Debbie McDonald
May is a transition month in High Prairie as migrating birds are passing through on their way to other breeding grounds while resident birds are building nests here and laying eggs. Soon oak leaves will completely unfurl.
The primary reason birds stop before moving on to breeding grounds north of us, or settle in to build nests, is to eat insects and spiders. Most birds don’t rear their young on seeds from our feeders or from fruits left on bushes. The overwhelming majority of insects that become bird food need native plant species that insects depend on for growth and reproduction. Enter the native white oak!
Oaks are great caterpillar producers. Daily it takes hundreds of smooth skinned, tasty inchworm caterpillars to satisfy the hunger of growing chicks. In some areas caterpillars are so plentiful that they will fall from the branches onto unwitting creatures beneath the canopy. Underwing caterpillars feed on oak leaves at night, while sitting motionless on branches or the trunk during the day and look exactly like the bark they are sitting on. Nationwide, there are at least 17 species of underwings that use oaks as their sole host plant.
You’ve heard me say it before, but it bears repeating. Douglas W. Tallamy extolls the “rich ecology of our most essential native trees” in his easy-to-read book (monthly chapters) The Nature of Oaks. I love having my copy to refer to throughout the year, but the book is available through the FVRL system for check out. High Prairie white oak is our neighborhood treasure.
Spring in the Oaks – Photo: Gwen Berry