Tag Archives: birds

Intro to Pollinator Gardens…

Conservation, Events, Gardening, Outdoor Fun, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

… is a presentation I’m giving tonight at Thomas Dunn Learning Center.

Following is the text on the handout I’m giving out. It consists of links to get more information, my contact information, Works Cited and resources for learning more.

Link to presentation: http://www.sell66stuff.com/documents/intro_to_pollintator_gardens.pdf

Resource handout for “Intro to Pollinator Gardens”

My contact information:

Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann
chdesign@att.net
chasenfratz.com/wp

https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.hasenfratz

Starter Help

Audubon “Find Bird-Friendly Native Plants” online app. Search by Zip Code. https://www.audubon.org/native-plants

Brightside St. Louis https://www.brightsidestl.org/what-we-do/pollinator-conservation/pollinators-in-peril/

Grow Native! https://grownative.org/

Journey North https://journeynorth.org/

MDC https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/xplor/2017-03/how-plant-pollinator-paradise

Monarch Watch https://www.monarchwatch.org/

Missourians for Monarchs https://moformonarchs.org/

Project Pollinator https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plan-your-visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house/learn-discover-at-the-butterfly-house-/project-pollinator

STL County Pollinator Pantry Guide https://gatewaygardener.com/pollinators/2020-pollinator-planting-guide-expanded-plant-list

St. Louis Wild Ones https://stlwildones.org/

Gardening reference sites I use a lot:

Dave’s Garden https://davesgarden.com/

MU Extension University of Missouri https://extension.missouri.edu/

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/plantfindersearch.aspx

Missouri Conservationist Magazine https://mdc.mo.gov/missouri-conservationist

Missouri Department of Conservation https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide – I recommend the field guide in particular for help with identification.

Mother Earth News https://www.motherearthnews.com/

My Garden Pinterest boards
Personal https://www.pinterest.com/chasenfratz/gardening/
Schnarr’s Hardware https://www.pinterest.com/schnarrdware/

Schnarr’s Hardware Blog Planting Calendar https://schnarrsblog.com/calendar/ – I made this when I worked for Schnarr’s Hardware using data for the St. Louis are from the When to Plant App published by Mother Earth News. I don’t edit it any more but I set the planting times to reoccur every year for as long as the site lasts, I hope.

Tom Volk’s Fungi https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/

The Gateway Gardener https://gatewaygardener.com/

What’s That Bug https://www.whatsthatbug.com/

Works Cited and Further Information

Bulletin, Missouri Botannical Garden.
— “Garden With A Purpose.” Bulletin, Summer 2018, pp. 10-13.
— “Nature for All. Nature Forever.” Bulletin, Spring 2025, pp. 6-12.
— “Protecting Native Plant Species in Missouri.” Bulletin, Summer 2018, p. 6.
— “Restoring Nature.” Bulletin, Winter 2017-2018, pp. 14-15.

Burton, Robert and Stephen W. Kress. The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher. Thunder Bay Press, 1999.

Conservation Federation.
— Eagan, Elizabeth. “Royal Voyagers of the Sky.” Conservation Federation, May 2021, pp. 34-35.
— Jenkins, Jason. “All Efforts Great and Small.” Conservation Federation, July 2017, p. 40.
— Missouri State Parks. “State Parks Encourage Pollinator Populations.” Conservation Federation, July 2017, pp. 50-51.
— Nemecek, Mary. “Missouri Native Bees: Important Pollinators.” Conservation Federation, July 2017, pp. 42-43.

Feltwell, John. The Naturalists Garden. Templar Publishing, 1987.

Houdret, Jessica. Practical Herb Garden: A comprehensive A-Z directory and gardener’s guide to growing herbs successfully. Hermes House, 1999, 2003.

Marlos, Daniel (Bugman). WhatsThatBug.com, 2024, whatsthatbug.com. Accessed 22 April, 2025.

Missouri Botanical Garden, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.

