Saturday, May 18, 2013

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Digiscoping Spring Migration

by Stacy (Editors' Blog) on May 16, 2013

While attending The Biggest Week in American Birding last week, we were on a digiscoping mission. Associate Editor Kirsten Sweet and I had never digiscoped before, so we couldn’t wait to try it for ourselves. (By the way, digiscoping is just a way to take digital pictures using a spotting scope.)

It was a really easy set-up. The great people at Eagle Optics lent us a scope and an adapter so we could take pictures with our iPhones. Then they gave us a quick, 30-second tutorial on how it works. (Yes, it really is that simple.) After that, we were on our own! 

We don’t claim to be digiscoping experts, but it was pretty amazing to get some photos of birds that we’d never be able to get with an ordinary camera. The trickiest part was just finding the birds in the scope before we’d place the adapter on and snap a photo. Take a look at some of our images, but don’t judge us too harshly! We’re thinking with a little practice, we might eventually get a picture good enough to put in the magazine.

Tree swallows

Eastern Meadowlark

Great horned owl

Common yellowthroat

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Birding at the Biggest Week

by Kirsten (Editors' Blog) on May 14, 2013

Clockwise from left: magnolia warbler, Nashville warbler, American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler. These birds were spotted at the Magee Marsh boardwalk and taken by Deb Neidert.

You know how we’ve told you time and time again about how Northwest Ohio is the “warbler capital of the world?” Well, in case you didn’t believe it before, believe me now. This place is AMAZING. Some say it is “raining warblers” during this migration timeframe, and they are right! Put this festival on your bucket list. Right now. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now let me tell you about the birds. Birds & Blooms editor Stacy Tornio and I kept a running list of all the bird species we saw throughout our 3.5 days at The Biggest Week in American Birding. We were very strict about this list, too. One of us had to have gotten a good look at it or it didn’t make the cut. We spent a full day birding some of the private properties in the area. The owners were gracious enough to let us walk their properties where we saw cool things like bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows and an eastern kingbird.

Palm warbler taken by Deb Neidert.

Are you ready to hear our final number? Drumroll, please! 101! We saw 101 different species of birds. We’re well aware that birding pros saw many more species than that, but we’re happy with our 101 and we’re pretty proud of it (it did take a little bit of last-minute birding before we hit the road to head back to Wisconsin, though). I think my favorite sighting was the indigo bunting. Or the chestnut-sided warbler. Or the northern parula. Or the eastern meadowlark. Shoot. I guess I can’t pick a favorite.

The red-headed woodpecker was our 100th bird.

It was hard to say good-bye to our bird friends and all of the readers and fellow birders we met on this trip. But we’ll be back to see the warblers again next year. See you in 2014, Biggest Week! And to all of our readers: We hope you’ll be able to join us next year.

Look closely and you’ll see Kenn and Kim Kaufman and Don and Lillian Stokes! We were lucky enough to bird with them.

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Garden Tales: Popcorn Planting

by Lorie (Photography) on May 14, 2013

 

Did Noelle’s March post about Growing Corn in a Container inspire you? Personally, I couldn’t wait to order a packet of Burpee’s new On Deck sweet corn. Imagine, you’re sitting on your deck, picking an ear of sweet corn, then turning and putting it on the grill next to you. Now that’s fresh!

But about the time my seeds arrived, I’d pored over enough catalogs in the meantime to realize that—like sweet corn—you can grow popcorn! It comes up just like any other corn, but the ears sport hard little nuggets that can be shucked, popped, topped and chomped down during a screening of your favorite film. Too fun!

Sadly, just as I’d fallen in love, I also learned that growing sweet corn and popcorn within 100 feet of each other is a no-no. Cross-pollination occurs.

Oh well. Goodbye sweet corn, hello popcorn!

Popcorn seed packet

The big-name companies sell few cultivars, mainly ornament corn, strawberry popcorn and a Tom Thumb variety, also known as Japanese White Hull-less, which is inexpensive and a good confidence builder for the not-quite-ready-for-gourmet gardeners. “Dwarf plants” sounds promising for container gardening.

Planted!

And as you can see, it’s all containers, all the time on my packed little patio space. With high hopes, I planted about a dozen seeds in each of the two 24″ planters (front, center.) Roughly a week later …

Sprout!

… and a popcorn sprout is popping up! Since this photo was taken, May 9, my containers are dotted with green—both popcorn and kohrabi (which I sprinkled in between) are coming up quickly. Hooray!

I’ll check back in with brief progress reports as we “grow” along. In the meantime, share your adventures with new, or new-to-you, plants that you’re trying this year. And good luck to us all!

 

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Watch a Nest to Help the Birds

by Kirsten (Editors' Blog) on April 22, 2013

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology needs your help! They’re calling on all bird lovers to participate in NestWatch this spring. NestWatch is a citizen science program that helps scientists study and understand birds’ plight. Over the past 30 years, tree swallows, barn swallows violet-green swallows, purple martins and eastern Phoebes have dropped in number. They’re not sure why yet, but it could be because of declines in the insects they eat.

While those birds need the most help, observations of any and all nesting birds are welcome. And participating in the program is free and easy. Just complete these four steps:

1. Become a certified NestWatch monitor using their online resources.

2. Find active nests to monitor.

3. Visit the nests you’ve found every 3 or 4 days and record what you see.

4. Report the data you’ve collected using their online entry tools.

Get started now by visiting nestwatch.org.

