Pink Lady's Slipper on the trails of the Mills Crooked Spring Reservation in Chelmsford, MA

Hiking on the hillside along the eastern leg of the main trail at the Mills Crooked Spring Reservation in Chelmsford, we found the showy and rare flowers of the Pink Lady’s Slipper.

Pink lady’s slipper is a wildflower in the orchid family.  It grows 6 – 15″ tall with two large basal leaves at the base of the plant.  It is easily identifiable because of its bulbous flower hanging at the top of a tall leafless stalk. It generally flowers between May and July, is pink to whitish-pink, and sometimes all white.  Another common name for this plant is moccasin flower.

Like most orchids, the lady’s slipper is symbiotic as it has a mutually beneficial relationship with a fungus.  The pink lady’s slipper uses a fungus in the soil to break open their seeds and to draw food and nutrients to its seed. When the lady’s slipper plant is older, the fungus draws nutrients from the orchid’s roots.  Pink lady’s slippers also require bees for pollination, luring them into the flower pouch through the front opening.

Pink lady’s slipper takes many years to mature, living twenty or more years.  Pink lady’s slipper usually grows on a wet, acidic forest floor with mixed shade in the eastern United States.  The plants should not be removed from the wild because of their rarity and the near impossibility of successfully transplanting and maintaining the plant. New plants are difficult to start because of the need for the symbiotic fungi and their particular growing conditions.

If you Visit…

The 37-acre Margaret Robbins Mills Crooked Spring Brook Reservation was the first property purchased by the Chelmsford Conservation Commission in 1965.  This reservation is located in West Chelmsford, between Crooked Spring Road and Graniteville Road.  There are a number of trails on the property, with the main trail beginning at the parking lot on Crooked Spring Road and wrapping around the wetlands of the reservation.  The trails on the property are easy to walk and bridges and boardwalks have been installed across several wet areas.  There is a great diversity of wildlife here, including white tailed deer, red fox, beaver, muskrat, ducks, goldfinch and more.

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Mammoth Sunflower

Many of us watch birds for their beauty and the closeness we feel to nature. In return we provide them some food and even shelter in our yards. As an addition to your feeding, you could add some flowers that will provide your guests a meal and add beauty to your yard.

New England has some diverse climates that can vary from a growing zone 3 up to a 6. I have listed some varieties that will grow in all of these zones as long as you wait until the threat of frost is past before planting in the spring. This can be as early as April and as late as the end of June for mountain areas.

Purple Coneflower

Here is a list of some favorites:
Mammoth Sunflower: This bird magnet is the standard for attracting birds. This variety will grow 6’ plus and creates a dramatic accent for the yard.
Black-eyed Susan: These yellow flowers grow 2-3 feet tall, have drooping pedals, and protruding cylindrical centers.
Purple Coneflower: This perennial also reaches 2 to 3 feet. It blooms a lavender-purple daisy-like flower with mahogany cones.
Evening Primrose: This 3-5 foot bushy herb produces a soft yellow flower.
Sage: Most varieties of sage will attract birds. There are a lot of varieties to choose from but not a lot of color unless you need more green.

You can plant these directly in the garden or start them indoors and then move them out as starts. The indoor option can give your plants a head start against spring weather and protect them from being eaten before germination. This makes a fun project for the kids. They will gain a greater appreciation for the garden and enjoy watching the birds flock to the buffet they created.

Sage

Flowers can be left on the ground through the fall to allow birds to clean out the seeds. If you watch for plants that are dropping seeds you can gather them. Use your saved seeds to plant the next year or feed them at times of the year when they normally aren’t available. A glass jar makes a good seed storage container.
These are only a few varieties. Have fun experimenting and watching what your local birds prefer.

By Scott Peterson, Owner, Hometownseeds.com where you can find all of these flower seeds listed above.

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Please let me know your thoughts or comments about this information by posting in the comments section of the blog.

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Students cut ribbon to open the Byam Learning Center

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on October 29 to officially open Byam Elementary School’s ”Outdoor Learning Center” in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.  Located in Byam’s central courtyard, the Outdoor Learning Center will be used as an outdoor classroom with an emphasis on ecology, biology, gardening, wildlife habitats, and recycling and resuse.

The Outdoor Learning Center includes a variety of bird feeders, bird houses, a birdhouse video camera system, a wireless weather station, rain gauge, butterfly garden, and solar-powered bird bath.  In the future, the Outdoor Learning Center will be expanded to include an herb garden and composting center.

