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Garden Gate: Episode 152 – Suet and Peanuts to keep birds warm (Nov. 23, 18)

Certain needs must be met to for any living creature to survive: food, water, and shelter from inclement weather and predators. These elements work together to form a critter’s habitat. No matter how ideal a habitat may appear to be in one or more of these areas, it will not be used by wildlife if […]

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Garden Tips: Backyard Blues (Jays)

Many people who love feeding birds dislike Blue Jays, because they can be loud and aggressive. Although this is true, there’s so much to love about these intelligent and charismatic creatures! Jays are in the Corvid family, which includes ravens and crows. They are very intelligent, capable of problem solving and mimicking the calls of […]

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Garden Tips: Supporting Birds in the Winter

Certain needs must be met to for any living creature to survive: food, water, and shelter from inclement weather and predators. These elements work together to form a critter’s habitat. No matter how ideal a habitat may appear to be in one or more of these areas, it will not be used by wildlife if even […]

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Garden Tips: Birds, Birds, and More Birds! (Migration & Irruptions)

“Stock your bird feeders because many birds will have a difficult time finding natural foods this winter…” Fall migration is now well underway, and you may be noticing more birds and new species at your feeders. Many seed eaters, such as Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows move in for the winter as most insect-eating […]

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Garden Tips: Fall Bird Feeding

Fall Feeder Fun! Fall migration has already begun for some bird species. As birds leave their northern breeding grounds to head south for the winter, the numbers of birds and species of birds that will pass through or arrive in this part of Ontario will increase quite a bit over the next month or two. […]

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Garden Tips: Bird Baths and Other Water Features

  “Water is the driving force of all nature.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci All life needs water. This summer has been extremely dry, which can make it challenging for birds and butterflies to find water for drinking and bathing. Adding a couple of water features to your yard is an easy way to help them […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 144-Birdbaths

Providing birds with water is an important part of any garden. Both for drinking and for bathing. Birds are especially attracted to moving water, so if you can add a dripper, spraying hose or water wiggler, you`ll attract birds more quickly to the bath. In addition moving water prevents mosquitoes from laying their larvae in […]

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Garden Tips: Squirrels at Your Bird Feeder

Keeping squirrels away from feeders can be a constant effort. They eat a lot of seed, which makes maintaining your feeder more costly. They also dominate the feeder, scaring the birds we want to attract away. There’s another good reason to reduce squirrel and chipmunk access to your bird seed: they eat bird eggs and […]

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A Pane in the Neck: Reflections on Birds and Windows

We’ve all heard it: the unmistakable thump of a bird smashing into a closed window. We rush outside to assess the situation. With luck, there’s either no bird there or it’s resting on the ground, panting and dazed, and flies away in a few minutes. Sometimes, the little one’s not so lucky. Window strikes are […]

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