Tag: Urbannaturestore
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South American Visitor
It is every birder’s dream to one day find something special. That happened recently north of Whitby when a small songbird from South America showed up along a walking trail. This Variegated Flycatcher is found on the other end of the world but got its migratory wires crossed, heading thousands of kilometres out of range.…
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Snowbirds
You know winter can’t be far off when the Snow Buntings show up. These Arctic travellers are the true Canadian snowbirds but their idea of a winter getaway means heading into southern Ontario, not Florida. Flocks have already made an appearance in fields, along roadsides and shorelines. Some will head further south while others will…
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A NEW VISITOR!
Look who has joined the backyard dining table, the Evening Grosbeak! Many customers have told us that they are thrilled to see the addition of this Grosbeak feeding at their sunflower feeders. I only had the pleasure of observing this beautiful bird at a family cottage in Muskoka over 30 years ago, so this is…
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Evening Greedy
Imagine the surprise experienced by some backyard birders in recent days when their feeders were inundated by a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. For most this was a first. In fact, it was a scene not experienced in parts of the GTA for decades. These beauties have left the north woods looking for cones on evergreens…
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Little Brown Birds
A family of birds that tends to rank lower on our list of favourites is the sparrows. These small songbirds don’t attract much attention but some species have characteristics that make them stand out. The song of the White-throated Sparrow is arguably one of the sweetest sounds in nature and is synonymous with the north…
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The Exodus is in Full Swing
Fall migration is an exciting time for bird watchers. Millions of birds are on the move, heading to winter homes. The numbers are much higher than in the spring because chicks that hatched this summer have joined the adults for the journey, stopping along the way to replenish their energy. This gives you a chance…
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Migration is Underway
Fall is almost here and migration is well underway. It’s time to make sure our feeders are kept full to help our feathered friends make their journey south. We have had many new customers over the last few months and we want to keep you informed on feeding the birds over the fall and winter…
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Observing Backyard Antics
As businesses and stores start to reopen during stage three in many of our towns and cities, things have slowed down for me. I will be off for the next few months recovering from knee replacement surgery. This has afforded me time to truly enjoy the antics going on in the backyard. There sure is…
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Let’s Stay Calm…
We’ve got this… let’s all take a step back and go for a walk. Everyone take a deep breath. Okay, now that we’re all calm we can take time to listen to the birds, they don’t know anything about covid-19. Over the last week the birds have really started to sing after the silence of…
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Red Winged Blackbird
‘Conk-la-ree’, ahhh, the sound I listen for at this time of year. A true sign that spring is on the way is hearing the song of the Red-winged Blackbird. They are one of the first songbirds to migrate from their winter destinations in the Southern US back to Canada. Some customers from our Pickering store…