birds – Page 4 – The Avant-Garden Shop

Garden Tips: Jewels of the Air

May 1, 2019May 1, 2019 by Andrew Jobes

Some people refer to hummingbirds (“hummers” to birdwatchers) as “winged jewels,’ which is no surprise, given their small size, the males’ brilliant iridescent colours, and the way they flit about. There are 5 hummingbird species in Canada, but only one, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, in Ontario. Males have bright red throats, iridescent green backs, wings, and … Read more

Garden Tips: Cheer up, cheerily! Bird Song vs. Call & Tips to Learn a Few in Your Yard

April 1, 2019March 29, 2019 by Andrew Jobes

The air will be increasingly filled with bird song this month as more species return from the south. Learning to identify birds by the sounds they make takes time and effort, but it can deepen your connection to your garden as you become increasingly aware of what’s going on around you. The words “singing” and … Read more

Garden Tips: The Woodpeckers, Chickadees, & Nuthatches come Marching in

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 by Andrew Jobes

You may have noticed a loud, sweetly-whistled “Spring’s here!” in recent weeks. This is the song of the Black-capped Chickadee (as is the three-parted “Cheese-bur-ger!”). Many of our year-round bird residents are cavity nesters. Chickadees, nuthatches, and some woodpeckers stay here through the winter, and they’ll start their courtship activities in March. Chickadees Black-capped Chickadees … Read more

Garden Tips: Helping Birds through Citizen Science

February 28, 2019February 1, 2019 by Andrew Jobes

Birds are in Trouble! The populations of many bird species are declining. The number of individuals of many species is half what it was 4 decades ago and is expected to decrease by another half in the next 40 years. Local Ornithologist (professional bird nerd), Andrew Jobes, has written the blog posts for our monthly … Read more

Garden Tips: Backyard Blues (Jays)

February 28, 2019November 28, 2018 by Andrew Jobes

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 … Read more

Garden Tips: Supporting Birds in the Winter

February 28, 2019November 1, 2018 by Andrew Jobes

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 … Read more

A Pane in the Neck: Reflections on Birds and Windows

June 22, 2018June 15, 2018 by Andrew Jobes

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 … Read more

Garden Gate Episode: 133 – Annual Backyard Bird Count with guest Drew Monkman

February 16, 2018 by Brenda

Drew Monkman is a retired teacher, author and local naturalist. Drew has written the book “Nature’s Year in the Kawartha’s”, an updated version renamed “Nature’s Year” and co-written another “Big Book of Nature” with Jacob Rodenburg of the Kawartha Environment Centre. On this episode of The Garden Gate we talk about the Great Backyard … Read more

Gordon Hare – Clay artist

June 8, 2017June 8, 2016 by Brenda

Throughout his life, Gordon Hare has had an extraordinary ability to not only see intricate detail in wildlife, but also to capture that detail through three dimensional depictions. Gordon, born in Canada, was introduced to the world of bird carving by his uncle as a young boy and as early as age five Hare was … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 67 – Neonicotinoids – What are they and why are they bad? Guest Mark Bennett

December 31, 2015July 3, 2015 by Brenda

CHEX TV airdate: Friday July 10th, 5-6pm

Click link to watch this episode online.

We’ve been hearing a lot in the news about Neonicotinoids (Neonics).

This relatively new class of insecticide affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. ?Plants that have been grown using Neonics are harmful to bees, butterfly’s and birds because they ingest the nectar or pollen and the insecticide along with it.

My guest, Mark Bennett from Wild Bird Trading and Millcreek seed, discusses Neonics with me on this episode of The Garden Gate.

redpolls — Picture courtesy Fred Jennings from Longlac

All of our Millcreek bird food is Neonic FREE! ?So you can be rest assured that when you feed our Millcreek brand of bird food to your birds you are not harming any birds, bees or butterfly’s!