Coneflowers a Hi!

The growing collection of wildflowers has been a great draw for wildlife, especially birds.  And as these flowers propagate they are providing a rich stock of native seed for birds like the American Goldfinches.  These flowers are in seed mode now and I enjoyed the sight of goldfinches working the Purple Coneflowers hard this afternoon.  That's what they are there for!  And I expect the finches to spread the seed which is an added bonus.  We need more wildflowers in our area.  Everyone won today.  And I hope to install even more natives this fall to enjoy next year.

Hummer Balm

As the summer has mounted we are seeing ever more hummingbird activity, especially in the native wildflower garden.  The Bee Balm (shown) appears to be especially attractive and is evidently the first stop of each garden visit.  That also happened last year, so  am quite pleased I chose last fall to expand the Bee Balm offering with several additional plants. Maybe we add more in the coming fall?

Might Be Avoiding the Feeders

My last three sightings of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds have had one surprising thing in common.  They all took place at native wildflowers.  In fact, I have yet to see a hummer at a nectar feeder.  That's never happened this late before.  I'm guessing that the crop of natives is sufficient to serve nectar needs.  If so, my long term plan is working well.  I've added plant after plant for some years now in an effort to provide appropriate "normal" food support.  Do I tear down the feeders? certainly not so soon.  I may by some freak be missing the visits (and in an effort to be sure I have trained BirdCam on a nectar feeder to see what happens over a multi-week period).  This has gotten quite interesting!

Fantastic Coral Honeysuckle

2014 has been a splendid year for me in that a reluctant Coral Honeysuckle has at last flowered, making for another good native food source for Hummingbirds.  In fact, its flowering cycle has evolved to correspond to the arrival of the hummers.  My plant arrived here in 2011 but was located poorly one year, and then even after transplant to its new site has been slow to respond.  But those days are over: the plant is hale and hearty, is climbing vigorously, and definitely has the energy to flower abundantly for its size.  Best of all, I have a solid lure for hummingbirds which need not depend on nectar feeders for their own energy.  The big wave of hummer favorites has yet to unfold.  But this and the Columbines are a fine start to the season.

Flowers Coming Out for Hummers

Over the past few years we have expanded the collection of plants that have appeal to Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.   Our property has moved decisively from "near-desert" (nectar feeder and Trumpet Vine) to lots of wildflower species, and four nectar feeders which provide "snacks" to the birds.  Already forming are Eastern Columbine flowers, and such plants as Bee Balm, Stokes Aster, and Coral Honeysuckle will provide useful and natural nectar to the hummingbirds.  This year should be the best ever for variety and options all season.  Come fall, I'll simply add more new plants and make this a stop no hummingbird could resist!  It will be fun to see how the hummers react.

Lazy FInches

The whole point of adding more native wildflowers to our gardens here was to provide a supportive environment for wildlife.  That, of course, assumes that the wildlife will readily accept the native food materials preferentially to the same old diet of sunflower seeds.  In the case of American Goldfinches...not so much.  They did visit the first breakout of seeds of the coneflowers this fall.  And they broke off, never to return.  The seedheads still stand largely unharvested.  This is sheer laziness.  The birds can just snag a fat old sunflower seed and that's it.  Coneflower takes more work.  Evidently too much for the goldfinches.  So the lesson is: Grow Flowers to Look At.  The birds are no help!

Last Bird Friendly Plantings of 2013

I couldn't resist one last plant order for the birds.  My newest additions include a pair of Bee Balm which joins a plant I put in the ground last fall.  The Bee Balm was a spectacular hit with the hummingbirds and, well, I thought more would make our sun garden even more popular.  But planting season will end fairly soon and these native wildflowers need all the time they can get developing root systems.  Everything should look glorious in June.  I can't wait!

More Perennials for the Birds

The great garden ritual in the Piedmont for the fall is -- planting.  With our summers, it is senseless to install or relocate any perennials at any time except the fall.  And I have been busy!  my native collection expanded by over fifty plants during the past three weeks.  A number of them, like the Stokes' Aster shown above, will have interest to the birds.  Hummingbirds, especially.  But the seed eaters will have things to enjoy as well.  My Stokes Aster was a real hit this past year and I have since added another nine of them.  I am hopeful for an explosion of color in 2014!  And the birds will have their own field day.

Bird Fruit

Fall just got a little better for the birds whose territory overlaps our home.  And that is because my efforts to install wildlife friendly native vegetation is bearing fruit.  Literally!  this beautyberry is loaded with fruit that is ripening.  I expect it to go quickly, and spread this plant through the neighborhood (my secret plan!).  Also fruiting has been wild grape and some Downy Arrowwood.  And I have hopes for some Strawberry Bush.  More will follow in coming years, as plants mature and as I add more soft mast plants.  And that's bird fruit!

Birds and Natives

It is indeed a pleasant thing to see birds eating the natural stuff.  It's mighty marvelous to see American Goldfinches prying seeds out of native wildflowers.  And my beloved caught this picture of one working at a dried up Purple Headed Coneflower.  This is why I am installing natives in the gardens.  The flowers are wonderful to enjoy, and the birds get a proper energy boost from their seeds.  I am hoping to see more of this scene in years to come! 

Goldfinches Getting Excited

With all of the wildflowers we have (an expanding collection now at 45 species), it is inevitable that some seed eating bird will get interested and excited about a coming food source.  And indeed over the weekend I caught sight of an American Goldfinch poking about the fast blooming Helianthus.  I am so sorry I was unable to capture an image: the male fit right in with the bright yellow flowers.  I suspect he knows what is coming later this summer -- seeds galore, right sized for the finches!  But he must wait.  That will be a few more weeks coming.  For now...my sunflower seed feeders will be the main squeeze.

