pollinators-welcome

Dragonflies in a garden pond.

2009-05-27T11:45:00.009-05:00

Picture of above dragonfly naiad from uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles

While a garden pond at least 20 ft in diameter may be the best possible size to encourage dragonflies to breed in a garden habitat, I'm betting a smaller urban watering hole will work for at least a few visits.
Last year dragonflies were seen in our garden and we don't really have what could be called a pond. Just a tub sunken into the ground, partially filled with gravel to sculpt various depths,and refilled with the hose. A couple of larger rocks added for perching or climbing out the sides. More a bird bath than a pond really. Birds love to bath there and even the squirrels will drink from the edge. We keep two sides free of plant life in case a bat decides to swoop through for a sip.

Interesting creatures swim about in water after a few days. Beetle larvae that look ferocious,mosquito larvae that remind of tadpoles and dragonfly naiads are a part of pond life.

more pond bugs

Mosquitoes numbers seem about the same as usual at least until the city sprays, which will probably also take out the dragonfly larvae. But we will see.

NWF garden for wildlife dragonflies...

Read these excerpts ...
You don't necessarily need a large pond to attract dragonflies. "I've got friends whose 'pond' is a wooden half barrel," says Biggs, "and fork-tailed damselflies still come and breed in it. One of my grad students reared damselflies in plastic wading pools." Whatever the size, place your pond where it will be protected from wind and will get midday sun.
The ideal dragonfly pond should vary in depth, shallow at the edges and at least two feet deep in the center. "Deep water offers nymphs a refuge from raccoons and other predators," says Craig Tufts, chief naturalist for NWF, who helped oversee the construction of the pond that is the centerpiece of the natural garden in front of NWF's headquarters in Reston, Virginia. "Varied depths are also important to accommodate a variety of water plants." It's not that the nymphs or adults eat the plants. Dragonflies are voracious carnivores. Rather, underwater plants provide important habitat for the nymphs, which need places to rest, hunt for food and hide from predatory fish. And emergent vegetation-sedges, rushes and other plants that stick up above the water's surface-provides perching places for adults.
Such vegetation is also critical for dragonflies because the nymphs crawl up it when they emerge, making the transformation from water dweller to their free-flying adult form. And though dragonflies don't rely on specific host plants to nourish their young the way butterflies do, some species do use water plants as nurseries. They insert their eggs into the soft stems. What you plant around the pond is almost as important as what you plant in it. Don't mow the border-let the grasses and rushes grow. "Make sure you have some shrubs within a few feet of the water," says May. "That will provide more perching sites."

Although experts say that about 15 percent of North America's 307 dragonfly species are in danger of extinction, the dragonflies at greatest risk for extinction are the stream dwellers, species that won't be attracted to your backyard pond. "You can help protect their habitats by supporting laws and practices that reduce water pollution and protect riparian areas," says Tufts. "You'll be helping a lot of other creatures in the process."

news.bbc.co.uk earth news

Mosquito Control
Swallows, bats, and dragonflies are three animals that love to eat adult mosquitoes.
Putting up bat and bird houses can thus help keep mosquito numbers down.
Some insect larvae also eat mosquitoes including dragonflies, phantom gnats, and more. Promoting a wide array of insect life helps to prevent an outbreak of any one species.
Dragonfly larvae are big eaters of mosquito larvae. Adult dragonflies are also called mosquito hawks.
mosquitoes have some beneficial qualities mainly as food sources for fish and aquatic insects as larvae and for dragonflies, other insects, and bats as adults.

Each spring, the Chamber of Commerce in Wells, Maine, situated near thousands of acres of salt marshes, starts taking orders for dragonfly nymphs – or larvae – from town residents. The developing dragonflies cost about $30 per 50, and people order thousands of them.
The nymphs are released into local freshwater ponds. There, they feed on mosquito larvae, and after developing into adulthood, begin to hunt adult mosquitoes.
While there have been no studies proving the dragonflies are effective, locals swear they have seen major reductions in the mosquito populations, and other nearby towns have adopted the same method.

Sagebug how to dragonflies

Most dragonflies are particular about the ponds they’ll inhabit. They require shelter, sunlight, unpolluted water, emergent plants and hunting areas.

Many people report success in attracting dragonflies by adapting plastic wading pools and wooden half-barrels.
Whatever the size of your pond, be sure to locate it where it is protected from wind and will receive midday sun
Dragonflies are strict carnivores, so neither the nymphs or adults need water plants for food, but underwater plants are a critical requirement for dragonflies. Underwater plants provide dragonfly nymphs with places to rest, places to hunt for food, and places and hide from predatory fish. Water plants that stick up above the water’s surface provide excellent perching places for adults.
Excessive plant growth, especially of free-floating plants, may be a problem. Periodically skim off excess growth of floating plants. Monthly, prune dying plant material. Clean out some of the decaying plant material that has accumulated in the bottom of the pond in the spring. Remember that a natural pond is not a swimming pool and too much cleaning can do more harm than good.
If you want breeding populations of dragonflies in your pond, do not add fish. They will prey on the nymphs and eggs.

pondhawk ips odonata
The female inserts each egg individually into some suitable vegetation, from dead wood to reeds,
sometimes above the waterline, sometimes below.
In cases where the eggs are laid above the waterline, several situations may occur. Sometimes the eggs are laid over water, and the newly emerged larva drops in. Sometimes, the vegetation dies and falls into the water, or becomes submerged after the rains
If you are interested in allowing these creatures some space in your pond, observe where egg laying is occurring and make some allowance for this when you perform any maintenance.

After the egg has hatched, the larva (also called a nymph or naiad) is a cryptically colored, free living, aquatic predator.

Larvae prey mainly on other aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae or even other odonate larvae. Larger larvae may prey on fish fry. In turn, dragonflies are preyed on by a number of species, including fish and frogs. They may serve as hosts for certain aquatic mites and avian parasites. Many species live among the aquatic vegetation.

As with all insects, the larvae undergo a series of molts as they grow and develop.
While some species have relatively short larval development times (1-2 months from the egg hatching to emergence), most spend at least a year and some much longer (5 years or more in places where the climate is arduous) as aquatic larvae. Most will spend at least one winter in your pond and have to suffer through any maintenance activities you perform. Some may not survive activities such as cleaning the "mulm" from your pond.

The globe skimmers, genus Pantala frequently lay eggs in very small ponds, even fountains.

Getting the worms out of the worm castings.

2009-05-18T17:27:00.004-05:00

Kitchen scraps at the end of the day. I'm going to place them in nylon net bags saved from onion purchases.

Then both bags will be placed into the worm bin that is beginning to be more castings than bedding and can be harvested. You can do this anywhere from 3 to 6 months from the time you began the bin or last harvested, depending on the amount of food scraps fed to the worms. They also eat the shredded newspapper bedding and can survive quite well for many weeks if you can not feed them for awhile.

I'm using two bags but you can use as many as will fit if you want. The worms will crawl inside these bags and be a glob of writhing wormness in just a few days, easy to extract from the castings by lifting out and placing in another bin. Then leave the lid off of the bin where the worms have been removed and allow the castings to dry out. Sifting the castings through a screen will remove any leftover bedding clumps and worms that were missed. You might even find a few egg cases to put back with the worms.

If you are having problems with too much moisture adding a layer of DRY shredded newspaper to the top of the bin will catch condensation and absorb moisture from the bedding beneath. You can add more as often as necessary. The contents, like compost, shrink as it decomposes.

If the bin is really soggy and you want to quickly sop up the moisture, try this. Dump contents of bin onto plastic bag. Add a layer of DRY shredded newspaper(however thick you want it, but a few inches to the bottom of the bin will do) return worms and wet bedding to the bin. Then add another layer of DRY shredded newspaper to the top. This will absorb all that extra moisture and keep fruit flies from being a problem.

