Posts Tagged ‘Kerry Wixted’
Maryland Native Wildlife: Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)
In Our Hands: Giving Local Box Turtles a Boost
Backyard Birding Tips
Native Plant Profile: Maple-leaved Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)
Maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) is one of our native, short shrubs in the moschatel family (Adoxaceae). It has medium growth that maxes out at heights of 3-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. It often will form a short colony, making it a great plant to use as a low hedge or border. The leaves Read the Rest…
Maryland Native Wildlife: Mining Bees
With spring underway, many species are emerging from their winter rest, including our local bees. By far, the most well known bee is the non-native European honey bee (Apis mellifera). However, Maryland is home to over 430 species of bees, many of which are native and all of which provide important roles in pollination.
Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat While Sheltering in Place
Native Animal Profile: Cedar Waxwing
Often heard and not seen, the lovely Cedar Waxwing can be found year-round throughout Maryland. Cedar Waxwings sport a pale brown, crested head with a sleek black mask that runs from their bill and around their eyes. The mask has white outlines which help accentuate it. Waxwings have a brown chest that fades into a Read the Rest…
Calling all Bird Enthusiasts! Join the Maryland-DC Breeding Bird Atlas
If you have seen the recent news, you may have heard that the number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by three billion, or almost 29%, over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, Maryland is not exempt from this decline. With changes in habitat and climate over the years, it is crucial Read the Rest…
Native Plant Profile: Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
Inkberry (Ilex glabra) is one of our native, compact shrubs in the holly family (Aquifoliaceae) that keeps its leaves year-round. It is a relatively slow growing species that maxes out at heights of 5- 8 feet tall. It sometimes will form clumps with numerous sprouts, making it a great plant to use as a low Read the Rest…
Winter Greens for Wildlife
Habitat Project: Eastern Screech-owl Boxes
Did you know? Maryland is home to eight species of owls, several of which are year-round residents while others visit during migration. The smallest resident owl in Maryland is the Eastern Screech-owl, which is often under 10 inches in length. Eastern Screech-owls are formidable hunters and are adapted to survive in both suburban and rural Read the Rest…
The Cultivar Question
Native Animal Profile: Sweat Bees (aka Halictid Bees)
Maryland is home to 437 species of bees, just over a quarter of which are members of the family Halictidae: sweat bees. Unlike other bee families, like the Andrenids (mining bees), sweat bees are often generalists, visiting whatever flowers pique their interest. While this may seem like an advantage, sweat bees have to navigate different Read the Rest…
Native Plant Profile: New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
With lilac purple rays and a bright yellow center, New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) brings a pop of color to fall gardens. This tall, branching aster can reach heights up to six feet if allowed to grow to its full potential. Each stalk can have over a dozen composite flowers at its tips that bloom Read the Rest…
Seek and Destroy: the Spotted Lanternfly
Despite its name, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) isn’t a fly, rather it is a plant hopper, which is native to China, India and Vietnam. The first infestation in the United States was reported in Pennsylvania in 2014; this insect has now been detected in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York. The first Maryland Read the Rest…
Native Animal Profile: Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
At one time, I was deathly afraid of snakes, often screeching and running through the forest whenever I encountered a scaly friend. In college, my desire to be a field biologist, coupled with exposure to and knowledge of snakes, helped soften my feelings for them. Over the years, one snake species I have grown particularly Read the Rest…
Lawn Alternatives
For many years, the American lawn has been viewed as a status symbol. Traditional lawns, described as a single warm season grass species like zoysia or bermuda, completely covering a yard space and maintained at three inches or shorter, are unfortunately often ecological wastelands that require excess water, nutrients, pesticides and maintenance. Traditional lawns also Read the Rest…
Native Animal Profile: Baltimore Oriole
With striking orange and black plumage, it is no wonder why the Baltimore Oriole was selected as Maryland’s state bird. The male’s colors resemble the coat of arms for Sir George Calvert, First Lord of Baltimore. Baltimore Orioles are medium-sized birds. Male Baltimore Orioles are flame orange and black with a solid black head and Read the Rest…
Native Plant Profile: Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
I vividly remember my first experience with spicebush (Lindera benzoin) in undergrad. My professor broke one of the twigs and had us breathe in the lemony aroma. I was amazed at the spicy, citrus smell that emanated from the broken twig. I later learned this aromatic scent was a deterrent for potential herbivores. Spicebush is Read the Rest…
Books for Backyard Wildlife Habitat Gardeners
Rethinking Spring with Native Plants
This winter felt like it was almost endless. When the crocuses finally popped in my yard, I was ecstatic. For me, crocuses and daffodils have always been harbingers of spring, but these non-native plants in our landscapes offer little benefit for our native wildlife. There are many native plants, however, which co-evolved with our local Read the Rest…
Loving Birds to Death and the Importance of Cleaning Feeders