Participate in NestWatch and you could observe American robin nests like this one. This awesome nest photo was submitted by a reader to our monthly photo challenge.

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Mother’s Day Guide: Alternatives to Cut Flowers

by Stacy (Editors' Blog) on April 19, 2013

Instead of cut flowers, buy Mom flowers she can plant like these Cool Wave pansies from Ball Horticulture.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and we want to help you get ahead by figuring out Mom’s gift now. Just get her flowers, right? Well, that’s the quick and easy solution, but let’s think outside of the box for a minute. Cut flowers are a popular option, but Mother’s Day is prime gardening season! Instead of a gift that will die after a few days, we have some alternative options that will last a lot longer. We featured these tips in the May issue of Birds & Blooms Extra, and now we’re sharing them with you. Go ahead and take a look. We have a solution for just about any mom or budget.

IF YOU HAVE A BUDGET OF…

$0: Look under the sofa cushions and deep down in the washing machine to scrape together enough change to buy a packet of seeds. Then make your own card at home. Mom will love it!

$10- $50: Buy a hanging basket. Better yet, take Mom to the garden store and let her pick one out on her own. The store should have something for every budget.

$50+: Find something that will brighten Mom’s garden for years, like a striking birdbath or a set of really artistic stepping-stones. You’ll never have trouble spending a little extra money at a garden store.

IF MOM LIKES…

PLANTS: Chances are she already has lots of plants, so it may be hard to know what to get her. If that’s the case, buy online from a specialty plant company; think heirlooms, succulents or tropicals.

GADGETS: If Mom has a smartphone or an iPad or other tablet, buy a gift card and give her suggestions for cool gardening apps or e-books she can purchase. Or make her a gardening playlist full of her favorite tunes.

BOOKS: Spring offers a bumper crop of new gardening books. Visit a botanical garden or a gardening specialty store for some out-of-the-ordinary options for her.

IF MOM HAS…

A BROWN THUMB: Buy her plants, but stick with the basics. Get her a flat of easy-care annuals like geraniums or zinnias, then go out and help her plant them.

A GREEN THUMB: Be a little adventurous and buy her something fun at the garden store. You might peruse the shrub aisle and find a nice rosebush, or find out if the store carries any natives or heirlooms.

MORE TIPS THAN MOST GARDEN PROS: You be the present! Offer to help Mom in the garden for a few hours, and get ready to roll up your sleeves and take orders. Chances are, she knows what she wants, so it’s up to you to make it happen.

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The Little-Known Cucamelon

April 17, 2013

When we ran the article on underappreciated vegetables by Heather Ray in the April/May Issue (the article was called “You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatillo”) one veggie in particular got a lot of attention. It was the cucamelon! Though it’s more properly known as Mexican sour gherkin, we think cucamelon is much more fun to [...]

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My Biggest Week To-Do List

April 11, 2013

In just a few short weeks, we are heading to the Biggest Week in American Birding in northwest Ohio. This will be my second time attending and now that I know the ropes, there are a few things I MUST do this year. So I’ve created a little to-do list for myself. 1. Attend a bird [...]

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We Have an Upcycling Winner!

March 21, 2013

Were you following our recent upcycling contest? Back in the fall, we gave 10 people $25 each to create something for the backyard through recycling. We were impressed with the results, and recently put the creations up for a vote. And the winner is…. Brian Carlisle with his dustpan bird feeder (right). Brian wins $500 [...]

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Where Did You Find That Feeder?

March 12, 2013

  In every issue of Birds & Blooms, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a photo with a bird feeder in it. Nobody was really shocked to see one pictured on page 66 of our April/May 2013 issue, right? But what was surprising was how much everyone seems to love it! Emails are still flooding [...]

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Big Announcement from the Biggest Week in American Birding

March 1, 2013

It’s BIGGER and BETTER than EVER! I know this phrase gets thrown around a lot, but in this instance, it really is true. This will be my third year to attend Ohio’s birding festival, The Biggest Week in American Birding, and I absolutely love it. I tell everyone I know they should attend, so I’m [...]

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Watch the Birds of Paradise

February 28, 2013

Our friends at Cornell Lab of Ornithology have been hard at work for many year to capture amazing video of the bird-of-paradise family. This project took 8 years and 18 expeditions to complete. Experts traveled to New Guinea, Australia and nearby islands to get all the birds in this family. Take a look at this [...]

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See Melinda Myers in 2013!

February 15, 2013

Our very own horticulture expert, Melinda Myers, is hitting the road this spring. Be sure to check her out if she’s in your area! Southern Spring Home and Garden Show Feb. 28-March 3, Charlotte, NC 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show March 2-10 Central Minnesota Builder’s Association Home Show March 8-10, St. Cloud  Chicago Flower & Garden [...]

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See the Sandhill Cranes in Colorado

January 29, 2013

Back by popular demand! Zapata Ranch is hosting the third annual sandhill crane photography workshop, March 11-15, 2013. It’s hosted by professional photographers Dave Showalter and Michael Forsberg. They’ll take you to the best places for viewing and photographing the thousands of cranes migrating through southern Colorado at that time. I was lucky enough to go last [...]

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