Category: Urban

As I sit on the back deck, I listen to the myriad sounds in the backyard.  Bird, insect, and mammal visitors make daily forays among our many plants.  We have bird feeders and fresh water available each morning. 

Many backyard visitors including robins, chipmunks, cedar waxwings, and sparrows have been keeping close watch on the Amelanchier tree.  Small green fruits appeared a few weeks ago, and ripened to a bright, cheery red after ten days.  However, the birds did not wait that long to test the taste.  Dozens of fruits ripen daily, but most are gone by the next day.  Amelanchier, also called serviceberry, is a sub-family of the Rosaceae family.  There are 28 species native to the United States.  Small, deciduous, multi or single stemmed trees, they bear pome, a fleshy fruit with several seed chambers, that is a favorite for many species. 

A cardinal has perched on the back fence next to our shade garden to “kip kip” at me about the lack of food.  I feed the birds every year, providing thistle in a hanging net feeder, suet in a cage, and woodpecker mix in an open tray.  Cardinals eat both early morning and late evening from the tray, but with the widespread reports of avian bird flu in May, we stopped feeding for several weeks.  I am sure my friend has read the calendar and thinks the time is right for resuming putting his treats out!

Next to the cardinal, the foliage on an elderberry in the back of the shade garden looks green and lush.  This plant is a favorite food for sawfly larvae, which consumes the foliage leaving only the leaf ribs behind.  A sawfly larva appears as a short, fat, white worm, and can be picked off by hand and thrown into a bucket of water to dispose of them.  Be careful not to simply knock them off onto the ground, for they will quickly find their way back up the stems and into the foliage once again.

A natural pond surrounded by native forbs and grasses is at our yard’s back edge.  Red-winged blackbirds are everywhere along the edges.  This year we are watching two nests hidden deep in the foliage directly behind our house.  Known for being aggressive birds during breeding season, they are being chased away by the cardinals.  Cardinals are considered non-aggressive, but can be more than a match for the red-wing blackbirds when breeding territories between the two species overlap. 

Another bird bothersome to the blackbird is the great blue heron that come to the pond for the small fish.  Every time one shows up, the red-winged blackbird harasses it by flying directly at it and banging into it with a claw or beak.  Male redwings rarely show signs of tiring while performing guard duties, and the herons may put up with this for several minutes, but eventually leave the pond.

A house sparrow family, living in one of the shade garden birdhouses, is making a racket to drive away a fox squirrel that has gotten too close to their nest.  House sparrows are monogamous and mate for life.  In the central U.S., two batches of four to five eggs are typically laid during the summer.  In our birdhouse, the first batch of eggs hatched about a week ago.  The young birds will remain in the nest for two to three weeks.  During that time, the male and female share feeding and guard duty. 

I also hear bullfrogs calling, sounding a deep bass ‘jug-a-rum’ at any hour to attract a mate.  There are several males in our pond, and as the summer heats up, and we have less rain, the pond gets a little crowded.  Adults are solitary and a great splashing noise signals the meeting of two males, each aggressively defending their part of the pond.  After mating, females lay 10,000 to 20,000 eggs in a gelatinous mass on the pond’s surface.  Tadpoles hatch in four to five days, and those that survive will overwinter in the pond for one to two years before metamorphosizing into adults.

There are numerous animals in Illinois that have very successfully made the transition to living among people.  Let’s take a look at a few that can be seen in the area as well as in our own backyards.

The striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, has some very noticeable characteristics, yet it is one of the least noticed mammals roaming our urban areas.  Skunks have highly visible black and white stripes across their back and tail.  Skunks are omnivores, eating both plants and animals including seeds, insects, small mammals and carrion.  They are also opportunists with an excellent sense of smell allowing them to easily find pet food and bird seed put out by humans.  While searching for grubs, one of their favorite foods, skunks can cause considerable lawn damage when tearing up grass in well-watered areas.  They are nocturnal and have few natural predators.  When threatened or attacked, skunks have the ability to spray an oily musk from two glands located near the base of their tails.  A skunk can aim and spray up to ten feet, and the odor is pungent enough to be detectable up to one-and-a-half miles.  Tomato juice neutralizes the odor and may help to remove it from clothes, hair and pets.  Striped skunks are intelligent and usually good natured.  Skunks have been sold as pets in some states, although Illinois is not one of those.  They can live about seven years in the wild and up to ten years in captivity.