In 1994, a group of Project FeederWatchers in Washington, D.C. noticed house finches showing up to their feeders with red, swollen, crusty eyes. The ailments were soon found to be linked to house finch eye disease, or mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is caused by a bacteria, and different species of bacteria affect different organisms. The bacterium Read the Rest…
Native Animal Profile: Evening Grosbeak
Multiple species of finches make their home in Maryland. Some are year-round residents while others, like the evening grosbeak, are part-time visitors. Evening grosbeaks are chunky finches. Males have striking yellow and black plumage with prominent white and black wings. Females are mostly gray and also possess white and black wings. Both sexes have thick, Read the Rest…
Native Birds Need Native Plants
Here at Wild Acres, we like to promote using native plants in backyards to attract local wildlife species. Over the years, Doug Tallamy’s research has shown a clear relationship between native plants and birds, linking the importance of native plants for supporting insects like caterpillars. Tallamy’s research has revealed that native oaks can support more Read the Rest…
Native Plant Profile: Silky Dogwood
Bewitching Butterflies and Moths with Fall and Winter Habitat
Common Questions for Fall Backyards
Paw-Paw (Asimina triloba)
Potter Wasp (Eumenes fraternus)
Wildlife Education Trunks Available for Loan
Free Resource for Hands-On Learning The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering a variety of wildlife education trunks for use by classroom teachers, home-school educators, naturalists, scout leaders and other instructors. These unique, interdisciplinary teaching tools designed to educate and engage students about local wildlife while building on fundamental disciplines like art, language arts, math, physical Read the Rest…
Bird Safe Windows
BAM! Have you ever had a bird hit one of your windows? Nearly a billion birds collide with windows each year, half of which happen with home windows. Unfortunately, the majority of birds die as a result of their injuries; even those that may be able to fly away often sustain life-threatening injuries. The good Read the Rest…
Flower Flies
It’s a bee! No, it’s a fly! Have you ever seen a fly masquerading as a bee in the garden? If so, then you may have encountered a flower or syrphid fly. More than 130 species of flower flies are found in Maryland, and these animals serve both as important pollinators as well as predators Read the Rest…
Moss Phlox
Are you in need of a good, native groundcover? Moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is a creeping groundcover in the Phlox family (Polemoniaceae). This herbaceous perennial grows up to 9 inches tall and forms mats across the ground. It prefers full sun, but it can grow in sandy or rocky soil just as well as loamy Read the Rest…
Deer Resistant Plants for Pollinators
In sections of Maryland, high concentrations of white-tailed deer have created a demand for “deer proof” plants. In reality, though, there is no such thing. Deer may nibble on anything once, especially when hungry, but they do dislike aromatics, prickly leaves and thorns. Unfortunately, many of the “deer proof” plants offered at stores include invasive Read the Rest…
From the Field: Kerry Wixted
Winter Nest Box Maintenance
Winter Wildlife Safari
In winter, the weather gets colder and the days get shorter. Animals deal with these changes in different ways. Some animals—like Baltimore orioles—migrate, or travel to other locations. Others—like little brown bats—hibernate, or go through a deep sleep. Others still—like gray squirrels—adapt to the cold by changing their daily activity patterns and layering on fat Read the Rest…
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
Backyard Wildlife: Tracks
Tracking wildlife is a fun activity that everyone can enjoy. One of the most important items for tracking wildlife is a field journal. By keeping a field journal, you can record observations you have made and can preserve your finds. You also can write down crucial information that may be helpful for identifying animal tracks Read the Rest…
Citizen Science: Bats, Butterflies and Moths—Oh My!
Need help identifying butterflies or moths? There’s an app for that! New as of July 2017, LepSnap is a free, community field guide that uses photos submitted by users. When you upload a butterfly or moth photo, LepSnap analyzes the image and suggests possible identifications that can be later verified by experts. The app further Read the Rest…
Fall Seed Sowing
Did you know? Fall is the perfect time to sow many wildflower seeds! Why sow seed in the fall? Here’s a list of advantages: Clay soils are easier to work Earlier blooms High moisture conditions More time to plant Natural cold stratification In Maryland, the best times to sow seeds range from mid-September through the Read the Rest…
Fueling Fall Pollinators
While many flowers are finished blooming by the fall, pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, wasps and flower flies are still out foraging for food. This late group of pollinators also includes the monarch butterfly, which needs nectar to fuel its southward migration. Feed fall pollinators by providing late-blooming nectar resources.
Native Plant Profile: Persimmon
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is a high wildlife value tree in the persimmon family (Ebenaceae). The genus name, Diospyros, literally translates to “Fruit of the Gods,” but when unripe, the fruit can be quite distasteful! This large fruit tree can grow up to 80 feet in height and prefers partial to full shade environments. It grows best in Read the Rest…
Native Wildlife: Opossum
Lurking in backyards around Maryland is an unsung hero: the Virginia opossum. With its rat-like tail and 50-tooth grin, the Virginia opossum isn’t always revered. However, recent research from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has indicated the Virginia opossum as an important tick predator, grooming off and consuming almost 4,000 ticks per week! In Read the Rest…