Monthly Archives: February 2024

National Invasive Species Awareness Week – Day 4

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National Invasive Species Awareness Week, now through March 3, is a national event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threats that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. It is sponsored by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA), which supports local, state, tribal, federal, regional, and national organizations to raise awareness of local invasive species concerns to elected officials, agency leadership, and the public.

The term “invasive” is used for non-native species of plants and animals that grow and reproduce rapidly, displace native species, and cause major disturbance to the areas in which they are present. However, invasive species also include non-native pathogens.  Invasive species can be found on land or in water. Once they become established in areas outside their normal habitat range, they are capable of causing severe damage, including harming the economy, the environment, or human health.

    This week, we’ll explore:

    • a brief history of the arrival of invasive species,
    • how invasive species spread,
    • why they are harmful,
    • types of invasive species (animals, insects, pathogens, and plants),
    • how invading species are now being detected,
    • ongoing research efforts about invasive species, and
    • various methods employed to control or eradicate invasive species.

    Today we’ll explore the types of invasive species – animals, insects, pathogens, and plants. For suggestions on how to deal with invasive species in your backyard and garden, please view a comprehensive list of control methods for your consideration.

    Invasive Aquatic Invertebrates

    Aquatic invasive invertebrates are non-native animals that lack a vertebral column (backbone) and spend the majority of their lives in freshwater, marine, or estuarine environments (including inland waters, riparian areas, and wetlands). Crustaceans and mollusks are the most common invasive aquatic invertebrates found in the United States.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Aquatic Plants

    Invasive aquatic plants are non-native plants (including algae) that grow partially or entirely submerged in water. This includes plants that are rooted in the sediment with part or all of the plant underwater, as well as plants that float freely without contacting the sediment. Aquatic plants may invade both marine and freshwater environments, including habitats such as wetlands, lakes, rivers, estuaries, coastal zones, irrigation systems, hydroelectric systems, and aquaculture facilities.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Fish and Other Vertebrates

    Invasive fish and other aquatic vertebrates are non-native species with a backbone that spend the majority of their lives in freshwater, marine, or estuarine environments. In the United States, invasive aquatic vertebrates are primarily fishes, but may also include reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Insects

    Invasive insects are non-native species that may be found in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

    Most invasive insects tend to have very high rates of reproduction and exhibit very little maternal care of their eggs or their offspring. Some invaders can even can reproduce asexually, which helps them overcome the challenge of finding a mate in an area into which they are invading.

    Invasive ants have adaptive behaviors that help them succeed in otherwise hostile environments. For instance, a chemical on their cuticle tells an ant who belongs to its family and who does not. Some of the invading species have lost the ability to recognize the natives ants inhabiting a colony. This serves to help the invading species take over an area instead of fighting with the native ants.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Pathogens

    Invasive pathogens are non-native species of diseases and disease-causing microorganisms (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasitic protozoa) that may be found in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Terrestrial Invertebrates

    Terrestrial invasive invertebrates are non-native species of animals that lack a vertebral column (backbone). Insects are the most common invasive terrestrial invertebrate, but also includes other arthropods, molluscs (such as snails and slugs), and nematodes (roundworms).

    Examples include:

    Invasive Terrestrial Plants

    Terrestrial invasive plants are non-native species that grow in non-aquatic habitats, including agricultural fields, rangelands, forests, urban landscapes, wildlands, and along waterways. Terrestrial invasive plants include trees, shrubs, vines, grasses and herbaceous plants.

    Examples include:

    Invasive Terrestrial Vertebrates

    Terrestrial invasive vertebrates are non-native species of animals with a backbone who spend the majority of their lives on land. While terrestrial vertebrates form a minor proportion of all invasive species, their impacts are often disproportionately high. Terrestrial invasive vertebrates primarily include reptiles, birds, and mammals.

    Examples include:

    Learn more about invasive species during this week and then please join efforts thereafter to reduce their presence in our world.  Thank you!

    National Invasive Species Awareness Week – Day 3

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    National Invasive Species Awareness Week, now through March 3, is a national event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threats that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. It is sponsored by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA), which supports local, state, tribal, federal, regional, and national organizations to raise awareness of local invasive species concerns to elected officials, agency leadership, and the public.

