A January Visit to the St. Louis Zoo

Yesterday gave us a great opportunity to visit the St. Louis Zoo. We had to go to St. Louis for another reason anyway, and since the zoo requires reservations due to COVID, we felt safe in their outside exhibits. This zoo has amazing animal exhibits, and it is free (except the $10 parking fee). I t also has some nice landscape plants and displays.

Winterberry

The first plant to greet us was a common winterberry (Ilex verticillata) in the parking lot. It’s bright clusters of red berries covered the small shrubs, making quite an impressive display. This plant is native to eastern North America. I’m not sure which cultivar this one was, but the native plant grows 3-12 feet tall in an upright-rounded habit. This is a holly plant, but unlike its relatives, it is a deciduous plant – dropping its leaves each fall. Like its relatives, it is a dioecious plant and needs one male plant for every 6-10 plants in order to produce berries.

Nandina at left, Bamboo at right

Another red berried shrub attracting attention was the heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica). Unfortunately, this is not a native plant and is potentially invasive. This is not a true bamboo, though there were giant cane bamboo plants (Arundinaria gigantea) planted at the zoo.

A leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum) caught my eye in the bird garden, where signage discussed how to garden to attract birds. This viburnum is an upright semi-evergreen shrub, reaching 6-10 feet tall.

Tucked under an arborvitae in the bird garden was a plant that really surprised me. I never expected to see a tropical looking plant in winter. Italiam arum (Arum italicum) is an herbaceous perennial shade plant hardy to zones 5-10. It prefers a moist soil in a shady area. The Missouri Botanical Garden website says its “leaves emerge in autumn and are evergreen in warm climates. However, in colder climates the leaves often die in winter, resprout in spring, then go dormant in summer.

On our way out of the zoo, two displays caught my eye. A container featured a blooming witchhazel surrounded by pansy plants. See my blog on witchhazels for more information on this plant.

Also at the entrance was a 24-foot tall giraffe topiary. Although not a live topiary, it was very impressive. I believe it is part of their Christmas light displays. See the zoo’s YouTube on how they construct this impressive giraffe.

Winter at the zoo was a different experience that I really enjoyed. I really liked seeing the Bactrian camel, Chinese goral, red panda, jaguar, Amur tiger, snow leopard, and grizzly bears (all pictured below). Of course, the highlight of the St Louis Zoo for me is always the penguin exhibit. I’ve been to many zoos across our nation and I think this penguin exhibit is the best. It allows visitors to get up close and personal with the penguins and puffins. This was especially true yesterday since there were so few zoo visitors. We had a private viewing inside the penguin-puffin house – just us, four types of penguins, two types of puffins, and a security guard.

Visiting the zoo during the COVID pandemic felt very safe. The masks helped keep us warm, though it did take some time to find a position where our glasses didn’t fog up so much.  We were able to take the masks off for a coffee and scone break by a duck pond.

If you’ve never visited a zoo in the winter, I highly recommend it. Although it was only 30 degrees outside, we were bundled up warmly. In many ways it was more comfortable than former visits there in the heat of summer.

Bactrian camel

Chinese goral

Jaguar

Snow leopard

Amur tiger

Red Panda

Grizzly bear

King penguins

Humboldt penguins

Unplugging with Nature at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch

For many years Mark and I have wanted to go to Loretta Lynn’s ranch. I have always loved her and her music and wanted to see her town and museum. Mark wanted to ride his motorcycle at a Loretta Lynn moto event. 2020 was to be our year, but as the April planned event neared, the Middle Tennessee Dirt Riders group had to postpone their 19^th annual spring ride due to the pandemic. Luckily, the outdoor camping and riding environment allowed safe social distancing and we were able to attend the rescheduled event in June.

So, on June 25^th we left for Tennessee. It was a long drive through the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee. We arrived in early evening, and after some confusion, decided on campsite #40 in the upper campground. A ranch worker – Chuck – came right away to help us check in and get hooked up. The upper campground is staged in a large, wooded area, so I thought this would be the quieter, cooler option. Wrong! To my astonishment the trail head for each day’s motorcycle trail ride, began just across from our camper. This was also a no-fire area, so we had to do all our cooking on the campstove, which was still good and fun.

