"Out My Backdoor" Column

The Out My Backdoor column featured in Georgia Wild is written by Terry W. Johnson, a retired DNR nongame program manager and executive director of The Environmental Resources Network (TERN). Johnson also writes the Backyard Wildlife Connection blog and has authored books, including his latest, “A Journey of Discovery: Monroe County Outdoors.”

Georgia Wild E-Newsletter

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2024

• February: Right calving goes from good to grim; red-shouldered hawks; spring ephemerals; Bachman’s back in black
• March: Ancient fish on the Oconee; native honeysuckle; right whale calf dies; spotted skunks looking for love
• April: iNaturalist input needed; PFAs -- where fins, feathers go together; treetop buffets for birds; another whale dead
• May: Rare raven nest in Tallulah Gorge; Lewis Island anniversary; bluebirds in odd places; cicadas and copperheads
• June: Dogs disrupt shorebird colony; Augusta sturgeon rescue; hummers can smell; Georgia’s first flamingos
• July: Eagle nesting strong; firefly surveys; Toombs, Tattnall tegu sightings spike; shoddy nest builders, successful birds
• August: Tortoise in the surf; longleaf film debuts; giant swallowtails; state's first endangered Alabama leatherflower
• September: Help find flame flower, other rare plants; black witch moths; Debby vs. sea turtles; rare skunk in Walker Co.
• October: Mudpuppy surprise; winter help for insects; how we manage smoke; tracking red knots
• November: Woodpecker recovers; Ocmulgee skullcap struggles; why black gum is special; excluding bats
• December: Georgia's tree fox; report winter monarchs; season’s first right whale calves; bus-sized but hard to see

2023

• February: Right whale winter; yellow-bellied sapsuckers; landowner helps rare plant; when a red-tailed hawk is white
• March: Check the checkoff; gator bunking in a burrow; rubythroats' wide-ranging diet; wanted: leads in eagle shooting
• April: North American bats at risk; Q&A with conservation chief; How going native helps wildlife; give barn owls a boost in Georgia
• May: Steering clear of terrapins; help map wading bird rookeries; prescribed fire means less risk, less smoke; a backyard bird you've likely overlooked
• June: Nature's night lights; an avian work of art; tortoise homecoming; killdeer “dive” to survive; queen snakes and crayfish
• July: Eagle nest numbers recover; meet the southern bee killer; where wildlife, learning merge; elktoes edging toward extinction; Sea turtle rescues on Blackbeard, Tybee; bluehead chub nests = minnow magnets
• August: Join census of Southeast’s bumblebees; leave no line behind; pollinator projects for you; squirrel survival skills
• September: Georgia-record kite roost found; hot nectar and hummingbirds; sobering totals from rain-soaked Bat Blitz
• October: Roadside refuge for a rare orchid; what you need to know about CWD; native plants that migrating songbirds favor in fall
• November: Georgia readies for return of right whales; what thread-waisted wasps do; snapshot of Georgia wildlife viewers
• December: Meet a 'Jonah' rattlesnake; rare woodpeckers back at Sprewell Bluff; right whale calves and DNR blog; the wild side of mistletoe 

2022

• February: Whigham sans wild snakes; Capt. recounts whale strike; rare sallies breakthrough; pineapple sage
• March: Don't underestimate owls; cabbage white: devil or angel?; watch for manatees, sea turtles; Atlanta peregrines' new penthouse
• April: Bald eagles and bird flu; the allure of globe amaranth; SOS for North Atlantic right whales
• May: Latest tegu sightings; Terry's favorite oriole; go-to DNR website for rare wildlife; what’s new with bird flu
• June: Saving a "lost" fish; the benefits of black cherry trees; snot otter sightings wanted
• July: Bald eagle nesting hits record high; Georgia's wildest architects; watch for winter hummers in summer
• August: The stinging season; mussel invader caught (again); reader survey; animal architects
• September: Joro Watch is on; comeback kestrels; monitoring Savannah manatees; yard aid for fall migrants
• October: DNR bat detectives, gator close encounter; State of Birds findings; when hummingbirds are hunted
• November: New wild animal rules; right whales' dire state; trees to build around; Coosa mussels on video
• December: Eagle emergencies; awww-some whale video; rufous hummers' sorry state; watersnake vs. eel

