By Any Other Name

The term, Green Heron, does not seem like a good descriptive name for this species. Admittedly, their crowns might be considered to be a greenish-blue color. However, their folded wings look more gray than green to me. Beyond that, their plumage consists of a variety of colors. The most notable being the gorgeous rufous-red neck color, which flows down to the upper chest. Another stand-out color is the yellow in their eyes and on their legs and lores, i.e., the area between the eyes and the beak. 

In this photo, the Heron perches on a log while intently waiting for a small fish to make its final mistake.

Green Herons have brown on the upper back, a gray-blue lower back with light gray highlights (which I had not noticed before), a gray-black tail, and a light whitish edging on their wings and coverts.

A moment later, the Heron strikes and the fish is promptly converted to food.

Their lower sides and under the wings are a more uniform light gray, while their bills turn dark with time, starting on the top....

...with varying amounts of yellow below. The underside of the neck, or the forward side when searching for passing dragonflies, is white with brown striping. The leading edge of the wings appears to be white.

This heron was obviously distracted by the dragonflies.

At one point, while I was watching, the heron stopped and inspected the underside of its wing for more than 60 seconds. It did not rearrange feathers or pluck off loose down or dig out any irritating insects. It just stared intently at the wing. All of the flight feathers on the left wing appeared to be perfectly aligned. It did not repeat the inspection under the right wing. Momentarily, I wondered if it was using its wing as a sunscreen, but that seemed like a stretch (pun intended). I still haven't figured out the logic behind this inspection.

Since there isn't much green on a Green Heron, I would love to come up with a more descriptive name. In my mind, Cliff Swallow is an example of a good name for a bird species. The word cliff suggests areas where they prefer to live and nest. Swallow describes how they eat, i.e., by opening their mouths and consuming insects in flight.

Maybe we could use this approach to find alternative names for Green Herons. 

Green Herons are often found standing on logs above shallow water, while looking for small fish or frogs. When they their spot target, they crouch low and slowly seep forward with great stealth. Finally, the head and neck flashes forward with blinding speed and it snaps up its prey.

The rapid neck extension makes me think of a spear. Granted, Herons do not technically spear their prey - they normally just catch them in their bill. Still, this behavior and their typical hunting locations suggests that we could call them "Swamp Spears."

Another approach to good descriptive naming is to describe a striking color of the creature's plumage along with an obvious behavior. A good example of this is, the name Violet-green Swallow.

To me, the rufous neck on a Green Heron is their most striking color, and one of their most obvious behaviors is patiently standing on logs while watching for an opportune moment to feed. So a color-based name could be, "Red-necked Log-loungers." 

While I am not seriously recommending these names, I do think the concept of descriptive common names would help make birding more fun and accessible for a larger portion of the population.

Even just calling them "Red-necked Herons" would be an improvement.

One striking behavior of a Green Heron is the way they raise their crowns when they see something of interest. Somehow, despite all their varied colors, maybe because they are often muted colors, Green Herons seem to fade into the background with ease. As you can see, above, this is also true for their raised crowns.

Luckily, in this photo, the bright green vegetation helps to show off the Heron's raised crown. 

Another way a Green Heron shows excitement is by tail-flicking. The Heron's body hides the tail movement from the intended target. Otherwise, the motion would be self-defeating. 

The tail-flicking happens near the end of the video. It almost looks like all the excitement and energy must go somewhere, so it escapes out the back, without alerting their prey.

After jumping off the log, the Heron did another one of the mysterious wing inspections, again, it inspected the left wing only.

The sounds of a dump truck on the gravel road, next to the UW Baseball field, directly behind the heron, caused it to flush and relocate. 

For a time, it hunted in the little inlet just south of the baseball field, before relocating the second time to a small island between the Dempsey Center and the Conibear Shell House. 

Did you notice how its crown looks blue in this light, especially when you compare it to the green lily pads in the water?

Suddenly, a second heron flew to the same island. It kept a good distance while landing behind the first one.

