garden. So that part is done for now.

EDIT 7/27/24 -- I fed the birds. I've seen a female cardinal.

My partner Doug is out mowing north of the driveway.

EDIT 7/27/24 -- I found small square pots to fit a tray, and filled those with potting soil, so I can plant the false indigo seeds later.

EDIT 7/27/24 -- Most of the yard south of the driveway has been mowed.

I got the labels made, seeds put into the little pots, and tray moved to the new picnic table.

I've seen a gray catbird.

EDIT 7/27/24 -- I did a bit of work on the patio.

I've seen at least 3 bats swooping around the perimeter of the yard.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Today is mostly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds.  I've seen several house finches, several robins, and a mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds and watered a few plants.  There are even more honeybees on the birdbath than yesterday.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I watered the blue spruce and pawpaw seedlings in the savanna.

Butterflies are feeding in the wildflower garden.  :D  I saw a black swallowtail and a medium-sized brown-spotted one that might have been a hackberry emperor or some sort of fritillary.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I watered the patio plants.

I saw at least a couple of dark-eyed juncos, might have been more; a bunch of birds flew out of the forest garden when I went outside.  I almost never see those in the summer, they're winter birds here.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I watered the picnic table plants and the barrel garden.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I watered the septic garden.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I watered the tower strip and part of the monarch strip in the prairie garden.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I finished watering the monarch strip, the bluestem strip, and a few other things in the prairie garden.

Fireflies are coming out.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

EDIT 6/21/24 -- I got to see the Strawberry Moon tonight.  At first it was a deep peach color, but as it rose higher, it lightened and looked more pinkish.  Some years it is really pink, almost reddish.