I like the worm bins, it has been a fun project.

Other compost and worm bin information

MAY 15th 2009 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

2009-05-15T12:47:00.004-05:00

Allium, maybe purple sensation. It was given to us by a neighbor. The spirea just behind will be a vision of cascading white after this rain stops.

Flowering red osier dogwood. One of my favorite shrubs which berry later in mid-summer.

Aronia arbutifolia, will also produce berries in late summer/fall.

Ajuga blooming in the thyme.

Phlox subulata over the hobbit door.

a species heuchera flowers not open just yet.

Columbine/aquilegia. The dark purple ones and the pink ones are blooming all over the garden. But the red ones tend to stay put and are not nearly as big as in years past. I think I need to get a couple more that have not cross pollinated with others in this garden.

Check out all the other May flowers at MAY DREAMS GARDENS

I Brake For Dung Beetles...

2009-04-30T12:35:00.006-05:00

I Brake for Dung Beetles! from The WILD Foundation on Vimeo.

I found this video at Beetles In The Bush There is also a picture of a great bumper sticker, (probably a fund raiser) from The Wild Foundation
[Here at The WILD Foundation, we realize that it is not just those large, charismatic animals that inspire conservation - it is often the small, typically unnoticed and vastly under-appreciated ones that inspire us the most….and that are an indispensible part of the ecosystem!]

A few years ago on a camping trip in the Appalachian mountains the Mr and I came across a couple of dung beetles trying to roll bear dung off the gravel road with the same results as in this video. It was so funny. Had I been carrying a camera with video options we would have a north american version.

Discover Life

Excerpt...
The sacred scarab of the ancient Egyptians, Scarabaeus sacer, which inhabits North Africa, southern Europe and Asia, is often the only species of dung beetle that many people know about. We too often overlook the sizeable dung beetle faunas that inhabits our own continents. Indeed, a little observation in the natural habitats of almost any region of the world will reveal several intriguing species of diverse appearances and behaviors .
The Scarabaeinae, one of the two subfamilies of dung-rolling beetles (the other being the Aphodiinae), comprises about 4500 known species of worldwide distribution, occurring wherever excrement or nutrient-rich substrates are available.
About 75 species of Scarabaeinae occur in North America (Borror et al., 422; Ratcliffe 95).
Scarabaeine diversity is concentrated in the tropics: for example, while the most scarab-rich site in New York State might have close to 10 species, single sites in the tropics can have nearly 100 species. Most species feed on mammal dung, while smaller proportions feed on carrion or vegetable matter, or are even carnivorous.
Dung beetles, together with their saprophagous (decay-feeding) relatives, are ecologically important degraders and re-distributors of nutrients

princeton.edu pdf
excerpt...
The study examined the fate of dung beetles, which collect dung, bury it,snack on it, and lay their eggs in it. Burying the seed-laden dung also enriches the soil and helps plants regenerate. Trond Larsen, a graduate student at Princeton University, found that the beetle species best at burying dung were the first to disappear from forest fragments. Alarmingly, related species did not become more abundant. Much dung then went unburied.
Larsen says: “Even the loss of just one or two species may have a much greater impact than we previously thought.” Like top carnivores, the large dung beetles appear to be the most sensitive to extinction and extremely important for ecosystem integrity,he adds. Moreover, it’s surprisingly hard for others to fill their shoes, Ostfeld says: “I wouldn’t have expected to see this effect with a dung beetle.”

April Bumble Bees In The Backyard - Chicago

2009-04-19T11:05:00.008-05:00

The flowering abundance and sunny warm temperatures had bees buzzing about.

Look at the size of these bumbles! Fat queens ready to lay a colony.

Do they have an urban tough look or what?

This one has me puzzled. A bald spot? Seemed very aggressive as well. Chased me and the camera inside.

Later the bees were covered in pollen but I must have been put off by the earlier aggression because none of the pictures were clear...lol

ID of the bald spotted bee from UIUC Bee Spotter
Bombus bimaculatus - Twospotted Bumble Bee

Answer to question about bald spot...

Hello Gloria,
Thanks for your message. The hairs that cover a bee's body are subject to wear, and when a bee gets older, it is not unusual for the thorax to get a bit bald dorsally. Plus remember, bumble bees that we are seeing now have been around since back in late summer 2008; the one that you photographed might have had something of a rough winter.
Best regards,Terry Harrison

Wild flower in a garden

2009-04-16T14:01:00.018-05:00

Virginia Bluebells/mertensia virginiana
Very important in my garden as early pollen and nectar source.

The flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bees primarily, including honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorid bees, Mason bees, large Leaf-Cutting bees, and Miner bees; these insects seek nectar and collect pollen.
Other visitors of the flowers include hummingbirds, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and Sphinx moths, including hummingbird moths seeking nectar from the flowers.

Rurality blog hummingbird-clearwing-moth picture feeding at bluebell
Flicker picture bee at bluebell

Eastern Redbud/Cercis canadensis next to garage.

The periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim, lays its eggs in more than 70 species of trees and other plants, including redbud.

It is a host plant for Henry's Elfin butterfly
camouflaged

Leaf cutter bees use redbud leaves for nest lining.

Seeds have been consumed by game birds such as ring-necked pheasants,

rose-breasted grosbeaks,cardinals and bobwhites.

Flowers are another important early pollen and nectar source.

Virginia Creeper/Parthenocissus quinquefolia growing on a trellis

Berries eaten by mice, chipmunks and skunks.

Foliage and twigs browsed by white-tailed deer.

Birds...
Yellow-Shafted Flicker
Robin
Fox Sparrow
Crested Flycatcher
Mockingbird
Wood Thrush
Red-Eyed Vireo
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-Breasted Sapsucker

Nectar and pollen of the flowers occasionally attract various bees, including Leaf-Cutting bees (Megachile spp.),andLeaf-Cutting bees may use the leaflets of Virginia Creeper as construction material for their nests.

Several species of Sphinx moths rely on Virginia Creeper as a host plant.

Virginia creeper after the berries turn blue and the foliage begins to show touches of its fall color.

The photo contest this month at Gardening Gone Wild ask for A photo of any native plant(in a garden setting), either a close up or in the landscape, that you think merits attention to qualify.

Hard decision that.

Can you help me decide?

Building Beetle Mounds and a bit about Rove Beetles

2009-04-09T11:52:00.005-05:00

Today while catching up on posting at Cheryl's My Wildlife Sanctuary Blog, I came across what is a rather nice idea. Creating habitat for beetles in a nice suburban garden. It can takes years for the accumulation of decaying materials so a little help from a habitat gardener should speed things up.
Click here to read how Cheryl came to build a beetle mound

In this picture,on the right center, you can see how the beetle mound relates to the rest of the garden.

Thanks for allowing me to use the pictures Cheryl.

Why would anyone want to encourage more beetles?

Most of the thousands of beetle species are beneficial insects,helping to control many pest insects,including biting flies,mosquitoes and fleas. In agricultural settings they (depending on species) consume root maggot eggs and larvae, mites, small soil insects, insect eggs and small insects on foliage. So everyone benefits from a variety of beetles being about.

Non-flying crawling beetles tend to move slow and are of most use very near their food supply.

But the average garden does not accumulate the decaying mounds of organic matter found in natural areas where beetles may lay eggs and overwinter. So Cheryl took it upon herself to give aid.

Good idea! (She lives in the UK)

The rove beetles (Staphylinidae) constitute the largest and most diverse group of beetles in North America, accounting for roughly 4000 named species.

There is a great article about rove beetles at this

Florida University Website that is relevant to all of north america.

Excerpt....

