OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Outdoor Explorer Virtual 4-H Club

June 10, 2020 Janessa Hill – Holmes Co. OSU Extension [email protected] Jenna Hoyt – Ashtabula Co. OSU Extension [email protected] Pledges OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Share from the last meeting Backyard Birds & Animals American Robin • Habitat: wooded areas of trees or shrubs – Cities, towns, lawns, farmland, forests • Eggs – Pale blue or “robin’s-egg blue” • Songs • Eats different types of food depending on the time of day – Insects – Earthworms in the morning – Fruit later in the day https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-robin

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Bald Eagle • National emblem of the United States since 1782 • Formerly critically endangered due to shooting, use of DDT and pesticides • Habitat: coasts, lakes, rivers, mountains, open country • Diet: fish, birds, small mammals or carrion • Reaches full adult plumage at 5 years old

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bald-eagle

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Black-capped Chickadee • Habitat: shade trees, open woods/forest edges • Active in the winter – Uncommon to migrate • Diet: insects, sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts, berries • Curious to investigate • Attracted to a nest-box when it is filled with sawdust or wood shavings

• Hides seeds to eat later https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-capped-chickadee#

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Common Earthworm • Lifespan: 6 years • Often called a night crawler – Feed above ground at night • Eats up to one third its body weight in a day – As they burrow, they consume soil, extracting nutrients from decomposing organic matter • Typically only a few inches in length – Longest recorded is 14 inches https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/c/common-earthworm/

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Northern Cardinal • Official State bird of Ohio • Habitat: dense bushes for nesting – Swamps, city parks, woodland edges, gardens – Permanent resident and does not migrate • Songs • Diet: seeds, insects, berries – Favors sunflower seeds • Obsessed with defending their territory

against any intruders. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-cardinal

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Opossum

• Only marsupials native to North America.

• Female opossums can have up to three litters of babies each year with an average of 9 babies per litter. Some litters can be as high as 25.

• Prefer a mix of woods, wetlands and farmlands, they do quite well in suburbs and cities.

• When frightened they can “play dead,” an involuntary motionless response (like fainting) until they sense that the danger is gone. The animal will typically regain consciousness after a period of between 40 minutes and 4 hours.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Raccoon • Can, and do, live almost anywhere with access to food, water and shelter. • Considered one of the most adaptable mammals in Ohio, these opportunistic animals will eat everything from berries and acorns to frogs and your trash. • Raccoons are nocturnal, sleeping during the day and being active at night. • Raccoons can breed after one year of age, and generally have one litter annually with an average of four babies

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Eastern Gray Squirrel • The eastern gray squirrel has predominantly gray fur but it can have a brownish color. It has a usual white underside. • scatter-hoarder; it hoards food in numerous small caches for later recovery • Have you seen a Black or white Eastern • Gray Squirrel?

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Starling • Glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black. • The common starling builds an untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity in which four or five glossy, pale blue eggs are laid. • Starlings are invasive species to Ohio.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Skunk • Skunks are gentle animals who tend to be nocturnal, but are sometimes out during the day. • Because of their extreme nearsightedness, they are prone to falling into uncovered window-wells or dumpsters from which they are unable to escape because of their limited agility. • Skunks have a noxious-smelling spray that they use to defend themselves, but they can’t “re-load” quickly, so they will not spray unless they feel threatened. • Before spraying, they will stamp their front feet as a warning, giving you ample opportunity to back-off. • Skunks are extremely beneficial creatures, and their important ecological role is often overlooked due to the fear of being sprayed. They provide free pest control by eating unwanted garden and home invaders, such as bugs, mice and baby rats.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Red-winged Blackbird • Habitat: marshes, brushy swamps, hayfields • Bold personality and will attack larger birds • Diet: insects, seeds

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-winged-blackbird#

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Turkey Vulture • Also know as a “buzzard” • Diet: Carrion (dead animals), decaying vegetables, insects, fish • Locates food by smell • Hisses when threatened • Rock side-to-side when they fly • Wingspan of almost 6 feet

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/turkey-vulture#

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION White-tailed Deer • Ohio Mammal • Ohio’s deer herd: Estimated at between 700,000 and 750,000 • Found in all 88 counties in Ohio! • Named for the white tails. • Bucks- males (have antlers) Does- female (no antlers) • During spring and summer, deer carry a lighter coat that ranges from tan to almost red. During winter months, they switch gears to something more practical.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Activity

Pick a backyard animal or bird –what is a benefit or deterrent in the backyard habitat? OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Design It! Do It! What are some things you can do to increase the diversity of wildlife in your own back yard?

– Plant Trees/Shrubs – Bird Feeder/ Seed – Bird Bath – Water source – Buffers – Types of Grass/ Flowers

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Please work with a responsible adult to identify what water sources, plants, buffers and habitat cover you can add to your backyard to make it more wildlife friendly

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Resources • 10 Plants for a Bird Friendly Yard • NRCS Wildlife Habitat • ODNR Division of Wildlife Field Guides

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION For next week • Photos of your own backyard habitat • Photos of birds or animals in their habitat • Post to the Box link • Blog: http://u.osu.edu/outdoorexplorer

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION June 17, 2020 11:00 a.m. Let’s Go Camping! (Camping, Fire set-up and Campfire Meals) Jackie Krieger & Ashley Hughey OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION