This month’s winter storm was incredibly harsh for American Woodcocks, but things seem to be getting better. Ron Shields sent these shots of a Woodcock on Disposal Road on Tuesday feeding on one of at least 10 earthworms. Ron writes that the plowed shoulder of the road, its southern exposure and the bright sunlight resulted in thawed conditions beneficial to ground feeding.
Beautiful Spring weather is just about here and diehard gardeners, including myself, can’t wait to get outside and get their hands and shovels into the dirt. But before we do that it is very important that we recognize and understand that our backyard gardens are in reality wildlife habitats.
In fact there are many scientists that believe that if we are to save migrating birds, butterflies and pollinators, we will need to change the way we think about our gardens and transform our old ways of gardening into new methods that keep wildlife in mind.