2021

• February: Guide to suet, bird puddings; calves add up but one whale is in trouble; how fire is restoring forests
• March: Mussel invaders in moss balls; when right whale threats end in death; eagle nest failures; sandhill moths
• May: Out My Backdoor double-shot; die-off shadows manatees; zebra mussels trigger warnings; Big Day record
• June: On high alert for bird illness; fins, fur and feathers in Paradise; Mississippi kites in the backyard
• July: Grant boosts ability to save plants; latest on bald eagle nesting in Georgia; how downies dine
• August: Eels -- a fish full of surprises; Alligator Creek WMA's rare bees; the scoop on spittlebugs
• September: Spotting spiders; nandina's downfall; cottonmouth combat; buy a license, help wildlife
• October: Dolphin rescue; really fast bats; a big tree for big spaces; Youth Birding Competition winners
• November: Hognose drama; watching for wintering monarchs; a fall splash of sassafras 
• December: Top wildlife headlines; what's new with right whales; behind the myths of mistletoe

2020

• February: Adding conservation lands; pocket gophers up close; winterizing yards for wildlife; watch: video of aid to injured whale calf
• March: Video-star manatee is back; portal profiles Georgia's unique wildlife; good time to reconnect kids and outdoors; teaming up at Sprewell Bluff to restore rare birds
• April: Welcoming whip-poor-wills; plant for pollinators; right whale season in review; help us monitor bats
• May: Lost plant found; nesting barn swallows; secret snakes: rainbows and muds; new teachers guide explores sandhills
• June: Wild promise of Ceylon; what our eagle nest survey found; hunting for flying leopards; an electrofishing boat with a history; watch: bog work behind the scenes
• July: Conserving a living prairie relic; fewer hummingbirds? July will help tell; fungus behind bat-killing disease moves south; animal encounters: cottonmouths, crow vs. osprey
• August: Trapping tegus; experiences with fire; go-to grape for wildlife; looking for rare moths; endangered dropwort's big year
• September: Wildlife trail upgrades; rare find for rare mussels; add fall color to your yard; survey and DNR cap giveaway
• October: Exploring Chickasawhatchee WMA; Asian spider weaves way into Georgia; native tree combines beauty and bounty; rare plant rebounds at Lower Broad River
• November: Bird-feeding strategy for winter; invasion of the Cuban treefrogs; New Georgia darter discovered
• December: Right whales: what you need to know; why weather loaches aren't welcome; winter survival and woodpecker cavities

2019

• February: A year of wildlife work in review; more right whale calves, new video; bald eagles vs. sandhill cranes; are pecans for the birds?
• March: A unique tree few know about; on the lookout for invasive lizards; Claxton set for wildlife and rattler fest; fire that restores rare species, habitats; sampling for threatened trispot darters
• April: See a snake? No sweat; cottonmouth encounter; best plant for black swallowtails; questions trail endangered whales; loons or gulls: which finds the fish?
• May: Amazing bees; terrapin research; season in the sandhills; cool quail, hot message; answers about black fox squirrels
• June: Loggerheads' breakout year; a champ for Georgia plants; rare bird rebound at Silver Lake; backyard pearls with wings; you can't keep a good raptor down
• July: On a pine snake's tail; whale rescue up close; the fly that carpenter bees fear; mega-mom helps set sea turtle record
• August: Remembering a revered botanist; how to band 2,000 terns, and why; plant network lands another award; Eva Persons' impact on conservation
• September: Spot a tegu, tell DNR; meet ABAC's Dr. Lane; bluebird migration mystery; sea turtle nesting vs. Dorian; 105-pound alligator snapper
• October: How to rescue a manatee; invasion of the snakeheads; drought impacts on wildlife; hellbenders' deadly neighbors
• December: Multimedia look at restoring rare birds; missing Punctuation: tale of a lost whale; where ruby-throated hummers winter; getting close with south Georgia reptiles