By the way, can you spot some of the differences between the adult we have been following in the previous photos, and this new Green Heron, which is in its first year of life?

Here is a closer look at the young one, in case it helps. We'll get back to this question in a moment.

The adult remained focused on stalking prey.

From its location, about 100 feet behind the adult, the young bird ran halfway to the adult before slowing to a more stealthy pace.

This video is a nearly perfect reenactment of the way it approached the adult. 

The adult snatched something small from the water, but it must have been aware of the young one coming up behind it.

The adult took its catch, flew south and momentarily landed in a small tree. The young one took to the air and came directly after the adult. 

Again, the adult took to the air, it turned and headed back towards the slough by the baseball field, where I first encountered it. It appeared to me that the young Green Heron was defending its territory. 

However, afterwards other ideas came to mind. I wondered if perhaps the young one might have been chasing its parent and wanting to be fed. If so, the parent's reaction implied "It's time for you to find your own food." If the adult was not the young one's parent may be it was just thinking, "You are not my concern."  Either way, the young one is on its own.

************

The critical differences in plumage that indicate youth to me are:

a) The inverted white triangles on the folded wings.

The white triangles are absent in the adult plumage.

b) The multitude of small dark brown stripes on the front of the neck and all the white stripes on the side of the neck.

Most of these smaller stripes are absent in the adult.

c) The tiny brown stripes on top of the head and

d) The greater amount of yellow on the underside of the bill.

Click Here to read a post that discusses how the stripes on top of the head may be an indicator of gender.

I suspect most of these changes make the adult plumage a bit more striking and noticeable to potential mates. The one exception might be the change in bill color. I suspect this occurs for a different reason. Click Here to read about an idea that may explain why their bills go from bright to dark with age.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and black birders are welcome!

Larry

Going Native:

Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and the local native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. 

I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants. 

*************** 

Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope, " explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially when feeding their young. 

Note: Flowering plants and trees, i.e. those pollinated by bees, are also included as Keystone Plants.

This video explains the native keystone plant concept in more detail:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030

The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard: 

Click Here

Additional content available here:

https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf

******************

In the area below, I normally display at least one photo with each post to challenge us to know our native lifeforms. 

What kind of cone is the Squirrel consuming? Is this a native squirrel? Is it male of female?

Scroll down for the answers.

******************

Douglas Fir Cone: If you look closely you can see the three-pronged bracts between the scales on the cone that are unique to Douglas Fir cones. Like the tree, the squirrel is the native Douglas Squirrel. Two nipples for feeding its young, are visible on the squirrel's lower abdomen, which implies it is female.

The squirrel did not actually eat the cone. It chewed off the scales and bracts to get at the hidden seeds, which it ate. It took the squirrel 60 seconds from start to finish. Even though it is not perfectly accurate, I like to describe the process as, "eating cone on the cob".

*****************

The Email Challenge:

Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.

In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:

                Larry, Please add me to your personal email list. 

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Thank you!

*******************

The Comment Challenge:

Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse. 

Bottom Line: 
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Sincerely,

Larry

 

Waldo

 A young Downy Woodpecker looking out of the nest

Thank you to my friends John and Dao for pointing out this nest site on Foster Island! 

Most of the Downy Woodpecker nests I have found around the Arboretum have been within one hundred feet of Union Bay. I suspect the choice of these locations might be related to the soft wood of the dead or dying birch trees. Many of the Birch trees on Foster Island are collection trees from Europe or the Far East. Currently, most of these Birch trees have dead tops and often the ground around them is littered with the crumbling remains of their upper limbs. I understand that this is the work of the Bronze Birch Borers (BBBs). Apparently, the BBBs are increasing in our area due to hotter summers and drier conditions, i.e. possibly an impact of climate change.

In the next photo, you can see two of the upper branches on the left side of this tree have already broken off and fallen to the ground.

