Friday, May 10, 2013

THE CICADAS ARE COMING!

 
I received a neat email from the Xerces Society about the 17-year cicada cycle.  Everybody has their own treasured experience of insects -- a nighttime lit by fireflies, the sight of monarchs clustered for the winter, listening to katydids singing in the evening, watching dragonflies hunting around a pond edge, a glimpse of a rare species. But relatively few of us witness what residents and visitors in the Atlantic coast region, from Connecticut to Virginia (and maybe southward toward Georgia), are about to experience, the mass appearance of 17-year periodical cicadas.
 

Seemingly from nowhere, cicadas emerge in astonishing numbers -- maybe as many as a million insects per acre! -- covering trees and bushes. During their nymphal stage, periodical cicadas live underground, feeding on the roots of trees for seventeen years. During the weeks before emergence they dig a tunnel to the surface, sometimes marking the exit with a turret, in preparation for their final appearance.

Seventeen-year periodical cicadas occur in the eastern United States in a region bounded by Connecticut and Georgia in the east and Texas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin in the west. The cidadas that appear in one year are called a brood, and these have been well-enough studied to predict where and when they will emerge. Seventeen-year periodical cicadas don't appear every year; there are only twelve known broods.

Probably more memorable than the sight of so many insects is the startling cacophony. Cicadas emerge to breed, and to attract a mate amid so many competitors, the males "sing" -- loudly. Male cicadas have a pair of tymbals (ridged membranes) on the sides of their abdomen that they vibrate to produce a buzzing call, which is amplified greatly by a large air chamber. Individual cicadas sing for a few seconds and then rest, but when there are so many singing at once it creates a never-ending chorus.

The good thing is that these cicadas don't sing at night. At least there is a good chance you will get some sleep during the few weeks they are in your neighborhood.

If you enjoy insects, the Xerces Society is for you! They are a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. For forty years, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. Why not check out their Website and join them today. 
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Friday, March 22, 2013

HOW TO USE THIS SITE


ABOUT US
This site is for all who enjoy nature. With our 25 million acres of lawns, this site is dedicated to encouraging people to create wildlife-friendly spaces in their yards and at their places of business. We welcome you to send in photos, personal stories, articles...even meetings or events. We'll publish them here free-of-charge, for the good of the order! To do so, Contact Us- we'd enjoy hearing from you!

Read how this site came into being or, if you want to cut right to the articles, read on below.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S.