Staphylinidae occupy almost all moist environments throughout the world. Because none of them is truly aquatic, they do not live in open waters; although winged adults may be skimmed from the sea surface far from land, their presence is due to misadventure but attests to their dispersive ability.

They live in leaf litter of woodland and forest floors and grasslands. They concentrate in fallen decomposing fruits, the space under loose bark of fallen, decaying trees, drifted plant materials on banks of rivers and lakes, and dung, carrion, and nests of vertebrate animals.

Several hundred species live only on seashores. Many are specialized to existence in nests of social insects.

Many inhabit caves, underground burrows of vertebrate animals, and smaller soil cavities, even of burrows that they (a few of them) excavate.

Many live in mushrooms.

Adults and even larvae of a few are associated with living flowers.

Others climb on plants, especially at night, and hunt for prey.

A few seem to live with terrestrial snails.

Their distribution in arid environments is restricted to moist microhabitats.

Food

many Tachyporinae, most Aleocharinae, Pselaphinae, Euaesthetinae, Steninae, Paederinae, and Staphylininae), representing the bulk of species in the family, so that it may be said that most Staphylinidae -- tens of thousands of species -- are facultative predators. Some have specialized, for example Oligota (Aleocharinae) as predators of mites, Erichsonius (Staphylininae) as predators of soil-inhabiting nematodes, Odontolinus (Staphylininae) on mosquito larvae in water-filled flower bracts of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae), and Eulissus (Staphylininae) on adult dung-inhabiting scarab beetles. Aleochara (Aleocharinae) has evolved to become parasitoidal in fly puparia.

Relationships with Higher Plants

Adults of some Omaliinae are attracted to flowers, and some of these have been demonstrated to pollinate the flowers. An example is Pelecomalium testaceum (Mannerheim) (Omaliinae), which pollinates Lysichiton americanum Hultén & St. John (Araceae) in the mountains of the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada. It is conceivable that Polyobus spp. (Aleocharinae) do the same for Espeletia spp. (Asteraceae) in the northern Andes of South America. Charoxus spp. (Aleocharinae) have a different, but yet highly specialized obligate relationship with plants -- the adults are attracted in the Neotropical region to the syconia of Ficus spp. (Moraceae) within which they oviposit, but the adults and larvae feed on pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) of those fig flowers.

Nests of Vertebrates

Some staphylinid species have specialized to live in the nests of vertebrates, especially tortoises, birds, and rodents. Their prey seems to be mainly the larvae of fleas and flies.

In Florida (USA) where populations of the tortoise Gopherus polyphemus (Daudin) (Testudines: Testudinidae) are declining through habitat loss and disease, populations of the staphylinid inhabitants of its nests also must be declining.

Names of species of Staphylinidae found in birds' nests were compiled almost 30 years ago, but there is little information on their behavior.

In central Asia, where sylvatic plague is endemic, some staphylinids are credited with suppressing flea populations, and thus help to suppress transmission of plague.

Adults of Amblyopinus and close relatives (subtribe Amblyopinina of subfamily Staphylininae) occur in the fur of some rodents in Central and South America. For years they were suspected of being parasites of these rodents, and taking blood from them.

Now, however, they are believed to be phoretic on the rodents, thus being transported from nest to nest.

They oviposit in the nests, and larvae feed as predators there of other arthropods.

Causes of Mortality

Natural Enemies

Scattered evidence needing review suggests that spiders, various insects (including Reduviidae, Carabidae, Asilidae, Formicidae, etc.)

amphibia, reptiles, birds, and bats, include Staphylinidae among their diets.

Among the parasites,

fungi play a major role,

and hymenopterous parasitoids, nematodes, and Nemata, a relatively minor role.

In temperate regions of the world,

as contrasted with tropical regions,

( staphylinids may achieve very high population levels at the soil in tropical regions)

at least at lower altitudes,

ants are ubiquitous and staphylinids less numerous in numbers of individuals; this suggests that ants may limit population levels of staphylinids in tropical regions.

Pesticide use

There is a growing literature about non-target effects of chemical pesticides on Staphylinidae in agricultural crops and turf grass, to the point where Aleochara bilineata (Gyllenhal) (a demonstrably beneficial species) has become a favored test animal for the effects of insecticides, herbicides, and plant-growth regulators. Destruction of natural habitat by humans, especially in the tropics, undoubtedly contributes to the rarity of many poorly-known staphylinid species

Bee housing extraordinaire

2009-03-11T13:49:00.011-05:00

I really hope this link holds because the many pictures are great.
The site is German and so had to be linked through google translation. But the pictues say it all even if not translated. Make sure to scroll all the way down, some of the best pictures are at the bottom of the page.
An arrow pointing to the right,within the text, will take you to different pages on the site. The first arrow leads to the trail in a botanical garden where that particular bee housing was built. You can see some of the flowers planted along the paths.
And if you search through there are some directions and ideas. If interested explore the site by clicking those right facing arrows.

Solitary Bee housing

building directions on another site.

Great Picture

Found this site while visiting Busy Bee Girl's Blog . If you like information about bees you will love her blog.

Water Filled Tree Cavities

2009-04-01T12:20:00.001-05:00

Here are two pictures of just two places in the garden that hold water for much of the year.

In the crotch of the tree is a hollow space that often contains a murky debris filled pool of water.Even the logs lining paths through the woodland garden and in the wood pile have places that will sometimes hold water.
This was a concern of mine for years.
As a wildlife habitat gardener many such water holes exist throughout the garden. So what to do?
I have decided to do nothing and just leave them be.

Water is held in hollow stems,cupped leaves and even in the flowers of some insect eating plants like pitcher plant, so it would be impossible to remove all or keep fresh this abundance of life sustaining vernal pools.These micro habitats often contain the larvae or nymphs of flies(including hover flies),beetles, mites,mosquitoes and even dragonflies. Some tree frogs live and breed in what can be gallons of water in deep decayed tree hollows.Many bees and butterflies seem to prefer taking moisture from the water soaked sponge like decaying debris that always occurs.These creatures,including many micro organisms, eat each other and the decomposing materials.
Nature at work filling all the niches...

The above was written for (by myself) the Wildlife Gardeners Forum . The comments by fellow wildlife gardeners was interesting and encouraging.It fits here on the blog and gives me a chance to introduce a favorite place.
I recently was invited to join in the forum and did so promptly after reading a few entries.
It is a monitored site but civil disagreement is not discouraged.
What a wealth of information.
If you are a wildlife gardener or interested in joining the discussions about recent scientific inquiry concerning gardeners or wildlife gardening practices, then you should take a look.

Wildlife Gardeners Home

EARTH HOUR 2009 March 28th 8:30 p.m. local

2009-03-27T11:31:00.007-05:00

It's time to turn off the lights and the electric gizmos. Just one little hour.

We have big fat candles in jars and under hurricane lamps all ready,plus a hand turned flashlight for just in case. Mainly we are going for total darkness.
You don't have to go dark if safety concerns you, just power down as much as you can leaving on what you consider essential.
The kids wanted to put up the trampoline out back, but it is supposed to be sleety /snow and cold so that is out.

We can tell stories,sing and eat. Finger foods for everyone. If you haven't already signed up then join us at EARTH HOUR

Map of U.S participants signed up so far... Map

The city of Chicago is ready... Chicago

A Walk In The Woods.

2009-03-07T15:13:00.033-06:00

My husbands parents retired to a community in Hot Springs Village Arkansas. While visiting recently I found one of my favorite spring wildflowers growing along a path in the garden.
Claytonia virginica/Spring Beauty

I decided to take a walk along one of the nearby trails to see if I could find more.
Here you can see an open flower and the narrow leaves, some purplish from the still chill nights.

