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What do trail mix and feeding birds have in common?

Imagine a bowl of trail mix in front of you. Assuming no nut allergies, you may be faced with peanuts, cashews, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and M&Ms. Many people “high-grade,” sifting through and picking out favourites and leaving the rest behind. I know I end up eating a lot of peanuts and sunflower seeds if […]

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What’s up with all the Red-winged Blackbirds this year?

We’ve been hearing a LOT of reports of high numbers of Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBL) in the area, even in places where there aren’t any wetlands. So what’s up? Science nerd here. Bear with me… I don’t know what’s up! So, the first thing I wanted to do was find out if there are, in fact, […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 256-Bird seed for winter feeding (Dec 23, 2022)

Where you buy your bird seed really does matter. If you’re going to take the time to set up a bird feeding station or bird feeder, you want to use the best seed possible. Box store seed often contains a lot of filler. Seeds such as wheat and red milo are not eaten by birds […]

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Garden Tips: Attracting birds to your yard in the winter

People often ask why they don’t have many backyard birds in the winter. Here, we explore some of the many reasons why this might be. Birds need food, water, and suitable habitat year-round. The more of these available in your yard, and the better quality they are, the more likely you are to attract more […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 209 – Plants to attract birds to your garden

Often times our customers will wonder why they aren’t getting birds to their feeders. On this episode I show you some different trees, shrubs and perennials that you can add to your garden to attract a wider variety of birds. Birds are not attracted to yards with only grass. They find food in trees, shrubs […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 208 – Building a squirrel proof bird feeding station (Jan 29, 2020)

Setting up a squirrel proof bird feeding station can be done! You just need to be smarter than the squirrels! And I think you are! Squirrels can climb poles, clothes lines, shepherds hooks and they can jump up 4-5′. Squirrels can also launch themselves 10-12′ from deck rails, gazebos, your roof, trees, clothes lines etc. […]

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Why aren’t the birds using my new feeder?

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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