New feeders, pole systems, and baffles to keep squirrels away? Check! New, fresh, high-quality bird seed? Check! Binoculars, identification guide, and excited anticipation about all the birds you’re going to see? Check! Birds? … insert cricket sounds here … So what’s up with that? There are plenty of reasons why there aren’t any birds coming […]
Category: Back Yard Bird Watching
Ever heard of a Pine Grosbeak or a Bohemian Waxwing?
Last month’s blog post talked about the arrival this winter of Evening Grosbeaks. Another grosbeak, the Pine Grosbeak, is also showing up, which is exciting, because these large, beautiful finches rarely come this far south. If I recall, the only time I’ve ever seen Pine Grosbeaks was in the Hudson Bay Lowlands during the breeding […]
Garden Gate: Episode 202 – Compare the quality (Nov. 6th, 2020)
Customers often talk about the price of bird food when they should be considering the QUALITY! On this episode I dissect a bag of box store bird food. Even I was shocked at how poor the quality was. Birds don’t eat wheat or milo which is in high quantities in box store mixes. Even the […]
Seen any Evening Grosbeaks yet?
Not all bird species fly south for the winter, and not all of those that do come as far as Peterborough. Last year was what was called an “irruption year” for birds. Many bird species, such as Pine Siskins, the 2 redpoll species, and Bohemian Waxwings came here in greater numbers than in a typical […]
Garden Gate: Episode 199 – Beautiful sweet goldfinches
Learn all about the beautiful American Goldfinch on this episode. We show you different feeders that attract these sweet little birds and we also talk about why they may stop feeding from your finch feeders! Find a selection of finch feeders on our website here.
Garden Tips: Fall migration’s on its way
As we move into fall, the birds begin their move for the winter. Although there are still plenty of American Goldfinch and Northern Cardinal young begging for food, most of this year’s hatchlings are now fully independent of mom and dad and are footloose and fancy free. As young disperse from their home base, the […]
All that Glitters IS Gold
American Goldfinches are the latest-breeding songbird species in this area. They molt their feathers a second time in the summer, which is unusual for most bird species and leads to increasingly bright colours as the season progresses. Their song is a cheerful musical babbling, and their flight call – po-ta-to chip! po-ta-to chip! – is […]
Lions and Tigers and Chipmunks, oh my!
You’ve likely noticed the usual abundance of squirrels and even more chipmunks than usual this year. Animal populations respond to several things in their environments, and food is a major one. This is nuts! You may recall that 2019 was a great year for flowers. It was also a great one for nut-producing trees, like […]
Garden Tips: Begone, Vile Interlopers! (on Grackles & Starlings)
Common Grackles and European Starlings are unpopular with many, because they raid bird feeders and leave nothing for other species. I’m often asked how to solve this problem. If you adjust the seed you offer and the types of feeders you use, you can successfully exclude these unwanted species and attract the ones you want. […]
Garden Tips: Marching Into Spring
The days are getting longer, and the Northern Cardinals and American Robins are singing up a storm! Things start getting busier in March in the bird world as our year-round-resident cavity-nesting species start courtship and breeding behaviours. Male songbirds use song to define and defend their territories, as well as to attract females. Woodpeckers use […]