What birds to expect at your feeder this winter - on the Canadian Prairies

So you have followed all the backyard preparation steps and you are getting excited about what birds you will see at your feeders this winter.  Who should you expect?  Here are some of the usual suspects that we see at our feeders out here on the Canadian Prairies.    

Chickadees

These lovely and friendly little birds will be constant visitors at our feeders for the whole winter. They can get so tame that they will actually eat out of your hand. They will also let you know when you forget to put seed in the feeders. They like to eat black oil sunflower, sunflower chips (kernels), red-skinned peanuts and mixed tree nuts.

We recommend that you feed them our: Chickadee and Nuthatch mix, Nutty Temptations mix, as well as our No Mess Gardeners Mix.

Nuthatches  (Red-breasted and the White- breasted )

At our feeders, the Red- breasted Nuthatch is a regular visitor. Like chickadees they are very active. Always trying to find a spot to hide the seed.

  

The White-breasted Nuthatch is also a visitor at our feeders. Not as common as the Red-breasted Nuthatches, but we will see also see them in the winter.

Like chickadees, nuthatches enjoy black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, red-skinned peanuts and mixed tree nuts. 

We recommend that you feed them our: Chickadee and Nuthatch mix, Nutty Temptations mix, as well as our No Mess Gardeners Mix.

Woodpeckers

Downy woodpeckers are regular visitors at our feeders through to the winter. One year we were surprised to see a pair of parents bringing their young offspring, all four of them, to the feeders at the beginning of August. There, the parents showed the young how to eat the tree nuts from the feeder.

Hairy woodpeckers, like the Downy’s, are regular visitors at our feeders during winter. They might show up a couple of times in summer, but not that often. They look very similar to the Downy's but are quite a bit bigger.

Both of these woodpeckers like good quality mixed tree nuts in particular but will also eat sunflower chips, red-skinned peanuts and suet.

We recommend that you put feed them our: Jay & Woodpecker Mix, our Nutty Temptations mix, or pure tree nuts.   They also enjoy suet. 

House and Purple finches

The House and Purple finches are also regulars at our feeders during summer as well as in winter. Like all finches they like to eat black oil sunflower seed , sunflower chips, and nyjer seed. 

We recommend that you give them our: Mother Nature's Wild Finch mix, or feed them pure black oil sunflower or sunflower chips.

Pine Siskins  

They will be at the feeders this winter again. We’ve seen them every winter and with the trees loaded with cones here in our town we’ll see them again.

They like to eat sunflower chips and nyjer seed and the other seeds in our Mother Nature's Wild Finch mix.  Alternatively, you could feed them just  pure black oil sunflower or sunflower chips.

Redpolls  (Common and Hoary)

The Common and Hoary redpolls look very similar . The Hoary have a lighter color than the Common Redpoll. These little birds are so much fun to watch. They came from way up north, from the tundra. If the food crop in the north is not very good , they will come down south. In the winter of 2015-2016 we had hundreds of them at our feeders. Lets keep an eye out for them. Normally they will show up around the middle of December.

These little birds love black oil sunflower, sunflower chips and nyjer seed.   

We recommend feeding them our Mother Nature's Wild Finch Mix, pure medium sunflower chips or pure black oil sunflower.  

Now we want to hear from you.  Tell us about your experience. What birds are at your feeders this winter?  What seed mixes do they prefer?  We enjoy getting your backyard feeding tips and pictures.  

This article was written for us by our Saskatchewan bird expert  - Willie Delport

            

Planting for the Birds

With the May long weekend approaching, gardeners are chomping at the bit to get out and get plants in the ground if they haven't already started.  If you are one of those gardeners and if you are still trying to decide on what to plant this year, we have a few suggestions for plants that will attract birds while beautifying your yard.  

Annual Plants for Hummingbirds

Many people enjoy seeing hummingbirds, so planting something to attract them into your backyard may interest you.  Hummingbirds have long, thin bills that are ideal for probing into trumpet shaped flowers to find the nectar they are seeking. They also seem to be more attracted to flowers that are red in colour. At the greenhouse, search for annuals that are high in nectar production such as fuchsias, nasturtiums, snapdragons, dianthus, foxglove, impatiens, and petunias.

