Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Birds and Blooms Extra

With working a full-time job, chasing after a small child and, well, life in an active family, sometimes I let our sunflower seed feeder sit empty for a few days. I look out the window and think, I should really go fill that, but then the trucks and Tinkertoy pieces all over the floor and my son asking for a snack for what seems like the 10th time that day steal my attention. Thinking, Sorry, birdies, I vow to fill it later or to ask my husband to do it. The great news is that birds always come back. Chickadees and cardinals are the quickest to forgive us, returning within minutes once a feeder is freshly filled. I share this because we often hear from readers who are worried that…

1 Birkin philodendron PHILODENDRON A glossy green goddess adorned with cream-colored streaks, this philodendron’s leaves are primarily white upon unfurling. It’s a striking transformation that flourishes in medium to bright indirect sun as the plant matures. A slow grower, Birkin maxes out at 3 feet tall and wide but is self supporting. Why we love it: An easy-to-grow nature and upkeep makes it perfect for busy or new plant owners. 2 Nanouk tradescantia TRADESCANTIA ALBIFLORA Whether grown in a container on a desk or hanging in an east- or north-facing window, this showstopper boasts fantastically variegated foliage. The tops come in shades of dark and light green, cream and pink, while underneath you’ll see purple. Water regularly to avoid crispy leaf edges. Why we love it: With its compact growth…

ALSO CONSIDER: • Larger woodpeckers, such as pileateds or flickers, may be more drawn to a feeder with a tail prop included. • Hang suet feeders in a spot where they’ll be out of direct sunlight. • If squirrels or bully birds are an issue, try a suet feeder with an upside-down or caged design. EXPERT-APPROVED SUET RECIPE Begin with equal parts lard and peanut butter, melting and mixing them over low heat. Add a variety of ingredients to this gooey mess, such as unsalted peanuts, raisins, rolled oats, dried mealworms, sunflower seeds or cornmeal. Then chill the mixture for a day before cutting it into blocks or cubes. Check homemade suet regularly and discard if it gets either moldy or rancid.…

WINTER IS FOR THE BIRDS A male horned lark was feeding along a farm field one cold winter day. While the bird was busy feeding he gave me one quick look as I took this photo, which I was excited to capture. Andy RauppMONTELLO, WI WHOOO ARE YOU LOOKING AT? Shortly after our first snow of the season, I was walking through the local city park and I could see eyes looking out through a pine tree. It was such a pleasure to see this beautiful great horned owl framed by snow and pine. Jennifer Metzenbauer KIMBERLY, WI EYES ON YOU My husband and I had just poured our morning coffee as it started to gently snow a few winters ago. I happened to look out the window and saw…

Red Twig Dogwood Cornus sericea, Zones 2 to 7 Known for scarlet boughs that create a pop of color in snowy months, this deer-resistant deciduous bush is visually appealing and welcomes wildlife. Bunches of tiny flowers that attract butterflies bloom in late spring and turn into bluish white berries that are sought-after by birds in late summer. Attracts: Light needs: Full sun to partial shade. Grown for: Blazing red stems create colorful winter landscaping. Foliage: Green tapered leaves and white flowers. Care tips: The bark color may fade, but trimming in early spring promotes bright new growth and controls the size.…

What’s the difference between a new gardener and an experienced one? The experienced gardener has killed way more plants, or so the saying goes. That truism speaks to the fact that gardening is a highly trial-and-error venture. Here are some common missteps all gardeners make and what to do instead. Planting too early THE MISTAKE: Cold-climate gardeners are eager to get petunias, tomatoes and other summer annuals and veggies in the ground at the first sight of frost-free weather in spring. You might get a jump on the season some years, but many gardeners have watched tender plants die when a frost follows a warmup or two. THE FIX: Know your typical last killing frost dates in spring, then wait until at least then to plant frost-tender plants. Wait until…

Q How do blue jays know to crack open peanut shells to get the nut inside? Dennis Hockensmith BOONSBORO, MD Kenn and Kimberly: Blue jays are intelligent and adaptable, with omnivorous tastes. Acorns, hazelnuts, hickory and other wild nuts can provide 40% or more of their diet. To break these open, jays hold them against a perch with one foot and hammer on them with their beaks. Peanuts are not native to North America (and technically they’re classified as legumes), but they’re somewhat similar to native nuts, and curious blue jays will experiment and learn to crack them open. They also learn by watching each other, so if one jay has figured out the peanuts, others will quickly follow their example. Q Baffles are not keeping raccoons away from my…

Find the Hummingbird In each issue, we hide a hummingbird like the one above left. Enter to win at birdsandblooms.com/contests if you find it. Winners get a one-year subscription to Birds & Blooms. In the November issue, we hid it on page 9. HIDDEN OBJECT GUIDELINES No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and possessions, or of Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec). Sweepstakes begins on Dec. 20, 2023, and ends on Feb. 20, 2024. Visit birdsandblooms.com/contests for official rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes sponsored by RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC. Contact Us! CUSTOMER CARE For subscriptions, renewals, gifts, payments, account info and inquiries: Email: customercare@birdsandblooms.com…

With their tsips and trills, you often hear bushtits before you see them leave shrubs by the dozen. These energetic year-round residents are found in the western region of North America, stretching from Mexico to southern British Columbia. “They’re really charming once you get to know them,” says Rebecca Hartley, associate professor at Seattle University, who studies bushtits with her students. Sporting a drab gray or dusty brown color, bushtits have short, dark bills and fairly long tails for their tiny size. They rarely sit for long, flitting from branches and leaves while foraging for a meal or gathering nesting materials. Bug Hunters “They are insect eaters, especially in the summer,” says Rebecca, who has watched bushtits bring beautiful green caterpillars—a great source of proteins and lipids—to feed their young…

In the winter of 2021, a large flock of white-winged crossbills showed up in our area. They spent almost all day feeding on these spruce cones. It was my first time seeing crossbills, so I was thrilled to capture this photo! Andy Raupp MONTELLO, WI Bohemian waxwings are very active in cold weather. A flock devoured the ornamental crabapples as the temperatures plummeted to a frigid minus 30 degrees for a daytime high. This unusual Bohemian waxwing had a pure white tuft of feathers, which added to its beauty. Lilly HiebertDRUMHELLER, AB DAZZLING DETAILS The colorful tips of Bohemian waxwings’ tails and wings come from carotenoid pigments in the fruit they eat. I have seen quite a few red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches at my feeders during the winter. Today I…

1851 In 1851, house sparrows native to England were released in Brooklyn to control caterpillar populations. The rest is history—you’ll find house sparrows in nearly every state. 1885 The Japanese folktale “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow,” first translated into English in 1885, features an old man who is rewarded after he shows a sparrow kindness. 30 During the pandemic, researchers found that white-crowned sparrows in San Francisco were singing 30% softer thanks to reduced city noise. 2 Two families share the sparrow name, but originate from different locations: New World (Passerellidae) sparrows native to the Americas and Old World (Passeridae) sparrows from Europe, Asia and Africa. 6 House sparrows are so widespread that they are found on every continent except Antarctica—that’s six continents in total! 40 More than 40 sparrow species call…