The Hummers Are Here!

“  Everybody loves these ruby-throated hummingbirds, which are nicknamed “flying jewels.””

Photo by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

Few birds get quite as much notice when they migrate back into our area as the ruby-throated hummingbirds.  Everybody loves these little guys, which are nicknamed "flying jewels."

Right now we're seeing the early migrants coming through, but it shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks until our regulars come back.  The males come first, followed by the ladies shortly after.

How can you attract these tiny birds to your yard?  

There are two things you can do - hang feeders and plant native plants.

Let's start with the feeders.

If you already have a feeder, give it a good scrub (get those ports clean!), rinse well, and let it dry in the sun.  You can either purchase liquid nectar, a powder that you mix with water, or make your own with four parts water to one part sugar.  Refrigerate the unused portion.  A quick search recommended using the refrigerated nectar within 7-14 days.

Photo by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

There are three critical pieces of information about using feeders.  First, you have to keep them clean.  This means frequent scrubbing in hot weather.  Next, please DO NOT use red dye.  It's harmful to the hummers and totally unnecessary.  The feeders themselves are red, which will attract the birds.  Finally, nectar has to be kept fresh.  That means changing it out every couple of days during our hot weather.  The bottom line is, if you can't commit to these three requirements then a feeder isn't the best choice for you.

The next way to attract hummingbirds is native plants.  The bonus here is you get bright, beautiful plants and the birds - win, win!

In my yard the three most popular plants are our native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), bee balm (Monarda didyma) and our native scarlet hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus).

The honeysuckle is a vine that pretty much stays covered in blooms.  I've seen mine bloom year-round.  Right now It's got about 50 blossoms.  I'm including a picture so you can appreciate how beautiful this plant is, and how it looks nothing like that pesky invasive Japanese honeysuckle.

I  was surprised the first time I saw hummers on the bee balm.  But they did it so consistently that I've been able to get some fabulous pictures of them.

“The blooms are big enough to be used as a lawn chair for the birds!”

Photo by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

The final plant is our native hibiscus, not the kind you see for sale in the big box stores.  This spectacular plant grows on canes and produces dinner-plate sized vibrant red blooms.  At the end of the season there are seed pods that you can share with friends, or you can just dig up a cane. As you can see from the picture, the blooms are big enough to be used as a lawn chair for the birds!

Now that we have the time to hang out in our yards we can really appreciate Mother Nature as she morphs from winter to spring.  Go outside and watch for the hummers!

Creature Feature: OH! Opossums (They’re the Rodent You Love to Hate)

“An Opossum hath an head like a Swine, and a taile like a Rat, and is the bigness of a Cat. Under her belly she hath a bagge, wherein shee lodgeth, carrieth and sucketh her young”

— Captain John Smith

Via Unsplash

Yes, they’re ugly and they hiss like cats and dash out in the middle of the road and made you almost swerve into a tree that one time because they decided to play dead. We’ve all got that story.

But really, you have it all wrong. For one thing, they’re good to have around. Honestly. You’ll see why in a minute. And they’re opossums, not possums. Possums are a completely different animal that live down under. Opossums aren’t even rodents. They’re marsupials. 

There are actually several dozen different species of opposums, but the one we are used to seeing is the Virginia opossum, or common opossum. They were dubbed “opossum” by Captain John Smith of Jamestown Colony, Virginia, from the Algonquin name “apasum”, which means “white animal”. Captain Smith wrote that “An Opossum hath an head like a Swine, and a taile like a Rat, and is the bigness of a Cat. Under her belly she hath a bagge, wherein shee lodgeth, carrieth and sucketh her young".

Opossums are originally from South America, but they migrated north about 3 million years ago during the Great American Interchange when previously isolated North and South American species migrated across the newly formed Isthmus of Panama. Genetic research suggests that all of today’s living marsupials actually originated in South America--the opposum is just the only marsupial one to have thrived in the United States and Canada.

