What Birds Are In Canadian Gardens Right Now? (1 Viewer)

el_supremo · Mar 13, 2004

Yesterday for the first time this year I heard a House Finch singing its precious little heart out.
We've had about 4 inches of snow overnight and there are 70+ Common Redpolls battling over squatters rights at the feeders. There might be a Hoary or two in there as well but they're hard to spot with this much confusion

There are also 4 House Sparrows. A m/f pair have been investigating the birdhouse my wife puts up on the fence each year and which up to now has been studiously ignored by anything with feathers. Yesterday the housekeeper said she saw a male House Sparrow trying to get a twig through the entrance and it was quite comical watching it trying to figure out how to accomplish this feat.

Tammie · Mar 13, 2004

VT said:
As for the Hoary, who knows if I'll ever see one again, but I'll sure be looking every winter. Only 2 Redpolls today, so they're probably on the way North. The Gulls are starting to arrive - a sure sign that spring is just around the corner.

This winter is the first time I've seen Hoarys in about 5 years and only the second time I've ever seen them here. This winter I ended up with a total of 5 and I'm thrilled!
No signs of spring here yet.... still looks and feels like January with it being -20C again this morning! One day, someone is just going to hit the spring switch and that will be it for winter. I hope that's soon!!

"VT" · Mar 13, 2004

el_supremo said:
Yesterday for the first time this year I heard a House Finch singing its precious little heart out.

Funny you should mention that. The Varied Thrush that's overwintering in my spruce tree, sang for the first time yesterday morning. Now that's a haunting call! He's probably still wondering where everyone went - he's been alone now for 2 months.

The Chinook is still with us, and all the snow is melting. It's almost time to get my bag of cat fur out for the birds (in 2 weeks, it's just a dress rehearsal for most right now). It's hilarious to watch the Chickadees fly off with a beakfull of fur - all they need is a pair of fake glasses and I'd be ROFL.

Tammie · Mar 13, 2004

Hi Forum!

I received a surprise gift from my in-laws the other day and the birds are quite happy with it.... photo below.
I'm also including a photo of our visitor the other night, right at the front door. What a beauty he is!!

snowyowl · Mar 14, 2004

Tammie said:
Hi Forum!

I received a surprise gift from my in-laws the other day and the birds are quite happy with it.... photo below.
I'm also including a photo of our visitor the other night, right at the front door. What a beauty he is!!

Nice pictures! Nice feeder! I'm starting to see a lot more foxes now and that's always a sign of Spring. They mate in Jan. to early March , so the early maters would be having cubs about now so beween the mating and the whelping, there's lots of fox activity right now.
Did I mention that I heard a White-throated Sparrow singing at the beginning of the week. I haven't heard him since but I imagin he is still around somewhere. That's a real sign of Spring.

Tammie · Mar 14, 2004

snowyowl said:
Nice pictures! Nice feeder! I'm starting to see a lot more foxes now and that's always a sign of Spring. They mate in Jan. to early March , so the early maters would be having cubs about now so beween the mating and the whelping, there's lots of fox activity right now.
Did I mention that I heard a White-throated Sparrow singing at the beginning of the week. I haven't heard him since but I imagin he is still around somewhere. That's a real sign of Spring.

Hi Dan! I don't know when foxes start mating around here but I'm not seeing any signs of it yet. We don't start to see pups until June so there is a definite time difference between here and there.
I am seeing a difference in the birds tho'. Their colors really seem to be popping out these days. It's very noticeable in the male common redpolls. I was telling my husband this morning that their chests are getting to be a really strong shade of red over the past couple of weeks. Our juvenile male pine grosbeak is also turning more red now. We were just watching him a minute ago. He looks kind of rusty now but all winter he looked like a female with just a little too much red. His red is really splotchy right now but definitely the stronger color.
We've been in a heavy snowfall warning since last night but so far, we've been lucky. I'm a little concerned about today tho' as the birds are feeding extremely heavily this morning. The snowfall is getting heavier too!

West of here received 25 cm last night while we only got 5 cm but I don't know about today. Could be different!
There are definitely signs of spring everywhere.... now, if the weather would only cooperate with that!!!

Yve_M · Mar 14, 2004

Hi all,
Tammie, our redpolls and grosbeaks are getting very colourful as well. I have had a few hoary redpolls as well. My boreal chicadees are getting a little braver and visiting the feeders out front in the open instead of hanging out in the bush feeders outback. All during the winter the femal hairy woodpeckers have been to the feeders but no site of Mr. Hairy. Then last week he showed up and hang out in the feeders all day - I have been watching him here for the last two hours and he hasn't left yet - he just loves to throw those seeds about. I'll have to throw out some frozen bacon fat - the missus loved that when she visits.

