Lines on the Pines

Figure-8. Every. Single. Stroke. 🤯💚

I used to think hovering was just... fast flapping. Then I learned the actual mechanics and my brain broke a little.

Every time a hummingbird holds still in front of your feeder, its wings are carving a perfect figure-8 through the air — generating lift on BOTH the forward and backward stroke. Other birds only generate lift going forward. Hummingbirds generate it in both directions.

That's why they can hang motionless in midair like a tiny jewel-colored helicopter.

Next time one hovers at your feeder, you're watching a figure-8 happening so fast it's invisible to you. About 50 times per second.

Nature is absolutely wild. 💚

Welcome Farm Stand Summer! 🍓
(PA, NJ, and DE)

Support farms directly this year, discover new farm stands (at home and while traveling), and prioritize your health with more local produce and meats!

Our Farm and Farm Stand directory is now in Google Maps and will include PA, NJ, and DE (all made possible by South Jersey Preservation)!

❤️Enjoy!!!
JK

Map 🗺️ 👇
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=17aktHFH-34Kq9fO_PAYwuhM_bMDyiBw&usp=sharing

Don’t see your stand? Sign up here👇
https://www.southjerseypreservation.com/farmstands

*I only post content that farmers submit to our form; I leave it up to individuals to decide to add themselves to this directory (to ensure info, payment, and products are accurate).

If you've ever been to the Pine Barrens, you may have come across Mighty Joe - the 25 foot tall gorilla is a popular road side attraction on Rt 206 in Shamong!

He has a storied history, being built in Spain, shipped to the US for 50k and then brought to the Wildwood Boardwalk.

In the early 2000's, he started to show his age and his owner put him up for sale. He was purchased for 2k and his new owner put 10k into repairing him!

The new owner Larry Valenzano lost his son, Joe a bodybuilder to a brain tumor in 1999 and decided to name his deli and the gorilla after him in memory of Joe.

A fitting tribute well-known in NJ!

Spring migration is underway — and the BEST thing you can do right now is have fresh, clean nectar ready and waiting. 🌿💚 This is the only recipe you need. Simple. Safe. And it works. Save this post so you always have it handy. How many of you make your own nectar from scratch? 🙋‍♀️

Author James F McCloy was giving Jersey Devil lectures prior to the publication of the book, The Jersey Devil. Shown is a lecture announcement from 1973.

Your bird feeder has a government. You just can't see the elections.

There's a hierarchy at every feeder, and it runs the same way every morning. The blue jay lands — everything else leaves. She eats for thirty seconds, flies off, and the next tier returns. Cardinals. Then titmice. Then chickadees. Then the finches sneak back to the bottom tray.

It's not random aggression. It's a negotiated order. Each species knows exactly where it ranks, and the ranking holds across seasons, across feeders, across your entire neighborhood.

Within a species, it gets more specific. The male cardinal displaces the female. The older chickadee displaces the younger one. A titmouse with a wider black forehead patch holds rank over one with a narrower patch. They're reading badges you can't see.

The only thing that resets the hierarchy is the Cooper's hawk. When she shows up, every tier evacuates in the same second. Thirty seconds later, the jay returns first. Then the cardinals. Then the titmice. The pecking order rebuilds in the exact same sequence every time.

🐦 What to watch for:

- The species that leaves when another arrives = lower rank
- A bird that displaces everyone except one species = she knows exactly who outranks her
- The bird that returns first after a hawk pass = the dominant species at your feeder

You thought they were sharing. They're taking turns. In the same order. Every day. 🌿

The Right Birdhouse for Every Backyard Bird

Not all birdhouses are equal — and the wrong hole size means
no bird moves in. Each species has specific requirements for
entry diameter, box style, and mounting height. Here are nine
of the most common North American cavity-nesting birds and
exactly what each one needs.

1. Chickadee — 1⅛" round entry hole. Small enclosed box,
mounted 5–15 ft high in a tree or post.

2. Tufted Titmouse — 1¼" round entry hole. Enclosed box
similar to chickadee style, slightly larger interior.

3. European Starling — 1¾" round entry hole. Standard
enclosed box, mount 10–25 ft high.

4. Purple Martin — Colony house with multiple 2⅛" round
holes. America's most social cavity nester — groups
of 4–24 compartments preferred.

5. Eastern Bluebird — Open-front or 1½" hole box. Mount
4–6 ft high on a fence post in open meadow or yard.
Face east or northeast.

6. Carolina Wren — Open-front box, mounted low — no higher
than 5 ft. Dense shrubs nearby preferred.

7. Brown Creeper — Triangular bark-mimicking box, mounted
flat against tree trunk. Unique design matches their
bark-climbing behavior.

8. Chimney Swift — Vertical tower box with oval or round
entry at top. Mount high and in the open — swifts
need clear airspace to enter in flight.

9. Eastern Screech-Owl — Tube or barrel-style box with
3" entry hole. Mount 10–30 ft high on a tree. No
perch needed — owls do not use them.

Key rule: Face boxes east or northeast. Never add a perch —
it gives predators a foothold.

Spring migration is in full swing, and hummingbirds are on the move. Now is the time to double-check what you're putting in your feeder. 🌺

The recipe is simple: 1 part plain white sugar dissolved in 4 parts water. That's it. No red dye. No honey (it ferments and can cause a fatal fungal infection). No store-bought 'nectar mix' with additives.

The nectar inside the feeder should be completely clear. The feeder itself can be red — that's fine and actually helps attract them. But the liquid? Plain and clear.

Also: change it every 2–3 days, especially as temperatures climb. Fermented nectar can make them sick fast.

Simple recipe. Huge difference. 🍬