HOW TO USE THIS SITE
Find your article of interest in 3 quick ways:
(1) Go to the Table of Contents below, find an article of iterest, then click "(click HERE)" and the article appears at the top of the site.
(2) In the upper right margin, go to "ARTICLE ARCHIVES" and press an article of interest; it will appear at the top of this site.
(3) In the upper right margin, type in your topic in "TOPIC SEARCH" and a related article will appear at the top of this site.
Order online
Note: A portion of Ad revenues from this site will be donated to the Monarch Waystation program of Monarch Watch.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Order online
  • FIVE KEY CONCEPTS TO CREATE A WILDLIFE-FRIENLY YARD (click HERE)
  • MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613- KATYDID IS MASTER OF DISGUISE! (click HERE)
  • ENDANGERED MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS CANARY IN THE COAL MINE (click HERE)
  • CATERPILLARS AND THEIR HOST PLANTS (click HERE)
  • MONARCH CATERPILLAR KILLED BY TACHNID FLY (click HERE)
  • MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613- MONARCHS BACK IN NW OHIO! (click HERE)
  • RAISING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AT WAYSTATION NO. 613 (click HERE)
  • MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION TOOK A HIT! (click HERE)
  • CANADIAN PETROPHILA MOTH COMMON ALONG SANDUSKY RIVER (click HERE)
  • MONARCH BUTTERFLIES LAYING EGGS EARLY IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
  • NEW OHIO BIRD BOOKSTORE SPECIALIZES IN OHIO BIRDS (click HERE)
  • INTRODUCE CHILDREN BACK TO NATURE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD (Click HERE)
  • LEARN HOW TO CREATE A BUTTERFLY GARDEN! (Click HERE)
  • MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 READY TO BEGIN NEW RESEARCH (Click HERE)
  • FIGHT NATURE DEFICIT-DISORDER- INTRODUCE YOUR KIDS TO THE OUTDOORS! (click HERE)
  • BALD EAGLE DOES THE BREAST STROKE (click HERE)
  • VICEROY BUTTERFLY NOT A MIMIC OF MONARCH (click HERE)
  • WONDERFUL CHILDREN'S BOOKS ON MONARCH BUTTERFLIES! (click HERE)
  • (A-74) MONARCH SEASON OVER AT WAYSTATION #613 (click HERE)
  • (A-73) MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ON EXUMA ISLAND, BAHAMAS (click HERE)
  • (A-72) SAVE A CHILD FROM NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER (click HERE)
  • (A-71) COMMUNITY WILDLIFE HABITAT IN LAKE NORMAN (click HERE)
  • (A-70) MY LAST MONARCH BUTTERFLY AT WAYSTATION #613 (click HERE)
  • (A-69) MONARCH WAYSTATIONS AMPLIFY BIODIVERSITY & COUNTER URBAN SPRAWL (click HERE)
  • (A-68) THE WOMAN WHO RAISES MONARCH BUTTERFLIES (click HERE)
Burpee.com - Earth Day HP Image
  • (A-57) MONARCHS VACANT AT CREEKBEND FARM PRAIRIE IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
  • (A-56) MONARCHS LAYING EGGS GALORE IN NW OHIO! (click HERE)
  • (A-55) CEDAR WAXWING MALES FEED FEMALES (click HERE)
  • (A-53) MONARCH POPULATION OVERWINTERING IN MEXICO REMAINS LOW (click HERE)
  • (A-52) BIRDS PREFER OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MATURE TREES (click HERE)
  • (A-51) BACKYARD GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE (click HERE)
  • (A-50) BIRD SONG SURVEY- WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TWO FAVORITE BIRD SONGS? (click HERE)
  • (A-49) IDENTIFY BIRDS ONLINE- 6 GREAT WEBSITES (click HERE)
  • (A-48) BENEFICIAL INSECTS SUFFER CATASTROPHIC HABITAT LOSS (click HERE)
  • (A-47) MONARCH WAYSTATION #613 IN NW OHIO (click HERE)
  • (A-46) DR. RYAN NORRIS OF MONARCH MIGRATION RESEARCH (click HERE)
  • (A-44) MONARCHS CROSS APPALACHIANS FROM WEST TO POPULATE N. AMERICAN EAST COAST (click HERE)
  • (A-43) CRITICAL TOXINS EMISSIONS OHIO EPA HEARING THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11th IN COLUMBUS, OHIO (click HERE)
  • (A-42) BACK TO THE WILD! SAVES THOUSANDS OF BIRDS (click HERE)
  • (A-41) ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS HARM OUR CHILDREN (click HERE)
  • (A-40) CREATE WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY SPACES IN YOUR YARD (click HERE)
  • (A-39) INJURED HUMMINGBIRD BABY NURTURED BACK TO GOOD HEALTH (click HERE)

  • (A-38) NATURE JOURNAL: CAVITY TREES PROVIDE MINI-SANCTUARIES TO WILDLIFE (click HERE)
  • (A-37) ARE SHREWS KILLING BIRDS VISITING YOUR FEEDERS? (click HERE)
  • (A-36) BALD EAGLES & WINTER BIRDS SURVIVE (click HERE) (A-35) COOPER'S HAWK KILLS AT BIRD FEEDERS (click HERE)(A-34) BIRD & BUTTERFLIES ADD EXCITEMENT TO YOUR YARD (click HERE)(A-33) BACKYARD WILDLIFE PROVIDE WINTER ENTERTAINMENT IN NW OHIO (click HERE) (A-32) BIODIVERSITY ENHANCED WITH NATURE PRESERVES (click HERE)(A-30) GOD SPEAKS ABOUT WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARDS (click HERE)(A-29) BUTTERFLY HUNT! SPONSORED BY ERIE METROPARKS AT STEINEN WILDLIFE AREA (click HERE)(A-28) STALKING THE LAKESIDE DAISY- OHIO'S RAREST NATIVE PLANT (click HERE)
  • (A-27) MONARCH BUTTERFLY AWARENESS HAPPENS WITH DANA BOLIN AT MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK (click HERE)
  • (A-26) MONARCH WAYSTATION # 613- MONARCH OBSERVATIONS WAY DOWN IN NW OHIO FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR (click HERE)
  • (A-25) STARLINGS PERFORM INCREDIBLE AERODYNAMICS! (click HERE)
  • (A-24) HUMMINGBIRD BABY NURSED BACK TO HEALTH (click HERE)
  • (A-23) VIBURNUM, WISTERIA & HONEYSUCKLE HEDGE FOR WILDLIFE (click HERE)
  • (A-22) CREATE A MONARCH WAYSTATION IN YOUR YARD! (click HERE)
  • (A-21) ALDO LEOPOLD: A LEGENDARY CONSERVATIONIST (click HERE)
  • (A-20) BIODIVERSITY FLOURISHES IN MY WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY YARD (click HERE)
  • (A-19) A VIDEO FOR RED-SHOULDERED HAWK LOVERS (click HERE)
  • (A-18) SHARP-SHINNED HAWK DEVOURS STARLING (click HERE)
  • (A-17) WINNERS OF MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST NO. 2! (click HERE)
  • (A-16) VIDEO ON BASICS IN CREATING A WILDLIFE FRIENDLY YARD. IF YOU BUILD IT...THEY WILL COME! (click HERE)
  • (A-15) HAWK, KITE & EAGLE CLOSE-UPS (click HERE)
  • (A-14) MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST NO. 2- WHAT IS IT? (click HERE)
  • (A-13) ANNE MURRAY SINGS ABOUT SNOW BUNTINGS! (click HERE)
  • (A-12) PEREGRINE FALCON ATTACKS RED-TAIL HAWK VIDEO (click HERE)