I am thinking we should refer to the young bird in this photo as Waldo. That way you can take a moment to search the photo and play, Where's Waldo. By the way, I suspect the tiny hole, approximately 1 inch above Waldo's head, was made by a BBB.

Occasionally, I have seen the Downy Woodpeckers use other species of trees as nest sites so I am hoping that the demise of the birch trees does not reduce their nesting around Union Bay. Still, I will miss the white bark with alternating darker spots. It makes such a nice camouflage for the heads of young black and white woodpeckers.

Here is an example of a Downy Woodpecker using a dead branch on a Pacific Madrone tree for a nest site. 

Notice the adult female, on the right, has no red feathers. The young bird, whose head is sticking out of the nest, has a light sprinkling of barely visible red feathers on top. Only the young have the red crowns.

Adult males do have red, but it is on the back of their heads instead of the crown.

Among the young both the male and female can have a red crown. Apparently, the young males have more red and the females usually have less red or none at all. So based on this information, I am guessing our hero in the Birch tree, and in the very first photo, is a young male while the young bird in the Pacific Madrone nest, is a young female.

As I watched the nest on Foster Island, the young bird was constantly sticking his head in and out of the nest and he appeared to be watching for a food delivery.

Finally, the adult male parent returned. Due to the distance and the angle at first I did not notice if the adult had food.

However, when the adult turned quickly and flew away from the nest I caught a glimpse of something white in its bill. My first thought was perhaps it was carrying a fecal pouch away from the nest since they are usually mostly white.

Here is an example of an adult Downy carrying a fecal pouch. The pouches are a very handy method for the adults to remove a young woodpecker's excrement from the nest. The bird poo is cleanly sealed, which enables the parents to safely carry it away.

The adult had perched in front of the nest for just a moment. It did not seem long enough to secure a fecal pouch or for the young bird to feed. If the adult was carrying something white and it wasn't a fecal pouch then what was it? My obvious second choice was food, but why would it fly away with food instead of giving it to the young bird? 

It does make sense that adult birds need to eat, but I would not expect them to waste time and effort to bring their personal food back to the nest and then upset their young by eating in front of them.

Luckily, the adult landed on a branch to the right of the nest which enabled a closer look.

Clearly, the adult was carrying food. It was not eating it and he was sitting where the young bird could see the food.

After a bit, and while still carrying the food, the adult flew right by the nest. He did not stop to feed the young.

Moments later, it became obvious to me what the adult was doing. In this video, the young one is enticed to leave the nest and then, appears, to follow an adult as it passes by with food.

According to All About Birds Downy Woodpeckers can have as many as eight young in a single brood. So the odds are good that there were still other young in the nest. I am guessing that getting the older fledglings out of the nest, begins the process of teaching them to fly and hunt, and it gives the parents better access to feed younger siblings who have not yet learned to fly.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and black birders are welcome!

Larry

Going Native:

Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and the local native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. 

I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants. 

*************** 

Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope ", explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially during the breeding season. 

Note: Flowering plants and trees, i.e. those pollinated by bees, are also included as Keystone Plants.

This video explains the native keystone plants very nicely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030

The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard: 

Click Here

Additional content available here:

https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf

******************

In the area below, I normally display at least one photo with each post to challenge us to know our native lifeforms. 

Can you identify the following four plants or trees from their leaves and also determine if they are native to Union Bay?

A)

B)

C)

D)

To make the process easier here are their scientific (and common) names:

1) Rubus bifrons, still called Himalayan Blackberry, non-native and invasive vine

2) Corylus cornuta , Beaked Hazelnut, native plant

3) Rhamnus purshiana, Cascara, native tree

4) Holodiscus discolor, Oceanspray, native plant

Scroll down for the answers.

