Swallows

We have had the wonderful pleasure of dealing with and observing an abundance of wildlife over the last almost eight years.  Our last house was sandwiched between farmland to the back and natural water to the front as is this house.  However, this house is a bit more rural so we get even more wildlife visits.  When we moved to our last house we noticed swallows building nests under our dock. 

Finally the First Photogenic Robin of 2011

Robin in Maple TreeMarch 23, 2011

I posted earlier about spotting the first robin of the season.  For those who don't know, here in beautiful Ontario, Canada where we experience winter complete with cold temperatures, ice and snow the robins migrate to warmer locations for the winter.  I can't say as I blame them which is one reason we have joined the snowbird crowd with our vacation home in

First Robin of 2011

Yesterday afternoon I spotted the first robin of the season!  I quickly grabbed the camera just in time to see him take flight so didn't get a picture.  This is a good sign that spring is almost here!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Bald Headed Eagle Visit

Bald Headed Eagle VisitFebruary 9, 2011
There is a family of Bald Headed Eagles nesting not too far from us.  They have been taking advantage of the ice floats but it is only by luck to get a picture as they don't stay long.  I took this picture from the kitchen patio doors.  Looking closer the eagle was interested in the carrion on the ice but within seconds of the second photo the eagle took

At Risk Garden Visitors

As I work in the garden I am always on the look-out for garden visitors both friend and foe.  I find it amazing the diversity of critters that visit the gardens and yards.  For the most part all of the visitors are wild with the exception of a couple of neighbourhood cats that visit occasionally.  Currently the most noticeable difference in my garden visitors is the glaring absence of the wild

Our Resident Bluejays

We have a pair of resident bluejays that frequently visit a couple of times a day.  Their antics can be quite amusing!  I toss out unshelled peanuts for them to enjoy so if I haven't put the peanuts out by the time they arrive they will come close to the house and call to get my attention.  Once in awhile a squirrel tries to sneak a peanut but the bluejays are onto him.  They chase him away

Know Your Enemy

I've been watching our neighbour who is having quite the time with birds wanting to nest over his awnings that were installed last year.  Now nesting birds can be a problem anywhere but when you live near the water's edge it can be even more problematic.  We have a pair of nesting Mallards each year that always make their nest under our hedges so we know that area is off limits until the

First Robin of 2010

First RobinMarch 24, 2010A few days ago I spotted the first robin of 2010. That's a sure sign of nicer weather to come so now it's time to get excited. Spring is always a fun time of the year in the garden. This one will be just a little bittersweet with the upcoming move. I'm sure everything will work out well and I'll be able to report not only on this garden until we move but the new

Birds in the Garden

Robin's NestMay 26, 2009It is very important to attract a wide variety of birds to your garden and I have written about attracting birds to our gardens before (here). Ideally at some point you should notice a bird of prey if you are going about attracting birds to your garden in the correct manner. At that point you should give yourself a bit of a pat on the back. What you have accomplished is

Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura)

Mourning Dove(Zenaida macroura)March 26, 2009Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) visited the kids' garden providing on ground clean-up below the bird feeder. Now I have a love/hate relationship with these birds. In reality they are rather beneficial birds in the garden as they eat almost exclusively seeds but in a pinch will eat insects and snails. They provide the clean-up crew under bird

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Red-winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus) March 22, 2009I recently spent a couple of weeks at the home of oldest grandbaby so managed to get a few pictures of their garden visitors. Everyday a few Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) would visit the feeders. Red-winged blackbirds are members of the passerine family. Males display the bright red wing band while the females are a rather

Birdfeeders

There isn't a lot of actual gardening going on this time of year but that doesn't mean thing are not happening in the garden. I attract birds to my gardens year round using plantings and feeders. Birds are natural predators to some insects that can be a nuisance in the garden. The essentials for attracting birds into the garden are food, water and shelter. These remain the same regardless of

A Walk-a-bout the Gardens

Each time I do a walk-a-bout the gardens I discover new plants. I'm excited even though I am sorely missing my main vegetable garden this year. Plans are underway for a late season garden as soon as it cools a bit more at night. I'm hoping to plant towards the third week of August for our zone. In the meantime I've been starting herbs and discovering what is already growing

Purple Martin House

Purple Martin HouseThe Purple Martin (Progne subis) is a member of the swallow family. It is a medium sized, migratory song bird much desired in gardens. The male is entirely a glossy dark, purplish black sheen while the female is purplish black with a duller sheen and lighter underpants. Several Purple Martins will nest in a multi-compartmented birdhouse much like a bird condo building. They

Last Thursday was moving day. It was an extremely long and tiring day yet I was up at the crack of dawn to explore our new surroundings. I did a walk about the gardens with the camera noting some of the plants that I haven't grown before or have very little experience with.GreenspaceOur property is on a deadend road. A greenspace dotted with a stand of trees separates our road from the main

Slugging the Slugs!

graphic by Forrest BrownPokey asked about slug problems in strawberries. I thought the topic should be discussed in greater detail. As many of you know, I garden as organically as possible with dish soap and vinegar being about as toxic as I will use. I also grow most of my vegetables in raised beds or containers. This makes slug control considerably easier. Most slug control involves

Attacting Birds to Your Garden

Ruby Throated HummingbirdMay 10, 2007Look at my new garden visitor! Isn't he just adorable? This picture was a real fluke as the feeder is hanging on the back porch so I can see any activity from the kitchen window. Well there he was flitting around so I had to grab the camera and take several shots. I should have taken a video clip as well but I was so excited, I didn't think about it.

Bluejays

Attracting birds to my gardens has been one of my goals. Most birds are beneficial in the garden and while some can be pests, they are easily controlled. I was shocked when a fellow gardener referred to grackles as junk birds! As gardeners, we are stewarts of the land so there should be no such thing as junk critters. Some are pests and some are beneficial but all serve a purpose. I took this