Tour Hurricane Mills

This trip proved to be a great time to unplug and unwind. Before Mark’s riding event began, we had time to explore the ranch and Hurricane Mills town (Loretta owns the entire town). We first went through Loretta’s museum. So much stuff in there. Pictures, awards, guitars, song sheets, furniture, and so much more. More than we could see in one visit. I think what stood out for me were the Grammy awards, her first dress and guitar, and the dresses she wore on album covers. I got a little choked up being there. She has been my idol for so long!

We decided to take the guided tours since we felt safe with our masks and the small group. Derek, our guide, first took us to the Bucher Holler family home replica. Just an old shack, but it was very neat! There was a Navajo crochet afghan like I make, and lots of doilies in the museum.

Walnut tree by plantation home

Next, we got on a small tour bus and Derek drove us to the big plantation home. We were able to walk around the lower floor of the pre civil war home. It was very 1970’s. She collects lots of stuff: Avon things, salt & pepper shakers, dolls, iron pans, and more. I don’t feel so bad about all my stuff now. We each live in our own way, and that is okay. I liked her office where she wrote songs and painted.

Lots of plants stood out at Hurricane Mills. They had ornamental and edible landscape plants around the museums. Outside the plantation house was a huge old walnut tree. I wonder what it has seen through the years. Did it see the civil war soldiers, former slave, and such? I loved the houses front porch with all its plants, and how they were displayed.

Creek Time

Hops Tree

We spent many hours resting along a creek that runs through the ranch. It was so peaceful there. We were mostly all alone - just the creek, a scarlet tanager, Mark, and me. The first day we sat close to a little ripple area with the sound of rushing water. Mark fished and caught a couple small bass. I studied my plant books, journaled, and soaked in the nature all around me. In addition to the scarlet tanager, I saw butterflies, a hops tree, and heard a blue jay.

Alone Time

While Mark rode his dirt bike each day, I took advantage of alone time to hike, explore, journal, play my guitar, and watercolor paint. One day I visited the Patsy Cline plane crash site – a very solemn place.

Showy Skullcap

Another day, I went to Johnsonville State Park, I learned history about the civil war camps and battles there. It is also a quiet and peaceful place. No one else was there except the park employees and me. I started at the top and did a short hike where I found wild petunia. Back to the bottom I hiked out to a point on the water and around a large hill. Kentucky Lakes is still huge there where the Tennessee River also flows. Union forces held this spot for a few years. I took pictures of lots of different plants there (see them in google photos). They included a field pansy, fringed houstonia, trumpet vine, water hemlock, moth mullein, yellow water buttercup, American germander, 
showy skullcap, and water willow.

The motorcycles were loud at camp, so on the last day I ventured back to Hurricane Mills. Here is my journal entry and drawing from there.

"Finally, I found a peaceful spot. Sitting on a swing by hurricane creek in front of Loretta Lynn’s house. A bit overcast with a lovely breeze that blows the water’s coolness over me. I hear the water flow over the dam. I hear the birds and see swallows fly all over catching bugs to feed their young in the nests all along the under bridge. I smell the algae in the water and the fresh air. I feel the stickiness of my skin from the humidity. Yet it’s cool from the breeze. What do I see that brings me joy?"

• The gray green water meanders around the bend and over the falls
• The swallows
• Buttercups and clover, willows and wisteria
• Silence and no motorcycles
• Warm sun and no rain
• Joy in this moment in time.

Overall, it was an amazing trip. Next year’s MTDR Off-road Trail Ride is April 9-11. We plan to camp by the creek, since we now know there are camping hookups there. I can’t wait to camp by the creek and explore the areas spring flowers.  

More pictures from this trip are found in my Loretta Lynn's Ranch 2020 google photo album.

Impact of Ice, Snow, and Cold on Plants

Today I sit in my warm office and listen to the ice-laden plants tinkle and crack outside with each gust of winter wind. An ice-weighted elm at the side of our woods has already crashed three large limbs to the ground. Small twigs dot the front yard beneath each tree, especially the flowering dogwood and river birch. Although the ice is pretty, as it wraps plants and structures in sparkling cocoons, excess ice is also very damaging.

