ASK OUR NATURE & COMMUNITY EXPERTS!

You shouldn’t try to raise a baby bird, or any wildlife, yourself. Not only are your chances of success slim, it can also be illegal and potentially dangerous.

If the bird has feathers and is hopping around on the ground, it’s a fledgling and should be left alone. Fledglings can’t fly well when they first leave the nest. It’s a dangerous, but natural, time for baby birds, whose parents continue to feed them until they are self-sufficient.

If the bird is naked or covered in down, the best approach is to try to return it to the nest, which is usually in a nearby tree or shrub. Failing that, contact a wildlife rehabilitator who is trained and licensed to take care of wildlife. You can call your local nature center or animal control department and ask to be put in touch with a rehabilitator, or find one at Wildlife Rehabber.

The Web is a great place to learn about plant and animal life, whether you’re identifying a bird from your own backyard or want to find out more about the entire salamander family. Fortunately, there are a number of sites that provide good information. If you’re interested in plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosts the PLANTS database of the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts and lichens in the United States and U.S. territories. You can also find information about almost 6,…

Beavers, like humans, alter their habitat to suit their needs. Unlike most human landscape alterations, however, the changes beavers make support ducks, wading birds, amphibians, fish and numerous other wildlife species. Beavers dam streams with branches and mud to create ponds. Ponds provide these semi-aquatic, vegetarian rodents with protection from predators and places to build their lodges. Beavers feed on the bark of trees and use branches and logs to build their dams. You can protect speci…

I’m glad that the Wyoming trip made such an impression and that you’re eager to help protect our remaining wilderness.

The Wilderness Act, signed into law in 1964, created the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). It empowered Congress to permanently protect undeveloped tracts within our 623 million public acres by making them part of the Wilderness System. These areas then belong to not only, say, Yosemite National Park but to the NWPS, as well.

What difference does it make? If land ins…

There are a number of commercial birthbath heaters on the market, as well as heated birthbaths. Retailers for either are easily found with a quick Internet search, or you might try your local garden supply shop. You can find out more about taking care of visiting winter birds in Bringin’ in the Birds, by Terry Krautwurst.

Here are some pointers for the times when birds have non-fatal window collisions:

1. It is important to remember that if a bird is stunned enough to end up on the ground, it can easily go into shock and die of hypothermia or be eaten by a predator while the bird is incapacitated. Many birds are able to fly off after window collisions, but if they are knocked out or stunned and on the ground they should be gently picked up and placed in a warm, dark, sheltered place for at least two hours. If the …

Feeder placement around houses can be very important, and there are easy things that can reduce the likelihood of fatalities from bird strikes, at least from birds taking off from the feeders.  There are two options: place the feeders close to the windows (or stuck to them with suction cups), or make sure they are some distance away.  Feeders close to the windows should be less than three feet away; those at a distance should be more than 30 feet away.

Here's a good online resource about this in …

If you don't want to use bleach to disinfect your feeders or nesting boxes, plain white vinegar is a great alternative. A 5-percent vinegar solution kills the majority of bacteria, viruses and molds. Tea tree oil is also an effective disinfectant — you can find it at most health food stores. Simply mix a teaspoon of the oil in a gallon of warm water and scrub away.

It’s OK to feed birds year-round. The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to bird feeders is that birds really only use them to supplement natural foods. That includes insects and all manner of seeds, berries, fruits and nuts, as well as sap and nectar (depending on the species). With that in mind, it’s less important when you feed than how you feed. If you really want to help birds the most, you should focus your efforts on planting the native plant species they rely on for food …

The League of Conservation Voters’ (LCV) Web site is a great place to start. You can find scorecards for each of the 2008 presidential candidates — based on their environmental voting records — here.

The LCV doesn’t only cover presidential races. You can find out how your state ranks overall on environmental issues, and look up the environmental rankings (based on voting records) for every senator and house representative in your state, as well. Click here to get started.

For more information and …