Missouri Bumblebee ATLAS Project, MoBumblebeeAtlas.org

Missouri Conservationist.
— Archer, Larry. “Prairie on the Patio.” Missouri Conservationist, February 2024, pp. 16-21.
— “Ask MDC.” Missouri Conservationist, March 2025, p. 7.
— “Ask MDC.” Missouri Conservationist, January 2021, p. 6.
— “Ask MDC.” Missouri Conservationist, July 2018, p. 6.
— “Ask MDC.” Missouri Conservationist, July 2020, p. 6.
— “Ask MDC.” Missouri Conservationist, September 2017, p. 7.
— Briggler, Malissa. “Violets of Missouri.” Missouri Conservationist, March 2025, pp. 16-21.
— Brunette, Lisa. “Garden of Eatin’.” Missouri Conservationist, April 2025, pp. 16-21.
— Buback, Steve and Alex Morphew. “Chasing the Buzz.” Missouri Conservationist, February 2024, pp. 10-15.
— Chasteen, Bonnie. “Insects in Need.” Missouri Conservationist, May 2021, pp. 22-27.
— Chasteen, Bonnie. “Mead’s Milkweed Recovery”. Missouri Conservationist, July 2021, p. 4.
— Dentner, Holly. “1 Bought Native Plants… Now What?” Missouri Conservationist, September 2022, pp. 10-16.
— “Get Outside in April.” Missouri Conservationist, April 2025, pp. 22-27.
— “Get Outside in January.” Missouri Conservationist, January 2025, p. 4.
— “Get Outside in June.” Missouri Conservationist, June 2024, pp. 28-29.
— “Missouri’s Least Wanted.” Missouri Conservationist, April 2020, p. 8.
— Paothong, Noppadol, “Black Swallowtail Butterflies.” Missouri Conservationist, June 2018, pp. 10-17.
— Paothong, Noppadol, “From Big-Eyed to Beautiful.” Missouri Conservationist, July 2020, pp. 10-21.
— Paothong, Noppadol. “Giant Swallowtail Approaches Prairie Blazing Star.” Missouri Conservationist, June 2024, p. 25.
— Paothong, Noppadol. “Hummingbird.” Missouri Conservationist, February 2020, p. 11.
— Paothong, Noppadol. “Spring Beauty.” Missouri Conservationist, March 2025, p. 26.
— Paothong, Noppadol and Chris Barnhart. “Regal Fritallary: Tending to the Queen of the Prairie.” Missouri Conservationist, March 2025, pp. 17-27.
— Seek, Matt. “The Butterfly Effect.” Missouri Conservationist, September 2017, pp. 10-16.
— “The Birds and the Bees.” Missouri Conservationist, February 2020, pp. 10-27.
— “The Mints: Fresh Breath for Pollinators.” Missouri Conservationist, March 2024, pp. 28-29.
— Van Dien, Dianne. “Marvelous Mosses.” Missouri Conservationist, April 2025, pp. 22-27.
— Van Dien, Dianne. “Nature’s Monetary Ripples.” Missouri Conservationist, January 2025, p. 4.
— “Wild Guide.” Missouri Conservationist, April 2025, p. 32.
— Zarlenga, Dan. “Spreading Life in the Darkness.” Missouri Conservationist, May 2020, pp. 10-15.

MU Extension University of Missouri, https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/urban-entomology/pest-identification-and-images/bees-and-wasps

Newbury, Tim. Great Garden Designs. Reader’s Digest, 2005.

Roth, Sally. Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard. Rodale, 2001.

Tallamy, Dr. Doug https://www.udel.edu/faculty-staff/experts/douglas-tallamy/ – Professor, author, speaker. One of the most widely cited people on the importance of invertebrate conservation and the food web. If you want to hear him interviewed on podcasts here is a helpful search I did on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/search/Dr.%20Doug%20Tallamy/podcastAndEpisodes I know there are more because I just listened to one but this is a start.