The right weather conditions can cause ice to coat all parts of plants, making them very heavy and susceptible to breakage. If ice develops do not attempt to remove it. Ice must melt away naturally. Pruning may be required if breakage does occur. Trees most susceptible to ice damage include those that are topped and those with weak forks and brittle wood such as silver maple, tree-of-heaven, mulberry, and willow.

At this point, I’m hoping for snow. Snow is typically safer on plants than ice. Accumulations of snow can cause severe damage to some landscape plants. Evergreens such as yews, hemlocks, and junipers are especially susceptible to damage from snow. Although wet snow is more hazardous to plants than drier powder snow, any heavy snow can cause problems. Increased weight from snow can cause branches of trees and shrubs to break. Therefore, if you notice your plants weighted down by snow, shake them off as soon as possible with a broom or light rake. Most plants will recover after the weight is relieved, but some could experience longer lasting injury.

Cold temperature effects on plants depend largely on the plant itself. Each type of plant has a different inherent tolerance to cold temperatures. Currently our outdoor plants are dormant and resting for the winter. Dormancy allows plants to withstand low temperatures. For example, a maple tree can withstand a temperature of –30⁰F when dormant but may be severely damaged by a temperature just below freezing during the growing season. However, even dormant plants can still suffer during the winter. Extremely cold winter temperatures usually do not kill entire plants but can kill other parts such as flower buds of some marginally hardy plants including peaches and dogwood.

The good news is that heavy snows and cold temperatures will help each other to reduce overall plant damage. Heavy snows insulate the ground and therefore protect low-growing plants and roots from the cold. Roots never really go dormant and cannot tolerate low temperatures like aboveground parts can. Although the top of a boxwood shrub may be able to tolerate –10⁰F, the roots will probably be killed at 20⁰F. Snow cover is an excellent mulch and helps keep roots warm. Snow cover also reduces the likelihood of frost heaving of plants.

Unfortunately, there is little we can do to protect our landscape plants from cold temperatures. It is a wait-and-see situation. We’ll find out this spring if significant damage occurred or not. The best way to prevent winter injury is to plant winter-hardy plant material and care for it properly.

 

Bird Reflection...Birds make me smile

Today I’ve been thinking a lot about birds.

I see them feeding outside my window. A downy woodpecker pecking on the suet cake, stopped and tilted its head my way – as if listening to me play my guitar. The pretty little finches make me smile to see their energy and free spirit. The male cardinals chase each other through the shrub border. A mockingbird bathes in our partially open garden pond. A pair of bluebirds stop for a drink on their way through. Chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice flit from feeder to pergola to shrub in their nervous way.

On a drive today we saw eagles, swans, and crows. Flocks of geese adorned the blue sky of puffy clouds. Eagles sat on Emiquon’s ice waiting for a meal. Swans ate corn left by a combine in the field. Crows jumped around along the roadside.

While drinking our morning coffee in the hot tub, I watched a blue jay fly from tree to tree. Its loud “caw” making it easy to find. Flickers hunkered down in the holes of dead pines in our woods. Woodpeckers bobbed up and down as they fly overhead.

Birds seem to be an important part of my life and home. My living room is decorated with birds of many types in figures and wall pictures. My last watercolor painting featured a cardinal on a limb.

My most recent project is to create a quilt for our bedroom that matches a beautiful hummingbird painting that we bought while vacationing in Ecuador. It features two blue hummingbirds on a nest set in a jungle tree. My new quilt is various shades of blues and white. I made two throw pillows to match, each with a bird silhouette formed of fabric squares. I'll post a picture of the final result on my RetroRhondaJ Facebook Page. 

In many ways, my outdoor gardens are created with birds in mind. Of course, we have bird feeding stations outside our living room and office windows, but there are also landscape plants and features that bring birds to our yard. My landscape provides food, shelter, water, and nesting sites for birds living her year-round and migrating through in spring and fall. Read my article on “Creating a Backyard Bird Habitat” to learn more.