  • (A-11) REDPOLL FRENZY! (click HERE)
  • (A-10) WINNERS OF THE MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST (click HERE)
  • (A-9) SQUIRRLES- A PAIN IN THE ARSE OR ENTERTAINING CLOWNS? YOU DECIDE (click HERE)
  • (A-8) MYSTERY BIRD CONTEST- WHAT IS IT? (click HERE)
  • (A-6) NATURE NOTE 11/2/03- TRUMPETER SWANS! (click HERE)
  • (A-4) "Fluctuations in the numbers of the Monarch Butterfly in North America" by F.A. Urquhart, Professor, Un. of Toronto, Canada, Dezember 1970 (click HERE)
  • (A-3) IOWA COUPLE CREATED THE ULTIMATE IN MONARCH WAYSTATIONS (click HERE)
  • (A-2) HAPPENINGS AT WAYSTATION NO. 613 (AN ONGOING DIARY) (click HERE)
  • (A-1) HELP RESEARCHERS STUDY OE PARASITE HARMING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES-letter from Sonia Altizer (click HERE)
  • B) GOING NATIVE: URBAN LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE WITH NATIVE PLANTS (click HERE)
  • (C) CLOCKS, CRYPTOCHROMES & MONARCH MIGRATIONS (click HERE)
  • (D) WATCH NOVA'S "THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF THE BUTTERFLIES...HERE IT IS! (click HERE)
  • (E) RELAX...AND WATCH THIS SLIDE SHOW WITH MUSIC...RELAX...AND APPRECIATE NATURE (click HERE)
  • (F) PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS IS FUN! LOVE THE MUSIC TOO (click HERE)
  • (G) CREATE A WILDLIFE FRIENDLY YARD & HAPPENINGS AT MONARCH WAYSTATION NO. 613 (click HERE)
Peanut Butter Powder
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

WINTER BIRDS IN NW PENNSYLVANIA

On March 20, 2013 I visited the Hemlock Hill Biological Field Station in NW Pennsylvania and shot this from the bird feeding station there. And, of course, after packing my camera away, a pair of Fox Sparrows showed up! 


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Saturday, March 16, 2013

MONARCH WAYSTATION ATTRACTS MONARCH BUTTERFLIES TO YARD

Hello from Monarch Waystation No. 613 in Fremont, Ohio. I gathered photos of the Monarch butterflies that visited and laid eggs in my yard, where over 56 Common and Swamp milkweed plants are growing in my side and back yards. I collect the eggs, hatch them and raise the caterpillars until the form chrysalis'. Then, I release them back into my yard on the nectar plants. I hope this video inspires others to plant milkweeds in their yards and begin raising Monarchs, too! They need all the help they can get.  Hint: Put the video on "Full Screen"


 
 

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

AMAZING MONARCH BUTTERFLY SHOTS AT END OF VIDEO

This is a wonderful video, but the last fourth of it highlights the Monarch butterfly development and migration to Mexico. Amazing shots...worth watching...enjoy! http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0
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Thursday, February 14, 2013

NW OHIO WETLANDS

I've always enjoyed hiking the Little Portage Wildlife Area. As I drive through the farmlands and drainage ditches to get to it, I think about how most of Ohio's wetlands have been drained and filled to make way for farms, roadways, houses and other development. Mining, fluctuating water levels and logging also impacted Ohio's wetlands. In fact, nearly 90 percent of Ohio's original wetlands have disappeared. From the 1780's to the 1980's, Ohio wetland areas declined from about 5,000,000 acres to about 483,000 acres. Here in NW Ohio, I live in the area once covered by the Great Black Swamp, which was once 120 miles in length and an average of 40 miles in width (about the size of Connecticut).


Today, only 5 percent of the original Great Black Swamp remains. With the notable exceptions of a few large tracts of marsh and swamp in Ottawa, Sandusky, Lucas, Ashtabula, Geauga and Trumbell Counties, most of Ohio's remaining wetlands are scattered wooded tracts. That's why is it so important that you support the effort to preserve existing and create new wetlands. Enjoy the video!