The transformation from courtyard to Outdoor Learning Center was spearheaded by Janet Askenburg and made possible by volunteer efforts, donations from local businesses, and a grant from the Chelmsford Arts and Technology Fund.

Dr. Jane Gilmore presents proclamation to students

The ribbon cutting ceremony was led by Dr. Jane Gilmore, Byam Elementary School Principal, and attended by student representatives from each of the school’s classes, Byam School Association President Joanne Hayes, State Representative Jim Arciero, Chelmsford Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donald Yeoman, Chelmsford Board of Selectmen Clare Jeannotte and Pat Wojtas, Chelmsford Art & Technology Fund Committee members Glenn Doherty and Evelyn Thoren, and Tom Christiano, the host of Chelmsford Telemedia’s show Politically Incorrect.

A favorite of the students and teachers is the unique and up-close view of an active bird nest, viewed via a live video feed from a nest box camera system.   The birdhouse video camera sends images to a television in the school library, providing the children with an opportunity to watch nesting behavior without disturbing the birds.  As part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Project Feeder Watch” program,  students will be collecting and reporting wild bird species data to help scientists track movements of bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

The Byam Outdoor Learning Garden

Custom birdhouses and bird feeders for the Outdoor Learning Center were provided by New England Birdhouse.  The bird-friendly structures were built using recycled and reused materials, and were designed for durability and to match the school’s architecture.  Both nest boxes and platform structures were built to encourage a variety of birds to nest in the area. The Outdoor Learning Center also features many different types of bird feeders including a hopper, platform, tube, hummingbird, suet cage, and log feeder.

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Birds & Beans coffee is USDA-approved, 100 percent organic, and certified Bird Friendly® by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), guarantying the coffee comes from farms that meet the highest possible standards of habitat quality and protection. Bird Friendly® coffee farms, primarily family owned, provide winter shelter and sustenance to huge numbers of beautiful migratory birds-thrushes, warblers, orioles, tanagers, and more-that spend their summers in New England.

Birds & Beans also helps to protect our birds in another way. Each month Mass Audubon’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program will receive $1 for every online Birds & Beans customer and subscriber in Massachusetts. The IBA Program identifies and works to protect critical bird habitat in the state. Currently, there are 79 IBA sites in Massachusetts encompassing more than 900,000 acres. “The Important Birds Areas Program works to ensure appropriate stewardship for birds during their stay in Massachusetts,” says Wayne Petersen, ornithologist and Mass Audubon director of the Important Bird Areas Program. “By drinking SMBC-certified Bird Friendly coffee, we help safeguard the migratory birds we know and love during their time away from North America.”

Science documents that farms with the SMBC’s Bird Friendly certification make a significant difference for birds and for overall biodiversity. Compounding tropical forest loss, over half the traditional shade coffee farms in Latin America and the Caribbean, once rich habitat for birds with their multi-storied shade canopy, have been converted to sterile plantations where coffee is grown in the sun requiring heavy chemical spraying. And coffees with the SMBC certification means 100 percent certified shade grown beans in every bag; other shade-grown coffees may contain as little as 30 percent shade-grown beans.

Additionally, the USDA certified100 percent Organic Birds & Beans coffee is Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance approved and the beans are freshly roasted right here in New England. Buying coffee from Birds & Beans will support the Massachusetts IBA program as well as small businesses, while helping to preserve tropical forest habitat for birds and other wildlife, providing fair profits for farmers, and reducing pesticides where the coffee is grown. By sipping any of Birds & Beans artisan roasts, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your purchase is also helping people, birds, and the planet.

“When Scott Weisdensaul and I realized that there was a substantive, easy and enjoyable way for bird lovers like us to actually make a significant difference for birds by drinking the right kind of coffee we decided to launch Birds & Beans,” says founder Bill Wilson. “When Mass Audubon, one of the conservation giants, decided to join us we were thrilled. By making it easier for bird and nature lovers to do the right thing, we are sure that—together—we can all make a big difference.”

Learn more by visiting www.massaudubon.org/birdsandbeans or www.birdsandbeans.com.

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Great North Woods - Pittsburg, NH

From remote and rugged northern forests and notches to sparkling lakes and rocky shorelines this sample of bird-watching locations in New Hampshire offers destinations to satisfy all manner of bird spotting habitats.

Connecticut Lakes State Forest – Pittsburg:

Deep in the North Woods of New Hampshire and far away from the busy hiking paths in the White Mountains is Connecticut Lakes State Forest.

Getting there is easy – just follow Route 3 20-miles north of Pittsburg to Moose Falls Picnic area and Deer Mountain Campground – but getting yourself around is where the fun begins.