2018

• February: Right whale season gone wrong; eaglet's death saddens Berry viewers; "survivor" eagle spotted, another golden tracked
• March: Sifting the truth about birds and salt; DNR managers in Women Conservationists series; watch: great whites, other sharks vs. humpback carcass
• April 10: Insights into cryptic spiders; right whales' bleak winter; the good side of greenbrier; training for monarch watchers
• April 26: Hunting hogs, helping sea turtles; head-start for rare salamanders; bad news for Tallulah Gorge falcons
• May 10: School art aids wildlife; train to monitor monarchs; humpback trend has sad footnote; don't miss spring's dawn chorus
• May 24: New wrinkle for eagle nest checks; teens promote plant connections; Georgia, 'Bama team up for Bat Blitz
• June: The hidden world of moles; searching for nesting falcons; on the wing with whimbrels
• July: Indigo SOS answered; same species, different look; how backyard birds beat the heat
• August: Wildlife close calls; bat disease update; mantis meets hummer; feeding at the four-o'clocks.
• September: Dark rivers, big turtles; Georgia outdoors on the ballot; add water for more backyard wildlife; sea turtle nesting slows, recovery continues
• October: Bridgework spares bat colony; bats take over DNR Instagram; in praise of chipping sparrows; meet the amphiuma
• November: Snakes in close quarters; landowner spurs plant rescue; what's with white squirrels?
• December: A biologist's longleaf legacy; right whale sightings stir hope; if you give a nuthatch a tool; wild ways you helped wildlife; tiny rattlesnake, cool salamanders

2017

• February: State's first wind scorpion; rescued whale returns north; warm winter and bird nesting; photos: white sharks, gator "chin-up"
• March: Severe weather and wildlife; tracking another Georgia golden eagle; updates: Tallulah falcons, fighting invasives
• April 5: Military-powered tortoises; finesse fire at Big Dukes; kindergarteners for nongame
• April 26: Why so few right whales; zebra hunting in Georgia; Alapaha WMA: storied site, sandhills
• May 17: Eagle nest total soars; endangered bee watch on; backyard nest borrowers; rare plant rediscovered
• ​May 25: Can't-miss snake video; eagle release; updates on rare birds and frogs
• June 15: On the trail of manatees; our overlooked songbird; wild refuge on the edge of Atlanta
• June 27: License-change bonus for public lands; shadowing rare sparrows to help save them; seen a spotted skunk? Let us know
• July: Working the turtle beach; conserving Altamaha "paradise;" white-nose syndrome survey results; how to sort out summer hummers
• September 7: Caterpillar connection; more power for mussel work; Team Tortoise bodes well for gophers
• September 21: Bird Island birds beat storm; searching for rare darters; a trunk organizer for your 2 cents; sorting cottonmouth fact and myth
• October: Big Turtle Year seeks big snappers; adding fall color to your yard; renew a license plate, help wildlife
• November: Rapping wildlife tags; rare birds back at River Creek; why add nest boxes before winter; watching for right whales
• December: Conserving Lee County wetlands; thumbs up for downy woodpeckers; state's newest orchid found at Sansavilla; Berry airlift: eagle (briefly) tackles big limb

