Great Resources
Useful tools to help you improve the health of your landscape
Cornell Ornithology Lab’s “All About Birds”
If you like to garden, then you probably like birds. But, do you always know what birds are visiting your garden and what they need to survive?
Once in a while a feathered visitor might appear that you have never seen before. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find an online resource to help you identify these creatures and figure out what they need in your landscape?
Look no further. The Cornell Ornithology Lab’s “All About Birds” database is at your fingertips. This terrific site allows you to search birds by shape or by name, and learn about each feathered wonder.
You will discover the key identification points for each bird, including:
– Size and Shape
– Color Pattern
– Behavior
– Field Marks
– Similar Species
– Regional Differences
A helpful selection of photos is included, showing both adult and juvenile phases, as well as photos of similar species, so you can tell the difference.
Another section explains issues relating to life history, including:
– Habitat
– Food
– Nesting
– Conservation
Finally, the site gives you both sound clips and video, so you have a clear idea as to how each bird looks and sounds.
You can find this great resource at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search
More Great Resources
The Xerces Society’s “Gardening for Butterflies”
I have to give the folks at The Xerces Society a lot of credit. They took the rare step of publishing a book on native pollinators (Attracting Native Pollinators), before coming out with their new book, Gardening for Butterflies. Both are excellent resources and well worth purchasing. Gardening for Butterflies…
Reliable Lists of Native Plants for Bees
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Milkweed, Monarchs and More
The connection between Monarch Butterflies and milkweed plants has practically become common knowledge with the news of the Monarch facing extinction. But did you know how robust a milkweed community really is? The handy book, Milkweed, Monarchs and More, provides an insider’s view of the numerous invertebrate species that are…