Wildlife & Nature

For Information & More Photos of the Birds Below:

The following links lead to some wonderful photos of birds and a great deal of information, courtesy of the U. S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey, and Patuxent Wildlife Research Center:

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/pictlist.html

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/infocenter.html

The last one provides a list; you can click on a bird and get not only a photo, but also a wealth of information about the bird and its habitat, as well as a sound clip, in some cases, of its song.

Birds of Franklin County - Then and Now

The Smith's Longspur

The Smith's Longspur regularly winters as far south as Franklin County. Its summer home ranges from the west side of Hudson Bay to the northern slopes of Alaska. The birds usually migrate in small flocks.

The Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle can be over 3 feet long with a wing span of 8 feet. The eagle will most likely be seen near Lake Cypress Springs in the winter.

The Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey can grow up to 4 feet long. Franklin County is the westernmost boundary of their southern habitat. Their habitat is brushy woodland edges, forested swamps and open woodlands, all of which is found in Franklin County.

The Passenger Pigeon

Of course, there are no more Passenger Pigeons, but the Old Firestation Museum does have a display of their eggs.

The Barred Owl

The Barred Owl is also known as the "Crazy Owl" for its great variety of strange calls. Experienced birders lure them into view by imitating their simpler calls. They can be almost 2 feet long.

The Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl is common throughout North America year-round. Its call is usually 4 hoots. Squirrels, rabbits, skunks, geese, hawks, and songbirds are on its menu.

The Eastern Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird is fighting against starlings and house sparrow for territory. Monitored bluebird boxes are helping the brightly colored birds make a comeback. You will find them year round in Franklin County.

The Painted Bunting

The Spanish call it the mariposa, or butterfly, for its bright colors. The Painted Bunting is a summer resident of the woods and roadsides in Franklin County. They spend the winters in Florida, Mexico and Guatemala.

The Wood Duck

Hunted almost to extinction for its colorful plumage, the Wood Ducks are rebounding. They favor swamps, ponds and marshes. Usually seen in pairs, they are year-round residents.

The Sprague's Pipit

Sprague's Pipit is a high flyer and singer, marking its territory with song. It prefers plowed fields and shortgrass prairies.

The Indigo Bunting

Summer pastures and forest perimeters make a contrasting background for the bright blue male Indigo Buntings. Although their songs are less than melodic, they sing well into summer.

The Black and White Warbler

The Black and White Warbler is not a shy bird. It is a summer visitor to hardwood and pine forests and is also known as The Black and White Creeping Warbler and the Black and White Nuthatch.

The Carolina Parakeet

The Carolina Parakeet was once common in the southeastern United States. The bird became increasingly scarce as deforestation reduced its habitat. Already rare by the mid-1880s, its last stand was in Florida, where, in 1920, a flock of 30 birds was the last ever seen of the only native parrot of the United States. The Old Firestation Museum has one of the bird's eggs.

Nature

Numerous Prairies

This landscape on the Daphne Prairie hasn't changed since Anthony Glass wrote of it in his journal in 1808; see it off FM Hwy 1896 in Franklin County.

Forests

English Street in Mt. Vernon is one of the recommended birding and nature touring sites for the Parks & Wildlife Prairies and Pinewoods Region. Just off the square in downtown Mt. Vernon.

On Creating a Landscape Friendly to Birds:

B. F. offers these tips scanned from BirdScope, Winter 2007, published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

1. CREATE A SONGBIRD BORDER along a property edge by planting native trees and shrubs that meet the needs of birds throughout the year. Plant one species of thorny tree, such as hawthorn or raspberry, for nesting. Also include evergreens, such as spruce, holly, or juniper, for cover. Plant berry-producing shrubs that will provide fruit throughout the seasons,

2. PLANT LONG-LIVED NATIVE TREES like oaks and maples, where space permits. Such trees can provide food, shelter, and singing perches for birds for centuries.

3. CREATE A BRUSH PILE. Save those downed branches and tree trunks from storm damage and community wood chippers. Songbirds will find shelter from extreme weather in such cover throughout the year.

4. RAKE LEAVES UNDER SHRUBS to create mulch and natural feeding areas for ground-feeding birds. Earthworms, pill bugs, insects, and spiders will thrive in the decomposing leaf mulch, and will in turn be eaten by many songbirds.

5. REMOVE INVASIVE PLANTS from your property. Learn which species are native and which are not. Most invasive species hail from other continents. Because they have no natural predators here, they often form monocultures and crowd out native species. In cottrast, native trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers typically provide a mix of foods that ripen just in time for migrating birds, and offer better nesting sites.

6. REDUCE YOUR LAWN BY AT LEAST 25 PERCENT to favor meadow plants and taller grasses that provide seeds and nesting places for birds. Cut this meadow just once each year and let the remainder of the lawn grow 3 to 4 inches tall before cutting. Avoid lawn pesticides and wasteful sprinklers.

7. CLEAN OUT OLD BIRD AND MOUSE NESTS from nest boxes in early spring. When setting out new nest boxes consider the preferred habitat for a species, as well as the size of the entrance hole and its distance above the ground.

8. CREATE A BATHING AND DRINKING POOL FOR BIRDS by setting out a shallow birdbath or upside-down garbage can lid If there are cats in the area. Place the pool on a pedestal. Clean it frequently with a stiff brush to prevent algae growth, and replace the water every few days to eliminate mosquito larvae. For greater success, add a dripping device.

9. CLEAN TUBE FEEDERS with a bottle brush and a 10 percent solution of non-chlorine bleach solution. Rinse thoroughly and dry in the sun before refilling. Rake up soggy scent from under feeders that could grow deadly mold. Move feeders within three feet of a window to avoid window strikes. At such close distances, birds are less likely to gather lethal momentum when startled. lhe birds will be safer and you'll get a better view!

10. KEEP CATS INDOORS for the safety of both birds and cats. Pet and stray cats kill hundreds of millions of birds in the United States each year, especially in the spring when young songbirds are fledging, often On or near the ground. And cats themselves are safe from cars and predators when kept indoors.