This spring I was sitting in the garden with my permaculture consultant Mark, chatting about all things food forest. As we were absorbing the sights, sounds and smells around us, our attention turned to the vast number of birds and insects zooming around us. One of my goals for my forest garden in Western Washington (US Zone 8b) is to encourage balance with wildlife. If I get mad at the birds for eating my berries and work to keep them out, who will eat all my bugs? I have noticed that in this second, almost third, year of the forest garden, I have no harmful insect predation. Sure, I have some aphids and earwigs here and there, but they aren't doing any real damage. Why? Because the birds eat both, keeping them in check.
As Mark and I were enjoying simply "being" with nature, a bright yellow bird flew by so quickly that neither of us could identify it. And then came the challenge. "Why don't you put together a field guide specific to your property?" Mark suggested.
Given my incredibly long to-do list, I could think of thousands of reasons NOT to launch a new project. But once the idea was out there, I couldn't help but percolate on it until eventually I really wanted to create a field guide specific to my property. Thanks, Mark! Yes, I'm being serious but also sarcastic because this field guide is consuming!
I never would have guessed how much fun I would have with this project. Truly, it is an exciting educational challenge. I'm learning how to identify bird calls and the difference between the numerous black and yellow flying insects. Being so focused on what I see and hear has me in awe of the diversity of wildlife around me and the importance of not just protecting it but encouraging a resurgence of populations that have suffered.
I was already working to establish a hospitable environment for reptiles and amphibians, as I'd like to encourage more to move in. I saw more dragonflies last year than ever before after putting in a dry creek, which is especially exciting because they're my absolute favorite insect but aren't regionally abundant because of our cool climate. Now I'm focused on native plants that are becoming scarce but might be the only food source for a specific pollinator native to my region. This challenge has helped me see that I can create a haven for wildlife, working in harmony with them as I produce food for my family, my communities, and yes, the birds that eat so many of my berries.
As my forest garden matures, I'll be able to produce more than enough for my family and wildlife. Case in point, my strawberries are absolutely overflowing this year. Seriously, you can't help but walk on them because they've stretched out into the walking paths. There were more than enough strawberries for me to eat fresh, give away to neighbors and friends, put some in the freezer or dehydrator for longer storage and share with the birds, slugs and whatever else was munching on them. Here's a video I put together of just one section of strawberries in my garden this spring if you'd like to see how overflowing they were!
I'm taking my time to create the field guide slowly, trying to learn at least a couple new "critters" each week. It's a slow but enjoyable process. I'm working to photograph the entire field guide myself, but until I'm able to get decent photos of everyone, some of the photos I'm using were taken by others, with proper credit provided.
I hope you enjoy taking a look at my in-progress field guide. I'm providing a list of resources I have found helpful in case you decide to create one of your own. If you do, please share it with me!
Resources
Merlin App by Cornell University - This incredible app "listens" to and helps identify bird sounds. After you stop recording, you can learn more about each bird identified. This free app is incredibly thorough and quite accurate!
Facebook Groups - There are several Facebook groups that have helped me identify various birds or insects I have found. The nuances of tiny insects and the differences in birds as male, female and juvenile can be quite confusing. There are some great experts in this group and typically responses are quickly received. The two I use most frequently are: Pacific Northwest Entomology and Pacific Northwest Birding.
InsectIdentification.org allows you to review insects seen in your state. You can also search by color or other distinguishing characteristics.
If you're interested in getting detailed about bumble bees, check out Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas and Bumble Bees of Washington State, both of which break down color patterns for various species of bumble bees and offer advice for identification.
Seattle Audubon Society offers information and images of birds found in Washington. You can even listen to the calls of each bird.
The Burke Museum is helpful in identifying reptiles and amphibians in Washington State.
For help with identifying mammals, the best online resource I have found thus far is the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Finally, iNaturalist is a share site where people post their observations (photos of sightings) of plants and wildlife. What's most helpful about this site is that you can search by county, which gives you a very good idea of things you might see in your own yard.
Enjoy exploring the wildlife around you! The more you dive in, you'll begin to notice things you might never have seen or heard before!
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