​Borough Birds 5
by Sam Ashburner
 
Pileated Woodpecker - One of the coolest birds in our area and certainly my favorite of them all. The pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. Both sexes can be 19 inches long with a wingspan up to 29 inches. Mostly black overall with white stripes on their head and neck, topped with a flaming red crest. Their bill is long and looks just like a chisel. In flight, their bright white underwings are very noticeable and makes them easier to follow.
 
I have seen many pileated woodpeckers on the Woodland Trail moving from tree to tree in search of food and nesting spots. When a nest spot is found, both sexes will drill out a rectangular hole in dead trees and set up shop. There are many of these rectangular holes in trees along the Woodland Trail (Rochdale to N. Valley in particular). Pileated woodpeckers will forage for insects on and inside live and dead trees. Their favorite food is carpenter ants, which make up over 50% of their diet. This species became rare in Eastern North America with clearing of forests centuries ago, but has gradually increased in numbers again since the beginning of the 20th century. Pileated woodpeckers seem to have found a safe home in Roosevelt. I have seen and heard them in yards and the surrounding woods.
 
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak - This is an uncommon bird for Roosevelt that was recently spotted by Tim Hartley! Central Jersey is listed as an “uncommon breeding area” for the rose-breasted grosbeak which is normally spotted only in the northern part of the state. Males are black and white with a vivid red patch extending from the throat down the middle of the breast. Females and immatures are brown and heavily streaked, with a whitish stripe over the eye. Males flash pink-red under the wings and females flash yellow in flight. Both sexes are about the size of a robin. Their large, triangular bill is made for opening seeds and chomping insects.
 
In areas where they are common, Grosbeaks can often be found at neighborhood feeders in search of sunflower seeds. The male’s song has been described as “sweet with rising and falling notes” and as “an improved version of the Robin’s song”. They are not the best nest builders though, and many reports note that they can be “so thin and flimsy that the eggs are visible from below.” Thank you to Tim Hartley for bringing this wonderful songbird to our attention during a recent Environmental Commission meeting.
 
Scarlet Tanager - A true brake slammer here. The scarlet tanager is common enough in New Jersey during its breeding season (summer) but they are notoriously difficult to spot because they stay high up in the tree canopy. These birds are blood red with deep black wings and tail. In the fall, the male’s feathers turn to a green-yellow color and they migrate to South America. Females remain a green-yellow color throughout the year.
 
The scarlet tanager is a small, stocky songbird with a large, short bill for cracking open seeds and catching insects. Scarlet tanagers breed in mixed deciduous-evergreen forests in eastern North America. While breeding, they remain secretive and do not leave the forest. During migration, they move through a broader variety of forest and shrubby habitats, as well as backyards.
 
 
 
Questions? Comments? Concerns? BoroughBirds@gmail.com
To learn more about birds in our area, I suggest visiting allaboutbirds.com and downloading the Merlin app (both from The Cornell Lab). To learn even more about birds in our area, I suggest attending Roosevelt Environmental Commission meetings every third Wednesday of the month.

​Black-eyed Susans
            By Steve Taylor
 
This month’s article highlights a native species that we need to encourage, the Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta).
 
You probably know about Black-eyed Susans.  They are hardy natives with yellow daisy flowers and brown/black centers.  They are ‘cousins’ of the Coneflowers (Echinacea), the topic of the June article.  There are about 25 related Rudbeckia species, all native to North America.  Hirta, from the Latin hirsutae, refers to hairy stems and leaves.  These help make the plants unpalatable to deer.  Sometimes called Gloriosa Daisies, Black-eyed Susans are short-lived perennials, if they are happy.  They may bloom in their first year.  Plants are usually 2-3 feet tall, but die back to a rosette of leaves at ground level to overwinter.  Black-Eyed Susans are not fussy about soil unless it is really wet.  They are plants of open spaces and need at least 4 hours of full sun to do well; more would be better.  Plants start flowering in June and continue throughout the summer and early fall.  Black-Eyed Susans are favorites of nectar seeking bees and butterflies.  The seeds are a treat for birds in the autumn.  Plants frequently reseed, and in so doing they find the places in your garden that they like best.  Mine have reseeded, maintaining sizable presence for 20 years. 
 
Seeds and plants are commercially available online and at local garden supply stores.  Selected varieties may have larger flowers, double flowers, richer colors or bicolor-banded flowers. 
 
