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 … 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
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 … Read more
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. … Read more
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 … Read more
Lots of folks are asking why there are so few birds at their feeders this winter, as compared to last year. The answers to these types of questions are never as straightforward as we might think. To start off, different numbers of birds are here from one winter to the next. A variety of factors … Read more
Feeding birds can be a source of tremendous pleasure. Whether songbirds at a seed feeder, woodpeckers at suet cage, or ducks and geese by a pond, watching them eat what you offer is at the same time exciting and calming. As the weather gets colder, migrating and overwintering birds can certainly use the extra calories … Read more
“May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it. For one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot … Read more
It’s been a good summer for the birds, and there are baby birds everywhere. Perhaps you’ve noticed more chatter as juvenile robins, cardinals, jays, and sparrows beg for food from their parents. Or perhaps you’ve noticed what sounds like familiar song but a bit off-key? That’s the sound of juvenile birds learning and practicing their … Read more
The Peterborough area is blessed with an abundance of American Goldfinches, which some people call Wild Canaries. Male Goldfinches are a rich lemon-yellow, with black wings, a black tail, and a black “toupee.” Females are a paler yellow and lack the toupee (perhaps the males struggle with male pattern baldness?). Goldfinches alternate between flapping their … Read more