The Gateway Gardener.
— “Bird/Plant Matchmaker.” Gateway Gardener, October 2017, p. 17.
— Woodbury, Scott. “A Spoonful of Sugar May Help the Honeysuckle Go Down.” Gateway Gardener, October 2017, p. 18.
— Woodbury, Scott. “Gardens with Environmental Benefits.” Gateway Gardener, Summer 2020, pp. 10-11.
— Woodbury, Scott. “Wild Vines I Have Loved.” Gateway Gardener, Winter 23-24, pp. 12-13

“2020 Planting Guide for a Successful 3-Season Pollinator Pantry Garden”, Saint Louis County Parks, gatewaygardener.com/pollinators/2020-pollinator-planting-guide-expanded-plant-list, Accessed 23 April 2025.

Wallis, Randy. “Syrphid Fly”. Missouri Conservationist, September 2017, p. 7.

Winkelmann, Carolyn Hasenfratz.
— “A New Beginning in a New Garden.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2018, https://schnarrsblog.com/new-beginning-new-garden/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Beneficial Insects in the Garden”, Lime Green News, 2014, http://limegreennews.com/beneficial_insects.html. Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “Black Soldier Flies are Powerful Allies for Humans.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2022, https://schnarrsblog.com/black-soldier-flies-are-powerful-allies-for-humans/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Create an Indoor Water Garden”, Lime Green News, 2010, http://www.limegreennews.com/indoor_water_garden.html. Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “Disguise Problem Spots with Containers.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2017, schnarrsblog.com/disguise-problem-spots-with-containers/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Fall Garden Cleanup.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, schnarrsblog.com/fall-garden-cleanup/. Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “Gardening for the Birds.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, schnarrsblog.com/gardening-for-the-birds/. Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “How Much is a Tree Worth.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2018, https://schnarrsblog.com/much-tree-worth/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Is That a Weed.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2019, https://schnarrsblog.com/is-that-a-weed/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Landscape Plan Drawing – Practice Rendering Symbols.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2020, schnarrsblog.com/landscape-plan-drawing-practice-rendering-symbols/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Luminous Decor with Flameless Candles: Idea #1.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, https://schnarrsblog.com/luminous-decor-with-flameless-candles-idea-1/ Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “Making a Pollinator House – Part 1.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, schnarrsblog.com/making-a-pollinator-house-part-1/. Accessed 13 April 2025.
— “Make a Pollinator House – Part 2.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2016, schnarrsblog.com/make-a-pollinator-house-part-2/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “The Deer Creek Watershed Alliance Campaign to Promote Rainscaping in the St. Louis Missouri Metro Area.” Carolyn Hasenfratz Design, 2020, www.chasenfratz.com/wp/4018-2/. Accessed 15 April 2025.
— “Plant Milkweed Now to Help Monarchs.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, schnarrsblog.com/plant-milkweed-now-to-help-monarchs/. Accessed 15 April 2025.
— “Seed Saving and Trading.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2016, schnarrsblog.com/seed-saving-and-trading/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Some Favorite Easy-to-Grow Plants.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2016, schnarrsblog.com/some-favorite-easy-to-grow-plants/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “The Right Plant in the Right Place.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2019, schnarrsblog.com/right-plant-right-place/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Tips for Removing Invasive Honeysuckle.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2017, https://schnarrsblog.com/tips-removing-invasive-honeysuckle/. Accessed 16 April 2025.
— “Upcycled Butterfly Feeder.” Schnarr’s Hardware Company, 2015, schnarrsblog.com/upcycled-butterfly-feeder/. Accessed 13 April 2025.

Baby Starling Adventures

Birds, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Believe it or not I have another baby starling! No name yet. I guess I am trying not to get too attached in case it doesn’t make it. But I think it’s far too late for that isn’t it! Doesn’t take long to fall in love with these little ones. I got it through my online pet starling rescue group. The finder said it was sneezing and on Monday it was having bad breathing problems so I got it to Family Pet Hospital. They were able to see it on short notice (THANK YOU!) and prescribed antibiotics which I will give for two weeks. It’s doing much better. Please pray that it makes it!