Sounds like winter still has a grip on you. We have received skiffs of snow lately but at least not 25 cm. Supposed to be above 0 during the day this week. Yipee.

Tammie · Mar 14, 2004

Yve_M said:
Hi all,
Tammie, our redpolls and grosbeaks are getting very colourful as well. I have had a few hoary redpolls as well. My boreal chicadees are getting a little braver and visiting the feeders out front in the open instead of hanging out in the bush feeders outback. All during the winter the femal hairy woodpeckers have been to the feeders but no site of Mr. Hairy. Then last week he showed up and hang out in the feeders all day - I have been watching him here for the last two hours and he hasn't left yet - he just loves to throw those seeds about. I'll have to throw out some frozen bacon fat - the missus loved that when she visits.

Sounds like winter still has a grip on you. We have received skiffs of snow lately but at least not 25 cm. Supposed to be above 0 during the day this week. Yipee.

Hi Yve,
Boreal chickadees at a feeder?? How lucky for you! I've only ever seen one in my yard, about 2 years ago, but have never had them come to the feeders. My hairies, male and female, have all been here all winter long and are only now starting to put up with each other in close proximity ... actually eating near each other without major fights for a change!
Here's hoping spring hits soon.... knock on wood, we're still not getting all the snow that's in the forecast so we've been lucky. Let's hope it stays that way!

Carson · Mar 15, 2004

Tammie, that feeder with THOSE visitors is just fantastic! Amazing! And I notice the suet underneath. We've had starlings hover for suet, would you believe, but it basically works that way--almost works, anyway. I'd love to have white-winged crossbills at a feeder.

In Vancouver our plague of salmonella continues amongst house finches and pine siskins. A lady writes from Vancouver Island; same thing there. In (dry) Calgary, apparently not. You dry-country people are SO lucky. It seems to be a problem in damp places, both in North America and in England.

Salmonella is one of the main problems, but there are others too.

The real trouble is that a lot of people, both seed-sellers and bird-feeders, are so into it for themselves that they persist in poisoning the birds regardless. There seems to be a very vicious circle, the birds' concentrations around feeders, the seed, and the diseases implanted in the birds themselves. Cleaning the feeders is always a good idea, but it seems to do little; once the bird population has the disease, the best solution is to keep the birds spread apart--i.e., don't attract them to feeders.

But people don't like facing things.

In happier news, our first Violet-green Swallows are back, and so are some Tree Swallows. Everything that can sing IS singing. And the salmonberry is bright green now, with the very first bright pink blossoms ready for Rufous Hummingbirds! But in truth, guys, that devastation of house finches hits me right in my heart, and it's hard to be so happy about these other birds.

I just wish I wish I wish that people could think clearly and respond quickly. Cease & desist for a time; that's all it would take. Maybe a year, maybe five years. I really miss my beautiful house finches.

Tammie · Mar 15, 2004

Carson said:
I just wish I wish I wish that people could think clearly and respond quickly. Cease & desist for a time; that's all it would take. Maybe a year, maybe five years. I really miss my beautiful house finches.

I fully agree with you Carson. I could never knowingly hurt the birds just for my own enjoyment of watching them! I would give up the hobby first.

snowyowl · Mar 15, 2004

Yve_M said:
Hi all,
Tammie, our redpolls and grosbeaks are getting very colourful as well. I have had a few hoary redpolls as well. My boreal chicadees are getting a little braver and visiting the feeders out front in the open instead of hanging out in the bush feeders outback. All during the winter the femal hairy woodpeckers have been to the feeders but no site of Mr. Hairy. Then last week he showed up and hang out in the feeders all day - I have been watching him here for the last two hours and he hasn't left yet - he just loves to throw those seeds about. I'll have to throw out some frozen bacon fat - the missus loved that when she visits.

Sounds like winter still has a grip on you. We have received skiffs of snow lately but at least not 25 cm. Supposed to be above 0 during the day this week. Yipee.

Wow! I'm impressed! I alwaus thought that Boreals wouldn't go to feeders. I had better start to look more closely when I see a Chickadees at my feeders. I tend to just glance and register in my mind that it's a Black-capped without really looking at the bird.

Tammie · Mar 16, 2004

snowyowl said:
Wow! I'm impressed! I alwaus thought that Boreals wouldn't go to feeders. I had better start to look more closely when I see a Chickadees at my feeders. I tend to just glance and register in my mind that it's a Black-capped without really looking at the bird.