Another Attractant

As I've noted these past few years, our wildflower collection is growing in part to provide native foods for our favorite birds.  This week the new Bee Balm plants have been peaking.  I am hopeful they will be irresistible to Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.  I think the new species will propagate nicely and provide a mid-to-late-June attractant going forward, replacing the Stokes Aster which is now fading, but ahead of the Trumpet Creeper which is just getting going.  It is always so hard to wait as the fields of red build!  And I am confident the lures will one day be worth the trouble. 

More Natural Options For Hummers

As Spring 2013 has unfolded, my efforts to expand wildflower options for hummingbirds are bearing fruit, and the little rascals should have fuller choices when they at last arrive.  The Trumpet Vines have been a fixture, but they're being joined by a bigger patch of Columbine (shown), plus Bee Balm, and just perhaps some Coral Honeysuckle as they grow.  I may be a year out for some real dazzlers.  The experienced gardeners' dictum of "First Year Sleep, Second Year Creep" may restrict just how productive some of the new plantings are.  Nonetheless we are well on our way.  I should have some happy hummers, no matter what!

Strange Seeds Indeed

What a mystery!  We are beset by small seed eaters, chief among them American Goldfinches.  And we have had -- for two years now -- a small but growing patch of Narrow Leafed Sunflower (helianthus angustfolius).  And that helianthus yielded abundant seeds.  Most of which have been seemingly ignored by the finches.  Today I broke a few dead heads and watched the seeds drop...no takers, there.  Are these natives too strange for the birds?  or are they just too new here?  There is no question this patch will be rich and productive in 2013.  They are thriving in the north side sun garden.  I may just need less lazy goldfinches.  I can't wait to see what they do next summer.

A Seed Bonanza

One of my recent-years plant acquisitions has really come through for the seed eating birds, such as the American Goldfinch.  These helianthus plants had a bumper crop of flowers---and now seeds.  I've seen Goldfinches poking around in the plants and from what I can see are getting seeds out.  Sunflower seed feeders are nice to have, but it's just as nice and more important to offer more variety.  And I won't mind if some helianthus gets spread around.  Lord knows we get enough creepy exotics coming in.  I hope these developments make the property more attractive.  People can admire the vivid flowers.  Birds get a well rounded diet.  All win!

More Vegetation for Birds

It has been a busy autumn here at Cary BirdCam.  I've been landscaping for the birds.  Actually, I have been doing this over the years, but 2012 has been a particularly active year.  Out have gone junipers, mahonias, and nandinas.  In have gone species that I am optimistic will benefit the birds in the next 3-5 years.  Among these are dogwood, wax myrtle, deerberry, maple leaf viburnum, and beautyberry.  And my stock of native wildflowers and vines has never been greater: new additions have been wild ginger, dwarf crested iris, partridgeberry, spiderwort, and bee balm.  And I relocated my crossvine and coral honeysuckle to bright, sunny homes.  I think I am up to 38 native species of some kind (flower to tree) on the property.  And I keep discovering new ones that escaped my notice in the woody section!  In due course this property will blossom greatly and should benefit existing birds and attract new ones.  I can hardly wait!

I Hope The Hummers Came In Time

I have been trying to establish an Eastern Columbine colony here, and plants I put in the ground in 2011 made it into this year.  Unfortunately, the early spring meant that these plants, pollinated strictly by hummingbirds, might have bloomed too early.  The first flowers were out on March 23rd and the very last bloom dropped today, and only two days ago did I see the first bird on site.  It may be that the columbines have enough energy to make another go of it next year.  But just as possibly, the hummingbirds may have arrived just in time to do the job.  Now I must wait many months to see what happens.  It should be interesting.

Wildflower Collection Coming Together

One of my ongoing projects here at this Certified Wildlife Habitat is to build an inventory of native wildflowers, shrubs, vines, and trees.  At the dawning of the 2012 growing season, that inventory has been building wonderfully.  In fact, counting new additions last week, I have a list of 20 living flowers and shrubs alone. 

Our vines are doing best: the Trumpet Vine is well established, as are grape and Virginia Creeper.  I have successfully planted Crossvine and Coral Honeysuckle.  In one or two more years I may have a blossoming of that native Honeysuckle that looks like the one in the photo (at Stevens Nature Center in Cary.) All are welcomed by hummingbirds.

As shrubs go, we have Blackhaw, and a new Beautyberry is growing quickly.

And the flowers include Butterfly Weed, Lambs Ear, Mistflower, Wild Ginger, Green Headed Coneflower, Solomons Seal, Jack in the Pulpit, Snakeroot, Eastern Columbine, Stokes Aster, Mock Strawberry, Bellwort, and Helianthus.

Not all of these support birds directly.  But overall they bring in a wide variety of wildlife that makes the property more attractive to birds.  And I have species meant to be here, and that can take the weather, and provide beauty for our eyes.

More are coming.  The plant layers are growing.  The project continues...

A Native Wildflower is Up

In the last several years I've attempted to add some native wildflowers with good wildlife value to the premises.  Many have not taken.  Some are middling successes.  Much of my problem lies with too much shade, or far too much sun.  It looks like we have a new success story in the form of Eastern Columbine, a favorite of hummingbirds.  Our plants were introduced in the (too hot) very early part of summer and were carefully monitored and tended.  At least one plant made it through that hot summer, and the winter, and is in flower.  Experienced handlers say that this plant will spread once it is successfully introduced, so I am hopeful for real growth in 2012 and 2013.  The incoming hummingbirds should be delighted!