******************

A) = 4, Oceanspray

B) = 3, Cascara

C) = 1, Himalayan Blackberry

D) = 2, Beaked Hazelnut

If you look closely at the native leaves, it is often possible to find holes eaten by some smaller creature. Native creatures inherently know which native plants they like to eat. Often the leaves of non-native plants, like ivy, are left totally untouched. This seems to align with Douglas Tallamy's concept that select native plants (i.e. Keystone Plants) are especially good at providing food for native caterpillars who are an exceptional source of food for young birds.

*****************

The Email Challenge:

Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.

In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:

                Larry, Please add me to your personal email list. 

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Thank you!

*******************

The Comment Challenge:

Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse. 

Bottom Line: 
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Sincerely,

Larry

On a Wing and a Prayer

Young Barred Owls are extremely cute. At first glance, they resemble stuffed animals cuddling close to stay warm. However, unlike soft furry toys, they are living breathing creatures, who experience many challenges. Challenges that are often similar to those we experience, i.e. hunger, pain, injury and competition.

A special Thank You to my friends Dao, John, Jack and Rikki, who have often provided the guidance that helped me locate these young owls in the Arboretum. (I find it hard to hear the high-pitched hissing sounds of the young owls as they beg for food. Luckily, Dao hears them and seems to find them with ease.) In addition, these four friends and others have graciously volunteered their perspectives, accounts and even a video for this story.)

A few minutes after the first photo above, the young owls moved a bit to their right and became very focused on something.

Apparently, the stick lying across the branch looked very interesting. In my mind, I imagine the young one on our left saying, "Mine, mine!" 

By the way, I do not know the gender of any of the owls in this story. I am assuming the owl on our left is older and male. For ease of reference, I am giving him the name, Bruno.

Bruno reaches out and grabs his sibling by the back of the head...

...and pushes him, or her, away from the stick.

The sibling does not fight back.

Immediately after being released, the second owl began a graceful retreat. Perhaps, we should call this one, Gracie. 

By the way, this photo also shows a third sibling, in the upper left. This sibling was on the same branch as the others, but it kept a bit more distance. It appeared smaller, maybe younger and less confident. I have been calling this one, Peewee. 

Peewee may have learned from experience. He (or she) appears to have an injured eye. It makes me wonder if Bruno might have also grabbed Peewee during some previous disagreement.

May 30th was the first time I saw the young ones.

One of the challenges these three owlets seemed to be facing began earlier that week. I was out of town when my friends Dao and John first spotted them in the Arboretum. A few days later, John learned that an adult Barred Owl had died nearby. Someone suggested that the adult might have been one of the parents of these young. At that point, to the best of my knowledge, only one adult owl had been seen watching, feeding and interacting with the young ones. In similar situations in the past, it has usually been easy to spot both adults working hard to feed and protect their young.

Folks are often surprised by the size and appearance of the young birds. There are three indicators of youth that I think are most easily observed. One they tend to be partially covered with downy white feathers that make them reflect more light and look brighter than adult owls. Two their tails are shorter than an adult's and three their bills look longer and their nostrils are more visible because the feathers on their face are not yet as long as an adult's facial feathers.

There are also behavioral differences. Young owls tend to move their heads in an exaggerated triangular fashion when trying to precisely locate another creature, including humans. They also will occasionally lie down on a branch. When they do, they remind me of a towel draped over a rack. I have never seen an adult in a similar position.

Also, young owls often beg for food almost incessantly. As a matter of fact, on May 30th and 31st as far as I could tell, they were hissing virtually non-stop. Since I knew that one adult in the area had died I was concerned that the young might not be getting enough food. Luckily, on the morning of June 1st, as I walked through the Pinetum I saw one of the young owls eating and an adult carrying food toward the tree where the other two had been seen previously.

Later, on June 6th, after spotting one of the young owls in the Pinetum, Jack and Rikki were crossing the Wilcox pedestrian bridge when they glanced south along Lake Washington Blvd. They noticed an adult owl flopping helplessly in the gutter of the road. It was still alive, but so stunned and dazed that it was not moving itself to safety, as cars whipped past.

