The Red Headed Woodpecker Visits a Waterfall in Tiger Gardens

"The gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker is so boldly patterned it’s been called a “flying checkerboard,” with an entirely crimson head, a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings." (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology 'All About Birds')



Guess who came to visit Tiger Gardens on a recent frigid day in January? The wonderfully colored red-headed woodpecker showed up on my waterfall. I was so excited I ran to get my camera and was able to snap a few shots of this beautiful woodpecker in order to document the sighting. You see, these woodpeckers have declined over the past of up to 70% according to Cornell. This decline has been primarily in Florida and the Great Lakes. The decline is in part due to loss of habitat and also due to the fact that once upon a time these woodpeckers were so abundant that bounties were placed on their heads and they were also often hit by cars. I was telling a local friend that one of these red headed woodpeckers had come to visit and she said she has them all over the place on her property just down the road. I guess the population of red headed woodpeckers in this part of Tennessee is pretty healthy based on her sightings.



I am so happy to find not only this woodpecker in Tiger Gardens but also a yellow bellied sapsucker, and small woodpeckers such as downy and hairy woodpeckers. All woodpeckers eat insects and add to the biodiversity of the garden. The red-headed woodpecker will actually eat mice! All the better for Tiger Gardens!


This is not the first time the waterfall has attracted neat and wonderful birds but this is the first time I was able to capture the visit in photos....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Green Grass and Babies

BY SKEETER

A few weeks ago it was Rye Grass Seed Scattering day here in my Georgia Gardens.

A few weeks later, we have green grass!

At this point, the young Rye Grass blends in with the St. Augustine and Centipede grasses which still have some color in our lawn. Can you see where our resident Mole has been busy at the bottom of the picture? Grrrrrr, you little stinker.



I love the green color to grass year round thus, we spread the Rye seed each Fall.

On Tuesday, I heard a hammering sound outside. Thinking it was my handy neighbor working on a project in the yard, I just ignored the sounds. After about 30 minutes or so, I decided to investigate a bit closer. Lookie what I spotted.

A female Pileated Woodpecker hard at work. Not sure if she was just enjoying a meal or making a nest. I am pulling for the nest as it would be awesome to witness the progress of GREEN GRASS AND BABIES, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Feeding the Birds in the Summer

Feeding the birds in the wintertime is a no-brainer for most people, but feeding them in the summer is not as widespread it seems. It is a shame too because summertime feeding of birds is so much more rewarding.

I've always fed the hummers in the summer and allowed the plants to feed other birds. Well, like always I put out my hummingbird feeders this summer but they were quickly inundated with ants! Since my hummingbird feeders were mounted to my porch and a second story window, ants were a bit too close to the inside of the house for comfort, so I sought to find another way to feed not only the hummers but all birds. I wanted a station that was convenient and pretty. I think I've found it. The above feeding station is made from a pole (purchased from Heimonsohn Salvage for about $2), and some old hay rake tines. I found these hay rake tines at a roadside stand off from Ashland City Road here in Clarksville. I think they are fairly common but I'd been unable to locate them until recently. I set the pole in concrete, added the hay rakes, and hung my bird feeders and what a busy place it has turned out to be! I think the total cost of the station was a grand total of $20, not including the bird feeders and food. A pretty good investment really.

I can watch this station from inside of the house. Of course I don't get the close up views that I did when the feeders were hung from the porch, but I did leave one type of feeder on the porch, a suet feeder. I was under the impression you should not put out suet in the summer since the temperature was so hot it would melt the suet. Well, it turns out that is not so. I left a suet block out front and I tell you it is as busy as the feeding station. There were three woodpeckers on it at one time recently. I could not believe it. Cardinals, finches, and woodpeckers are the main diners, but the occasional chickadee fits in a bite or two as well. This suet feeder is within 5 feet of my living room window and I can see it clearly when sitting and relaxing. I recently taped a woodpecker feeding on the suet, complete with background noise in the form of a television. I thought I'd share the video with you all....

in the garden....enjoying the birds.

Garden Birdbath issues

As you all know by now, we enjoy birds in our gardens. We have 5 birdbaths in various spots to welcome our feathered friends.

I don't know why they call them birdbaths as the birds in our yard seem to drink from them more so then bath in the water.

A Pileated Woodpecker was a recent visitor to one such watering hole. This was a treat as we have never seen the Pileated in the birdbath taking a drink before.


During the summer months, the baths can get dirty with frequent use.

So I (in this picture, the Saint) pour out the old water and clean the birdbaths to ensure fresh water for healthier birds.

Birds provide us a service by eating tons of bugs thus healthier plants and flowers in the gardens.

Another bonus is the beautiful music the birds sing for me as I work in the gardens.

Algae will grow quickly in the humid days of summer.

The calender still says spring but the hot steamy 100 degree days say something differently here in Georgia. So we are filling the baths in the morning and evenings right now to satisfy many different visitors.

We brush away the algae, bird poo and other gunk that forms from frequent use. Then rinse with fresh water and dump once again.

The watering jug comes in handy for this process so I don't need to drag out the garden hose.

The fresh water is ready for the next visitor to include raccoon and deer during the night time hours.

The only problem with this cleaning method is that a rut forms below the birdbath with a waterfall effect from the dirty water being poured out. This is not a problem with the bath you see pictured as it is in a wooded area.


However, this is a problem in the Flower Garden. This was a problem that needed solving. I thought of putting flowers below but feared they would get too much moisture or be damaged from the waterfall effect. I also tried using pine straw mulch below only to have the dirt underneath rise to the surface and cause a messy look and still had ruts to deal with.

I finally came up with a solution while recently reworking my flower garden..


I put a frog statue below the birdbath and added some additional stones to hide the statue's base.

Keeping with the frog theme, I placed a Frog/Toad house beside the pedestal of the bath.





I planted some marigolds (they were not blooming at time of posting) and placed a colorful butterfly stake into the ground for additional color to the area.



When I tilt the water basin, the water falls below on the frog statue thus breaking up the waterfall effect.

No more ruts in the ground below my birdbath!




This solution did not cost me a penny as I already had all the items scattered about in other areas of the garden. I just joined them together to form the perfect solution to my little problem.




I often sit at the garden bench nearby and watch the birds taking a sip of water or splashing about in the cool clean water.








I provide fresh water for the birds and they in return keep the bug population to a minimum.

I think this is a pretty good trade off so I will continue to solve Garden Birdbath issue as they arise, In the Garden...