Tag: in the back yard

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In The Back Yard – Geese

In the back yard - neighborhood geese

Welcome to In the Back Yard where we have small thoughts about living alongside wildlife. Just a reminder upfront: 

Most wildlife does not need rescuing.

Yet baby season comes around and hundreds of baby animals are kidnapped in the mistaken view that they are in trouble.

Today we look at Geese.

The geese that live in our neighborhood are Canada Geese.

They are also resident as opposed to migratory.

No doubt the golf course would prefer them not to live here – but they are a Federally protected species and coexistence is in everyone’s best interest.

Canada Geese mate for life and have one clutch of eggs in a season – laying up to 8 eggs.

The incubation period is about a month and hatchlings leave the nest about 2 days after birth.

The young geese will usually remain with their parents for a year then join the larger flock – which is predominantly family members.

If you live near a lake – take a regular walk around it picking up discarded fishing line.  Hundreds of birds get tangled in fishing line and are severely incapacitated, dying horrible painful deaths as a result.


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In The Back Yard: Hummingbirds

in the back yard hummingbirds


Welcome to the back yard - small thoughts about living alongside wildlife.

We have a lot of fun watching our Hummingbird feeder.

We have 3 current resident Hummingbirds who spend the day guarding it and dive bombing eachother - classic aerial combat like a Spitfire taking out a Messerchmidt above the English Channel in World War 2.

Incredible. There's more than enough to go around.

Yet what they lack in social graces pales significantly in their tremendous feats of migration.

September will see most Hummingbirds leave Georgia.  Females and juveniles are the last to leave as they need to build up critical fat reserves for the flight to the Gulf Coast which can take a few weeks. 

They will then make a nonstop 500 mile flight directly across the open water of the Gulf. This takes about 20 hours for these birdswho weigh less than an ounce.

So aim to keep those Hummingbird feeders clean and refueled every 2 to 3 days to help these rather exceptional athletes.

Additional Information:

  • To make Hummingbird water mix 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water.
  • Native plants and Hummingbird feeders are vital for Hummingbirds and provide a great resting place for them on their migration.
  • Please no colored dye in the sugar water.
  • Plastic feeders tend to promote mold growth. A glass feeder is best and please keep it clean.