When I have seen boreals, I've noticed that they sound just a little different too.... almost like a black capped with laryngitis! That's how I spotted my very first boreal a few years ago. I could hear it but I kept thinking: it ALMOST sounds like a chickadee!

snowyowl · Mar 17, 2004

Tammie said:
When I have seen boreals, I've noticed that they sound just a little different too.... almost like a black capped with laryngitis! That's how I spotted my very first boreal a few years ago. I could hear it but I kept thinking: it ALMOST sounds like a chickadee!

A lot of experienced birders here tend to say that a Boreal sounds like a B-c Chickadee witha scottish accent. We see and hear them in the woods fairly commonly but I've never heard of one here coming to a feeder.

snowyowl · Mar 17, 2004

A little bit of a St Patrick's Day storm going on here. Not much snow falling but lots blowing. The feeders are very active with some extra A. Tree Sparrows and Juncos, in addition to the usual collection of Redpolls etc..

Tammie · Mar 23, 2004

snowyowl said:
A little bit of a St Patrick's Day storm going on here. Not much snow falling but lots blowing. The feeders are very active with some extra A. Tree Sparrows and Juncos, in addition to the usual collection of Redpolls etc..

Just returned from southern Ontario where it was cold and pouring rain to Northern Ontario where it had been snowing and blowing the whole time we were gone.... another 8" of snow!!! Yuck!! No sign of purple finches yet but I didn't get to watch much today.

Elizabeth Bigg · Mar 23, 2004

Tammie said:
Just returned from southern Ontario where it was cold and pouring rain to Northern Ontario where it had been snowing and blowing the whole time we were gone.... another 8" of snow!!! Yuck!! No sign of purple finches yet but I didn't get to watch much today.

Tammie - I've already welcomed you back elsewhere, but here's another chance to "speak" to you. I'm glad you had some time to watch today.

Tammie · Mar 23, 2004

Elizabeth Bigg said:
Tammie - I've already welcomed you back elsewhere, but here's another chance to "speak" to you. I'm glad you had some time to watch today.

Thanks Elizabeth,
I don't know how much time I'll have for watching now as we're buying a house in town (an hour from here) but there are mature trees in the new back and front yards so I'll be able to watch all kinds in town too!!

All I can see out there right now are redpolls and pine grosbeaks and one hairy woodpecker. But LOTS of redpolls and some beautiful hoarys too! With any luck, the purple finches will be along soon.
It's still freezing cold here (-20C this morning) and we still have tons of snow. No sign of spring yet but I'm hearing it's supposed to zoom up to +10C tomorrow and then back down to minus teens on the weekend! SOMEONE can't make up their mind what season this is!!

Tammie · Mar 29, 2004

I had a nice little treat this morning. Sitting here yakking with my husband, I realised that in the background, I could hear something different. After being rude and asking him to shush

, I realized I was hearing a number of evening grosbeaks. I've barely seen them all winter and this morning, I spot 5 in a tree across the road! What a nice treat! I hope they return in strong numbers and stay for the summer again.
In contrast, the pine grosbeaks seem to be leaving a bit at a time. Not nearly as strong numbers of them now as there was even a couple of weeks ago. I'm lucky if I saw 15 today instead of the 50 that were here.
I guess there's a disadvantage to everything and with spring, the pines and redpolls will leave.

BUT! Who will take their place?? The excitement begins all over again!

snowyowl · Mar 29, 2004

Lots of activitity around my property right now. Song Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows are around in increasing numbers. Common Grackles are visiting regularly usually with a few Red-winged Blackbirds mixed in to the flocks.

twfranz · Mar 29, 2004

Good Day Folks,

Great thread.

It's pretty interesting to see the variety of birds that everyone has in the their yards.

We're getting a few Morning Doves, the odd Pigeon (which is somewhat new to the birdfeeder), lots of Common House Sparrows, and our Cardinal sesems to have disappeared.

Outside of the birds we've seen, we've also had a rabbit in the backyard who looked to be eating the seed. The youngster was pretty impressed with seeing a Rabbit, and is quite convinced that we need to plant some carrots for it

I've really been suprised by how quickly the Morning Doves have "tamed". When they first showed up anytime we opened the backdoor they would fly off; now when the door is opened they continue feeding until we get within about five feet of them... the dog doesn't even phase them anymore, they're quite happy to continue feeding while she trots around the backyard and does her thing. The only time she'll ever go after something at the birdfeeder is if it's a squirrel, other than that she doesn't bother.

I recently changed the food from a mixed bird seed to pure black sunflower seeds in the hopes that we might be able to attract some other species.

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