Click here for more information
excerpt...
One of our prettiest and earliest-blooming wildflowers—spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)—is also a delicious vegetable. It may be the definitive tater tot. Native to moist woodlands, sunny stream banks, and thickets in eastern North America, this low-growing plant has tiny underground tubers that can be prepared and eaten just like potatoes. Indeed, another common name for the spring beauty is the "fairy spud."

Illinois Wildflowers ...excerpt
Various kinds of bees visit the flowers, include honey bees, bumblebees, Little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, Nomadine Cuckoo bees, Miner Halictid bees (including Green Metallic bees), and Andrenid bees. Many flies also visit the including Syrphid flies, the Giant Bee fly (Bombylius major), Carrion flies, Muscid flies, and Anthomyiid flies. Less often, various butterflies and skippers visit the flowers. These insects usually seek nectar; some of the bees also collect pollen. It is possible that the corms, which are edible, are eaten occasionally by voles and other small rodents. They can be eaten by humans as well, but their small size makes this rather impractical.
University Of Arkansas Agricultural Extension
USDA Plants Profile and distribution map
Ozark Edge Wildflowers

The marked walking trails are nice with lots to see even on a late February stroll.

The most exciting find was a hobbit hole. No wooden door to knock at so one must shout "HELLO!" before entering.

No one seemed to be at home this day or else all were sleeping late.

Can you imagine Tolkien strolling along a wood in England and finding just such a dwelling before penning 'The Hobbit'?

hobbit garden
pictures

Other than Spring Beauties most green flora consisted of ferns and moss.

Some blooming.

Some shining in the sunlight.

Isn't this moss covered bank pretty?

And this growing on a decaying fallen branch.

These little mushrooms looked liked something from a story about to set out on a walk along the trail on such a fine day.

Our own garden here in Chicago is still very brown except for the tips of a few bulbs begining to emerge. Todays warm rain should encourage them.

Urban Coyote or Dream Spirit?

2008-12-16T18:03:00.007-06:00

Stan Gerht holds a female coyote captured in the Chicago metro area

During the night about 2 a.m. I awoke and glanced out the bedroom window. Trotting quickly past and disappearing into an alley was what appeared to be a coyote. I ran to the back door and out to the gate but the animal was gone. I know what a coyote looks like. The ears ,face,tail,that walk, it had to be but never would I have imagined to see this outside my front door.

The ground was clear of snow after a warm day so no tracks to capture an image . Was this a dream brought on by all the recent reading of Hillerman reservation mystery's? How does one go about checking local sightings? Should this be mentioned to anyone? So many react badly to this kind of information.

Google has an answer to all questions. Of course a university has an urban coyote study and of course it is of the Chicago area. I was very surprised by the findings.

Apparently coyotes are very common in urban areas with Chicago being no exception.
"It's not uncommon to see a coyote pass through an urban or suburban neighborhood."
“We couldn't find an area in Chicago where there weren't coyotes,” Gehrt said.

Urban coyotes are more active at night and so seldom seen by people. They live longer lives in urban areas than rural counterparts and do a real service by eating pests like rodents and canadian geese eggs.

So it looks like I may have seen a real coyote and not some mythical native american appariton.

STAN GEHRT research news archives

Seed Magazine Wily Coyote moves to windy city

Wild About Pets pictures of Chicago coyotes
An excellent radio interview with Stan Gehrt about coyotes in urban areas to which that you can listen, as well as great pictures.

Chicago Wilderness Magazine predator comeback
excerpt...
the coyote baby boom of the late 1990s in Cook County provoked the largest study of urban coyotes to date in the world. Authored by Gehrt and a team working with Max McGraw, around 200 radio-collared coyotes were tracked for six years. Results have suggested that as many as 2,000 coyotes may be making a good living in the county and that their presence as keystone predator is far more beneficial than dangerous. Only five of the collared coyotes have been removed as nuisances, and there have been no reports of coyotes biting humans in Cook County. (Compare that to 3,000 dog bites reported most years.) The coyotes’ main diet of voles and other small mammal pests has had a significant effect on rodent control, and, to some extent, on the overpopulation of white-tailed deer. They have even been credited with checking the growth of Canada goose flocks that burgeoned in the 1980s. A recent videotape study found coyotes raiding goose nests for eggs.
“They’re an important part of the ecosystem,” says Glowacki, “and we definitely don’t want them gone.”

But what about cougars? How much of that historic territory can we give back to a predator with a record, however rare, of attacking human beings? As a matter of public safety, won’t we really be forced to shoot or relocate them all?
“That’s a legitimate question,” says Gehrt. “The cold, hard truth is that it’s not easy to hunt down or trap mountain lions. In fact, it’s pretty hard. And they’re serving a role in an ecosystem that has been out of whack in and around the cities for a long time. They can have an effect on the overabundance of white-tailed deer, which are a major problem for property damage and even death. There are many, many more people killed in auto collisions with deer than will ever be killed by cougars. Still, the only time we hear about the large predators is when they’re in conflict with people, which means that any suggestion for management programs will have to deal with public fear.

Where the Wild Things Were

2009-02-04T09:25:00.005-06:00

Life, Death, And Ecological Wreckage In A land Of Vanishing Predators
WILLIAM STOLZENBURG

Ever wonder what the world would be like if most big predator animals had not been eliminated?
Does it frighten you to think of wolves and cougars roaming around wild and free?
Do deer pose a scary problem on roads and in forests in response to a lack of predation?
Do you think of humans as the ultimate top predator?

William Stolzenburg is a science writer, a wildlife journalist that has put together what scientist have found out about the loss of so many keynote predators in ecological communities throughout the world and what happens when they are returned.
It has been fascinating reading.

From Robert T. Paine in 1963, then ecology professor at the University of Washington,recounting his experiment at Mukkaw Bay with removal of predator starfish Pisaster ochraceous, to the return of Wolves at Yellowstone National park,Stolzenburg gives us the many scientist's at work, in the field.

At Mukkaw, Paine over time removed every star fish Pisaster from a ledge of tidal rock while leaving the starfish on adjoining stretches. Where untouched the small communities of marine invertebrates (barnacles,limpets,snails,mussels,chitons and starfish) remained intact and healthy. Where Paine had been prying loose and returning to the sea the predator starfish (main prey a mussel), a monoculture of those predator free mussels remained. The starfish Pisaster was a keynote predator keeping the most aggressive species under control. Without the starfish creating openings of free space where eating the mussels, an invasive crowding out of all other species occurred.

This scene plays out over and over where predator species are eliminated. When killer whales can no longer find enough calories in big sea creatures they practically wipe out whole communities of sea lions and then even small sea otters.
Sea otters eat sea urchins which in turn eat kelp. See where he's going here...

Of particular interest is the story of how deer became such a problem. How wiping out cougars and wolves and even limiting hunting caused tremendous problems not only with deer populations but also deer behaviour.
I cheered when stories of the wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park had such stunning
results. Aspens, cottonwoods and river banks, how could the wolves return revitalize the entire Yellowstone's ecological community? Over ten years later the wolves are thriving and making a difference.

Like The Forgotten Pollinators by Buchmann,Nabhan and Mirocha
and Tracking the Vanishing Frogs: An Ecological Mystery by Kathryn Phillips
'Where The Wild Things Were' by William Stolzenburg
will keep you reading until the last page.
The bibliography alone is worth the price of this book. It is 47 pages of resource heaven.

Click here for the book website

Other reviews...

CS Monitor

Boston Globe

The Green Skeptic blog

Bombus affinis: a "rara apis" Spotted in Illinois

2009-01-30T10:55:00.008-06:00

Bombus affinis / Rusty patched bumble bee

The citizen beespotter program at the uiuc, in it's first year, has had a positive ID of a bumble bee not seen in Illinois for many years.
What a great project to get the many eyes(and cameras) of the public working to understand where and which bees live in Illinois.

