With the arrival of another bluebird nesting season, Georgians can help these brilliantly plumaged birds find the perfect home, according to the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. Bluebirds, a beloved symbol of happiness, have charmed generations with their cheerful song, their beauty and even their fondness for nesting boxes.

The birds once depended on naturally occurring cavities and abandoned woodpecker homes in snags for nesting. But because of a shortage in these cavities, a lack that has affected other cavity nesters as well, bluebirds have largely become dependent on humans for nesting sites.

“This is an excellent time to start putting up bluebird boxes because eastern bluebirds are already looking for nesting sites in Georgia,” said Jim Ozier, a program manager with Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section.

The Wildlife Resources Division Web site (www.georgiawildlife.com) has information on building and erecting bluebird boxes, complete with diagram instructions for the traditional round-hole box and the slot box (including the Gilwood nest box).

“Research has shown that the slot box design is very well accepted by bluebirds,” Ozier said. “We have also found that they work well at sites where people are having problems with house sparrows, an introduced species that may compete with other cavity-nesting birds.”

The design of the slot box allows for more sunlight to enter, making this type of box less suited for house sparrows.

Place bluebird boxes in open habitats with sparse trees and low vegetation, such as old fields, pastures and orchards. Many bluebird nest box efforts fail because boxes are put in shrubby and forested sites. When possible, mount the boxes on metal poles or sunlight-resistant PVC pipes equipped with predator guards.

“If you feel you may not have enough open space in your yard, go ahead and put up a box anyway because you may encourage other cavity nesters such as the Carolina chickadee or tufted titmouse to take up residence in your newly erected home,” Ozier said.

Georgians can support conservation projects for migrating hummingbirds and other nongame wildlife through buying a wildlife license plate featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” state income tax checkoff. Sales of the wildlife plates are the main source of funding for the Nongame Conservation Section.

1 Comment »

Hang up your feeders and they will come! Ruby-throated hummingbirds and other avian acrobats are returning to Georgia from their wintering grounds to the south. Ruby-throated “hummers” may travel more than 600 miles from Mexico to Georgia.

“If you haven’t already seen a ruby-throated hummingbird in your backyard, you should soon,” said Jim Ozier, a Nongame Conservation Section program manager with the state’s Wildlife Resources Division.

Following the long, grueling migration, this diminutive bird must seek out about half its weight in food every day. Typical body weight of a ruby-throated hummingbird is 3 to 3.4 grams. To maintain their high metabolism, hummingbirds must feed frequently on high-energy food sources such as rich but easily digested nectar, or tree sap that collects in yellow-bellied sapsucker foraging holes. Hummingbirds also need protein, which they obtain by eating tiny spiders and small soft-bodied insects found on flowers or in sapsucker holes in trees.

Hummingbird enthusiasts can provide rich food sources for these travel-weary visitors by planting coral honeysuckle, columbine, bee balm and other native plants, as well as by putting up hummingbird feeders. Periodically clean feeders, making sure that all molds and bacteria are removed. But do not use harsh cleaning agents. Feeders can be easily cleaned in dishwasher or with mild soap and warm water.

Refill hummingbird feeders every few days with a simple mix of one part sugar to four parts water. For best results, bring the water to a boil before adding the sugar and then continue to boil three to four minutes, allowing the mixture to cool before filling your feeder. Refrigerate unused portions.

Homeowners who seem to enjoy the greatest success in attracting hummingbirds combine the use of feeders with planting flowers that produce an abundance of nectar. When planting flowers for hummingbirds, incorporate flowers that bloom from early spring through fall. Flower gardens will also attract a variety of other enjoyable nectar-feeders such as butterflies.

Occasionally, “lost” migrant hummingbirds not considered native to this region are seen at feeders. To report unusual hummingbirds seen in your backyard, please contact Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section at (478) 994-1438. Information sheets on Georgia’s hummingbirds can be found at www.georgiawildlife.com.

Georgians can support conservation projects for hummingbirds and other nongame wildlife by buying a wildlife license plate featuring a ruby-throated hummingbird or a bald eagle and U.S. flag for their vehicle, or by donating to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” state income tax checkoff. The checkoff and nongame license plate sales are primary funding sources for the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state appropriations.

2 Comments »

Put off from late October due to low water levels, The Beetle Battle Paddle is going on tomorrow, March the 29th.  It’s a benefit aimed at fighting Hemlock Woolly Adelgid - an invasive and destructive, parasitic beetle that is attacking populations of Eastern Hemlock trees throughout the forests of the eastcoast, and now, here in Georgia!

The paddle is a self guided trip down the lower section of the Chestatee River in North Georgia.  There is also refreshments (paid & complimentary) half way down.

There are shuttles available, and Appalachian Outfitters is donating 100% of canoe and kayak rentals to the cause.  So come on out, with a name like that it’s got to be a blast!

For more information, visit canoegeorgia.com or call Appalachian Outfitters at 706-864-7117

No Comments »

The Problem:

The redbay tree may soon face extinction across the Southeast thanks to a rapidly advancing virulent fungus, the causative agent of laurel wilt disease. The trees are an important food source for a variety of wildlife including some popular game birds, deer and songbirds.