Species you’ll likely see include: olive-sided flycatchers, purple finches, blackpoll, warblers, thrushes, redstarts and ruby-crowned kinglets. In nearby Scott Bog you can also view great blue herons, bitterns and snipes. For Scott Bog take the dirt road on the eastern side of Route 3 about 0.5-mile south of Moose Falls and follow it to the walking trail. The trail out to the bog is along Scott Brook and is 2-miles.

The Balsams - Dixville Notch, NH

Dixville Notch State Park – Colebrook:

At 127-acres Dixville Notch State Park is the smallest state park in the New Hampshire system, but it packs a lot of scenic locations and bird watching opportunities into its compact locale. Because it’s located in the Great North Woods region its not as busy a destination as its larger cousins to the south in the White Mountains Region. The precipitous cliffs at the notch provide home for Peregrine Falcons and other raptors.

The park is 7-miles east of Colebrook on Route 26, and contains a forest of mostly red spruce and balsam fir and includes wonderful wildlife viewing on the Table Rock Trail and a short interpretive trail at Waterfall Walk.

McLane Center & Silk Farm Sanctuary – Concord:

The New Hampshire Audubon Society manages over 40 properties in the state and is headquartered in Concord. The Silk Farm Audubon Center in Concord is a popular location for birders with its centerpiece of Great Turkey Pond and three primary trails.

Trail include: the short Forest Floor Trail where you’ll get to spot ovenbird, warblers, chickadees, tufted titmice, and the white and red-breasted nuthatches, and the Great Turkey Pond Trail which at 1.2-miles is the longest walk but offers the chance to view waterbirds and includes a boardwalk for viewing along the pond.

The sanctuary is located off Exit 2 on I-89. Take left at ramp and at first blinking light make a right onto Silk Farm Road and the entrance to the center will be on your right.

Common Loon

The Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary – Moultonborough:

Who hasn’t been mesmerized by the call of the loon when first heard? The haunting yet soothing sound is heard most often between mid-May to mid-June by the common loon in New Hampshire, the only bird of the species found here.

The Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the north shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough and offers visitors information and exhibits about the loon and nature trails over the 200-acres of the wildlife sanctuary. The habit includes: upland forests, marshes, ponds, streams and the shoreline of the lake. The sanctuary is not only home to a resident pair of loons but birders can also spot forests and woodland birds such as warblers.

To get to the center and sanctuary at Route 25 in Moultonborough turn onto Blake Road at school and go one mile to end and turn right onto Lee’s Mill Road. The Loon Center is on the left.

Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve:

Great Bay is located about 15-miles inland from the New Hampshire coastline and Portsmouth and encompasses tidal marsh and freshwater wetlands, mudflats, and upland fields and forests.

Glossy Ibis

Prime bird-watching opportunities are found at Adams Point in Durham, Sandy Point in Greenland, and Chapman’s Landing. Adams Point is ideal for viewing bald eagles and Chapman’s point provides views of an osprey nesting platform.

Sandy Point is at the Great Bay Discover Center and is an excellent location for viewing glossy ibises, green-backed herons, snowy egrets, wood ducks, greater and lesser yellowlegs, American woodcocks, owls, kingfishers and a large assortment of songbirds. And the discovery center itself has exhibits and interactive learning areas to delight both adults and kids.

The Great Bay Discover Center is an ideal place to begin exploring the reserve and you can reach it by taking I-95 North to Exit 2 and head west on Route 101 for 4.5-miles until Routes 33/108. Turn right at bottom of ramp and follow Route 33 for 4-miles. Take second left onto Depot Road and follow to the end.

For more details on these and other attractions to see during a New Hampshire Vacation and to pick up your free New England trip planner package go to Cliff’s New England Vacations Guide at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com

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We had a strange visitor at the Byam Learning Garden.  At first, it appeared as though a small  hummingbird was feeding from newly planted butterfly bushes.  But after closer inspection we discovered the visitor was not a bird at all, but an insect – more specifically a hummingbird moth.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of Sphingidae, hawk moth with a long proboscis, which regularly hovers, making an audible humming noise. This make it look remarkably like a hummingbird when it feeds on flowers.

Hummingbird Moths grow up to two inches long. They have an olive-green body with red bands across their abdomen.  Green body “fur” and burgundy wing scales suggest a small ruby throated hummingbird.

Hummingbird Moths live in gardens and forest edges.  It is distributed throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada, where it ranges far to the north.  Its larvae feed on honeysuckle, buckbrush, wild cherry and plum. Adults hover take nectar at many different flowers, including honeysuckle, beebalm, phlox, lilac and bergamot.