Jack and Rikki hurried to help. Along the way, Jack found and rearranged a couple of orange cones to try and help drivers to avoid the owl. Even with the cones, the road was not a safe place to leave the owl.

Jack was faced with a critical dilemma. If this adult owl was the sole living parent for the three young owlets then their lives depended on this bird for both protection and the food it provided. Taking the owl to a rehab center, to be checked out, would most likely require multiple days and could reduce the three owlets odds of survival. Jack did not see any life-threatening injuries that would require rehab. So, he covered the adult owl with his t-shirt and moved it uphill to the dense safety of a cedar tree near the owlets.

In Jack's words, "While waiting to see how it was faring, we confirmed that all three chicks were in the taller trees nearby and still alive. The adult seemed to be turning its head and looking around, but its right eye was closed much of the time. We hoped it was merely swollen.

Rikki texted John & Dao, who contacted Larry...he..quickly came over to see where the adult owl was located, so he would know where to look for it in the morning to check on its status.

In a moment of astounding luck and joy for all of us...the owl took off and flew straight towards us, landing perfectly on a branch, perhaps only 15 feet away...

Close to dusk, a second adult owl, that was larger, appeared and called....The injured adult bird had moved to a tree close to there as well. Both adults called briefly. One of the chicks flew towards the second adult owl, giving its hissing begging call."

Seeing the injured adult fly, and execute a precise landing on a relatively small branch, was an incredible relief. It indicated that with awareness and a thoughtful approach Jack had made the optimal choice that was in the best interest of the injured owl and the whole owl family.

The next evening all three of the young were active in the Pinetum portion of the Arboretum, just west of the Wilcox Bridge, as the sun was beginning to set. 

By the way, this photo is a good example of the short facial feathers allowing the nostril to be easily seen on a young owl.

Before long one of the adults showed up and landed virtually in front of me. This photo provides a good chance to see how the nostrils on the adult are mostly hidden by the longer facial feathers. These feathers also make the adult's bill look shorter than a young one's bill, which seems highly unlikely.

At this point, two of the young became very excited.

They flew directly at the adult, who was not carrying food. This, apparently motivated the adult to go hunting - hopefully, not along Lake Washington Blvd. In this photo, we see that the young ones land on the perch the adult had just left. They continued their very active begging.

While this was going on a coyote passed under the trees where the young owls had been residing in the Pinetum.  I have no doubt that it could hear the young calling and most likely had been smelling and inspecting the pellets that the young owls had spit up, not to mention hoping an owlet might fall to the ground.

Two days later, Dao recorded this same coyote returning and checking out the young owls. Coyotes are one more challenge that young owls must learn to avoid.

Thank you, Dao, for this incredible video!

I just learned that the next afternoon, my friend Rumi also saw an owl get hit by a car in the Arboretum. In this case, the owl was healthy enough to fly to a nearby tree under its own power. These incidents make me wonder if the Barred Owls are chasing small animals as the scurrying through traffic or perhaps, they have learned to collect and consume fresh roadkill. 

This second incident might also be another valid explanation for Peewee's swollen eye. We cannot know for certain. However, it would seem logical to be more thoughtful and careful as we drive through the Arboretum. 

The trees and plants in the Arboretum are its living support structure, similar to the bones in our bodies. The creek flows like the blood in our veins and the creatures inhabiting the trees, soil, water and air are like the remaining cells in our bodies, i.e. they are like the living matter, containing the history of experiences that make us all unique. 

I believe we should view ourselves as caretakers of life, responsible for preserving and passing forward the Arboretum, and the earth as a whole, to future generations. Traveling through the Arboretum should be done with respect and awe for this living gift, which becomes ever more precious as the city continues to expand into and around it.

The photos at the beginning of this post are from last week. They demonstrate that all three young are being fed. They have avoided the coyotes and most of the automobiles. They are flying well enough that they are no longer confined to the Pinetum. Still, learning to be independent will be the biggest challenge of their lives. However, with the help of their parents, an occasional helping hand from Jack and Rikki, and under the watchful eyes of Dao, John, the many curious neighbors and visitors, I do believe their odds of survival are improving.