    The term “invasive” is used for non-native species of plants and animals that grow and reproduce rapidly, displace native species, and cause major disturbance to the areas in which they are present. However, invasive species also include non-native pathogens.  Invasive species can be found on land or in water. Once they become established in areas outside their normal habitat range, they are capable of causing severe damage, including harming the economy, the environment, or human health.

      This week, we’ll explore:

      • a brief history of the arrival of invasive species,
      • how invasive species spread,
      • why they are harmful,
      • types of invasive species (animals, insects, pathogens, and plants),
      • how invading species are now being detected,
      • ongoing research efforts about invasive species, and
      • various methods employed to control or eradicate invasive species.

      Today we’ll explore why invasive species are harmful.

      Invasive species cause or contribute to:

      • habitat degradation and loss;
      • loss of native species of fish, wildlife and plants;
      • crop damage and livestock diseases;
      • loss of recreational opportunities and income; and
      • risks to public safety.

      Invasives species of animals may negatively affect native species due to direct interactions like predation and competition. For example, invasive species may not have natural predators in their new environment, and/or can outcompete native species for resources such as food, light, prey, and habitat.  There may also be indirect consequences of new species introduction. For example, they can spread disease to and between native species. Often invasive species come from places with higher diversity and contain pathogens or diseases not found in the native species’ range. This can cause native species to be “more exposed” and vulnerable.

      Native species populations can be directly affected through predation, food supply, and disease. For example, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has caused widespread mortality of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) trees by feeding on its sap.

      Ecological Impacts (SOURCE:  https://www.rrisc.org/why-are-invasives-bad/)

      • Invasive species can dramatically re-shape ecosystems:
        1. Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight have already re-shaped North American forest ecosystems
        2. Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, and sudden oak death are among the invasive species that threaten the next wave of forest ecosystem trauma in North America
      • Invasive species have contributed significantly to half of all species extinctions since the year 1600
      • An estimated 42% of the species currently on the federal Endangered Species Act list are imperiled at least in part because of some harm caused by invasive species
      • Nearly 40 species that are currently candidates for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act are at risk because of harm caused by invasive species
      • Invasive species have singlehandedly caused 20% of species extinctions across the planet since the year 1600

      Direct economic impacts of invasive species include management costs (mechanical, chemical, and biological), research and monitoring programs, reduced crop yield, job losses (such as in the case of reduced forestry production), damage to infrastructure, and impacts to international trade and tariffs.

      Indirect economic impacts of invasive species can be much more challenging to quantify, and in some cases, are significantly more devastating. Examples include loss of ecosystem services (i.e. increasing flooding, reducing resiliency to climate change), reduced biodiversity, reduced resource production, impacts to tourism and recreation, and reduced property values (such as cottage properties overrun by Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) or city lots with trees affected by Emerald Ash Borer).

      A recent study quantified the economic cost of invasive species relative to natural hazards using data from the InvaCost database version 4.1. It revealed that the global economic losses from biological invasions ($1,208 billion) were in the same order of magnitude as economic losses from storms ($1,913.6 billion) and earthquakes ($1,139.4 billion) and highlighted the need for action and policy changes to protect the global economy. The study also found that invasion costs increased faster than natural hazard costs over time with a 702% increase in reported losses between the periods of 1980 – 1999 and 2000 -2019. (SOURCE:  Anna J. Turbelin, Ross N. Cuthbert, Franz Essl, Phillip J. Haubrock, Anthony Ricciardi, and Franck Courchamp, Biological invasions are as costly as natural hazards, Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, Volume 21, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 143-150, ISSN 2530-0644, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2023.03.002.)  (NOTE:  InvaCost is a global, online database created to harmonize data on the cost of worldwide biological invasions. It uses a systematic, standardized methodology to collect information from peer-reviewed articles and grey literature.)

      Cumulated annual damage cost of natural hazards and biological invasions
      for the period 1980–2019 a) globally and b) the United States of America (USA).
      Source: Anna J. Turbelin, Ross N. Cuthbert, Franz Essl, Phillip J. Haubrock, Anthony Ricciardi, and Franck Courchamp, Biological invasions are as costly as natural hazards, Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation, Volume 21, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 143-150, ISSN 2530-0644, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2023.03.002.

