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Out My Backdoor: Hummingbirds Also Provide July Fireworks
By Terry W. Johnson
If you are like most hummingbird enthusiasts during the past few weeks, you have probably asked yourself, where are the hummingbirds?
I wish I had a good answer. However, I can tell you this: Just as the nighttime skies were illuminated with fireworks on the Fourth of July, I am equally certain that hummingbird numbers will soon explode in your backyard.
Out My Backdoor: Red Buckeye -- a Hummingbird Favorite
By Terry W. Johnson
If you ask a hummingbird enthusiast to name the flowers they plant for hummingbirds, more than likely they will reel off the names of plants such as Lady In Red salvia, lantana, pineapple sage, Turk's cap and coral honeysuckle, to name but a few.
Out My Backdoor: The Scouts Are Here!
By Terry W. Johnson
For more years than I care to remember, I have vainly tried to entice purple martins to nest in my yard. Each year during the late winter or early spring, a handful of purple martins magically appear at my martin house.
When these early migrants show up, my hopes run high that this will be the year I will become a purple martin landlord. My high expectations are dashed in a few days when the birds disappear, never to return.
Out My Backdoor: Helping Birds Survive Winter's Worst
By Terry W. Johnson
It was only recently that an Arctic Clipper laden with a full cargo of frigid weather sailed into the Peach State this winter. Of course, when cold dominates our weather we have the luxury of taking refuge in cozy abodes. When we do venture outside, we don heavy winter coats, hats and gloves to ward off the cold.
At best, frigid weather is little more than an inconvenience to most of us.
Out My Backdoor: America’s Long Love Affair with Ruby-throats
By Terry W. Johnson
We Americans have harbored a long-standing love affair with the ruby-throated hummingbird. This affection is so widespread that, without any hesitation, I would say this feathered sprite is the most popular bird in the Georgia.
With that in mind, I have often wondered just how long we have been enamored with this flying dynamo.
Out My Backdoor: Let It Snow? Winter Pros and Cons for Wildlife
By Terry W. Johnson
A few weeks ago when snow sifted down out of leaden skies and first covered much of the state with a stark white blanket, Georgians were filled with mixed emotions.
Out My Backdoor: Waking up Your Backyard in Winter
Terry W. Johnson
For most of us, Dec. 21 came and went without much fanfare; it was simply just another day. However, in the grand scheme of things, it was very important because it was the shortest day of the year and marked the end of fall and the onset of winter.
Out My Backdoor: Winter Robins
The American robin is inexorably linked to spring. This is because many Americans believe that after a long, cold and bleak winter, the appearance of a robin in their backyard is a sure sign that winter’s icy grip on the land is weakening and spring is just around the corner.