The wilt disease, carried by a species of ambrosia beetle that is not native to the United States, has spread rapidly throughout the coastal states since its initial observation in 2003. It was likely introduced to the U.S. in 2002 when the beetles hitched a ride on shipping pallets coming into Port Wentworth, Ga., near Savannah. The beetles are native to India, Japan and Taiwan.

Read more…

The other problem:

Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, was accidentally introduced to North America and is currently a great threat to eastern hemlocks. Native to Asia, the first North American reports were in British Columbia, Canada in 1922 and in Oregon in 1924. Hemlock woolly adelgid was found near Richmond, Virginia in 1951. The insect is now found from northern Georgia to southern Maine, and from northern California to southeast Alaska.

The Solutions:

Entomologists at Virginia Tech are now studying a beetle from Japan that may be a natural predator of Adelges tsugae, or hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). Scientists hope the Japanese beetle will curb the rapid spread of the HWA without damaging forest ecosystems.

Read more… 

-and-

March 29, 2008

Beetle Battle Paddle
A benefit to help save the hemlock trees

Due to current water levels, the Beetle Battle Paddle has been rescheduled from October 2007 to March 29, 2008. For more information go to www.canoegeorgia.com or call 706-864-7117.

Just for fun quote:” We cannot but pity the boy who has never fired a gun; he is no more humane, while his education has been sadly neglected. ” -Henry David Thoreau

1 Comment »

This was too interesting not to post.

 ”Mr. Foley belongs to a new wave of investors and landowners across the West who are snapping up open spaces as private playgrounds on the borders of national parks and national forests.”

The Whole Article from the NY Times

 My first thought is that this is a great thing, rich conservationists buying land once marked for the chain saw.  I’ve got to wonder though how people in many of the rural towns around this growth feel.

No Comments »

What’s next, calling off wet t-shirt contests? We finally got some rain today… about a tenth of an inch, which leaves us about 16.9 inches short this year. Drought conditions in the deep South are reaching epic proportions, with legal battles heating up over the region’s main water source, the Chattahoochee River. The problem is, residents from three states get their water from the ‘Hooch and the Corp. of Engineers are mandated by law to release enough water from Buford Dam to save an endangered shellfish. That said, Buford Dam impounds Lake Lanier, the source of most of the drinking water for Metro Atlanta’s four million residents.

Now, I live about a half mile from the Chattahoochee, and go running next on the banks a couple times a week. The river appears to be normal, but drastic measures, even rationing, may be in store for a lot of people if don’t get some water here. I’ll keep ya’ll posted on the insanity, in the meantime consider this my virtual raindance:

No Comments »

Georgia Power has elected not to drop water levels on Lake Burton, Seed, and Rabun for the first time since their construction in the 20’s. GA Power thinks it prudent due to the recent inflows into Lake Burton in the midths of a record drought. The fear is, if they release water for hydro electric power during the winter as normal, they may not get the rain needed to replenish it by spring. It’s that bad. So what’s unfortunate for paddlers, may prove interesting for fishermen that normally have difficulty getting boats in the water once it’s below most of the boat ramps. As a conservationist, and paddler, I hate to see the drought effect on our community, and the hell that it must be playing on our local enviorment. But, as a fisherman……………………….

No Comments »

As many of you know, today is the international blog action day for the environment.  In that spirit, I wanted to cover one of the ways that land owners can conserve America’s natural areas, and save a whole bunch on their tax bills.  Here’s an introduction to the three largest Land Conservation Trusts operating in the USA today.

The Land Trust Alliance
The Land Trust Alliance promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural systems. We are the national convener, strategist and representative of more than 1,600 land trusts across America.

Sportsmens Land Trust
As a result of loss of access, future generations may never get the chance to enjoy the outdoor traditions that sportsmen have cherished for centuries. Unfortunately, loss of access to quality hunting and fishing seems to be more and more common. The Sportsmen Land Trust was founded to reverse this trend. Our mission is to preserve open space and wildlife habitat with guaranteed access for future generations to carry on the tradition of hunting and fishing.  We are nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Massachusetts but can accept, acquire and manage land resources in all states. We are an organization of sportsmen for sportsmen helping the original conservationists in this country take the lead in resource conservation.

The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come.

No Comments »

It seems like every organization wants a specialty license plate these days, and I just got back from the tag office with my new Trout Unlimited license plate.

It’s an additional $25 a year, but $24 of it goes toward Georgia DNR efforts to stock and support trout in Georgia.  Additionally, you can get TU license plates in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Montana.

No Comments »

Dubbed “the environmentally friendly music festival,” the 2007 Echo Project aims to not only be environmentally neutral, but also actually have a positive impact on its surroundings. The three-day event will be held Oct. 12-14 in Fairburn, GA, just South of Atlanta. Free camping on the 350+ acre farm on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and all amenities are powered by alternative energy sources. What about the line up you say? While you might expect the stages to be headlined by a couple of banjo wielding has beens, the schedule is actually quite impressive:

• Phil Lesh & Friends
• MOE
• The Killers
• Les Claypool
• The Roots
• Cypress Hill
• & a whole bunch more.

Visit The Echo Project’s website for more information on sustainability, tickets, directions, etc.

No Comments »