‘Becky Mixed’ - Lemon-yellow, golden-yellow, dark red, and reddish-brown.
‘Cherokee Sunset’ - Semi-double to fully double bloom, All-American Selections and Fleuroselect award winner in 2012
‘Cherry Brandy’ – Dark red petals
‘Indian Summer’ - Classic Black-eyed Susan, All-America Selections winner in 1995.
‘Irish Eyes’ - Yellow petals and green centers
‘Kelvedon Star’ - Golden petals with deep brown band toward the center
‘Maya’ - Double flowers look like chrysanthemums, Fleuroselect Gold Medal award winner
‘Moreno’ - Burgundy and orange flower petals
‘Prairie Sun’ - Orange and yellow flowers and green centers
‘Sonora’ - Bright yellow flowers.
‘Toto’ - Dwarf
 
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac Black-eyed Susans symbolize Justice.  What better reason to plant some!
 
References:
 
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277225
https://www.thespruce.com/rudbeckia-varieties-1315800
 

by Steve Taylor
 
This month’s article highlights a native species that we should encourage, coneflowers (Echinacea). 
 
Coneflowers are native perennial daises, and although they are not native to New Jersey, these midwestern flowers are favorites of pollinators and hummingbirds.  The genus Echinacea gets its name is from the Greek echinos, meaning spine, which it shares with the spiny sea urchin.  The spiny seed heads are a favorite of blue jays, cardinals, and goldfinches.  There are many native coneflower populations throughout central North America.  Just like people who use DNA testing to determine their heritage, scientists have used coneflower DNA to determine that there are ten distinct species.  
 
Most coneflowers have flowers in various shades of purple, except for one with yellow flowers.  It looks much like its distant cousin, the black-eyed Susan.  Coneflowers bloom all summer long.  They are drought tolerant and not fussy about the soil type.  They need sun to bloom well, but will tolerate some shade.  According to Rutgers University, coneflowers are seldom severely damaged by deer.  Numerous selections and hybrids are commercially available as seeds or potted plants.  The color range in these is much greater than that of their wild parents.  There are whites, reds, pinks, oranges and bi-colors.  Choose your hybrids carefully, some of the plants with double flowers don’t provide nectar, and others lack pollen and don’t yield seeds.  The seedlings of others may not resemble their parents.  So, you may be in for a surprise as the plants spread, which adds interest to the garden.  Other selections and hybrids are stable and yield seedlings with similar flowers.  Plant some.  If they are happy, you may even have some to cut and brighten your table. And, the flocks of goldfinches that descend on your garden will be an added joy.
 
 
References:
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea
https://www.jerseyyards.org/plant/echinacea-purpurea/
https://www.thespruce.com/top-coneflower-varieties-1315807
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants/?search=echinacea&submit=Search
​

 by Sam Ashburner
​
Northern Cardinal - This is an easy one, right? The Northern Cardinal is a large songbird with a short, very thick bill, long tail and a prominent crest (like a Mohawk). Male cardinals are very easy to spot with their bright red feathers, while the females are a muted brown all over. Both have an orange-red bill and black feathers immediately surrounding the bill. They will nest in low trees and shrubs and can be found perching here most often. Male Cardinals can be seen feeding females during their breeding season (March to July) and are monogamous. Males will aggressively defend their nesting area from other males. They can often be seen chasing each other through yards at this time of the year. The Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven different states.
 
White-throated Sparrow - The White-throated Sparrow is a large sparrow with a prominent bill, round head and long, thin tail. These Sparrows are mostly grey and brown all over. Their large head is highlighted by both a white throat and a yellow marker near the eye. White-throated Sparrows stay low to the ground, searching through leaves in search of food (seeds and insects mostly). You can also find them in bushes as well, particularly in spring when they eat new buds. These birds are important when it comes to reforesting burnt or destroyed woodlands. Look for them near the Roosevelt Cemetery in particular when those fields are cleared and burnt each year.
 
Red Bellied Woodpecker - One of the most common woodpeckers around Roosevelt and very easy to spot. I have observed this bird many times on the Woodland Trail in particular. The Red Bellied Woodpecker has a striking back that is marked with a black and white pattern, a bright red cap and pale belly. Despite the name, their red belly is not often visible while being observed in the wild. Their patterned back and red cap are the distinctive markers to look for. The Red Bellied Woodpecker eats mostly insects found on tree bark but will also eat seeds, berries and nuts. They do not primarily drill into trees for the insects that make up part of their diet. I was surprised to see these birds at my feeders but they will visit now and then. They often make a mess of things because they are slightly too large for most commercial feeders.
 
