Median Strips

Essentially, median strips exist to divide busy streets and slow down traffic. Years ago these were mostly found in wealthy areas and were as much for beautification as for automobile control. Bolton Hill, where this median strip is located on Mount Royal Avenue, was built mostly between 1850-1900 and was one of the city’s richer neighborhoods. Some streets in this area have medians between the street for residents that goes directly in front of their homes and a larger main street and these acts as a buffer for noise and other traffic issues. Mount Royal Avenue is a main street that leads from north to south and the JFX has a major exit just north of this median; so speedy cars are a problem. Before this was built, though, Bolton Hill did not have as many traffic problems as other neighborhoods because there was no direct route north as Druid Hill Park is in the way. Mount Royal also paralleled the Jones Falls valley, so if one wanted to go east in those days they had to drive until they found a bridge. Thus, this median’s main function in those days was probably beautification.

Now we are mostly familiar with medians in the middle of large highways that are nowhere near cities. In the early days of driving, highways with planted medians were called parkways and the plantings in the strips helped relieve driver’s eyes from the oncoming headlights of cars coming from the other direction. After World War II plantings were used to relieve the concrete austerity of the new superhighways that were springing up in America. In recent years medians have appeared back in cities and suburban areas as a way to add green space and to beautify the community. Plants in median strips suffer indignities not encountered by average garden plants. They are hit by large vehicles, suffer lack of water, and in winter are sprinkled with road salt. There is also less soil to flourish in for trees confined to an island. A construction project is underway opposite the trees in this photo and you can see where people drive over the corners of the grass. And, if you were ever wondering if it is true that moss grows on the north side of trees you can see here that indeed it does.

Resources

Island and Median Strip Planting by William Flemer

Bolton Hill History by Fred Shocken

Doves

On the second day of March we had unusually cold temperatures and a snowstorm. I was going to take the usual snow shots of my back yard but when I looked out the window I saw this roosting dove. Mourning doves like this one are familiar sites in my neighborhood. I even had one roosting in an empty windowsill flowerpot one year. Like this bird, it didn’t seem to be bothered by being so close to a building.

Also like this bird, most Mourning Doves are medium sized and can measure about a foot long from beak to tail tip. They generally have small heads, long pointed tails, and are pale brown in color with white edges to their wings. Males are a bit more colorful, with rose-colored breast feathers and a bit of blue on the backs of their heads. They make a cooing sound that sounds like “Oooo ooo oooo”, which is why they are called the “morning dove”. These birds are similar to pigeons in that they bob their heads when they walk. Also like pigeons, they were popular game birds in Colonial times. They can still be hunted in Maryland and in some other states between fall and spring. Other than humans, the dove’s main enemies are hawks and tapeworms.

A lot of doves migrate south but as you can see here some still stay up north. Doves are found in all 50 states and adapt to most habitats, from rural areas to cities. They have even been reported near beaches. In winter they prefer to stay in flocks but they separate into pairs for mating and nesting. They begin breeding in March and April and their mating season can last to about August. Typically, they lay exactly two small white eggs. Both parents take part in chick rearing.
I’ve am told that Mourning Doves prefer ground feeding and that they mainly eat grains and seeds. They are fond of millet, and ours eat the millet seeds that other birds reject from our feeder. Aside from that, these birds are considered beneficial due to their high consumption of weed seeds. They are also just pleasant, soothing birds to have around in an urban environment.

Resources:

All About Birds: Mourning Dove

All-birds.com Mourning Dove

Familiar Birds-Mourning Dove, contributed by Winsor Marrett Tyler

Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Creating a Wild Backyard: Mourning Dove