Beespotter has a website where Topics range from How to take a good photo of a bee ,
To
Designing A Bee Garden .

Once you join even if you have no pictures to add (yet) you can view pictures taken by other beespotters and identified by university staff.
I have added a couple of photos of bumble bees to the site and intend to add many more this coming year. Orland Grassland, where a prairie restoration is underway, should be a bee haven.
Check it out and if you live or visit Illinois, take a few pictures of the bees you encounter, then share.

Bees at pollinators-welcome

Pictures of Gardening in San Antonio Texas

2009-01-25T18:41:00.022-06:00

While googling San Antonio gardens to check out, I came across a post about visiting The San Antonio Botanical Gardens written by Pam at Digging in Austin Tx. She has some great pictures and an informative post about the water saver gardens display .

Pam's pictures of Water Saver Lane were taken in Summer.
The pictures here were taken a couple of weeks ago...a winter look.

The wildlife garden had many birds, which noisily let us know we were interfering with foraging.

Pam at ... Digging
Digging post...San Antonio Botanical Garden
Water Saving Lane .

The rest of these pictures were taken as we walked along San Antonio streets. A look at what some San Antonio gardeners are doing in real front gardens.

To bad I can't find any San Antonio garden bloggers.

Here is a great option for spending time outside.

Lawn people...

A touch of the south.

San Antonio Texas...Visiting Botanical Gardens In Winter

2009-01-23T10:36:00.023-06:00

While travel in winter would not seem to be the best time for visiting botanical gardens, they are really both fun and beautiful as well as less crowded this time of year.

Of course winter in Southern Texas is quite a different thng than winter in Chicago Illinois, where we live.

No deep freeze or heavy snowfall to end bloom or bounty. I don't think I could find the Swiss Chard or fennel under the snow here at home.

There didn't seem to be much space devoted to lawn. Not even at the entry.

Plenty of color, ground covers and wide walks from which to enjoy the setting.

Small garden beds,

Dry slopes,

Great plant companions,

and desert habitat.

My favorite though was the trails through native plantings and some old buildings from Texas history.

Look at that wide expanse of porch and the vegetable garden to the side.

That porch was a perfect spot from which to view the pond and the abundant wildlife. I can imagine shelling beans for dinner and enjoying a breeze. Might need screening from the mosquitoes during summer but evening would be heaven.

The art work was a nice touch.

special exhibit

Map of San Antonio Botanical Garden

Winter at Millennium Park is here!

2008-12-02T10:48:00.005-06:00

Check out upcoming Free winter events in the Park.

Caroling at Cloud Gate
Fridays at 6pm, thru December 19.
Millennium Park's holiday tradition Caroling At Cloud Gate (pdf) returns featuring Chicago's favorite choral groups:

The Wooten Choral Ensemble
December 5

Chicago Chamber Choir
December 12

Chicago Children's Choir
December 19 Chicagoans and visitors alike are invited to sing-along and enjoy complimentary coffee and hot cider courtesy of Caribou Coffee. Caroling at Cloud Gate is supported by the Comer Foundation.

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink
The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, now in its 8th season and drawing more than 100,000 skaters annually, is free and open to the public. Skate rental is available for $10.
The Ice Rink is located on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets in Millennium Park. The season continues thru March 15.

Winter Garden Stroll Through The Lurie
Saturday, December 6, 10am Meet at Cloud Gate.
Take a casual yet informative walk through the Lurie Garden and discover the richness that winter brings. Tours are approximately one hour and are led by Lurie Garden Staff.

Lurie Garden Winter Lecture Series
Tuesday, December 9, 6pm
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St.

Join the Lurie Garden staff and Joel Greenberg, author of 'A Natural History of the Chicago Region' and co-author of 'A Birder's Guide to the Chicago Region' for the December winter lecture. Greenburg will read from his newest book, a collection of first-person narratives written between 1721 and 1959. These unique voices from the land present an unexpected and fascinating portrait of Chicago. Books will be available for sale.

Hands-on Family Workshop: Flower Frenzy
Saturday, December 13, 10am - 12pm
Chicago Cultural Center , 78 E. Washington St. Learn the parts of a flower and why each part is important to the plant. Dissect and investigate real flowers, then make some flower-based crafts to take home. Pre-registration required, please call 312.742.5519.

Learn more (pdf) about other upcoming Lurie Garden lectures and family events.

SNOW, DECEMBER 1st 2008

2008-12-01T12:36:00.011-06:00

Fresh snowfall in the garden.

One of those heavy wet snows that cling causing everything to droop or flatten.

Well not everything, the coneflowers seem to stand through all winter brings.

This panicum will rebound as the snow melts,at least it did last year. It was much larger this year.

Shrubs and trees look lovely in white in front of house.

Groundcovers have disappeared under lumpy blankets of snow.

The Hobbit garden.

Along back fence. A few ragged leaves frozen in place on the oakleaf hydrangea. A screen loosened by wind.

Out the back door.

I really like winter and snow in the garden.

SAVE OUR STATE PARKS

2008-11-06T11:07:00.007-06:00

Chicago Tribune Barbara Brotman column: See these parks before they're gone Barbara Brotman Nov 06, 2008

We are a large family. All of us together is a tribe with many boisterous children always included. As such, famliy get togethers tend to be outdoor affairs. We have picnics in the forest preserves, hike the old canals, and camp at state park sites.
But many of these spontaneous events will come to an end soon as the State of Illinois has decided to close so many parks and historical places of interest.
Maybe trying to keep the parks open is selfish. Money is short and tax payers stretched thin. Jobs are being lost everywhere. But it seems a shame after so much money and effort has gone into getting children back outside, to now start closing off those areas near enough to where people live as to be easily accessed.

Pat Quinn, Lt Governer of Illinois is making an effort to stop the closings. He is asking for the support of those that may use these parks.You can sign an online petition and e-mail your reasons.
Standing up for Illinois-Save our parks
Near the bottom are links to maps of the many sites being closed and articles discussing the closures.

Maps parks

*Castle Rock State Park, Oregon Castle Rock
*Lowden State Park, Oregon Lowden State Park
*Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Sheffield Hennepin Canal Parkway
*Illini State Park, Marseilles Illini State Park
*Channahon Parkway State Park, Channahon Channahon Parkway State Park
*Gebhard Woods State Park, Morris Gebhard Woods State Park
*Hidden Springs State Forrest, Strasburg Hidden Springs State Forest
*Kickapoo State Park, Oakwood Kickapoo State Park
*Moraine View State Park, Leroy Morraine View State Park
*Weldon Springs State Park, Clinton Weldon Springs
*Wolf Creek State Park, Windsor Wolf Creek

Maps historic sites.
David Davis Mansion, Bloomington, IL
Dana Thomas House, Springfield, IL
Hauberg Indian Museum at Blackhawk State Historic Site, Rock Island, IL
Lincoln Log Cabin, Lerna, IL
Fort de Chartres, Prairie Du Rocher, IL
Vandalia Statehouse, Vandalia, IL
State Center at Bishop Hill, Bishop Hill,IL
Carl Sandburg State Historic Site, Galesburg, IL
Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia, IL
Bryant Cottage, Bement, IL
Jubilee College, Peoria County, IL
Apple River Fort, Elizabeth, IL
Fort Kaskaskia, Chester, IL
Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove, IL

