By Terry W. Johnson

If you are like most hummingbird enthusiasts during the past few weeks, you have probably asked yourself, where are the hummingbirds?

I wish I had a good answer. However, I can tell you this: Just as the nighttime skies were illuminated with fireworks on the Fourth of July, I am equally certain that hummingbird numbers will soon explode in your backyard.

By Terry W. Johnson

At one time, like most Georgians, I stopped pouring seeds into my bird feeders when winter finally gave way to spring. I would not resume feeding until frost blanketed the ground in autumn.

However, more than 25 years ago, I began feeding birds into summer and beyond. This has dramatically enhanced my enjoyment of the birds that live in my backyard.

By Terry W. Johnson

The spring bird migration is dwindling down to a trickle. Over the past several weeks, literally millions of migrating birds streaming from their winter homes in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America have passed through Georgia.

Some of them have flown over my middle Georgia home. Although I didn't see them, I am sure a smattering of migrants briefly stopped in my yard to rest and refuel before resuming their long journey.

By Terry W. Johnson

To many, the mere mention of the word honeysuckle conjures up the image of Japanese honeysuckle.
As its name suggests, Japanese honeysuckle is an alien plant. It was introduced into America as an ornamental in 1906. From its new home on Long Island, N.Y., during the 20th century this aggressive vine quickly wound its way across untold thousands of acres across the country.

By Terry W. Johnson

If you ask a hummingbird enthusiast to name the flowers they plant for hummingbirds, more than likely they will reel off the names of plants such as Lady In Red salvia, lantana, pineapple sage, Turk's cap and coral honeysuckle, to name but a few.

By Terry W. Johnson

For more years than I care to remember, I have vainly tried to entice purple martins to nest in my yard. Each year during the late winter or early spring, a handful of purple martins magically appear at my martin house.

When these early migrants show up, my hopes run high that this will be the year I will become a purple martin landlord. My high expectations are dashed in a few days when the birds disappear, never to return.

By Terry W. Johnson

It was only recently that an Arctic Clipper laden with a full cargo of frigid weather sailed into the Peach State this winter. Of course, when cold dominates our weather we have the luxury of taking refuge in cozy abodes. When we do venture outside, we don heavy winter coats, hats and gloves to ward off the cold.

At best, frigid weather is little more than an inconvenience to most of us.

By Terry W. Johnson

If you were asked to name four plants that are associated with Christmas, what would you say?

You could not go wrong if you listed the holly, poinsettia, mistletoe and the Christmas tree. All of these plants will always be inexorably linked to this special holiday. However, in the hearts and minds of most Americans, the plant that symbolizes Christmas more than any other is the Christmas tree.

By Terry W. Johnson

Acorns rank as one of the very best wildlife foods. For generations stately oaks have been rooted in backyards across the state. Although the beauty of these trees has long been recognized, their importance as valuable food plants for backyard wildlife remains largely unappreciated.

With more than 30 species of oaks native to the Peach State, regardless of whether you live in the city or country, the mountains or the coast, there is an oak that will grow in your backyard.

By Terry W. Johnson

Nowadays most folks enjoy having a cornucopia of wildlife living just outside their backdoor. However such has not always been the case. In times past, people often either took their wildlife neighbors for granted or honestly believed that many of them were imbued with frightening magical powers, or worse yet, cavorting with witches and ghosts.