Tag Archive for 'Yellow Warbler'

If you’ve spent any time bird watching, chances are you’ve also done your share of plant watching. Obviously, different habitats and the plants that thrive within them dictate the species of birds that will be successful there. Every once in a while, a particular plant that birds frequent will cry out for more attention than just a cursory look . On a recent camping trip to Eastern Washington, Common Mullein jumped out and grabbed my focus.

The habitats surrounding the area in which we camp are a mixture of Ponderosa Pine, sage lands, rangelands, and open cultivated fields. The disturbed open nature of the area is a perfect setting for mullein as it thrives in well lit disturbed soils. Correctly known by its botanical name of Verbascum Thapsus is graced with a dozen common names; including common mullein, giant mullein, woolly mullein, and – my personal favorite – Cowboy Toilet Paper. The mullein is native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. It was introduced to the Americas during the early 18th century and cultivated for its medicinal properties. The thick fuzzy silver leaves are dried and made into an herbal tea, and drunk to relieve all types of throat ailments such as dry cough, bronchitis, simple sore throats, and even consumption.

Birds are oblivious to the human uses of this plant. For birds, the non-native has become a welcome addition to the open landscape for the ample food and perching resources it provides. The biennial plant produces a large rosette of ground hugging leaves the first year of growth. The following year a single flowering stalk will emerge from the heart of the large cluster of leaves, climbing to the height of six feet or more. The stalk will soon be covered by a mass of tiny yellow flowers attracting insects and arthropods of all types – from moths, and mites to aphids. The abundance of invertebrates are an immediate attractant for feasting birds. After the flowers have been pollinated, the stalk turns woody and brown in the fall, festooned with round seed pods hugging the tall stalk. These seeds, in turn, provide additional food resources for small finches and invertebrates alike. These tall woody stalks and their welcome food source persist through the winter into the next summer.

In open spaces, perching sites are of a premium – and mullein is a welcome addition to the landscape. From the heights of last year’s flower stalks male Western Bluebirds will keep watch over their nearby nesting cavities. Their brilliant blue and soft orange lighting up the otherwise dull brown of the mullein. Western Kingbirds use the dried stalks as launching pads for their courageous attacks on any predator brave or foolish enough to enter their territory. Northern Rough-winged Swallows, who consistently perch more than any other swallow species, will gather in groups on a field sprinkled with mullein. Eastern Kingbirds, who appear to have an attitude toward anyone and everyone, will issue their chattering challenge to the world from atop a mullein. If another male Kingbird dare to enter the territory, chasing will ensue with the winner excitedly flashing his blood red crown from the top of the tallest mullein available. American Goldfinches seem to recognize that their bright yellow and black beauty should not go unnoticed, and will often sing from on high a seed stalk. Their bubbling song raining down on the surrounding grasslands. Even Yellow Warblers, perhaps frustrated by hours of singing in the thickets of the riparian area, will make a brief appearance on the side of a stalk to produce his ‘Sweet, Sweet, I’m so Sweet” song, only to disappear back into the nearby thicket. On occasion, in the fall, Downy Woodpeckers will cling to the sides of a seven-foot stalk hammering away at the insects lodged among the seed pods.

Disturbed open lands are hosts to plant species introduced by humans – plants far from home that thrive in a welcome environment for weeds. The native birds in turn adapt, utilize, and thrive on the welcome additions of perches, and food sources that the mullein provides. Take a moment while bird watching to watch the plants as well;  each has its own story to tell.