Articles
Ogle County News - Parks are still slated to close; Lowden, Castle Rock scheduled to shut down Sunday, Nov. 30
WREX-TV - Bills to Save State Parks Sent to the Governor
Morris Daily Herald - Parks bills sent to governor
Chicago Tribune - Letters sent to park vendors about park closures
Bloomington Pantagraph - Governor should not delay OK of budget bill
Rockford Register Star - Conservationists want state parks bill vetoed
Morris Daily Herald – Save Our Parks
Morris Daily Herald - Fight about preserving memories, making more
Joliet Herald News - Hundreds gather at park rally
Ogle County News - Quinn says use the Web to save parks
State Journal Register - $1 million federal grant withheld
Bloomington Pantagraph - Public opinion heard, but we’re not out of the woods
WREX-TV - Senate Approves Funding That May Save State Parks
Herald News - Senate bills may save state parks
Lt. Governor Ready for Drastic Measures if Blagojevich Doesn't ... - WREX-TV, IL - Sep 29, 2008
Budget issues far from decided - The State Journal-Register, IL - Sep 29, 2008
Finke: Lawmakers continue tussle with Blagojevich - Peoria Journal Star, IL - Sep 27, 2008
Rockford Conservationists Fight to Save State Parks - WIFR, IL - Sep 26, 2008
State Rep. Jil Tracy on restoring of budget cuts - KHQA, IL - Sep 24, 2008
$1 million federal grant withheld - The State Journal-Register, IL - Sep 24, 2008
Senate bills may save state parks - Joliet Herald News, IL - Sep 24, 2008
Senate Approves Funding That May Save State Parks - WREX-TV, IL - Sep 24, 2008
RALLY: Protect The Park Hundreds gather to protest park closure - MyWebTimes.com, IL - Sep 22, 2008
State parks, historical sites should remain - Rochelle News Leader, IL - Sep 22, 2008
Moraine View rally draws 1000-plus people protesting closure - Bloomington Pantagraph, USA - Sep 20, 2008
Will County Board's message to Springfield: ‘Keep state park open' - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 19, 2008
Save our state parks - Chicago Tribune, United States - Sep 19, 2008
Budget-balancing act could put state in trouble with the feds - The State Journal-Register, IL - Sep 19, 2008
Vintners have state parks in spirit of wine festival - LaSalle News Tribune, IL - Sep 19, 2008
Concern over state-park closings - Chicago Tribune, United States - Sep 19, 2008
Blagojevich trying to be lovable loser - Daily Illini, IL - Sep 18, 2008
Could county take over the two parks? - Ogle County News, IL - Sep 18, 2008
Online Petition Drive to Save State Parks, Historic Sites - WREX-TV, IL - Sep 18, 2008
House restores park and other funding - Rochelle News Leader, IL - Sep 18, 2008
Fight to save parks continues - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 17, 2008
LeRoy’s activist attorney sues over park closures - Clinton Daily Journal, IL - Sep 16, 2008
State Parks Delay Closing - WEEK-TV, IL - Sep 16, 2008
Updated 9/15: Lake County residents unite to save parks - Lake Forester, IL - Sep 15, 2008
Continue pressure to restore cuts, keep parks open - Bloomington Pantagraph, USA - Sep 14, 2008
Ill. park closures raise concern about wildlife - Daily Vidette, IL - Sep 14, 2008
Governor's budget cuts reach beyond closure of state parks - Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, IL - Sep 14, 2008
House reappropriates fund for parks - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 13, 2008
Hennepin Canal Parkway to close - Geneseo Republic, IL - Sep 12, 2008
Will County forest preserve officials oppose closing state parks - Chicago Tribune, United States - Sep 12, 2008
Lawmakers trying to restore cuts, save state parks - Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, IL - Sep 12, 2008
LeRoy lawyer expects to file lawsuit Friday to stop park closures - Bloomington Pantagraph, USA - Sep 11, 2008
Passion For Two Oregon State Parks Fuels Community - WREX-TV, IL - Sep 11, 2008
House votes to restore funds for state parks, historic sites - Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, IL - Sep 11, 2008
Groups Question Blago's Budget Cuts - WGIL Radio News, IL - Sep 11, 2008
Ax still falling on state jobs, parks, historic sites - Chicago Daily Herald, IL - Sep 11, 2008
Plans for rally going forward - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 11, 2008
Kickapoo concerns dominate Vermilion County Board meeting - Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, IL - Sep 10, 2008
Illinois history demands protection - Daily Illini, IL - Sep 10, 2008
Lawmakers begin trying to keep parks open - Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, IL - Sep 10, 2008
Petitions mount to keep Weldon Springs open - Clinton Daily Journal, IL - Sep 9, 2008
Closures will affect I&M Canal - MyWebTimes.com, IL - Sep 9, 2008
Local politicians debate environmental issues - Daily Illini, IL - Sep 9, 2008
Petition Against Closing IL State Parks - WIFR, IL - Sep 9, 2008
Budget cuts to close area parks - Rochelle News Leader, IL - Sep 8, 2008
Sarley: Closing parks hurts everyone - Northwest Herald, IL - Sep 8, 2008
Illinois budget ax aimed at historic sites: What do you think? - Chicago Sun-Times, United States - Sep 8, 2008
State park, historic site closings prove puzzling - Peoria Journal Star, IL - Sep 6, 2008
LETTER: Governor's cuts all affect state taxpayers - Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, IL - Sep 5, 2008
State parks important - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 5, 2008
Public Invited to Sign Petition to Support Lowden State Park - WREX-TV, IL - Sep 5, 2008
What to expect if Illini State Park Closes - MyWebTimes.com, IL - Sep 5, 2008
Council approves proclamation against Weldon Springs closure - Clinton Daily Journal, IL - Sep 5, 2008
Illinois State Budget - KHQA, IL - Sep 3, 2008
Decision to close parks is called “horrendous” - Ogle County News, IL - Sep 3, 2008
Mayor looks to unite, fight - Morris Daily Herald, IL - Sep 3, 2008
Castle Rock, Lowden to close Nov. 1 - Ogle County News, IL - Sep 3, 2008
Costly park cuts - Northwest Herald, IL - Sep 3, 2008
State to close local parks and historical sites - Daily Vidette, IL - Sep 3, 2008
Weldon Springs’ closure rouses public action - Clinton Daily Journal, IL - Sep 2, 2008
ABC7: Protesters fight for state parks to remain open
Illinois historic sites open until Nov. 30
Bowman: Outdoor Notes
From Oregon to Gov: Don’t close our state parks
Governor a no-show at historic sites, parks
State lawmakers, business leaders question state park closings
Online drive to save parks started
Cutbacks may hurt areas businesses, social services
Congressman: Federal law may prevent two park closings (Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965)
Young activist works to save park
Budget cuts to close area parks
2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.
Illinois budget cuts to close historic sites and parks
Visitors and workers speak out about possible state park closure
Mayor looks to unite, fight
Rally against Illini closure planned
Governor closing 24 state sites, including Kickapoo State Park
Residents begin campaigns to save Kickapoo State Park
Young activist works to save park
State to lay off 450 and close parks and historic sites
S.O.S - Save Weldon Springs rally set for Sept. 14
Rally for the canal
Other Petitions
Stop the closing of 11 state parks - petition
Environment Illinois
Stop Blagojevich Closing Our State Parks
Facebook Pages & Other Sites
Save Kickapoo State Park [1]
Save Illinois Parks
Save Illinois’ State Parks
Save Moraine View State Park
Save Kickapoo State Park [2]
Group Petition to keep Weldon Springs and other Illinois state parks open!
Stop Blagojevich From Closing Illinois State Parks!
Better Fishing Association of Northern Illinois

Osage Orange

2008-10-31T11:36:00.012-05:00

Click on the picture to enlarge for a better look at the Osage oranges still hanging in the tree. For even better pictures check out this Chicago area blogger .

This native north american tree is still fairly common in our area. Unique enough to have been allowed to go on growing in many areas but messy enough to keep todays homeowners from planting anew it is fairly well known in these parts.

