The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

goldfinch

GARDEN GATE: Episode 237 – So many finches (Mar 25, 2022)

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This year we’re seeing large numbers of finches. American Goldfinch, Common Redpolls, Pine Siskens, House finches etc. These birds love nyger seed. But it needs to be fresh. And they like feeders with the little holes in them. This also help to keep seed dry and bully birds from throwing everything on the ground. Learn … Read more

All that Glitters IS Gold

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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

Garden Tips: All that Glitters is Gold(finches)

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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

Garden Gate: Episode 101 – Migrating birds at the feeder (Drew Monkman guest)

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CHEX TV airdate: Friday Oct. 28th between 5 and 5:30pm. Click link to watch this episode online. Now is the time to keep your bird feeders full of quality fresh bird food! Migrating birds are more apt to drop by and visit your feeders if they are clean and full. They may drop by for … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 86 – Pine Siskins with guest Drew Monkman

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Chex TV airdate: April 1st, 2016 Click link to watch this episode online. Local Naturalist and author Drew Monkman is my guest on this episode. Drew helps us understand why we’ve had so many Pine Siskins at our feeders this year. He also points out the differences between Pine Siskins and Gold finches. These two … Read more

Garden Gate: Episode 42 – Plants for birds

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CHEX TV airdate: July 25th, 2014 Click here to watch this episode. Birds love seed that you put out in your bird feeders, but in the summer they go crazy for natural berries and seeds that they find in your garden. On this episode I’ll highlight a few plants they you could easily incorporate into your garden. I especially love seeing Cedar waxwings in the late summer devouring the Mountain ash berries. ?I always get customers in commenting on “this flock of birds.” ?They come in large numbers and hang out in one tree for a day or two until the berries are gone. Then they move onto the next one. 100_9157It’s also a great idea to leave some of your plants standing late and through the winter so the birds can pick out all of the seeds. Echinacea is a great plant that the finches especially enjoy. So leave those seed heads standing as long as possible! If you incorporate a variety of plants, trees and shrubs you’ll see more variety of birds. They each have their favourite. This All about Birds website as well as many others can give you lists of plants that birds love. ?Or drop by the store and we can give you some ideas as well. Just remember “Variety is the spice of life!”

Where are all of my finches?

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Finch feeder

If your thistle feeder is not as busy as normal, there could be one of a few things happening.

The finches have found natural food and are enjoying that source for the time being. They’ll be back once that source has been depleted.

Another reason they may be avoiding your feeder is stale or dried up seed. Drop by our store for some fresh seed and your finches, chickadees and their friends will return very quickly.

And a third reason the birds may not be at your feeder are blocked ports. Sometimes the seeds get jammed up around the tiny feeding port and the birds can’t reach the seeds. Out of frustration they go looking for a better source. Clean your feeder and refill or try giving the feeder a shake to dislodge the seeds.

Use one of Droll Yankees brand or the Aspects brand feeders for best results. Both brands now come with quick release bases making the feeders easy to clean and refill quickly. These great feeders will really impress your dinner guests. Both come with Lifetime Warranties.

The Avant-Garden Shop