Some of the more popular television programs are those in which a Real Estate agent shows a couple a number of houses from which to select their future home. There are a few such programs, each with their own particular twist, but in every case, the couple selects one house. We have a pair of birds in our yard whose antics remind me of those programs! The birds are House Wrens.
Swallow Houses…If you build it, they will come!
It is a rite of spring for me to build swallow houses– each March getting the urge to build a few from left over’s from wood working projects and from scraps from local contractors who know I would never refuse a scrap of usable wood or asphalt shingles.
Bird Watching: Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlarks have declined in numbers recently and are now sadly on the endangered species list in Ontario. Much of the grasslands required for their habitat have disappeared due to development and changing agricultural practices. Fortunately there are still Eastern Meadowlarks in our region and this is the best time of year to spot them.
Bird Watching: The Hairy Woodpecker
I am often asked how to differentiate between a Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, as for many new to Bird watching it seems to be a bit of a challenge. It need not be, even though they do look much alike.
Seeking a Balance Between Farmers & Bobolinks
Conserving species under threat is always difficult, but especially so when their habitats are on active farmland. When a scientific assessment four years ago concluded that Ontario populations of bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks were plummeting, many farmers worried that regulations to save the birds under the Endangered Species Act might threaten their incomes.
Woodpecker: The signs of spring
This winter seems to have been a long, cold, and snowy one with many of us yearning for signs of spring
Dark-eyed Junco: A member of the Sparrow family
A member of the sparrow family of birds, the Dark-eyed Junco is a familiar sight at our bird feeders every fall and spring. In some locations they may even spend the entire winter in our region.
Mourning Doves: our year-round visitors
Although we do have many different species of birds visit us all winter long, we can always depend on three species to stay around our property year-round: White breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped chickadee and one other favourite, especially in the winter, The Mourning Dove.
The Black-capped chickadee
The Black-capped chickadee, the species found in our area, has been described variously as sociable, industrious, agile, inquisitive, gregarious, trusting and acrobatic, and while they are all true, none of these adjectives fully describe this little bundle of cheerfulness.
Yellow Warbler
One of the most widespread and prettiest species of birds that graces our landscape is the Yellow Warbler! The male is a bright yellow, with reddish stripes on its breast while the female is a much more subtle yellow with a green tinge to the wing and back feathers.