I have read that this tree grew originally only in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
First native americans then later farmers spread the osage orange tree across the plains states. The wood is very hard and rot resistant making it useful for bows,utensils,tools and other wooden items. The farmer grew hedges of osage orange that were thick and tall with thorns which kept in livestock. Then found further use for the trees wood as fence posts that seemed to last forever when barbed wired took over as fencing and the hedges were cut down.

Some wildlife, like squirrels, find the seed of osage orange quite tasty.The seeds are said to be edible by humans as well but are hard to extract.The pulp and other parts are not to be eaten.

For more information...
Selecting Trees For Your Home UIUC
Osage Orange, Hedgeapple/Maclura pomifera

Missouri Conservationist Osage
excerpt...
Osage orange is the best native wood for fence posts. It is one of the heaviest woods in North America and rates at the top for resistance to weathering. Anti-fungal and anti-oxidant compounds that protect the wood from decay have been identified in the heartwood. The outer sapwood is thin, so even small-diameter posts have a high proportion of heartwood. Osage orange posts set 50 years ago are still standing strong.

And lots of pictures...
Osage Orange

The tree's native range was a small area in western Arkansas, southern Oklahoma and parts of east Texas. But early explorers, like Marquette and Joliet, did find the trees growing near Osage Indian villages. And it was from the branch wood of the Osage orange tree that the Indians made their highly prized bows.

How To Build A Bow .

Osage Orange/Maclura pomifera ...

Dioecious - having unisexual reproductive units with male and female plants occurring on different individuals;
they are either gynoecious (female plants) or androecious (male plants).

Female plants that occur without male plants near, produce seedless fruits.
Males do not produce fruit only pollen.

Maclura pomifera/Osage Orange is wind pollinated.

Osage Orange-form in winter

Todays post inspired by Defining Your Home Garden

Bats In The Garden.

2008-10-29T08:34:00.008-05:00

Mormoopidae: Pteronotus parnellii (Mustached bat), Brazil. Photo by L. H. Emmons. Smithsonian Encyclopedia Bat Facts

Garden Rant is a daily read around here. If the days offering is of particular interest then I will be back and forth often, following the conversation. Sadly my own favorites do not always get enough play. So today I thought I would hijack the subject.
BATS!

While I do not garden to attract bats they are welcome. Gardening with wildlife in mind will encourage any local bat population. Bats need food (mostly insects), water (that pond or bird bath) and a safe undisturbed home for resting and reproducing.

Although some species of bats are endangered by loss of roosting space or open accessible water, bats in general are not rare even in urban areas. Cities are full of crevices, hollows and perches where bats may creep in or hang from, hidden away for the daylight hours. You might find a single bat or quite a few if there is room. Bat colonies tend to grow as signs showing inhabitants have been successful over time, draw more bats to investigate (hence the advise to place guano beneath your manmade bat house).
Some bats live in hollow old trees while others make do with loose bark peeling away from dead branches or trees that tend to shed old bark. An endangered Indiana bat (sometimes found locally in Chicago area) camouflaged so well it was comfortable just hanging onto the bark quite exposed. Other bat species do not overwinter in cold climates but migrate futher south where food is plentiful during winter. During their warm weather stay in the north the canopy of a tall densely branched tree can be home enough.
The exterior of a building will often have a multitude of hiding places for a young inquisitive bat. Behind an upper story shutter,loose siding, space just a 1/2 inch wide along a roof edge all and more will provide a warm place for a tired bat to get cozy for at least a day. Hopefully the bat will not be able to enter the dwelling proper to find space in the attic. That is not good for the homeowner or the bats. Window screen placed over all entrances to the attic will exclude bats and keep hibernating species from entering.

Any garden will have plenty of insects . A light left on at dusk will show just how many insects there are and provide a buffet area for bat residents. A Rose of Sharon in my garden draws large night moths right outside one bedroom window. At night I have been known to watch for a dark shape quickly passing. It would be very cool to see a bat catch dinner. Maybe we should look into Bat Detectors .

All bats need an accessible water source but especially lactating mothers. Bats drink by flying low over water and scooping up mouthfuls of water as they pass. Leaving an open flyway without dense planting will help as even bats need space to lift high again. An interesting article in National Wildlife
discussed drowning bats in water tanks for domestic animals and how to solve the problem.

Bats are part of a healthy ecosystem and we can learn to live with them, even in a garden.

For your reading pleasure...

drinking water
Tanks
excerpt...
When bats or birds fall into tanks, they splash along the edges searching for a way out. If the water level is even a few inches below the rim, the animals are likely to find escape impossible. How many bats are killed in stock tanks yearly is unknown. However, the loss is so high, Tuttle says, that biologists have recommended skimming stock tanks for bat skulls to determine which species occur in an area.
To reduce this threat BCI, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, last year launched a program for putting escape ramps into troughs and storage tanks. A variety of ramps can be made out of expanded metal, which looks like heavy steel mesh. To be effective, a ramp must have side skirts that touch the inner wall of the tank. Ramps that merely rise from the water like a bridge, with no skirts, do not help, as bats and other animals simply pass under them. The side skirts provide animals with an escape route that they meet as they clamber along the tank edge. They can climb up the skirt and out of the water.
For details on making wildlife escape ramps for water tanks, visit Batcon.

Directionality of drinking passes by bats at water holes: is there cooperation?

These are the bats found in Illinois,
FE means federally endangered,
SE means state endangered.
You should check with a local resource to see which bats could be found in your area.
All bats are protected.

This list is from the Illinois Natural History Survey web site, mammals page: UIUC

Order Chiroptera: BatsFamily Vespertilionidae: Vespertilionid bats
Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831) - Little brown bat
Myotis sodalis Miller & G.M. Allen, 1928 - Indiana bat FE
Myotis austroriparius (Rhoads, 1897) - Southeastern myotis SE
Myotis grisescens A.H. Howell, 1909 - Gray bat FE
Myotis septentrionalis (Troussart, 1897) - northern long-eared bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte, 1831) - Silver-haired bat
Pipistrellus subflavus (F. Cuvier, 1832) - Eastern pipistrelle
Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois, 1796) - Big brown bat
Lasiurus borealis (Müller, 1776) - Red bat
Lasiurus cinereus (Beauvois, 1796) - Hoary bat
Nycticeius humeralis (Rafinesque, 1818) - Evening bat
Plecotus rafinesquii Lesson, 1827 - Rafinesque's big-eared

NPR bat story beating the odds.

Bat House Success Tips

Researcher

Listing of Issues and Articles at Bat Conservation International website concerning bat house research...

Excerpt...
Successful Bat Houses Shed Light On Bat Needs. The Bat House Researcher. Vol 1, No. 1:1-2.
Five houses in Maryland, Wisconsin, and New York that received sun for 8 to 12 or more hours daily were all occupied. Three of these were either painted dark or were covered with tar paper. The two that were left a natural wood color received 12 or more hours of sun. Twenty-two bat houses in other northern locations received less than four hours of daily sun, and none of them were occupied, clearly confirming the vital role of solar heating. Even in the South, only one of 11 occupied houses received less than four hours of daily sun, while nine that received little or no sun were unoccupied.

Reminder to Owners of Unsuccessful Bat Houses

IF AFTER AT LEAST ONE active season, your bat house remains unoccupied, try moving it to a new location where it receives more or less sun. Reports thus far indicate that most successful bat houses are occupied within the first year, and that most failure results from too little exposure to sun. A house that fails at first, but is occupied after a move, may provide especially enlightening information on what local bats need.

If your houses are mounted on poles, try rotating them from a north/south exposure to sun to east/west. Since houses seem to be too cool more often than too warm, this may help. If your houses are insulated and empty, try removing the insulation to permit greater heat gain. You also can try painting houses a different color, most often darker.