Via Wikipedia

In case you’ve forgotten your middle school life science lessons, Google’s dictionary says a marsupial is “a mammal of an order whose members are born incompletely developed and are typically carried and suckled in a pouch on the mother's belly.” So opossums are one of the animals who carry around their babies in a pouch like kangaroos. Baby opossums are born after a mere 11-13 day gestational period. Mothers give birth to as many as 20 babies at one time that are so small, all 20 of them could fit into a teaspoon! Fewer than half of them typically survive, many never even reaching the pouch. As the babies get older, they start to move in and out of their mother’s pouch and will often ride on her back as she hunts.

Let’s talk about that playing dead thing real fast, before we get into why opossums are so great, since that’s the one thing everyone “knows” about them. “Playing possum” is actually an involuntary defense mechanism on the part of the opossum. When it becomes extremely afraid, it enters a catatonic state, making it appear dead, and less appealing for predators. But opossums actually have no control over when it happens.

Okay. So why do we like opposums? Besides the fact that they’ve been around since the dinosaurs, have a prehensile tail that they can use to wrap around tree limbs (though it is a misconception that they hang upside down), and have more teeth than any other North American land mammal--50 to be exact. 

If you’re still not swayed, here are the reasons why opossums really are good guys. First, they’re little tick vacuums. They eat the ticks that try to feed on them and they eat the ticks that try to feed on us. One opossum can eat as many as 5,000 ticks each season. And ticks aren’t the only pest opossums take care of for us. They eat cockroaches, snails, rats, mice, dead animals, over-ripe fruit, and snakes (including venomous ones like copperheads and rattlers). They’re pretty much Mother Nature’s yard exterminator.

Via Wikipedia

“But what about rabies”, you ask? “I saw one foaming at the mouth--it was clearly sick”. Any mammal can get rabies. However, it’s extremely rare for an opossum to contract rabies. It is believed that their lower body temperatures, between 94 and 97 degrees, makes it difficult for the virus to survive. While it is possible to contract other diseases from an opossum, as long as you do not attempt to pet or get too close to an opossum (or any wild animal for that matter), and you do not handle any dead opossums directly, your likelihood of contracting a disease is extremely slim. (Oh, and the foaming at the mouth thing? That’s another of the opossum’s natural defense mechanisms. By excreting excess saliva, other animals think it is sick and will leave it alone). 

And if all of that is not enough to convince you, how about the fact that their blood contains a peptide that can neutralize snake venom? With further research, their blood might help scientists develop a universal anti-venom, saving lives all over the world.

If that doesn’t change your opinion of opossums from despised, rodent, road-kill to beloved, potential super-hero, yard exterminator, I don’t know what will. 

HAWK's Earth Day with Kids in Nature Celebration

Habitat and Wildlife Keeper’s 2019 Earth Day with Kids In Nature Day event was this past Saturday at Squirrel Lake Park. If you didn’t make it out, the group hosted about 40 vendors and area nonprofits who engaged area kids about and taught all things nature.

If you couldn’t make it, don’t fret! We’ve took photos to share a few of our favorite booths.

Morning Minute: Monday, April 29, 2019

News About Town: If you use Weddington Road between Fincher Farm and Winterbrooke regularly, make sure to plan alternate routes for the week. Today through Friday (Monday, April 29th through Friday, May 3rd) Blythe Construction will be working on Weddington from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Through travel will be limited to one lane at times so delays are expected.

News Around Town: The Silver Line often feels like a distant dream, but after last Wednesday’s Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting, the project is a baby step closer to the design process. The MTC voted to approve the 2020 Fiscal Year operating budget, which includes millions in additional funding to advance the Silver Line. The $1.7 billion project will be funded through local, state, and federal dollars. In late 2018 the Federal Transit Authority awarded CATS a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) planning grant for $920,000.

One Fun Thing: Hey naturalists! The Charlotte Metro area (at the time of writing) has 3,547 posts, 741 species, and 184 participants in the City Nature Challenge. According to the app, several participants are in Matthews. The most active areas for reporting are the downtown area and Idlewild Road Park. Today is the last day to participate before the final numbers are tallied.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat: Part I

Every wildlife habitat requires the same things: food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices.

