Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2025 i Birds and Blooms Extra

I’m no pro, but after many years of bird-watching, I feel fairly confident identifying a lot of birds. The small yellow warblers in spring plumage? Yep, I can tell them apart. Typical Midwest feeder guests? Not a problem. The handful of black, white and sometimes red woodpeckers? Sure, pretty simple. But a hawk in flight? Um, can it come a bit closer? Or a sparrow foraging on the ground and camouflaged in leaf litter? I’m going to need a minute ... In this issue, see an amazing photo of a Cooper’s hawk that you can really study in “The Pro of Pursuit” on page 6, and learn a few key ways to tell a Cooper’s from a sharp-shinned hawk, such as which one tends to flap more in flight. If…

1 Crimson glory vine VITIS COIGNETIAE, ZONES 5 TO 9 Native to Japan, crimson glory vine’s grapes are loved by birds, and its showy gold-red-purple fall foliage is loved by gardeners. Be aware and prepared to prune because this aggressive grower can readily overtake nearby plants and structures. Why we love it: After the leaves drop, the flexible bare vines are great for crafting festive decor such as wreaths, orbs and garlands. 2 Love-in-a-puff CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM, ZONES 9 TO 11, ANNUAL ELSEWHERE Easy to grow from seed, love-in-a-puff has tiny white flowers followed by light green, inflated balloonlike seedpods. This warm-weather annual is considered invasive in some southern states, so check before planting in your area. Why we love it: The unique “balloons” can be used in floral arrangements and…

Each year, chipmunks, squirrels and blue jays forage for acorns in a small clearing at the back of my property. I really enjoy watching the blue jays interact in the autumn and love their cool blue colors contrasting with the red and orange palette of the vivid leaves. Bill McMullen ROCKLAND, ON I set up an autumn-themed photo op, stocked a galvanized can with peanuts and waited for blue jays to arrive. I’ve learned that if you want blue jays to stop by, just put out peanuts. In this photo there seemed to be a difference of opinion as to who gets to eat first. I really like the colors—the orange pumpkin makes the colors of the blue jays pop. Steven Biegler NORTH BELLMORE, NY One morning during fall migration,…

MONARCHS MIGRATE from the interior of the West to spend the winter along California’s central coast. Unfortunately, their numbers decline every year. They are a challenge to photograph because they rest high up in shaded trees, and you need to aim the camera almost straight up. I snapped this photo just as the rising sun illuminated the edges of the foreground butterflies. The entire background consists of other monarchs. Greg Tucker LOS ANGELES, CA WHILE ON A TRIP TO Montana one summer, I experienced some of the annual wildflowers in bloom. This field was full of yellow glacier lilies, and the view was made even better with the glow of the sunset. Savannah Selby GREENVILLE, SC IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that a Kentucky girl sees a California condor in the…

I place small stakes in the ground to mark where plants such as milkweed will die back to the ground so that I don’t accidentally pull them when weeding in spring. Kathy Eppers ALEDO, TX Empty all patio pots, including plants and dirt, and clean them for winter storage. Keith Golden PINGREE GROVE, IL I water all my plants deeply before an upcoming cold snap, especially if it hasn’t rained lately. Juli Seyfried GROVE CITY, OH I garden for butterflies, and some of them make their chrysalises and overwinter. I’m always gentle if I cut down the foliage from old plants so that I don’t disturb the overwintering butterflies. Connie Etter MARTINSVILLE, IN Preparing for winter is easy! I leave spent flowers and plants standing to provide food for winter…

25 Of the planet’s 25 chipmunk species, 24 live in North America. 9 Eastern chipmunks reproduce twice a year, giving birth to up to nine pups in spring and again in late summer. Newborns are the size of bumblebees. 165 These tiny rodents can gather and transport up to 165 acorns in a day. 8 Young chipmunks forge out on their own to claim their territories at only 8 to 10 weeks old. 20 To be sure that chipmunks can’t jump on bird feeders and eat all the seeds, place feeders at least 20 feet away from buildings. 30 Chipmunks prefer underground homes, digging burrows up to 30 feet long and 3 feet deep. 5 Each chipmunk has five black and two white stripes from the shoulder to the tail.…

Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum spp., Zones 2 to 8 This low-maintenance and versatile native shrub packs a beneficial punch in the garden. Bright white flower clusters attract pollinators in late spring and turn into blue drupes from summer to fall. Some cultivars have different characteristics, such as height or autumn color. Attracts: Light needs: Part to full sun. Soil: Prefers moist, well-draining soil. Size: Up to 10 feet tall but some cultivars, such as All That Glitters, are more compact. Host plant: Spring azure butterflies and hummingbird moths lay eggs on this plant. Foliage: A glossy green turns to gold, orange or red in the fall, depending on the cultivar. BRING ON THE BIRDS Arrowwood’s dense branching and suckers that can form thickets create year-round cover for birds. Songbirds, turkey…

A bouquet of flowers has been a thoughtful gift to give for centuries, but during the Victorian times, it signified much more. The combination of blooms often sent a specific message, which recipients eagerly deciphered for hidden meanings. Jessica Roux is the author and illustrator of Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers, which delves into the stories behind floral code. “While it was easy to find historic lists of flowers and their meanings, I found myself wondering why some of these flowers had specific meanings,” she says. To find out, Jessica hit the books. “I first looked at books written about floriography from the Victorian era, such as Kate Greenaway’s 1884 Language of Flowers and Charlotte de la Tour’s 1819 Le Langage des Fleurs,” Jessica says.…

Q I have a cosmos that I planted in a large pot. It grew all summer until the stem was over 10 feet tall, and the flower didn’t bloom until fall. Why did it get so tall and take so long to bloom? Brenda East BRUNSWICK, NJ Melinda: Most Cosmos bipinnatus varieties grow between 1 and 6 feet tall, but it is not uncommon to find some growing much taller, such as yours. It does takes these cosmos 10 to 12 weeks to go from seed to bloom. Since the plant was putting all its energy into growing taller, it may have further delayed the onset of flowers. Overfertilizing the plants, especially with high nitrogen fertilizers, promotes leaf and stem growth and can delay or inhibit flowering. Next year, try…

While walking in one of his favorite nature preserves, Michael Rossacci of Arlington, Massachusetts, came across this squirrel with a snack. “We both froze in our tracks, contemplating our next moves,” Michael says. SHARE YOUR CAPTION Your funny caption for this silly squirrel could appear in the next issue. Share your clever idea at birdsandblooms.com/caption. Caption submitted by Kathryn Rucci of Orlando, Florida. LAST ISSUE’S WINNING CAPTION “Something touched my foot! Something touched my foot!” SHARE YOUR BEST FUNNY NATURE PHOTOS! Follow the Submission Guidelines on page 55.…

Considered a deft flier and known for chasing prey on the wing, a Cooper’s hawk on the hunt can dart through dense tree cover at speeds of up to 50 mph. This agile, crow-sized raptor can even flip upside down midflight to snatch another bird out of the air—an impressive maneuver few birds of prey can match. Bigger than the Boys Adult male and female Cooper’s hawks both have bluish gray backs, blackish caps and white undersides with reddish bars, but the females have slightly duller coloring. These hawks also have considerable size dimorphism; the females are nearly one-third larger than the males. Spot the Difference Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks are notoriously difficult to tell apart, but there are a few things to consider. David Barber, senior research biologist…

Small trees can transform even the most modest landscape. “Your yard is only going to be so interesting if you’re only planting shrubs and perennials,” says Sam Niemann, founder of the Chicago-based landscape design firm Grown by Design. Planting small trees—specimens that reach a mature height of less than 20 feet—add interest without overpowering a garden space. With the right design strategies, small trees can make a big impact within a landscape. FOCAL POINT For a serious wow factor, use a small tree such as the Zig Zag redbud as the focal point in a small landscape where the zigzagged stems and branches and bright pink early spring blooms will turn heads. Snow Fountains weeping cherry trees also create outstanding visual appeal in the home garden with showy white blooms…

We love the thought of birds nesting in our yards. The idea that such a small creature could feel safe enough in our presence to raise its young is heartwarming. But not all clusters of twigs and leaves you spot are birds’ nests. Here’s how to tell if what you thought belonged to a bird is, in fact, a squirrel’s nest, and learn a little more about these furry visitors’ nesting behavior. A Messy Ball of Leaves Often, especially in fall, large clusters of leaves seem to show up on tree branches. Many might assume those are birds’ nests, but more than just birds build their homes in trees. Alissa Kakatsch, an assistant turkey and pheasant ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says squirrels build two kinds of…

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 Summer issue, we hid it on page 36. 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 Oct. 17, 2025, and ends on Jan. 16, 2026. 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.comVisit: birdsandblooms.com/customercareWrite: BIRDS…