A final Thank You to everyone who sent me messages about the owlets and to everyone who met in the Pinetum to watch their development. This has been a very special Spring and if we work together to care for the Arboretum, and the life it contains, there should be many more to come.

Have a great day on Union Bay...where nature lives in the city and black birders are welcome!

Larry

Going Native:

Each of us, who breathes the air, drinks water, and eats food should be helping to protect our environment. Local efforts are most effective and sustainable. Native plants and trees encourage the largest diversity of lifeforms because of their long intertwined history with our local environment and the local native creatures. Even the microbes in the soil are native to each local landscape. 

I hope we can inspire ourselves, our neighbors, and local businesses to respect native flora and support native wildlife at every opportunity. I have learned that our most logical approach to native trees and plants (in order of priority) should be to:

1) Learn and leave established native flora undisturbed.

2) Remove invasive species and then wait to see if native plants begin to grow without assistance. (When native plants start on their own, then these plants or trees are likely the most appropriate flora for the habitat.)

3) Scatter seeds from nearby native plants in a similar habitat.

4) If you feel you must add a new plant then select a native plant while considering how the plant fits with the specific habitat and understanding the plant's logical place in the normal succession of native plants. 

*************** 

Keystone native plants are an important new idea. Douglas Tallamy, in the book "Nature's Best Hope ", explains that caterpillars supply more energy to birds, particularly young birds in their nests, than any other plant eater. He also mentions that 14% of our native plants, i.e. Keystone Plants, provide food for 90% of our caterpillars. This unique subset of native plants and trees enables critical moths, butterflies, and caterpillars that in turn provide food for the great majority of birds, especially during the breeding season. 

Note: Flowering plants and trees, i.e. those pollinated by bees, are also included as Keystone Plants.

This video explains the native keystone plants very nicely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5cXccWx030

The Top Keystone Genera in our ecoregion i.e. Plants and trees you might want in your yard: 

Click Here

Additional content available here:

https://wos.org/wos-wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Native-Plant-Resources-10-7-22.pdf

******************

In the area below, I normally display at least one photo with each post to challenge us to know our native lifeforms. 

 What are the two most common plants in this photo? Are they native to the PNW?

Scroll down for the answer.

******************

Trailing Blackberry:  (Rubus ursinus) Yes, it is a wonderful native plant found in shady areas in the Pacific Northwest. It is the plant with the thin, long, blue-white stem visible mostly on the outer edges of the photo.

Catchweed Bedstraw:  (Galium aparine) Yes, it is a plant native to North America. It is visible mostly in the center of the photo. Sadly, it grows onto and shades out other plants so even though it is a native plant, it is essentially invasive.  It has velcro-like bristles. If you have been close to it, during this time of year, you will have found the small, green, bristled seed pods clinging to your pant legs. Carefully removing the plant by hand and hoe, as soon as you find it, seems to be the best approach to managing it. Click Here to learn more.

*****************

The Email Challenge:

Over the years, I have had many readers tell me that Google is no longer sending them email announcements. As of 2021, Google has discontinued the service.

In response, I have set up my own email list. With each post, I will manually send out an announcement. If you would like to be added to my personal email list please send me an email requesting to be added. Something like:

                Larry, Please add me to your personal email list. 

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Thank you!

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The Comment Challenge:

Another common issue is losing your input while attempting to leave a comment on this blog. Often everything functions fine, however, sometimes people are unable to make it past the robot-detection challenge or maybe it is the lack of a Google account. I am uncertain about the precise issue. Sadly, a person can lose their comment with no recovery recourse. 

Bottom Line: 
If you write a long comment, please, copy it before hitting enter. Then, if the comment function fails to record your information, you can send the comment directly to me using email.

My email address is:  

                     LDHubbell@comcast.net

Sincerely,

Larry