The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, lives in a wide range of habitats, and has been steadily moving into urban areas over the last 30-50 years.  The red fox’s preferred habitat is open woodlands, but they will also reside in urban environments, especially those that are close to forest preserves or other wooded areas.  They are omnivores, and their preferred prey includes fruit, rabbits, birds, mice and other small rodents.  Their home range is 1 to 2 square miles, with most dens found in sunny woodland areas.  Human habitation close to any wooded area such as large city parks, forest preserves or company campuses provide great hunting and feeding opportunities.  Red fox are also moving into urban areas where there is less competition with coyotes for food as well as less likelihood of themselves becoming prey to coyotes.

The Raccoon, Procyon lotor,  has been aggressively moving into city and suburban areas over the last 80 years.  Studies at York University, Toronto, have shown that raccoons are very intelligent animals and able to learn to avoid the many dangers and obstacles found in a human dominated environment.  They have five toes on their front paws, all of which are nimble and have great dexterity, allowing them to feel objects and learn how the object works.  Raccoons are good at puzzle solving, providing ample opportunities for opening latches, entering garages, attics and pet doors, and getting into various food containers including trash cans, pet food and bird seed containers.  They eat a wide range of food including insects, bird seed, trash, pet food, fruits, fish and bird eggs.  Raccoons are nocturnal, active at night and sleeping most of the day.  Raccoons can cause considerable lawn damage, digging for grubs and earthworms in well-watered areas.  They can also be destructive in the home garden, consuming fruits and vegetables before they are fully ripe.  Some of their favorites include corn, grapes and berries.

The Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, a relative newcomer to northeastern Illinois, is found in large open patches.  Bald Eagles have been seen in great numbers in Illinois for many years, but usually they are found during winter, feeding along the Mississippi River, one of their favorite flyways and a great source of fish through the colder months of the year.  In the last twenty years, they have been observed in increasing numbers within the suburban areas of northeastern Illinois.  Nesting pairs staying throughout the year have been documented in Palos Park, Lake Calumet, and Lake County as well as several other areas with large lakes.  The many lakes and rivers in northeastern Illinois support large fish populations, providing an abundant food supply.  Eagles’ preferred nesting sites are high up, in large trees, overlooking a favorite hunting area.  There are many towns, parks and forest preserves with programs to save and preserve older trees and woodland areas, providing excellent nesting opportunities.

These are just a few examples chosen from many showing us how wild species living in this area for many years are adapting to humans.  Trees, pollinator gardens, woodlands, open spaces, lakes, ponds, marshes and streams all play an important part in meeting our need for natural areas for recreation and aesthetics.  These areas also support insects, small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and larger animals, with a well-developed food chain and plenty of places to live in.  Everyone can help maintain these patches of natural area at home by creating new habitat and protecting existing habitat on their property.  Whenever you have an opportunity, work with city, county and state  officials to improve public lands for wildlife. 

Backyards provide year-round habitat for many smaller animals.  Many species will spend an entire season in this area when summer and winter requirements are met.  In addition, migratory species may use backyards for stopover points to rest and feed.  Trees and shrubs provide cover for protection, resting spots for migration, and housing areas for seasonal or year-round inhabitants.  Pollinator plants, trees and gardens, free of pesticides, provide a great variety of food for various species.  Clean water, a necessity for all species, can be provided in an array of different ways including ponds, birdbaths, fountains, and streams.  As more of these elements are connected together, such as several backyards comprising a larger area, these elements can provide habitat for a greater number of species for us to enjoy.