2016

• February 13: Tune into Georgia nest cams; hot start for Rx fire season; rescuing bats from bridgework; coping with bird-feeder problems
• February 25: Following another Georgia golden eagle; 'tis the season for spotting spotted turtles; our oldest oystercatcher and how it helps scientists
• March 8: New way to fund nongame work nationwide; choosing the right binoculars for you; why Georgians are key to conserving wildlife
• March 23: Surveys explore status of rare wildlife; Tallulah Gorge prescribed fire a home run for habitat; more endangered salamanders found at Mayhaw
• April 7: Tagging and tracking right whales; the true value of redbud trees; story behind a nest cam no-show
• April 19: Mussel and snake interaction you've never seen; Georgia-tracked curlew unveils migration mystery; Botanical Society explores rare habitats in Year of the Bog; the man who managed River Creek wildlife for 50+ years
• May: More bad news for Georgia bats; nest updates, from eagles to ospreys; all a flutter over butterfly puddle parties
• June 1: Nest boxes, north Georgia students aid hellbenders; shadowing manatees on the move; rare glimpse of patch-nosed salamander courtship.
• June 16: Keeping track of North America's smallest falcon; partnerships and Civil War site hold new hope for rare plant; Terry Johnson's tips for keeping your hummer feeders pest-free
• July 7: Snake doctors and Devil's darning needles; study tags substitute manatees; Spring Creek's hard-shelled survivors
• July 26: Color me wild; sea turtle nesting surges; woodpecker surprise at Moody Forest
• August 12: Special turtle, special place; bishopweed once lost, now found; a wow bird in your backyard
• August 30: Net-casting spiders found in state; sightings expand coal skink range; new eagle-and-flag tag takes off
• September: National honor for plant champs; catfish control on the lower Satilla; why strawberry bush will steal your heart
• October: South Georgia's hard-shell giants; what's to like about sweetgum trees; rare glimpses of Florida pine snakes
• November: Georgia fishes on Flickr; teamwork to restore bogs; pitcherplants and their prey
• December: New hope for Moody Forest woodpeckers; revised Wildlife Action Plan in play; best bet for Baltimore orioles; rescued eagle flies wild again.

2015

• January: Showing now: eagle, owls and more; contests connect youth and outdoors; report reveals nongame ups, downs; Carolinas come calling; tax checkoff critical for Georgia wildlife
• February : Claxton wildlife fest expecting a crowd; rare eagle tracked in Georgia; helping chickadees
• March: Rare salamanders found at Mayhaw; cams stream nesting highs, lows; tag! right whales were it this winter; redbuds on parade; Flint's gator snappers slow to rebound
• April 9: Hummer haven how-to; monitoring "mice with wings;" fly-in promotes nongame work
• April 24: Bird’s-eye view of bald eagles' big year; another bad winter for Georgia bats; new falcons
• May 19: DNR license fee, structure options on table; first "wild" Georgia peregrine nest since 1930s; these pups need love, too
• May 29: Good news for golden-wings; three things you need to know about GPCA; we have seen the enemy; ties that bind fuel burn near Butler
• June 18: Help shape State Wildlife Action Plan; loggerheads nesting at record pace; strange snapper is true survivor; fine vine for hummers; project maps manatees in Georgia
• June 30: Hangout for tagged manatees? Kings Bay; power-line nest project key for kestrels; answers on Wildlife Action Plan
• July 16: Birthdays + tags = bonus for wildlife; why growing native is better for nature; yard dinosaurs
• July 25: How to remove a turtle from a moat; despite dip, wood stork nesting strong
• August 13: Hellbenders make moves on video; where the rare things are; a plant we love to hate
• August 28: Rehabbed eagles returned to the wild; notch another record for loggerhead nesting; T-shirt for your thoughts
• September 18: 50 years later, biologist returns to Ossabaw; storms vs. songbirds
• September 29: Eagle shooting spurs call for public's help; insights from summer hellbender surveys; sticky escape for a web-bound hummer
• October 8: Misunderstood morning glories; fungal disease found in more snakes; rare seabird sighting on St. Simons
• October 29: "Ambassador" sea turtle back in wild; what's truly scary about bats; two-time turtle egg thief sentenced; Locust Grove teacher earns conservation grant
• November: More Georgia aster populations found; fascinating side of 'possums; how to make a sea turtle rescue look easy
• December: Top nongame wildlife stories from 2015; right whale calving season starts with a splash; songbird for all seasons