Annual Plants for Seed Eating Birds

Seed eating birds are very attracted to the seed heads in flowers. Unfortunately, the seeds in the flowers are not available to the birds until the seed head has dried out.  So during the season, either refrain from deadheading or flowers or if you do, save the seed heads, and once they have dried out, offer them to the birds in a tray feeder. Once fall is here, leave your flowers and the seed heads standing and you will have the birds visiting even in colder weather conditions. Annuals you can look for at the greenhouse for attracting seed eating birds include cosmos, cornflower, marigolds, zinnias, black eyed susans, daisies, impatiens, and sunflower mixes.

Perennial plants to consider

If you prefer not to plant a lot of bedding plants, you may want to look into perennials. There are a variety of choices available with high nectar production to attract those hummingbirds.  Look for bee balm, phlox, columbines, coral bells, hollyhock, foxglove and lupines.  

Vines and shrubs to consider

Even when planting shrubs, vines, and trees, there are certain varieties you can look for that will attract more birds.  Consider plants with berries such as dogwood, mountain ash, chokecherry bushes or trees, Russian olives, and crabapple trees. Also consider shrubs or climbing vines that have a high nectar production like morning glory or honeysuckle vines (a hummingbird favorite).

With this information, you can see that attracting birds to your yard is not only about what feeders you have in your yard. Birds are looking for the right environment, including plants (and water!), when deciding whether to spend time in your backyard.  

Check out Alberta Birds Facebook group

One of the Facebook groups that I belong to is Alberta Birds.  It is a wonderful group, full of very active members.  Every day I get to see wonderful photographs of birds that people have seen in the wild or the backyard.

What is particularly good about the page is that I can get an idea of what birds are currently in the area and this helps me plan what sort of birdseed to put in my feeders.

For example, right now I am seeing quite a few postings on redpolls.  So that tells me that I should have my feeder full of seed that redpolls will enjoy.

The other great thing about Alberta Birds is that you are able to post a picture of a bird and get some help with identifying it. 

So check it out and get networked with some of the other active birders in Alberta.

--------------------
What to feed Redpolls:
Redpolls love our Mother Nature's Finch mix which has some of their favorite seeds including nyjer seed, fine-cut sunflower kernels, and canola seed. See our website for info on where to find our bird seed in Alberta. 

Interesting facts about Peanuts

While many of us faithfully buy peanuts for backyard bird feeding, have you ever stopped to wonder about where peanuts come from?  

Peanuts are one of those crops that we don't get a chance to see much in Canada. That is because most peanut varieties require 3000 heat units to grow and mature and there are very few regions in Canada that get those kind of heat units. There are some peanuts grown in southern Ontario but for the most part, peanuts in North America are grown in the southern states - Georgia and Texas primarily as well as Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia. Peanuts are also grown in other parts of the world including Latin America and China but for quality control reasons, we buy our peanuts exclusively from the United States.

Given that most of us are not very familiar with peanut crops I thought it might be interesting to just share a bit of information on how peanuts are produced:

Peanuts are considered part of the legume family - like a pea or bean. However, unlike those plants where the pods are above ground, peanuts are more like potatoes where the peanuts are underground.

In fact, in order to harvest peanuts there are special machines that will unearth the peanuts and then turn the peanuts upside down (pods up) to dry. Then a harvester comes through and separates the peanuts from the rest of the plant. There are a few neat youtube videos that show you some information on crop production of peanuts: Peanut Harvest Video on Youtube.

Peanuts for bird feeding: Many birds love peanuts including chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, jays, towhees, juncos, titmice, and doves. This is likely related to the fact that peanuts have excellent nutritional value with high protein and fat content. We recommend serving them whole or hulled in a tray feeder or in a special peanut feeder. If you want to attract small birds, you are better off with a split skinless peanut since it is much easier for a small bird to handle than an in-shell peanut. We take pride in offering excellent quality peanuts to our customers and believe the birds know the difference!

How to keep bird seed fresh.

We often get asked if it is possible to keep birdseed fresh for a longer period of time. While we typically suggest a bird seed shelf life of about 6 months, there are a few things that you can do in order to keep your birdseed fresh longer.