Here’s a video of a hummingbird moth, where you can see how easy it is to mistake these insects for hummingbirds.

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Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from one flower to another by birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles or other animals, or by the wind. This transfer leads to fertilization and successful seed and fruit production.

Unfortunately, the numbers of both native pollinators and domesticated bee populations are declining. They are threatened by habitat loss, disease, and the excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides.

How can you promote pollinators?

The Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit organization working to protect the health of managed and native North American pollinating animals has created regional planting guides to provide individuals with plant selection tools for encouraging pollinators in their neighborhoods.  You can download a pdf of these pollinator friendly regional planting guides here, and entering your zip code.

By adding plants to your landscape that provide food and shelter for pollinators throughout their active seasons and by adopting pollinator friendly landscape practices, you can make a difference to both the pollinators and the people that rely on them.

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Guava Flowers

As I write this, I can look out my window and see a busy house sparrow going from the birdfeeder, to the suet feeder, to the blossoms of the pineapple guava bush. The sparrow eats a few sunflower seeds, takes a few pecks from the suet, and then yanks on the sweet fleshy petals of the red and white guava flowers (Feijoa sellowiana).

Bees and other insects seldom visit the guava flowers and they are pollinated almost entirely by birds. As the bird yanks on a petal, the pollen is shaken from the stamens onto the pistil and fertilization takes place. I first noticed this with mocking birds, and then with Hooded Orioles. Today is the first time I’ve seen a sparrow doing this work. The sparrow may not know it but he (she?) is making sure that I’ll have a good crop of guavas this fall.

Just yesterday I was speaking to a group of gardeners about my book, Safe Sex in the Garden. I mentioned how terribly common whitefly-infested hibiscus and Rose of Sharon plants were becoming now in many large cities, especially those with the worst air pollution. The air pollution, largely from the exhaust of all those cars and trucks, stresses and weakens many landscape plants, and this leaves them vulnerable to attack from insect pests.

Leaves covered in mold look sooty

I explained that when insects such as whitefly, aphids, scale, or mealybugs feast on our ornamental plants, they secrete large amounts of a gooey, nutrient rich substance we euphemistically call “honeydew.” On this honeydew dry airborne black mold spores land, stick, germinate, and quickly start to grow. The mold flourishes as long as it has a continuing source of insect-supplied honeydew. Among other things, the dark mold spores on the leaves cut down on the amount of sunlight the plant can receive, and thus further robs the plant of needed food from photosynthesis.

As the mold grows and spreads it turns the infested leaves and stems a fuzzy white or a sooty looking black. The entire effect is one of dirtiness, as indeed it is. The mold quickly reproduces itself by releasing billions of microscopic-sized airborne mold spores. These spores float in the air, we inhale them, and allergy and asthma are the result.

Bushtit eating aphids

Today there is great interest in indoor toxic mold, and yet outside in far too many of our gardens there is another mold spore epidemic well underway.

I often write and speak about male plants in our gardens and male cloned street trees lining our city streets, and about all the allergenic pollen that these male clones produce. Often overlooked in this discussion is the effect of mold spores from our landscapes. Overlooked even more, is the contribution to our good health from small birds.

Yesterday after my talk, a lady told me that she always feeds the birds in her yard and had done so for many years. She said she feeds them crumbled up small bread crumbs and that some 25 to 30 birds await her every morning. She also said that her own hibiscus plants are thriving, full of flowers, and unlike those of her neighbors, are bug free. “I see the birds eating the whiteflies and aphids from the hibiscus,” she said. “I know that they are what is keeping it so clean.”

Bird Friendly Shrub

She is completely correct in this assumption, too. I also have seen small birds picking clean an infested bush. One day several years ago, a friend and I sat in his kitchen and watched as a small flock of tiny gray bushtits alighted in the blue mallow shrub next to the window. We knew the bush was loaded with aphids because we’d just been talking about it. As we watched, the little birds jumped from branch to branch, eating aphids. A half hour later when we went outside, the entire bush was aphid clean.

Sometimes you will read that seed-eating birds mostly just eat seeds, but this isn’t true at all. Almost all wild birds eat insects. I encourage you to feed the birds, put up some bird houses, encourage wild birds in your yard. Not only may they pollinate your guava trees, but they will also help rid your garden of insect pests, all the while making the air you breathe fresher and cleaner.

Thomas Leo Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, now out in a second edition from Random House Publishers, and four other published books, including, Safe Sex in the Garden. Visit with Tom at his website: www.allergyfree-gardening.com

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