Meredith is a hot mess’s Reviews > Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils > Status Update

The Pileated woodpecker was in my backyard, though they typically go to wooded areas with old hardwood trees.

One website said that's one reason to get rid of invasive honeysuckle taking over wooded areas -- with that heavy shrubbery that takes over trees? The woodpeckers avoid those areas.

We have doves,

then I saw a Pileated woodpecker -

I hadn't seen one of those in forever looked it up

I'm such an old lady. I just want to be at home reading my bodice rippers and watching birds in my backyard.

I am interested though - more in common backyard bird breeds. Some of them seem to work together as allies, others are enemies

Male cardinal is checking in on the nest - but being territorial. I thought there might still be eggs, but I saw a baby chick reach out to eat a worm the Mamma cardinal brought

I know some bird breeds work together? So I'm wondering about the chickadee

This afternoon they all fought off a couple blue jays attacking the nest

Weeks later I see the cardinal jump up a crepe myrtle tree, look down - he's looking down at a nest.

The next day I see the female laying in the nest.

The red cardinal disappears for a few days. A couple days ago I see the female cardinal, male cardinal, and a chickadee (?) all fly in together

There's drama going on in my backyard.

I discovered a cardinal nest - it was after I had seen a cardinal couple a few weeks before (red cardinal feeding gray female cardinal a worm)

I've read the article, it's interesting - something to keep in mind, but I'm reminded the importance of getting an expert opinion from someone who is locally qualified to give advice on a specific region -

At the start of the growing season, a litter-free soil will warm up faster and receive more light, stimulating seed germination and advancing the start of the growing season. Easily dispersing annual species are well adapted to rapidly colonise such disturbed soils (Grime 2001; Wilson & Tilman 2002). The short life cycle of annuals enables the colonisation of regularly disturbed plots by litter raking.

However, another mechanism involves enrichment of the forest floor by nutrients from animal excrements during winter. If litter is removed in autumn, these nutrients are added directly to the soil and are readily available during the growing season. Under a regime of spring raking, however, animal excrements — mixed in with litter during the winter period — are removed from the system