2014

• February: Lights…camera…wildlife!; a wild year for nongame; don’t miss out on winter visitors; fresh start for rare birds in Baker County.
• March: White-nose syndrome on the move; Claxton fest keen on wildlife conservation; top grades for Tallulah burn and outreach; contests get youth out; snow packs pros and cons for wildlife
• April 7: Slow year for endangered right whales; when ruby-throats stole our heart; ready to go wild?
• April 23: Tags give wildlife an even better chance; video: when indigos tangle; scientists track disturbing spread of WNS
• May: Eagle nesting soars to record high; red-shouldered rescue in Athens; Georgia aster on our minds; the invisible threat
• June 10: Bogfathers, managers return to Rabun; bat watchers needed; catbirds on the prowl
• June 27: A new high for wood storks; saving the day for dwarf sumac; "hot" invasive found near Jekyll
• July 8: Wildlife tag prices cut, benefits raised; loggerhead nesting rates "average;" you light up my yard
• July 18: Youth Birding Competition goes national; working with wildlife is Greer’s life
• August 11: Rare birds at Joe Kurz; "We’re in it for the long haul;" keeping your hummer feeder pest-free
• August 25: Found: a Holy Grail of Georgia grasses; state’s first wild snake with SFD confirmed
• September 12: Go watch at Go Fish; average nest year no cause for alarm; a jewel of a weed (and one hummers love)
• September 29: Test your wildlife tag smarts; reign of the den master; glory days of a Coastal Plain bog
• October 13: 3 reasons to see Ohoopee Dunes ’tis the season for superstition; from ditch to bog to classroom; funding the battle for bats
• October 30: Predators vs. oystercatchers; how alligator snappers have recovered
• November 13: Why acorns = awesome; be on the watch for whoopers; keeping Georgia tops in aquatics.
• November 25: Test your tag IQ—Part II; Ohio zoo makes clutch find for rare sally; teaming up for montane longleaf
• December: Suspects cited for shooting wading birds; they're back...right whales return; out my backdoor: a wildlife Christmas tree; wild stories worth telling again

2013

• January: Wonderful winter for whales, so far; southern lessons in prescribed fire; how birds cope with cold; Georgia's wildlife checkoff at work
• February: Eggs mark leap forward for frog project; it's gonna be wild in Claxton; when scouts come calling; Sea Island’s big bird weekend
• March: New camera live-streams Atlanta falcons; hummers have eye for red buckeye; bat-killing disease found in Georgia
• April 11: Discovery adds mussel to shad outlook; updated frog CD helps hone ears and eyes; hate honeysuckle? not this native; on the trail of a bat killer
• April 26: Survey probes disease's impact on eagles; Rx fire season in review
• May 14: Blind snake worms its way onto coast; spring beauties on the wing; giving credit to conservation tax credits
• May 31: On the trail of whimbrels; biologists monitor Atlanta bats by water
• June 12: Rare river frog event seen in Lee County; DNR rescues dolphins by ... hukilau?; summer bird feeding: why it's worth a try; ducks common 'n not-so share Di-Lane nest
• June 29: 10 nongame stats that may surprise you; nation takes note of GPCA's success
• July 12: Wood stork nesting not soaring, but solid; tell us how we're doing; waiting for hummer fireworks
• July 27: DNR website reveals what's in your county; video captures snake vs. egg-laying turtle
• August 13: Loggerheads top nest record again; can’t-miss websites for wildlife research; swallowtails’ beauty is fragile and fleeting; a t-shirt for your thoughts
• August 23: How Facebook saved a hummer; rare salamander found in Ridge and Valley; citizen-science opps abound
• September 6: Counting shorebirds—across the continent; turn your yard into a pit stop for migrants
• September 30: Hellbenders in a bottle; survey says enews effective for nongame
• October 11: Seen these reptiles in Georgia?; do butterfly boxes work?
• October 31: Surprising Coosawattee rich in rarities; a sea turtle summer to remember
• November 12: Dolphin virus migrates south; decorating for the birds
• November 29: DNA hunt holds promise for hellbenders; dolphin strandings spike in Georgia; habitats project earns TERN teacher grant
• December: Hoping Caterpillar’s luck holds; five unusual backyard birds in winter

