Birdfeeding: Friends of a Feather Flock Together

Today I took pictures of icicles and snow, mostly in the house yard, some down the driveway.

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New directory of 125+ tree-planting nonprofits makes it easier to contribute to reforestation around the world

The Global Reforestation Organization Directory provides standardized information about the public commitments and transparency of more than 125 major tree-planting organizations, making it easier for donors to compare groups and find the ones that match their priorities.


Save the world, plant some trees! :D Many birds need trees as habitat, especially keystones like oak trees. Coming into the holiday season, watch for organizations that offer gift options where you can plant trees in someone's name.

Continuing from Charleston Food Forest Part 1 Right Side, these photos show the remainder of the right side and the left side. Continue with the Coles County Community Garden and Seeds.

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October wildlife gardening tasks feature the middle of fall. Keep on top of harvesting so it doesn't get away from you. Weeding should be winding down in many areas. Some flowers need deadheading, but most wildflowers don't. By this point, many plants have set seeds. Collect seeds, especially native ones, to save for next spring. For species that need cold stratification before they will sprout, you can either chill them in a refrigerator or plant them in a bed during fall and let the winter chill them naturally.

If you want to hang roosting boxes for cold weather, this is a good opportunity for that. If you haven't already hung your birdfeeders, do that now. Bring out any that you already have and clean them before filling and hanging them. It's a good time to buy new ones if you want to do that. The fall migration is peaking in many regions, but northernmost ones are emptying out. For most species, seeds are the best offerings at this time. Wait to put out suet or similar foods until the weather gets colder. It is safe to mow fields, as ground-nesting birds have completed their cycles. Birdwatching peaks in mid-fall as the migrations boom. Visit your local parks and waterways for the best viewing.

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This 'blue-green jay' may be the first climate change-created bird hybrid found in nature. Here's why that's good news

Joined by his faculty advisor, integrative biology professor Tim Keitt, Stokes confirmed that the bird was, in fact, a male offspring of a green jay mother and a blue jay father.

Marc Airhart, who interviewed Stokes for the University of Texas at Austin's College of Natural Sciences, jokingly referred to it as a “grue jay” — but the hybrid does not have an official name.


The grue jay is cool, but it is long preceded by the grolar bear (aka pizzly bear).

These pictures show the Coles County Community Garden on Saturday, August 2. (Begin with Part 1: Right Side, Part 2: Left Side.)

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These are pictures from the Charleston Food Forest. (Continue with Part 2: Left Side.)

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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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These pictures are mostly from the prairie garden.

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