Here is Family Pet Hospital’s FB page https://www.facebook.com/familypetstl They treat birds, chameleons, bats, geckos, snakes, fish, iguanas, o’possums, vultures, bats, scorpions, frogs, aardvarks, eagles, hedgehogs, turkeys, pigs, peafowl, monitors, etc. They have an aviary in there with canaries, finches and keets. My kind of place! Oh yeah dogs and cats too. Check out their patient photos!

My new little one is on antibiotics and is doing better. I still hear the lung crackling sound. Any suggestions for supportive care? I’m making sure it’s warm enough and I have a damp t-shirt partially over the bucket it’s in for humidity and quiet. It’s eating starling baby mix and I’m also giving it bits of apple and blueberry dipped in yogurt. Poops look good. I take it out once every 45 minitues to feed and change the paper towel so it’s not sitting in poop. It’s averaging one poop per feeding.

Now I’m going to back up a little and explain how I got to the point of adopting baby starlings. For people in the know about starlings, they are one of the most desirable pet birds you can have. They are admittedly high maintenance, but as far as rewards to the owner such as bonding, interactivity, beauty, singing, training and talking with human words they are everything a bird lover could want in a companion bird. Although where I live it’s generally illegal to posess wild birds, European Starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, are one of a very few exceptions because they are not native to the US and are considered invasive. In my area there are no wild bird rehab facilities or rehabbers that I know of who will take a rescued baby starling and raise it for release. If a baby starling needs help, the choices are to let it die, take it to a facility to be euthanized, or find someone to adopt it.

I acquired my first starling, Attila, in 2009 and my second, Pooky, in 2011. Attila is still with me but I lost Pooky suddenly to unknown causes last December.

I was distraught for a long time over losing Pooky, it’s still hard for me to look at that graphic above or to talk about it. My other starling Attila was very disturbed as well. She’s better now but she still faces the direction his cage used to be for several hours a day, I wonder if she’s looking for him still. To help both of us, Tom and I adopted two budgies, Thoth and Horus, and two zebra finches, Rocky and Adrienne. These are great birds and we love them. Attila and I needed their actions and song to help with our loss. They are not a substitute for starlings no matter how wonderful they are. So I found some starling rescue groups online and put myself on the waiting list to adopt one.

In late April one of my groups announced that there were three babies who needed rehoming in Tennessee. I was the closest person available to go get them, so I did it. Two of them did not make it. The finder told me they were looking bad while I was still on my way there and when I first saw them I didn’t have high hopes, so I was disappointed but not surprised that I lost those two. A lot of times by the time a baby bird gets into human hands they could have been through a lot. Going hungry, getting cold, sick, injured, etc. The survivor is doing great and his name in Theophilus.

Theophilus is Greek for “lover of God”. I was thinking while driving to go get him that if any of the birds survived I was going to give them a spiritual name. I had a lot of time to think about what a leap of faith I was taking by jumping in my car to take a pretty long drive to get birds that might not even be alive by the time I could get there. It was kind of crazy, but it felt good to do something crazy after months of doldrums from grief and inactivity from an arm injury and other problems from the last few years. I texted the finder along the way, letting him know that as long as any of them were still alive I was going to keep coming. If any of them had a chance, I wanted to give it to them if possible.

Here is a video of Tom feeding Theophilus about a month ago. He’s in superb health from what I can tell and is super active. So active he’s a handful! They calm down when they get older.

The new little one is unnamed as of yet, but I’m more and more hopeful that it’s going to survive so I’ve started brainstorming! It’s perching, preening, and flapping wings to practice. It still sneezes a bit and I think there is still a crackling sound, but it’s growing and the feathers look fantastic. It’s had six days of a two-week antibiotic prescription. I think it’s getting ready to jump out of the bucket it’s in. When that happens it will move to a baby cage / travel cage and I’ll take it with me everywhere I go until it’s eating on its own.

Here are some past articles I’ve written about starlings:

Are Starlings Taking Over Your Bird Feeders?

Baby Bird Rescue 2014

Pooky Visited Missouri Botanical Garden Yesterday

A plea for the humane treatment of Wiggles the pet starling

Bringing Back the Human Touch – Part 1