This year I noticed a cardinal plucking the seeds of my lilac bush. Birds often eat crabapples, juniper berries, and other plant parts in our yard. Like humans, birds have favorite foods and those are the ones we try to feed them. Read my article on how to “Grow Your Own Bird Food” to learn the plants that common bird seed comes from.

I’ve had friends ask how we get so many birds in our yard. My friend who works for Illinois Audubon showed us tricks over the years. These include using good quality food and providing feeding stations for various types of birds. For example, some are ground feeders, while others prefer stationary platforms. Read my article on “Bird Feeding Basics” for more details.

Finally, as a retiree I spend hours (it seems) each day watching birds in our backyard or during our travels. A good pair of binoculars and a spotting scope help enhance the experience. Read my article on “BirdingEquipment…how to use binoculars” to be sure your equipment is setup for your best experience.

Wow, birds really bring me a lot of pleasure. I think I’ll get a cup of tea and go watch some more birds outside the windows. You can “watch” them with me in my RetroRhondaJ Facebook Page photo album of Backyard Birds.

Happy Birding!

Bird Feeding Basics

Originally published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on 12-4-04

Last weekend my husband Mark hung a new birdfeeder in the ash tree behind our house. I’m looking forward to the birds finding it. I have a great view of it from my kitchen window. We have another feeder at the front of the house that typically attracts many birds.

If you want to begin feeding birds, now is the best time to start your bird-feeding program according to Bob Frazee, University of Illinois Natural Resources Educator. Birds, small mammals, and other wildlife are actively seeking food sources to fatten up for migration or for winter temperatures if they are year-round residents. By having your feeders up early, there is a better opportunity for birds to find the feeder and become accustomed to using it before winter arrives in earnest.

Since enjoying birds is a major objective, you will want to locate the feeder where it can be conveniently viewed – and used. Due to differences in body size, feet and bills, birds not only prefer different seeds, but also different foraging areas. This does not mean that birds will never feed in a different area, but you will increase your chances by catering to their feeding preferences.

Birds such as juncos, sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, and mourning doves prefer to forage on the ground for seeds. Frazee notes that you will often observe these birds hopping around the lower branches of shrubs and rustling through leaf litter in search of seeds and berries. A small brush pile, open lean-to or grassy patch provides cover for ground-feeding birds while they eat.

A covered tray feeder raised off the ground on a fence or pole is the most common feeder you see in people’s yards. Tray feeders will accommodate most of the ground feeders plus chickadees, nuthatches, and finches. While this type of feeder will attract the widest variety of birds, the seeds are not protected from the weather and can get wet and/or moldy. Frazee cautions that squirrels and large birds, such as grackles and blue jays may also invade a tray feeder.

Finches eating niger seed

Hanging feeders may include hopper, silo and tube feeders with perches. Hung from a branch, eaves, or a clothesline, these feeders sway freely in the wind, which doesn’t bother birds such as finches, chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. However, some birds, such as sparrows, get a little “sea-sick” and prefer more stability. Frazee encourages filling large hanging feeders with sunflower seeds to attract cardinals and blue jays. Small feeders should be geared more toward finches, chickadees, nuthatches and tufted titmice. Niger seed is very attractive to goldfinches and works well in small-hole tube feeders, which avoid waste.

Woodpeckers and nuthatches are primarily insect eaters. They prefer foods high in protein and fat such as suet and peanut butter that can be dispersed in clinging feeders. Made of hardware cloth, mesh bags, pinecones, coconuts or other “structures” lacking perches, clinging feeders are excellent for dispensing peanuts to smaller birds or suet to insect-eaters.

Lastly, just like persnickety kids, birds have different food preferences. Hands down, black-oil sunflower seeds are the most popular food among a large variety of birds. Juncos and sparrows go wild for white proso millet, goldfinches can’t resist niger seed, and chickadees and titmice will delightfully indulge themselves with peanuts. In a nutshell, Frazee concludes that the key to successfully attracting wildlife to your backyard is to add variety.

Original Source: Bob Frazee, Retired University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources Management Educator

Grow Your Own Birdseed

Originally published in Canton Ledger Column on 12-16-17

Feeding and watching birds has become one of America’s favorite pastimes. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nearly half the households in the United States provide food for wild birds. In honor of my husband’s December birthday, I’m writing about the different plant-based ingredients in birdseed.