A lot of ground has been lost, literally and figuratively, on the environmental front recently. Rather than throwing your hands up in despair how about asking what we as individuals can do. Small acts can make a difference.

We’re going to explore how to create wildlife habitats in several columns. Today we’ll look at the requirements for wildlife habitats and places to create habitats. 

Every wildlife habitat requires the same things: food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices. These requirements can be naturally occurring, such as a pond or berry-bearing plant, or you can provide them in the form of a bird bath or feeder. Over the next few columns, we’ll look at how easy it is to provide each of the required elements.

The best, and easiest, place to start is your own home. Size isn’t an obstacle. You can create a habitat at an apartment with a balcony or patio, a farm with acreage, or anything in between.

You can also create a wildlife habitat at a daycare, nursery school, as well as elementary, middle and high schools, and on college campuses. Obtaining permission from the school and/or county authorities is a starting point. Creating a budget is next, along with establishing a committee to create and care for the habitat long-term. Matthews has many examples of wildlife habitats at schools. Ask if your school is a habitat and if they need your help!

Businesses can also be habitats and can get good PR for taking this step. We have veterinarians to investment companies certified! Places of worship are logical places to care for flora and fauna. This is an excellent project for children of all ages. We have several places of worship that are wildlife habitats, and there’s always room for more.

Finally, public areas such as parks make fabulous habitats and provide education for all who use them with the addition of signage. Squirrel Lake Park is a great example, with large educational signs and small signs with QR codes for plant identification. Check out the bird feeder system that was created and is maintained by Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK), a local chapter of North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Matthews is the 64th Community Wildlife Habitat certified by National Wildlife Federation. HAWK (Habitat and Wildlife Keepers, a local chapter of NC Wildlife Federation) created Matthews Naturally, a community-wide program which certified the Town as a wildlife habitat, and is responsible for recertifying every year. You can be part of Matthews Naturally by certifying your home, a school, place of worship or business.

Building habitats for wildlife is one small thing that makes a big difference, especially if we work together.

Get Hyperlocal this holiday season

If you haven’t checked out the Hyperlocal Holiday Gift Guide, we went live this past Friday and it’s good. REALLY REALLY GOOD.

Our participants are truly small businesses working extra hard to earn your support. From financial coaching to custom jewelry, from sleds at Renfrow’s to delightful desserts, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s tastes (mmmm…ice cream cake). Treat your bestie to a reiki session then treat yourself to some luxurious handmade bath bombs.

Check out the gift guide then get to (hyperlocal) shopping!

Mac and Mamas Tassels

Wright Financial Coaching

Backyards Birds

Energetic Apothecary

KC's Dragon Maille

Good Cup Coffee

The Local Scoop

Clean Line Soap Co.

Knit Wits Accessories

Providence Florist

Music Makers Ukulele & Lessons

Vivian Brenner, Fiber Artist

Madison Woodworks

Music Makers

Matthews Community Farmers' Market

Renfrow Hardware

Local Leaves: A Growing Collection

We have four more leaves to add to your collection: sassafrass, dogwood, chestnut (variety unknown), and elm. Print out these leaf rubbings to make flash cards, color them in (go crazy on the color or stick to our notes on their typical fall colors) and see if you can match them in to the trees around you. Right click the image to save and print or click here to print.
The first page of leaves can be found here.

Local Leaves

We may not get the prettiest leafscape this fall, but the trees that are changing are magnificent. Did you know the colors of leaves are one helpful way to learn tree identification? Over the next few days we’re posting some common tree leaves and what type of tree they are. Print them out and make flash cards, color them in (any color you’d like) and see if you can match them in the wild. Right click the image to save and print or click here to print.

Fungi Underfoot

With all the rain lately the fungi are coming out of the wood work (so to speak).

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Photo by Norah Burke

Also, DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity and edibility. We admire the beauty of these fungi, but have no idea if they’re poisonous, as many mushrooms are.

SNAKESSSSSSSSS!

Just the word elicits a visceral response in lots of people! It’s a timely topic right now since it’s baby season for copperheads, sometime in late summer to fall.

