Sweets for the Sweet In May, we begin to see the arrival of hummingbirds, orioles and warblers. The beautiful but elusive warblers are generally happy within the safe cover of trees to provide a healthy diet of insects, but hummingbirds and orioles will come to gardens and feeders if we provide what they love … Read more
On this episode of The Garden Gate we’ve highlighted some activities that you could do with the kids during March break. (Originally aired prior to March break) Puzzles, soap stone carving, paint by sticker books, puppet making, embroidery kits, colouring cards, building a bird house or getting outside to identify some birds and play … Read more
There are far fewer bird species around during the winter months, which can, perhaps counterintuitively, make bird watching more enjoyable. For newcomers to birding, fewer species means a less overwhelming learning curve. Many of the species that overwinter here stay for the spring and summer, making winter a good time to establish a solid knowledge … Read more
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 … Read more
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. … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Watching the birds is a very relaxing and stress reducing hobby. We have been overwhelmed at this time with requests to purchase our bird food and bird feeders so have implemented a sidewalk pick up program, trunk drop and also deliveries. Hours of operation have expanded during the pandemic crisis to Tuesday to Saturday from … Read more
At The Avant-Garden Shop we carry a wide variety of bird feeders but the most popular and best quality are those from Brome, Droll Yankees and Aspects. These feeders are made from high quality materials that last a lifetime. The tubes are made from a special UV protected plastic that doesn’t yellow or crack. The … Read more
As the days get shorter and the nights cooler, birds begin their migration to warmer climates. Andrew Jobes, local ornithologist joins me on this episode of the Garden Gate to discuss bird migration.