I have often wondered why woodpeckers do not suffer from head injuries. I found a great article from LiveScience.com that answers this question. Woodpeckers have dense muscles in their neck and skull that provide them with protection against the force of their own drilling. Neck muscles contract while striking a tree to provide the force while muscles surrounding its brain absorb the impact. “These muscles act like a protective helmet for the brain. Unlike the human brain , the woodpecker's brain is tightly confined by muscles in the skull and a compressible bone. This keeps the woodpecker brain from jiggling around when the bird is stabbing away at a tree trunk. A millisecond before making impact, a woodpecker contracts its neck muscles. Then, it closes its thick inner eyelid. The eyelid acts like a seat belt for the eye,” writes Corey Binns of LiveScience.
 
 
 
 
To learn more about birds in our area, I suggest visiting allaboutbirds.com and downloading the Merlin app (both from The Cornell Lab). I also used the article “Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches?” from the LiveScience website for this article.

By Steve Taylor
​
​Continuing our series of articles highlighting the native species that we need to encourage, this month we spotlight the yellow dogtooth violet, aka yellow adder's tongue or yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum).
 
Dogtooth violets are small lilies, native to eastern North America.  Single nodding yellow flowers on approximately 5-inch stems appear in mid-April in Roosevelt.  The plant is happy in moist semi-shade and humus rich soil, but it will also do well in our sandy soil.  Its mottled leaves resemble the mottled skin of trout, hence the name.   Since the leaves die off during the summer, summer shade is not a problem, but good light in the spring is needed for a good bloom.  Young and crowded plants may only grow a single leaf and no flowers.  Too little light has the same effect.  The plants grow from tiny bulbs that grow surprisingly deep in the ground.  The tooth-like shape of the white underground bulb resembles a dog’s tooth, hence the plant’s other name. These plants are stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems, forming colonies.  Years ago there was a large patch covering about 100 square feet on a back road north of route 33.  Sad to say, I have not seen it recently.  It was quite impressive in bloom.
 
The yellow dogtooth violet has about 20 relatives in North America.  In addition to yellow, there are also purple, pink, red and white flowered species.  Some of these are commercially available.   The Pagoda dogtooth violet (Erythronium pagoda), a hybrid of two west coast species is frequently available and a bit more robust that our local native.  It also has yellow flowers, but the leaves are a uniform pale green and it does not spread.  Rutgers lists Erythronium as “seldom severely damaged” by deer.  Give these cheery little spring bloomers a try.
 
 
 
References:
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythronium_americanum
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERAM5
 
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants/

By Steve Taylor
 
Continuing our series of articles highlighting the native species that we need to encourage, this month we spotlight the Buttonbush.
 
The Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a deciduous native bush/small tree that can be found in Roosevelt.  Sometimes called button-willow or honey-bells, it grows throughout the eastern half of the US.  It is usually found in wetlands in sun or part-shade.  It will also do well in upland situations as long as they are moist.  If you are thinking of planting a rain garden, this is the plant for you.  The plant gets its name from the flowers that form a dense one-inch spherical cluster.  The long-lasting, unusual blossoms are white or pale-pink.  These fragrant flowers are a favorite of bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies starting in June.  The seed heads that follow provide food for birds.  If you collect seeds in November and plant them, they will germinate in about 2 weeks.  No special treatment is required. 
 
The plant can grow up to 20 feet tall, but if it gets out of hand, you can cut it back and it will re-sprout from the base.  There are also varieties specifically selected for their more restrained habit.  The leaves are toxic to livestock, but not toxic enough to prevent deer from browsing on them.  Its deer resistance is rated as high.
 
Some of the commercially available varieties are:
Sputnik grows 8 to 10 feet high with a rounded habit.  Its glossy green leaves turn yellow in the fall.
Sugar Shack™ grows only 3 to 4 feet high with reddish tipped foliage.  It has reddish fruit.
Keystone is a vigorous selection from the USDA.
Fiber Optics grows about 5 feet high and bears 1½ inch wide flower heads.
 
Be on the lookout for Buttonbush on the Roosevelt’s Ron Filepp Woodland Trail between Rochdale and Tamara.
 