Photo by Virginia Herpetological Society

Let’s look at how to identify copperheads, how they give birth, how to protect yourself from a bite, and address some myths surround the most common venomous snake in our area.

Copperheads are usually two to three feet in length, although they can be longer.  They have a stocky body that tapers rapidly near the tail  The first thing you want to look for is what’s often described as the “Hershey kiss” pattern.  Coloring can vary a bit, from brown, reddish-brown, to beige.  If you happened to have binoculars or were entirely too close, you could see a vertical pupil, as well as the triangular-shaped head.  The venom glands are stored just behind the eyes, creating the wedge shape.

Photo by Jay Bell, Reptiles 101

Copperheads give live birth to between one and 14 young. Juvenile copperheads have bright yellowish/green tails for about year, making this another identifying trait. They may use these colored tails to attract prey!

So how do you protect yourself from a bite? Arm yourself with knowledge! Copperheads are pit vipers with a heat-sensing receptor, which allows them to locate their prey. They are primarily nocturnal during the warmer months. Walking around at night in your yard barefoot isn’t a good idea. The snake is simply striking at a heat source. Wear shoes and watch where you step!

Don’t make a habitat for copperheads in your yard, especially near your house! Brush, rock, and wood piles are attractive to these snakes. The high water from Flo could also displace them from their regular hangouts.

Finally, people are more likely to be bitten when they are messing with the snake, especially trying to capture or kill them. Just give the snake a wide berth. If you would like any snake relocated, contact Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. People trained in how to safely handle snakes will pick it up and relocate it.

Let’s look at some of the myths surrounding copperheads. First, they are not by nature aggressive snakes. They don’t chase people down. They weigh less than three-quarters of a pound, so it doesn’t make sense for them to come after a human, or waste their venom load when a predator might come along.

Photo by Jay Bell, Reptiles 101

There are very few human deaths from copperhead bites. Bites are very painful and require medical treatment. Animals, particularly small ones, are at a greater risk.

Another frequently-heard myth is that baby copperheads have more venom, or more deadly venom, than adults Not true. What is true is that an adult might lunge, dry-bite or deliver a small amount of venom. Young snakes haven’t learned to do that yet, so they might inject the full venom load. It takes a while for them to build up the venom, which puts them at increased risk from predators.

I hope this article answers some of your questions, and fears, about copperheads. All animals have a purpose in the eco-system, so please don’t needlessly kill them.

Everybody Loves Butterflies

A monarch poised on milkweed. Photo by Debbie Foster.

Bright, colorful, and winged, butterflies flit through our yards, lifting our spirit and brightening our day.

What if I told you that you could actively attract butterflies to your yard, increasing the number and variety?

It’s easy! All you have to know is what the butterfly wants – where it will lay its eggs and what it will eat.

For example, Monarchs only lay their eggs on one kind of plant, and they need the same plant to lay their eggs. What is this plant? Milkweed, aka Asclepias spp. Milkweed contains glycoside toxins, which aren’t harmful to the caterpillars but are to their predators. Here’s an amazing fact – those toxins remain throughout metamorphosis, making the adult Monarch toxic to its predators! Even more amazing, these butterflies have a two-way migration just like birds, although it will take several generations. They can fly 50-100 miles a day! If you want to see monarchs migrating, head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway in September and early October. Here are some locations where they are commonly seen, according to Romantic Asheville.

Spicebush swallowtail butterfly on a Mexican torch sunflower. Photo by Renee Garner.

Another butterfly you could attract to your yard is the Spicebush Swallowtail. Planting spicebush provides a host plant for these beautiful flutterbies, as well as food The caterpillars have a fascinating behavior of wrapping themselves in the leaves of the plant to avoid being eaten by hungry birds.

Finally, let’s look at the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, one of our most common butterflies in this area. It’s easy to attract these guys. Just plant parsley, fennel, and dill. Make sure you plant enough so that you have some to cook with and the “cats” have something to eat.

One last tip for attracting butterflies – be a messy gardener! Some butterflies overwinter in leaf litter and other garden debris, so don’t be in a hurry to do fall and winter cleanup.

Male eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. Photo by Debbie Foster.