Going Native

Today I confirmed bluebirds were using a house I set out for them last year.  I also saw my first red-headed woodpecker in a long time eating peanut splits from a feeder.   And a flock of bees of various sizes discovered my new crabapple tree blossoms today.

I was thrilled to see the bees and even more thrilled when I realized that these are the bees that will eventually cross pollinate my two new apple trees to produce apples!

And e-mails from my Ohio Birds and morel mushroom groups tell me that Baltimore orioles are in Ohio now and soil moisture levels predict a banner year for morels, with maybe the first black morels showing up by May 1.

I'm hoping to plant a large wildflower garden soon as part of my plan to make my yard more wildlife friendly, as I go native!

One of the larger bees of a flock that discovered my new "Snowdrift" crabapple tree flowers today.   They worked these flowers all day.  (Photo by Don Comis)

A bee's  view of  a crabapple tree's blossoms.  The visit of a flock of bees today convinced me they will cross pollinate my two apple trees when those trees blossom.  I read that the "Snowdrift" crabapple is one of only a handful that will pollinate the "Liberty" apple trees I bought.  It also helps to have a crabapple tree with the same color flowers as the apple trees, luring the bees to all three trees.  (Photo by Don Comis)

Morels Fever

I recently bought this DVD for $7 from Eric Taylor, pictured at right next to his brother Keith, morels in all four hands and a bin overflowing with morels.  (Front cover photo by Jim Brewer)

Back cover of DVD showing Eric in 1978, at age 9, next to his "Grandpa and Teacher", the late Lincoln Miller, both holding morels.  (Back cover photo by Jim Brewer)

Last night I joined a morels forum and posted some questions, with more to come, to help me start my first morel mushroom hunt.


Everyone has morel fever in this area so I've caught it.  I bought a DVD on morel hunting from a local mushroom hunter I met at our local archaeological club meeting in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. 


Morels usually come out in early April in Ohio but may be a bit delayed by the cold winter, which, on the other hand, is said to promise a better than usual morel season.


The site has a video on morel hunting and links to sites where you can learn the soil moisture and soil temperature in your area to time your morel searches.  Morels like a soil temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.


From the forum I learned of another soil moisture and temperature forecast site.