      Invasive species can negatively impact human health by infecting humans with new diseases, serving as vectors for existing diseases, or causing wounds through bites, stings, allergens, or other toxins.  For instance, the African Honey Bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) demonstrates more aggressive behavior than the Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and has been known to attack humans and domestic animals in large swarms.  Another example is the Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta), which can inflict extremely painful stings. Simply rubbing against Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) on a sunny day with bare skin can cause burned and blistered arms and legs. This roadside and grassland invasive is spreading rapidly.

      At least 42 species of introduced birds threaten human health. Most are parrots, pigeons and doves and waterfowl, introduced as pets and now common in urban areas. They can pass on psittacosis, which can cause flu-like illness to severe pneumonia, cryptococcosis, which can cause meningitis, and listeriosis, which can cause fever and diarrhea.

      Learn more about invasive species during this week and then please join efforts thereafter to reduce their presence in our world.  Thank you!

      New content: Invasive Species Awareness

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      Yesterday, I posted National Invasive Species Awareness Week – Day 1 to highlight the first day of National Invasive Species Awareness Week. This morning, I posted the second of seven articles that will address a variety of aspects about invasive species of plants during this important nationwide education event. I hope you’ll view each.

      Each of these articles, as well as other future posts, will then be compiled, in order of the date published, on a new page entitled Invasive Species Awareness.  Similarly, when I make online presentations or conduct walks on this topic, I will then also subsequently post those materials on this new webpage. Please feel free to share this information with others interested in this topic. I hope you find it informative and helpful.

        Take a look at this new page and please revisit it in the future.

        National Invasive Species Awareness Week – Day 2

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        National Invasive Species Awareness Week, now through March 3, is a national event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threats that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. It is sponsored by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA), which supports local, state, tribal, federal, regional, and national organizations to raise awareness of local invasive species concerns to elected officials, agency leadership, and the public.

        The term “invasive” is used for non-native species of plants and animals that grow and reproduce rapidly, displace native species, and cause major disturbance to the areas in which they are present. However, invasive species also include non-native pathogens.  Invasive species can be found on land or in water. Once they become established in areas outside their normal habitat range, they are capable of causing severe damage, including harming the economy, the environment, or human health.

          This week, we’ll explore:

          • a brief history of the arrival of invasive species,
          • how invasive species spread,
          • why they are harmful,
          • types of invasive species (animals, insects, pathogens, and plants),
          • how invading species are now being detected,
          • ongoing research efforts about invasive species, and
          • various methods employed to control or eradicate invasive species.

          Today we’ll explore how invasive species spread.

          The means and routes by which invasive species are introduced into new environments are through pathways that can generally be classified as either natural or man-made.

          Natural pathways include wind, ocean currents, and other forms of natural dispersal that can bring species to a new habitat. Man-made pathways are those which are created or enhanced by human activity. There are two types:

          • intentional, which is the result of a deliberate movement of a species by humans outside of its natural range – example:  movement of species for the horticultural or pet trade; and
          • unintentional, which is the inadvertent or accidental movement of species as a byproduct of some other human activity – example:  ornamental plants can become invasive after escaping into the wild.

          Three phases necessary for a successful biological invasion are introduction, establishment, and expansion or spread. Introduction can be defined as the escape, release, dissemination, or placement of a species into a new location or environment as a result of human activity. After introduction, a successful invasive species becomes established in its new location, wherein it must initiate and maintain a viable, self-sustaining population. It is common for a recently established exotic species to remain at a low population level for a period of time during what is typically referred to as a lag phase. After establishment and possibly a lag phase, the invasive species disperses and expands its geographic range and increases in population size.

          Invasive species don’t have to come from another country. They can come from another state or even within a state. An example of this is the establishment and expanding range of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) in New York. Any plant, animal or microorganism that isn’t native to a particular region and causes harm will be deemed invasive.

          Learn more about invasive species during this week and then please join efforts thereafter to reduce their presence in our world.  Thank you!

          National Invasive Species Awareness Week – Day 1

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          National Invasive Species Awareness Week, today through March 3, is a national event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threats that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. It is sponsored by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA), which supports local, state, tribal, federal, regional, and national organizations to raise awareness of local invasive species concerns to elected officials, agency leadership, and the public.

          The term “invasive” is used for non-native species of plants and animals that grow and reproduce rapidly, displace native species, and cause major disturbance to the areas in which they are present. However, invasive species also include non-native pathogens.  Invasive species can be found on land or in water. Once they become established in areas outside their normal habitat range, they are capable of causing severe damage, including harming the economy, the environment, or human health.

          In recognition of this week, please consider these events and activities awaiting your participation:

          This week, we’ll explore:

          • a brief history of the arrival of invasive species,
          • how invasive species spread,
          • why they are harmful,
          • types of invasive species (animals, insects, pathogens, and plants),
          • how invading species are now being detected,
          • ongoing research efforts about invasive species, and
          • various methods employed to control or eradicate invasive species.

          To kick off this week-long series of posts, today we’ll explore a brief history of the arrival of invasive species.

          Historically, many invasive species in North America were brought over by early European settlers for medicinal, agricultural and ornamental uses, without realizing their future negative impacts to local biodiversity. In other cases, species were accidentally transported, such as organisms drawn in with ballast water on ocean-going ships that were later dumped when the ships returned to their home ports.

          For some species, the origin is impossible to pinpoint, but for some, their arrival can be traced to a single event.

          Kudzu vines, shown here below Cincinnati’s Kenton Street Bridge, smother street signs, utility poles and anything else in the way. They also choke out other plants, including trees.
          (Photo Credit: Joe Boggs, Ohio State University Extension.)

          In 1876, Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) made its appearance in the United States at the Japanese pavilion at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. It was promoted as a forage crop, an ornamental plant, and an effective plant to prevent soil erosion. This species is now recognized as highly invasive. To illustrate the harm this invading species can cause, consider these characteristics:

          • Kudzu can grow up to a foot a day allowing it to easily outcompete and kill other plants, including trees and shrubs, by smothering them in shade.  Accordingly, it has been dubbed “the vine that ate the South.”
          • It even grows over power lines and poles causing damage that results in the loss of power to communities.
          A flock of European Starlings act as a swarm. Photo Credit: John Holmes on Wikimedia.

          On March 6, 1890, Eugene Schieffelin, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, released 60 imported European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in Central Park, New York, and 40 the following year. Although only 32 of the original 100 birds survived, the hardy starlings proliferated and quickly spread across the continent over the next few decades. With a range from Alaska to Mexico, today they are now among the most common and abundant birds in North America, numbering more than 200 million! To illustrate the harm this invading species can cause, consider these examples:

          • On October 4, 1960, a flock of starlings flew into a passenger plane taking off from Boston’s Logan Airport, disabling the engines and causing a crash that killed 62 people.
          • Starlings are known to swarm agricultural feeding troughs, contaminating both the food and water they contain with their feces.  Starlings are linked with the transmission of diseases such as blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and transmissible gastroenteritis.
          SOURCE: https://encenter.org/invasive-non-native-plants-to-avoid-planting-in-your-yard/

          The introduction of Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius), a rapidly-growing perennial shrub with bright yellow flowers of European origin and admired for its beauty, can be traced back to Captain Walter Colquhoun Grant, who planted the seeds in Sooke, British Columbia, in the 1850s. The plant was traded as an ornamental among gardeners. Fresh-cut bundles were also used as packing material in shipments of whiskey to gold prospecting camps in California. Scotch Broom has also been planted along highways to prevent soil erosion. To illustrate the harm this invading species can cause, consider these characteristics:

          • Scotch Broom is toxic to humans and livestock if ingested, crowds out native plants and reduces open habitat for animals and insects.
          • The plant’s high oil content makes it flammable and poses a wildfire risk, particularly in grassland areas.
          SOURCE: Heather L Ohlson, https://ccedutchess.org/environment/invasive-species/spongy-moth

          French artist and astronomer Étienne Léopold Trouvelot first brought Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar; formerly known as Gypsy Moth) to the U.S. in the late 1860s to see if they could produce textiles better than silkworms. His hope was to establish a silk industry in North America by crossbreeding Spongy Moths with American silkworms. However, the moths were blown from a windowsill of an open window in his home in Medford, Massachusetts, and spread into the adjoining countryside where they came prolific breeders. To illustrate the harm this invading species can cause, consider these examples:

          • The caterpillars of Spongy Moths have now spread throughout the northeastern U.S., defoliating more than 300 species of trees (particularly oaks) during their cyclic infestations.
          • Spongy Moth caterpillars have tiny hairs (setae) of spongy moth caterpillars carry histamines that can cause an itchy, red rash in some individuals. During their cyclic infestations, the vast amount of these tiny hairs shed by these caterpillars can be easily carried by the wind and may also cause potentially serious eye irritation upon contact.