• Buy fresh seed in good condition:  The first thing to ensure is that the seed you are buying is fresh from the start. Make sure that you have a good look at the bag you are considering buying.  If the seed appears dusty or discolored, or has any sort of cobwebs, do not buy it. Avoid any bag that appears worn out or dusty, as it is possible that it has been sitting on the shelf too long already.  Also check to see if there is a manufacturing date or code on the bag so you know for sure when the birdseed was made.  
• Store your seed in an airtight container:  After you have purchased your birdseed, it is important to consider the type of container that your seed will be stored in.  If your seed is in a bag it is best to change it to another type of container as most bags have small holes in it to allow bags to stack better when shipping.  However these small holes could allow insects or moisture to get inside the bag.  A great alternative is to transfer your seed into an airtight plastic or metal container.   
• Store your seed in a cool dry spot:  Once you have your seed in an airtight container, you will need to determine where you are going to place the seed.  Temperature plays a major role in how long your birdseed will stay fresh.  If the seed is stored at a temperature that is too warm, it will spoil a lot faster. Most homes are too warm to store seed. Therefore, a cool garage or garden shed are great options.  During the summer months, it is a good idea to move your seed to a freezer if possible.  Keeping the seed frozen will not affect the seed quality and will help to prevent the seed from spoiling. 

It is always a good idea to do occasional quality checks on your seed.  Ensure that there are no signs of insects, or insect cobwebs.  The seed should not be discolored in any way, and you should check to make sure the smell is not ‘off’ and remains fresh.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to ensure your seed stays fresh for your feathered friends.

Summer Bird Feeding Tips

It’s that time of year again!

The weather is beautiful, and it’s the perfect time to sit outside and enjoy watching all the birds visiting your backyard.  Don’t forget to keep your feeders filled during the summer months.

You may assume that birds have a lot of food to eat in the wild at this time of year, and while this may be true, they can still benefit from our help.  Many birds are breeding and nesting during the summer, and by keeping our feeders filled, it allows these birds to stay close to their young ones.

Here are a few summertime tips to keep the backyard birds happy and healthy throughout the season:

1. Add water to your backyard:  Birds really love water, and even though water is more accessible during the summer months, bird baths are great to have in your backyard.  Having a bird bath will attract more birds into your yard.  Just be sure to keep bird bath clean, empty the old water and refresh it on a daily basis.  This will help to make sure that your bird bath will not become breeding grounds for pesky mosquitoes. 
2. Set up a sugar water feeder:  If you would like to attract a wider range of birds, such as hummingbirds, orioles, sapsuckers, purple finches, tanagers, and warblers, you can set up a sugar water solution feeder. Just make sure that the water gets changed every couple of days when it is hot outside to prevent it from getting mouldy. 
3. Protect bird health by keeping feeders clean:  It is also very important to ensure that you are keeping your feeder clean at all times during the year, but especially during the summer months. Summer temperatures bring with it an ideal time for bacterial growth in your feeder. You can keep your feeders clean by following these simple steps:  

• Scrub your feeder with hot soapy water about once per month & allow them to air-dry afterwards.
• Wipe down perches and feeding portals on the feeder with a cloth dipped in a weak bleach solution,.  This will prevent the spread of salmonella. 
• Fill your feeders with small amounts of seed more frequently rather than large amounts all at once.  This will keep the food from spoiling which could pose a health risk to the birds. 
• In an open tray feeder, remove any food soaked by rain, as well as any bird droppings.  This will also help prevent the spread of diseases. 

If you follow these simple tips, your backyards birds will be happy and healthy, and you will surely enjoy seeing various birds visiting your backyard throughout the summer season.

How to attract finches to your yard this spring.

Spring and summer are great times of the year for feeding finches. Goldfinches become a beautiful yellow in these months and house finches, purple finches and pine siskins are plentiful. So how do you attract these little birds to your feeders?


Start with the right feeder: Purchase a tube thistle finch feeder. This will be a long cylindrical feeder with small perches and very small seed holes.

Put the feeder in the right location: Mount the feeder in a tree or bush where you have seen finches before. You can move the feeder closer to the house once your birds are used to the feeder and regularly visiting it.

Choose the right food: Goldfinches are known for their love of njyer seed (pictured left).

However,there are other options. The variety of ingredients in Mother Nature's Finch Mix is designed to attract redpolls, pine siskins, goldfinches, housefinches and other finches. Our Mother Nature's finch mix contains ingredients that these small birds love including nyjer seed, finely chopped sunflower seed, canola seed, canarygrass seed, and gold proso millet.

Another option to consider, particularly if you are looking for a "no mess" solution, is our Mother Nature's Fine Chips which are finely chopped sunflower kernels. They feed well through the small holes in finch feeders and are very popular with finches. While the fine chips are a bit more expensive than our Mother Nature's finch mix, there will be no shells under the feeder and no sprouting to worry about.

Finally, when you have your feeder up, you could consider adding a birdbath to your yard. All birds including finches enjoy water.