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalanthus_occidentalis
 
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ceoc2

Eurasian Magpie – A loud, flashy bird that appears to be just black and white until you get closer. Up close, the black feathers are really a dark blue and green color that flashes in the sunlight (similar to a Grackle). In adults, over 50% of their body length is made up of their tail which bounces up and down as they prod the grass for insects. Their belly and scapulars (shoulder feathers) are bright white. Like Blue Jays, the magpie is loud and bossy. They chat with each other both in flight and while stationary. The magpie is part of the corvid family which includes ravens and crows. They are known to be very intelligent, not just among birds but all animals. They have demonstrated mirror self-recognition, elaborate social rituals, the use of tools and episodic memory. There are some great videos on YouTube where you can observe the intelligence of corvids.

Common Moorhen – A medium sized bird (picture a small duck) that loves fresh water and brackish marshes and can be seen wading through them eating aquatic vegetation, snails and small insects. Overall, the Moorhen is black or charcoal grey with a few white feathers on the wings and tail. Its distinctive feature is a red bill and forehead that really catch the eye. Its yellow legs and toes also stand out. The Moorhen’s large toes allow it to walk on soft mud and floating vegetation in search of food. Despite not having webbed toes, the Moorhen is an excellent swimmer.

Eurasian Coot – Kind of similar to the Common Moorhen but the Eurasian Coot has a white, red eyes and is a bit smaller. The Coot also has a black or charcoal grey body, long toes and is found in similar environments. Like the Moorhen, the bill and forehead really stand out except the Coot has a white bill and forehead.

Grey Heron – The Grey Heron is very similar to the Blue Heron we have here in New Jersey. Tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathers, the grey heron is easy to spot. Like herons here at home, the grey heron is often found alone at the water’s edge waiting for fish. In flight, its long legs dangle below and its wings flap slowly. In addition to eating fish, herons will also eat small birds such as ducklings and Coots. Herons are often found in wetland habitats where fish are plentiful. When they breed, herons gather in a colony and build their nests in trees.

Great White Pelican – The first great white pelican was introduced to St. James Park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian Ambassador. Since then, over 40 pelicans have called the park their home. The pelicans are so revered that they each receive a name. Currently, St. James Park has 6 pelicans (Isla, Tiffany, Gargi, Sun Moon and Star). They congregate mostly on one side of the pond where large rocks have been added as a basking area for the pelicans as well as other birds. They are fed fresh fish every day by park employees. The great white pelican is a large white bird with a yellow-orange throat pouch, pink bare skin near the eyes and pink legs. In flight, darker feathers can be seen under the wings. These pelicans do not stray far from St. James Park but have been known to fly to London Zoo to steal fish. They are friendly but have been known to eat a pigeon or two (once on live TV). The pelicans of St. James Park were a major surprise to us; I suggest searching online for more information about this historical scoop of pelicans.
​
To learn more about birds in our area (and abroad), I suggest visiting allaboutbirds.com and downloading the Merlin app (both from The Cornell Lab). Additional sources used for this article: The Guardian newspaper, BeautyofBirds.com, royalparks.org, Londonist.com and LondonBirders.com

​By Steve Taylor
 
Continuing our series of articles highlighting the native species that we need to encourage, this month we spotlight the Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).
 
Northern Spicebush is a deciduous native shrub of the laurel family.  It can be found in eastern North America, from New York to Ontario and south to Kansas and Texas.  It is relatively common in moist, rich woods throughout its range.   It grows about 8 – 12 ft tall.  Spicebush is dioecious (plants are either male or female), so that both sexes are needed to produce red fruits with viable seeds.  In Roosevelt, plants bloom in early April before the leaves appear.  The fragrant yellow flowers are not large, but they are numerous.  The leaves and stems are aromatic.  For those who know a little chemistry, the species name benzoin does not refer to the chemical benzoin, but it refers to its similarity to the balsamic resin benzoin.  A few cultivars have been selected, but they are not readily available, and the plant is not particularly suited to landscaping.  It does not transplant well from the wild.  However, if you have one, take care of it.  Spicebush is the larval host of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Spicebush Swallowtail.  Following a brief display of golden foliage in the fall, the seeds and red fruit provide winter food for birds.  Thrushes especially favor the fruit.  There are reports that spicebush is resistant to deer browsing, but our deer seem to relish it.  Next time you are on the trails, keep an eye out for our spicebushes.
​
References:
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindera_benzoin
 
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=libe3