White-throated Sparrow in Smilax and Poison Ivy
January 2nd, 2008 · 2 Comments
Brush piles are big draws for birds, especially white-throated sparrows. Josh and I are spending our free time removing thorny smilax and pernicious poison ivy vines (yep, PI also grows in vine form!) and fallen tree debris from the wooded area of our property. Until we get a chipper, the pile just keeps growing, which is totally cool with the birds, which stuff themselves into every nook and cranny of this thorny mess. Me, I’m extremely sensitive to poison ivy, so although it’s winter, my arms are itchy as hell with the ol’ PI rash. Real pretty, I admit. But it’s better to do it now while the vines are bare and the snakes and ticks are at a minimum. Once I mentioned snakes, Josh was very happy to do this work now instead of in warmer months. Copperheads are very motivating.
Tags: White-throated Sparrow
2 responses so far ↓
1 Gavriella // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:57 am
Re: that poison ivy…Tecnu Extreme Medicated Poison Ivy Scrub (Homeopathic) is very good for that. I have cleared a lot of the stuff and I am very sensitive to p i. This product breaks down the oils that cause the skin rupturing. After washing with it you seal the area with caladryl clear.
Tecnu is a product used by landscappers all over. The idea is that you can also prevent getting p i outbreak in the first place by scrubing down with this stuff when comming in from your gardening adventures.
In Atlanta, Walgreens drug store carries this product. Being a complusive gardener I am never w/o a tube.
Best Wishes in this New Year,
Gavriella
2 Iris // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Thanks Gavriella! What a coincidence–I bought some Calagel that came with a sample of Tecnu at Walmart the other day and they are both bringing me a great amount of relief. It’s good to hear that I made a smart choice, especially since this stuff is surprisingly affordable compared with some of the other PI treatments out there.
Happy New Year to you, too, and happy gardening!
Iris