Habitat DescriptionHabitat, Habitat, Habitat.... If you plant it, they will come. To attract wildlife
to your garden you must provide:
Food - in the form of plants (nectar,
berry, and nut producing) and/or feeders.
Shelter/Cover/Nesting Sites - Evergreens are especially important for wintering Hummingbirds and natives are preferred nesting
sites. Nest boxes can also be a pleasing addition to the garden or dead trees and limbs can
be left standing.
Water - from a large pond to a birdbath, but dripping or moving
water is most appealing.
Our property is a registered National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat (number 21325). We do everything possible to keep it natural and wild since natural wildlife habitats in the area are being destroyed at such a rapid pace. You don’t have to have a large piece of property, even a small backyard can become a sanctuary for wild creatures. |
||
![]() |
A Day on Hummingbird HillA typical day begins with the feeding of the birds and animals. Sunflower seeds and cracked corn are distributed among a dozen different feeding stations near the house and the suet feeders are also filled. We use about 75 pounds of black oil sunflower seed and cracked corn each week. Our 15+ hummingbird feeders are also checked and observed. We use from 2 to 5 pounds of sugar each week for these. A walk to the river is next on the agenda and a dozen more feeding stations are checked and filled. In addition to our regular activities, a typical Post-Katrina
day includes cutting up and moving some of the 100 mature pine,
black cherry, oak and hickory trees that were downed by the hurricane
force winds and tornadoes. Clearing trails and repairing feeding
stations and nest boxes are other Post-Katrina activities. |
|
![]() |
|
|
A Pine Warbler visits a suet feeder.
|
|
We maintain a trail of 25 nest boxes, most of which we built ourselves. The majority of the boxes are standard bluebird boxes that were constructed according to plans from the North American
Bluebird Society and were erected with predator baffles. Four are larger boxes that were designed for wood ducks. During
the breeding season, from late February to August, each box is checked on a weekly basis and a detailed record is kept of the progress of each nesting
pair. To date our boxes have been used
by bluebirds, chickadees, tufted titmice, Carolina
wrens, Prothonotary warblers, great crested flycatchers, wood ducks, screech owls, and flying squirrels.
|
For
more info about building your own nest box trail, visit our Squidoo
lens:
|
|
|
Visit
our Prothonotary
Warbler Squidoo
lens, to find more information about
these fascinating birds.
![]()
|
|
|
|
A female Prothonotary Warbler exits her nest box.
|
A bluebird fledges
|
|
![]() |
|
|
|
|
Tiger Swallowtail on Mexican Sunflower
|
Plants That Provide Flowers To Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
Huckleberry
|
Red Buckeye
|
Sulphur Butterfly on Firespike
|
|
Early Spring and Summer
|
Fall and Winter
|
||
|
Taiwan Cherry Tree (Prunus campanulata.) |
Texas Sage
(Salvia coccinea)
|
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans |
Spotted
Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
|
| Huckleberry / blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) | Anise Sage (Salvia guaranitica) | Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) | Blazing
Star Liatris pycnostachya |
| Redbud (Cercis Canadensis) | Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) | Sultan's Turban (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) | Winter shrimp plant (Justicia spp.) |
| Japanese Magnolia (Magnolia X soulangiana) | Fire bush (Hamelia patens) | Sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua) | Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) |
| Old fashioned camellias (Camellia japonica) | Button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) | Formosa lily (Lillium formosanum phillipinense) | Red maple Maple (Acer rubrum) |
| Native azalea (Rhododendron canescens) | Citrus spp. | Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) | Loquat, Japanese Plum (Eriobotrya japonica) |
| Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) | Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) |
Cardinal
Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
|
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana - Hamamelidaceae) |
| Coral bean (Erythrina herbacea) | Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) | Firespike (Odontonema strictum) | Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) |
| Cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) | Ham & eggs lantana (Lantana camara) |
Flowering Maple (Abutilon spp.) | Sweet Olive (Osmanthus frangrans) |
| Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus) | Trumpet Creeper vine (Campsis radicans) | Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) | |
|
Current Projects
~ Participating in a banding study (conducted
by Linda Beall, a local bander) to collect data about the breeding habits of ruby throated
hummingbirds and the migration behavior of several western species of
hummingbirds. Click on the photo to see more about Hummingbird
Banding and for photos of the hummingbirds.
~ Constructing nest boxes for cavity dwellers,
especially wood ducks, screech owls, Prothonotary warblers and bluebirds.
~ Preserving the beauty and cleanliness
of the Little Tchefuncte River and Pruden Creek and restoring our habitat
to pre-Katrina condition.
~ Planting and maintaining several butterfly
and hummingbird gardens.
~ Planting and preserving Native Plants with the other members of the Folsom Native Plant Society. ~ Recording information about and photographing
the many box turtles that roam the habitat.
|
|
|
~ You may also want to visit one of our
newest projects, our Naturally
Native Creations Gallery and our Cafepress
Shop to see our nature related creations and designs, including
cards, official postage stamps, mugs, T-shirts, calendars, posters and
much more. Put Your Mouse on the hummingbird to see a Hummingbird Kiss. |
|
Check
Out Our Other Informational Nature Related Pages
|
|
|
|
|
Let us know what you think. |
|