Blessings, curses during duress: Birds, TP & more

While all of us are coping with seclusion of a sort, some have it better than others by virtue of individual life-styles. In my case there’s no grief from loneliness, since I have a constant stream of visitors. The fact that they all have wings only adds to the delight of their presence.

I welcome the blessings of several recently arrived Rufous hummingbirds, several Rose-breasted grosbeaks, two pairs of elegant spotted Towhees , a group of chipping sparrows — looking for all the world like overgrown wrens with their perky high-held tails — along with a plethora of Juncos, , several resident Hairy and Downy woodpeckers and some Flickers, Ladderback and Pileated woodpeckers as well, and of course, Chickadees and Nuthatches galore. And of course, the turkeys.

Several flocks visit my sunflower seed-sprinkled lot — consisting of mated pairs (or groups of several hens beholden to one big tough — obviously manly — Tom); a few bachelors and/or “old maids” and often big groups of several toms and the undecided females — who run around hysterically pursued by an amorous male. A three-ring circus that’s actually very touching.

And then there’s Lonelyheart: She showed up — alone — last year and attempted to join the flock feeding in the yard. Toms and hens alike took umbrage to this and chased her off. She tried many times to join the different groups but none would take her. So all last season, through the winter and even now, she remains an outcast. I can’t imagine why. She remains in the background — never daring to get close — always being watched and chased if she gets too near. After the flocks have left, she hesitantly comes out of the brush and pecks at the leftovers. I often talk to her when I’m outside and she seems to know and trust me. She’s taken up sitting on the side porch rail, as pictured, and at night roosts alone high up in my big Ponderosa tree. Strange and wonderful — and often cruel — are the ways of Nature.

On now, to the enigmatic TP in my headline. With many people in rather dire straits due to its current lack, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) newsletter “Nature’s Voice” provides some interesting information about one of its makers — Proctor & Gamble’s Charmin.

With the world’s forests in danger from many sources — fire, over-cutting, thinning for crop-growing — the purposeful destruction for profit is yet another one. A million acres of Canada’s boreal forest — the world’s largest intact old-growth forest — are clear-cut each year “in part due to the soaring demand for throw-away paper products” according to NRDC who have put pressure on P&G to start making toilet paper from recycled materials. P&G currently uses 100 percent virgin wood pulp for its tissue products, sourcing more tissue pulp from the boreal than any other U.S. company.

One doesn’t usually equate such a humble necessity as TP with forest destruction, but there are definitely new possibilities coming to light. Recently, my daughter purchased a package of TP that was made from bamboo! She gave me a couple of rolls and it is amazing. What a boon this could be — bamboo is plentiful and fast-growing — it’s something to hope for.

Speaking of (or writing about) NRDC, I saw my first bee today (April 29) and some info from an older article is apropos here. Since many people fear bees, folks often think any bee look-alike with black-and-yellow (or white) stripes is a yellow-jacket or hornet. The fact is that there are many large and small species that fit that description that are harmless, valuable — and desperately needed — pollinators; even the much maligned yellow-jackets, hornets and wasps. There are many small, even tiny, yellow-jacket look-alikes, along with medium-to large sized ones as well — and if closely observed in a flower, will settle the argument. I closely watched a strange black/white striped hornet look-alike in a Peony last year and was amazed. It gathered pollen by “wallowing” in the laden stamens, crawling busily around and back-and forth until its legs were covered with the powdery stuff and then flying off with its treasure to a neighboring Peony. Simply amazing.

The bees — and all the vital pollinators from butterflies, ladybugs dragonflies — and even hummingbirds — are in terrible danger, and have been for some time, for the tradeoff of profit to greedy, completely unscrupulous chemical companies. Don’t use hanging bee-killers, sprays or other poisons — let them do their God-given work. (Why not spray insect-repellant on your own bare arms and hands)?(Please go to NRDC.ORG/SAVEBEES for more updated information, and meanwhile, use organic methods and let the bees and other beneficials — i.e., toads, garden snakes, spiders, etc., do their duty.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com. or by phone at 208-265-4688 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.