          Learn more about invasive species during this week and then please join efforts thereafter to reduce their presence in our world.  Thank you!

          Full Snow Moon

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          Photo Credit: https://www.ajc.com/news/heres-when-the-full-snow-moon-will-rise-this-weekend/VS3VMJMOL5CKHMSAT3WAZJBDWI/

          The full Snow Moon rises on Friday morning, February 23.  Although it will occur during the daytime in the U.S., the full moon generally stays for a long duration so you should be able to watch it during the night and the day after as well. The Moon will be visible throughout the night sky rising at sunset in the northeast and setting with the sunrise the next morning in the southwest. This full moon is a “micromoon” this year, meaning that it is at its farthest point from Earth.

          Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, American Indian tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. The Mohican tribe of the northeastern U.S. and into Wisconsin, for example, clarify that this is the “Deep Snow Moon” while the Oneida tribe of upstate New York and the Great Lakes region call this the “Midwinter Moon.” The Snow Moon serves as a reminder to embrace the present moment and find beauty in the stillness of winter.

          Read about how snowflakes form.  View the science of snowflakes.  View a slideshow of photographs of snowflakes.

          Some suggestions on what to do during the Full Snow Moon –

          • Take a hike to enjoy the beauty of this full moon in a serene winter landscape:
          1. Family Owl Prowl (2/22 @ 5pm)
          2. Family Owl Prowl (2/23 @ 5pm)
          3. Moonlight Hike (2/24 @ 5:30pm)

          Happy viewing!

          Feed the Birds Day

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          L-to-R: Black-capped Chickadee; Northern Cardinal; Tufted Titmouse

          National Feed the Birds Day was first established in 2016 by Bob Matthews, an avid birder, of Rochester, New York.  It is annually recognized near the beginning of National Bird Feeding Month.

          National Bird Feeding Month was created in February 1994, after U.S. Congressman, John Porter, proclaimed that February was one of the most difficult months in the United States for wild birds in a formal resolution. During this month, individuals are advised to provide food, water, and shelter to the wild birds in their backyards.

          When offering winter food to the wild birds visiting your backyard bird feeders, you’ll get the most enjoyment if you address these important considerations:

          • proper placement of feeders,
          • use of feeders that attract a variety of bird species,
          • protect feeders from squirrels and other animals,
          • offer a variety of food that provides energy and nutrition, and
          • maintain cleanliness of your feeders.

          Proper placement of feeders:

          Bird feeders should be placed in locations where you will get the most enjoyment watching birds, while also protecting the birds from predators and the elements. Previous research has found that bird abundance is greatest at bird feeders placed closer to large shrubs and trees as opposed to open areas. Ensuring that some of them are evergreen species will ensure birds have a place to shelter in all four seasons, especially in winter. To reduce bird-window collisions, feeders should be placed no closer than 3 feet from any window. To reduce cat predation, place feeders in areas where cats cannot hide to ambush birds feeding on the ground. Finally, consider where the feeder will be located relative to predominant winter winds from the north and the west. Bird feeders that are pole-mounted are less likely to sway than other types.

          Use feeders that attract a variety of bird species:

          There are four major bird feeder types:

          1. platform,
          2. hopper,
          3. tube, and
          4. suet.

          A feeder offering a tray or platform entices ground feeding birds, such as Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), to visit.

          Hopper feeders are often box-like storage compartments whose roof keeps bird seed dry and usually lifts up for refilling seed.  They typically attract birds that would not be able to perch on a tube feeder because of their size.  Hopper feeders usually hold larger quantities of seed than tube feeders.