Attaching nursery houses back-to-back on poles may reduce extremes of temperature fluctuations. Such houses in the hottest climates may benefit from tin roofs with enough overhang on the east and west sides to reduce solar heating during mid-day.
Ventilation slots, like those used by Lisa Williams, are also a good idea.

Orland Grasslands...Prairie Restoration in our midst.

2008-10-21T12:26:00.014-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Elizabeth Bruhns sent out an e-mail informing Chicago Master Gardeners of a continuing Education opportunity at The Orland Grasslands Prairie Restoration.
Sounded like something I would enjoy so I called my sister and off we went to participate. There we met Ryan White and other volunteer seed collectors eager to learn. Ryan walked us through sections of the prairie giving us a brief history and then showing us how to identify the plants and seeds we wanted to collect that day. We started with Big Blue Stem and Compass Plant .

After collecting the seed for awhile Ryan demonstrated how to separate the seed with what I think was 1/4 inch screen but different sized screen may be used for larger seed. That is Big Blue Stem on the screen in the picture above. The compass plant seed is much larger than the big blue seed so the screen mostly just broke up the dried seedheads. Some of the greener seedheads needed separating by hand.

The next Friday October 11th we returned for more instruction and seed collection. This time one of the seeds we collected was from Tall Coreopsis/coreopsis triperis

The seedheads were easy to spot standing tall over the prairie. The leaves three or five segments ,opposite on reddish stems.

Ryan also helped us learn to identify and collect seed from...

prairie cordgrass/Spartina pectinata

prairie blazing star/Liatris pycnostachya

flat topped/hard leaved goldenrod/Solidago rigida

and grey-headed coneflower/Ratibida pinnata

Since collecting as much quality prairie seed as possible is a priority for the stewards of the prairie, Ryan has decided to do one more day of collection with us this Friday October 24th. He is inviting anyone that would like to learn a bit about prairie plant seed collecting to join us.

This picture above is of a wetland area that is being cleared of most woody species except a few natives and will be replanted with desirable species. We met a few of the people involved .They were friendly and enthusiastic about their accomplishments making us feel welcome to join the group.

Linda,Barbara and Ryan holding our mornings collection.

This from Ryan White...
This coming Friday is our last seed collection outing at Orland Grassland before the seed is mixed and sown back to our priority sites. Orland volunteer steward, Pat Hayes, mentioned we need to target the last "good quantities of tall coreopsis, goldenrods, and gray headed coneflower on the western half of the site. There is also thimbleweed remaining here and there." These plants and some beautiful asters will be our primary goal this Friday. Joining us will be stewards Bill and Marybeth Fath, and you can ask about their years of restoration experience on the Grassland that enable us to collect these seeds this year.
We'll meet this Friday, at 10:00 am along 104th just north of 179th. (where we all first met). Look for the sign.

Map Link

Many were interested in coming to The Annual Seed Cleaning Event held next Thursday, November 6th at 6:30 at the Civic Center in Orland. This is the last step before dispersing the seed back at Orland Grassland. We'll mix the millions of seed together as if baking for acres of new prairie vistas. This process is a great celebration of the cooperation from everyone's fall seed harvest. You all played a significant role in this, and are warmly invited to this event.
We hope you or a friends can join us this Friday.
Best,
Ryan
Audubon Chicago Region Field Representative--

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2008 Seed Collection Summary: by Pat Hayes
What a wonderful year for those of us who have worked so hard at the Grassland over these many years. For the first time we have actually been able to harvest measurable quantities of seed.

To date, we have collected almost two grocery bags full of cleaned little blue stem. Not cleaned: a full bag of blazing star, a grocery bag of gray headed cone flower, half a bag of compass plant, some prairie dock, rosen weed, whorled milk weed, a full bag of monarda, four grocery bags of wild quinine, some indigo, ironweed, prairie coreopsis and rattlesnake master. Additionally, Ryan has also collected big bluestem (for the shrubland areas), tall coreopsis, and flat headed goldenrod. All these seeds have been collected throughout the extended Phoenix area, Kwadekik, and Northwest Savanna area.

Seed was not collected from The Scrape to allow it all to fully blow around and reseed itself there.

Scurfy pea got away from us this year. While it spread like crazy, it seemingly produced very little to no seed. Also, I had marked with a green tape and had been watching a stand of round-headed bush clover waiting for it to be ready to collect. It's either been collected by someone else, or eaten, as seed heads were snipped as of yesterday.

The little blue was most abundant in the Northwest Savanna area. In this sensitive area, some little blue was collected, and some left behind. Outside sensitive areas, all seed was removed from little blue. Good quantities of tall coreopsis, good goldenrods, and gray headed coneflower remain to be collected throughout the western half of the site. There is also thimbleweed remaining here and there.

More information...
Corlands

Prairie Stewards

Chicago Wilderness Magazine

Harvesting Vermicompost

2008-10-20T10:12:00.012-05:00

Saturday October 18th was the final Master Composter class for 2008.
Larry W Wilson , a University of Illinois Extension Educator that provides training in community leadership and volunteerism, started out the morning. His program brings a better understanding of the Extension mission,some history of the university and the Land Grant system,and as volunteers our connection with and support from the Extension Staff.
As volunteers we get to be the link between our universities reseach findings and bringing that information out to the general public in practical daily life application. He was interesting and had everyone animated and joining the discussion.
I took from this presentation a closer look at what we, as volunteers, have a responsibility to provide. That is accurate, well presented, university provided information so that individuals may select their own course of action in using these science-based facts.

The compost demonstrations were lively and creative. Above is a picture of one teams props. Those little bags actually contain dried brown leaves.

Making the worm bins was the highlight of the day. If you want to see how to build the Worm Bins check out last years post.

Kate Weinans led the afternoon telling about worm anatomy and reproduction, showing how to build a worm bin and then how and when to harvest the vermicompost.

Above is a picture of a mesh bag ( onions or potatoes packaging) which is filled with vegetable and fruit scraps and then buried in a corner of the bin. Worms are drawn inside the bag to find food and easily lifted from the castings. This gets many of the worms out of the bin and out of harms way before sifting or separating begins.

Kate showed how to use a fine screen and large plastic fork. The worms remain on top,the compost (worm castings) are sifted through into a plactic bin. The worms can safely be added to the new bedding and you have a wonderful consistent product for use in potting medium mixes or to make a quality compost tea.

The white spots in these pictures is from the addition of egg shells. Unless very finely ground the shells will remain a long time in the bins. Check out my Non Electric Grinding Method .

I have seen the 10 gallon Roughneck at Target,Lowes and Ace Hardware.

10 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck
23.8"L x 15.6"W x 8.9"H

October GBBD 2008

2008-10-15T19:51:00.016-05:00

It rained off and on all day today here in Chicago,but I was able to take a few pictures to show.
Leaves are beginning to change color as the daylight hours lessen and nights are cooling.

Most plants have just a few blooms left. Like the Chelone/turtlehead,

A few annual coreopsis,

a Ratibiba pinnata here and there,
gallardia (it just keeps on blooming), the hydrangea,which normally have very yellow leaves by now will continue with a presence all winter long,

and a look at the leaf strewn hobbit garden.

Check out May Dreams Garden for a list of other October Bloom Day participants.

A Parking Lot Landscape.

2008-10-13T21:46:00.010-05:00

Parking lot landscapes are increasingly more interesting. The pictures shown here are of the main entrance parking lot at Chicago Highschool For Agricultural Sciences .

Portulaca
A low growing drought tolerant sun/heat loving annual that self seeds and grows on quickly

with an abundantly long summer bloom.

Goldenrod and purple asters add color and insect activity for a fall display.

Tall grass, short grass, drying seedheads and blooming flowers.

Impressive for a group of students,yes?