Sunflower Harvest in  2013

The most commonly used birdseed are sunflower seeds, with black-oil sunflower seeds being the most popular. It’s small size and thin shell make it easier for small birds to eat. Striped sunflower seeds are larger with thicker shells. Sunflower (Helianthus sp.) are easy plants to grow and come in various colors and heights.

All sunflower shells contain allelopathic toxins that prevent other seeds from germinating. This is partly why the ground beneath a feeder is often bare when feeding sunflower seeds. If this is a problem, consider feeding sunflower hearts instead. The hearts are expensive but contain no shell. 

Safflower seeds look similar to sunflower seeds but have a very tough shell that only larger birds can crack. They are the seeds of the annual safflower plant (Carthamus tinctorius). This herbaceous, thistle-like plant is also grown commercially to produce vegetable oil.

To attract finches, use a tube hanging feeder filled with black nyjer seed. Although sometimes also called thistle or niger, the nyjer seed sold today is not a thistle at all. Rather, it is a daisy-like plant, known as Guizotia abyssinica. Nyjer is an annual flower with bright, yellow-orange flower heads that turn into seed pods. You can grow your own by starting the seed indoors or planting seed directly in the ground after all danger of frost is gone. Similar to sunflowers, you can harvest the seed or leave the plants for birds to feed on all winter.

Cereal grains are used alone or as filler in birdseed mixes. They include dried whole kernel corn, cracked corn, millet, and milo. Millet or milo are the little round seeds often found in mixes. Millet comes from a Pennisetum plant, while milo is a type of grain sorghum. Both are available as ornamental plants with attractive colored leaves and seeds. Purple Majesty (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’) is a cultivar of pearl millet with dark purple foliage and stems, and stunning purple-brown seeds that are a favorite of many birds. Ornamental sorghums are available in earth-tone colored seed heads and grow seven to twelve feet tall.

Like picky kids, birds have different food preferences. Hands down, black-oil sunflower seeds are the most popular food among a large variety of birds. Cardinals love safflower. Juncos and sparrows go wild for white proso millet; goldfinches can’t resist nyjer seed, and chickadees and titmice will delightfully indulge themselves with peanuts. In a nutshell, the key to successfully attracting birds to your backyard is to add variety.

Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat

Originally published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on March 13, 2004

Indigo bunting and Cedar Waxwings

This week I witnessed an amazing sight. Our garden pond had 12 waxwings, 3 robins, and a mockingbird all drinking from it at the same time. We located the garden pond so that it is easily was viewed from the window above the kitchen sink and it is always giving us surprises. Since this is one of the only water sources in the area, it is frequented by a large variety of birds. My husband even saw Scarlet Tanagers last summer, which rarely make an appearance.

Did you know that birding is one of the most popular pastimes for Americans? Birding can be simple or elaborate. Most people simply watch birds in their own yard, while others plan whole vacations around a good birding location. To attract birds to your yard, follow these tips provided by Robert Frazee, Educator in Natural Resource Management in the East Peoria Extension Center.

Wildlife needs food, water, cover and space. Every wildlife species has its own preferences and requirements for each of these elements. You might not be able to provide everything on your property, but the neighborhood might.

Consider plant components for your yard. Evergreens provide shelter from the weather and predators. Spruce, cedar, pine and other conifers also provide excellent nesting cover and are important in the winter to provide privacy all year.

Grasses and legumes also provide cover, food and habitat for ground-nesting birds. Ornamental grasses, native wildflowers, clovers or unmown areas of your yard will serve well.

Woody plants that provide cover and food for birds include American cranberry viburnum, elderberry, hawthorns, crabapples, dogwood and mountain ash.

In addition to plants, consider non-living components, which can be as important as plants in providing good habitat for wildlife. In some instances, they are very easy to incorporate into your landscape. Examples include nest boxes, dead or fallen trees, brush or rock piles, dust or grit, salt, water and finally feeders.

Originally adapted from article by Bob Frazee, University of Illinois Extension Retired Natural Resources Management Educator