2012

• January: Change in rattlesnake festival cheered; safeguard success for swamp pink; winter's mystery mammals; an indigo for the photo album
• February: Hunting WNS; bluebird boxes; shorebird count
• March 9: Give to wildlife; rattler fascination; get out app
• March 23: First hummers; what a whale; burn season’s late rush fuels teamwork, learning
• April 9: Eagle nests up; few whale calves; botanist honored
• April 19: Tortoise aid; fascinating flycatcher; new coastal network targets alien invaders
• May 4: Rare bat find; dandy dandelions; contest winners
• May 25: Banding birds; sea turtle hat trick; snake updates
• June 13: Healthy burns; butterfly magnet; sea turtle case
• June 29: Wood stork survey; tortoise test; Piedmont pelican
• July 12: Sunfish search; anting answers; newt news
• July 30: Sea turtle success; high-flying falcon; osprey release
• August 13: Jackson mussels; wild Olympians; rare bird mark
• August 27: New tag designs; bat lessons; whimbrel wonders
• September 12: Army bird honors; ironweed; gopher plan; fish history
• September 26: Plant rescue; bogs of the past; beach-nesting birds
• October 15: Restoring longleaf; out my backdoor; teacher grant
• October 31: Loggerheads reach nesting milestone; help pick the next eagle plate; sign up for a silver Weekend for Wildlife
• November 15: A gopher frog first; persimmon: forgotten wildlife food plant
• November 30: The right whales are coming!; what giving wildlife a chance means
• December 22: From owls to eagles...; the Christmas card bird

2011

• January; Big indigos; birding and poster contests; winter butterflies; Athens teacher awarded conservation grant
• February: Fifth dead whooper; Moody Forest; sandhills in spring; views from the fireline
• March: Rare sparrows sought; alligator snappers; TERN volunteer of year
• April: Rockcress rescue; eagle update; whales and sharks; bluebird insights; Moody Forest visit inspires landowner’s vision for longleaf
• May: Rare species insight; walking Big Hammock; the brood is back
• June: Sandhills Part 2; dolphin rescue; public lands profile: Big Dukes Pond WMA
• August: Loggerhead record; buzz about bees; whimbrel bests Irene; outdoors education
• September: Hellbenders; white hummer; Raccoon Creek restoration; TERN's top volunteer; North Georgia project aimed at conserving continent's largest salamander
• October: Satilla flatheads; new WMA pass; owl fears; surprise sparrow
• November: Tracking rare species; wild Georgia books; underground wildlife; whoopers are here!
• December: Freshwater turtle regulations; top stories of 2011; restoring rare plant, habitat in Dooly; our Christmas hummingbird?

2010

• February: Owls in the backyard; restoring Pine Mountain longleaf; DNR chiefs call to get out; trout lilies all a'bloom; great outdoors awaits—make a date with your children
• April: Learning at Ohoopee Dunes; Georgia herp hotspot; Carters Lake whoopers; burns yield longleaf boom; king rail at Panola Mountain
• June: Gulf spill experience; best hummer food; Dawson addition; WRP wood storks
• July: Sea turtle conservation; caving cautions; backyard treasure; statewide acoustic transects help biologists monitor bats on the fly; leading and learning at Charlie Elliott summer camp
• August: Coosawattee surprise; sandhills progress; bull's-eye butterflies; blitz explores Georgia bats
• September 2010: Trading places helps conserve red-cockaded woodpeckers
• October 2010: Where carnivorous plants thrive…and longleaf pines endure
• November: Eagles' fatal prey; ear for frogs; shad and sturgeon; winter hummers
• December: Mapping coastal habitats; gifts in red; restoring grasslands

2009

• January: Grasslands; bugs to beavers; Fall Line Sandhills
• February: Ohoopee Dunes: a study in nature, sand; adventures in disentangling a whale
• March: Twister wipes out rare woodpecker habitat; Georgia part of program to bolster eagle estimates; Ft. Stewart woodpeckers
• April: How we got our kids outdoors; teachers offered lichens poster, workshop
• May: Interstate sandhills work; our worthy state bird; barring all but bats
• June: Grand Bay; searching South Georgia swamps for bats; identifying the ebony jewelwing
• July: Secret of Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center; wildlife interns' diary
• August: At Sapelo, ''light bulb moments'' inspire teachers, children alike
• September: TALON: the teen birding camp that soared
• October: Bat interns' full diary: "a summer we'll both remember"
• November: Dolphins catch, release for contaminant study a ''success''
• December: Coosawattee's rare ranking; international aid for red knots; strawberry bushes forever

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