Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Birds and Blooms Extra

1 ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA Encompassing a scattering of islands and mainland habitat across western Alaska, this refuge is a home for a staggering 40 million seabirds. Species that nest only in the far north—like horned puffins, red-legged kittiwakes, and least, crested and parakeet aukletsare in abundance in spring and summer. 2 SONNY BONO SALTON SEA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, CALIFORNIA Famous for the huge number of shorebirds and waterfowl that winter and migrate through the refuge, Salton Sea is also a magnet for vagrants and rarities. Keep your eyes open for rarely seen birds such as ruffs, blue-footed boobies and yellow-footed gulls. 3 BENTSEN-RIO GRANDE VALLEY STATE PARK, TEXAS A little pocket of the tropics at the southern tip of Texas, the park is the only place this…

AS BIRD LOVERS, we spend a lot of time in awe of birds for their brightly patterned plumage, wing shapes and entertaining antics, not to mention that they can fly . But when not soaring through the sky, birds rely on their specially structured feet to get around. Their unique toes come in arrangements such as zygodactyl and anisodactyl, which may sound more like the names of their distant dinosaur cousins—but don’t worry! You can still appreciate just how crucial birds’ feet really are. No scientific memorization required. FEET FOR PERCHING Many backyard birds, from robins to wrens and phoebes to finches, belong to a large group called perching birds. The structure of their feet helps them perch on thin twigs. These birds have three toes pointing forward and one…

Road Rage? Traci Sepkovic of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, pulled into the parking lot of Lower Allen Park in Mechanicsburg to find these tree swallows perched on a sign. “My daughter got a kick out of watching them squawk back and forth as if they were having a dispute over the parking space,” Traci says. What do you think is going on in this photo? Help us caption it! Here are our favorites from last issue’s You Don’t Say: “I must have taken a wrong turn—or that rascally rabbit gave me the wrong directions to that sunny beach!” Janet Snyder “What are these strange-looking chipmunks?” Jessica Decker “Duck, duck…squirrel.” Wanda Rodgers “I powdered my nose for my close-up.” Kelly Berry We want to see your funny nature photos! Read our Submission…

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DID YOU KNOW? Not every white bird is albino. It’s more common for birds to have leucism, another genetic pigment condition. Observe birds coming and going through a backyard long enough, and eventually you’ll spot one that has partially white or all-white feathers where there should be color. These birds have a genetic condition known as leucism or, more rarely, albinism, which affects their coloring as well as their ability to survive in the wild. The next time you spot one of these fascinating birds, you’ll know if it’s leucistic or albino. Albinism Birds that lack the color pigment melanin have a genetic mutation called albinism. These birds are often pure white, but in some cases an albino bird might still have yellow or orange feathers. Those warmer colors are…

1 Building birdhouses to the specifications of the birds that you are trying to attract is important. Many require specific entrance-hole sizes. Equally important is providing plenty of hiding places, food sources and water. As all real estate agents know, it’s all about location, location, location! Make the “neighborhood” nice, build the right house and eventually you’ll attract birds. Melanie Theisen ROCKY POINT, NEW YORK 2 My twin boys and I fill suet feeder cages with nesting materials and hang them for the birds to claim. We also keep our feeders full for hungry moms and dads building nests, mating and tending to their little ones. Tiffany Ertle HOMOSASSA, FLORIDA 3 Don’t forget that not all birds use a house. Nesting shelves are excellent for non-cavity nesting birds, such as…

HOPS From a perennial vine grown by rhizomes, hops give beer its bitterness. For the best results, grow several varieties of hops in a sunny spot with something to climb on—the aggressive vines can grow over 25 feet tall and weigh more than 20 pounds. Harvest in late summer and dry in a dark place with low humidity. Plan ahead, because each plant produces up to 2 pounds of dried hops, and a barrel of beer usually requires 1 to 3 pounds of hops. Try Cascade, with citrus and grapefruit tones, or Golding, which has a mild, bitter flavor. GRAINS The essential component of beer, grains provide fermentable sugars used by yeast to make alcohol. Barley is the most popular choice for home brewers, but other grains, such as wheat,…

IT PAYS TO BE GREEN, whether it’s because you want to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle or you simply want to save time and money. No matter your motives, your backyard will be better for it. Here are a few tips for transforming your space from good to great. 1 DON’T MOW AS DEEP. Try letting your lawn grow a few inches to help it better tolerate drought conditions in warmer months. (Cool-season grasses can grow up to 3½ to 4 inches, while most warm-season grasses are shorter.) Roots grow deeper and lawns thicker, which means fewer pests, less disease and a decreased need for chemical intervention. 2 GROW LOCAL. Native plants are accustomed to their area’s growing conditions, so they’re a smart low-maintenance option. Once established, they generally require…

supplies • 3 recycled soup cans• Metal pie plate• 3 herb plants• Potting soil• Small decorative rocks• Burlap ribbon, extra-wide• Burlap lace ribbons,various widths• Jute twine• 3 flat wood ovals• 3 wood skewers• Card stock scraps• 3 oval stickers, black• Fine-point paint pen,white• Drill• Glue gun• Craft glue STEP 1. Remove labels from cans. Wash cans with soap and water, removing any label residue. STEP 2. Drill a small hole through the bottom of each can for drainage. Repot each plant in a can, adding potting soil as needed. STEP 3. Wrap a piece of extra-wide ribbon around each can; overlap ends. Fold overlapping edge under to create a hem; hot-glue hem. STEP 4. Wrap a piece of lace ribbon around the wide ribbon on each can, varying the lace widths among the cans, and glue as in Step 3, positioning the overlapped ends over the…