 
 
Recommended reading: 
 
Discover the vital role of disappearing wetlands and what can be done to protect and restore this resource.









 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000+ acres lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad revenues (10%) will be donated to Monarch Watch, earmarked for their Monarch Waystation program. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by Contacting Us!
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SCHEDEL ARBORETUM SPECIALIST RECOMMENDS WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY PLANTS

I enjoy walking and exploring the Schedel Arboretum and Gardens in Elmore, Ohio. It was created by the village's “founding father,” Israel Harrington, but was never developed by him. Eventually, a local businessman in Elmore ended up owning the property and his nephew, Frederick Steiffler, occupied the beautiful home and grounds when Joe Schedel was a border there. Schedel took a 99 year lease on the house and land in the late 1920s and eventually purchased the land outright in 1969.
 
Unfortunately, the Ohio Turnpike bisected the estate in 1955 and greatly reduced its size. This prompted the Schedel family to create the Japanese garden in the floodplain and also construct the “Shack.” (The Schedel’s summer home adjacent to the lakes in the lowland area of the grounds).
 
Those who desire to create a wildlife-friendly yard may want to tour the Schedel Arboretum and Gardens, for they were proficient in landscape and horticulture. Plus, Joe Schedel was also an award winning ornithologist. He raised rare birds and waterfowl on the property… some of which had NEVER been bred and reared in captivity before (the Australian Shell Duck is one example). Mrs. Schedel even had a couple of “pet” birds that were trained to “play ball” and would come to her like a cat or dog when called!
 
Joe Schedel passed away in 1981and his wife, Marie, stopped maintaining the grounds. Between his passing and hers in 1989, the estate began to fall into a state of disrepair. Then, when Marie Schedel died in 1989, the Schedel Foundation took possession of the estate and started the task of returning this gem in Elmore, Ohio to its current state. The gates opened to the public in 1991, but on July 12, 1992, a tornado touched down in the gardens and extensively damaged the house, the Japanese garden and destroyed 131 mature trees.

I emailed Kendra Schwartz, Assistant Grounds Superintendent at the arboretum, asking her what type of plants are best to attract wildlife. Here is her reply to me:
 
"Hello,
There are so many plants that you could plant to attract wildlife. Please remember when you plant flowers and shrubs to attract butterflies and hummingbirds you will also get bees. One annual we plant at the gardens that the hummingbirds and all varieties of butterflies love is Lantana. Lantana comes in all different colors and is an easy annual to grow. Some other annuals are: Cleome Spider flower, Cosmos, Globe Amaranth, Sweet Alyssum, Zinnia, Salvia, and many others. Some perennials are: Columbine, Coreopsis, Foxglove, Coneflower, Globe Thistle, Coral Bells, Shasta Daisy, Liatris, Monarda, Nepeta, Garden Phlox, Black-eyed Susan, some sedum, and many many others.

Some shrubs are: Butterfly Bush, Viburnums, Hydrangea, Lilac, and any others that flower, A tropical plant that attracts a lot of butterflies and hummingbirds is the hibiscus. You would have to bring that indoors for the winter however.
I did find a couple links that you may find helpful:
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/UH128.pdf
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/preplan_flypage.html?mv_arg=butter
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/listid/BUTTERF.html?id=tmhekMbX
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/listid/HUMBIRD.html?id=tmhekMbX
I hope this helps and if you have any other questions please feel free to email me back.
Thanks,
Kendra"
 Kendra Schwartz, Assistant Grounds Superintendent
Schedel Arboretum and Gardens
19255 West Portage River Road South
Elmore, OH 43416
(419) 862-3182
www.schedel-gardens.org
 
cid:image001.jpg@01CA9F5E.42FFC100

Thank you, Kendra Schwartz! I am working on creating my  own private nature preserve; i.e., my yard. Visiting places like Schedel Arboretum and Gardens reinvigorates me to do so. It's a wonderful experience to turn a typical yard into a beautiful natural habitat for birds and other wildlife. I enjoy  watching birds gobble seeds and other treats from my bird feeders, eating fruits and seeds from the indigenous plants, and delight as a mother bird feeds her babies in the protective hideaway of a birdhouse constructed from a dried gourd. So many are missing the fun of transforming a barren, dead zone of chemlawn and pesticide-sprayed grass turf into an enticing playground, breeding ground, and feeding ground for colorful songbirds, butterflies, toads, insects, butterflies and a host of other living creatures. 
 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000+ acres lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad revenues (10%) will be donated to Monarch Watch, earmarked for their Monarch Waystation program. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by Contacting Us!
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