          Tube feeders are attractive to small-bodied birds (such as chickadees and titmice), as their small perches and seed ports make it difficult for larger-bodied birds to perch or access the bird seed. A tube feeder with very small ports or even a loose knit stocking or wire mesh feeder is all you need to offer Nyjer® seed to a variety of colorful visitors, including American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), and Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus).

          Suet cakes are usually placed in square, plastic-coated wire baskets. Suet feeders may feature a tail prop to assist woodpeckers in perching and a roof to protect the suet from bad weather.

          Photo Credit: Elizabeth Mackey,
          https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-keep-squirrels-away-from-my-suet-feeders

          Protect feeders from squirrels and other animals:

          You should consider installing a baffle with each feeder to repel squirrels.  Like any animal, Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are opportunistic feeders; it will not occur to either that the banquet you have prepared is meant for birds, not them.  Consider these deterrents:

          Alternatively, you may want to use squirrel-proof bird feeders.  However, such feeders rely upon a spring-loaded feed tray that prevents a squirrel’s access to feed when it climbs upon the tray.  And, when precipitation freezes, that will likely result in the feeder tray becoming “locked” in either an open or closed position for extended periods of time.

          Offer a variety of food that provides energy and nutrition:

          There are nine types of seed commonly found in bird seed blends:

          • black-oil sunflower,
          • cracked corn,
          • Nyjer®,
          • red milo,
          • safflower,
          • striped sunflower,
          • sunflower hearts (also known as sunflower chips or hulled sunflower),
          • white proso millet, and
          • whole peanuts (peanuts out of the shell and split in half). 

          Of those seed types, four have been shown to be most attractive to birds:

          • black-oil sunflower (contains:  44% fat, 17% protein),
          • Nyjer® (contains:  45% fat, 27% protein),
          • sunflower hearts (contains:  25% fat, 17% protein), and
          • white proso millet (contains:  4% fat, 13% protein).
          Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) on suet feeder

          Suet (contains:  54% fat, 6% protein) is another food to offer and it is very attractive to a wide variety of species including woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), and Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor).  Suet comes commercially packaged or can be purchased from the butcher.

          While white proso millet is a preferred seed of birds such as Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) and Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), the seed is also the preferred food of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater).  Unfortunately, both of those bird species can have negative ecological impacts.  For example, House Sparrows compete with Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) for bird houses and Brown-headed Cowbirds are nest parasites that lay their eggs in other bird’s nests.

          Not surprisingly, inexpensive seed blends may contain as much as 73% filler – those aforementioned seeds used in blends that are not preferred by nearly all birds. That means for every dollar you spend on such wild bird food, most of it will go to waste – that’s no bargain. Read the ingredients on the bag or packaging and avoid the ones with these most frequently used fillers:

          • buckwheat,
          • cracked corn,
          • flax,
          • golden millet,
          • oats,
          • rapeseed,
          • red millet,
          • red milo, and
          • wheat.

          Accordingly, I prefer not to offer seed blends and instead I provide a single selection of food in each feeder so as to maximize the amount of foods actually preferred by birds.  Doing so reduces the amount of waste seed that piles up beneath the feeders, which also helps to lessen the chance of favorable conditions for the growth of harmful bacteria and the harboring of bird diseases.

          Maintain cleanliness of your feeders:

          Diseases are easily spread by bacteria, mold, and parasites found in dirty bird feeders. For example, House Finch Eye Disease (or mycoplasmal conjunctivitis) is a deadly disease that kills House Finches after blinding them.  Therefore, the responsible thing to do and the best way to help prevent disease is to keep your feeders clean.

          To do so, disassemble them as much as you can and clean all pieces—inside, outside, perches, tray, and feeding ports. Use a brush and hot soapy water or a bleach solution made with one-part bleach and nine parts water for cleaning. Thoroughly rinse each feeder when you’re done. Let your feeders dry completely before refilling.

          View how to clean your bird feeders.

          If you have addressed the aforementioned considerations, you will undoubtedly enjoy many hours of viewing a variety of feathered visitors at your bird feeders on this National Feed the Birds Day as well as the remaining days of National Bird Feeding Month.

          In addition to watching the bird activity associated with your own feeders, consider these activities in celebrating this particular day as well as the other days of this month:

          Happy viewing!