The world of organics has become very muddied in recent years, and it seems every item you buy nowadays has some kind of tag touting how ecologically sound it is. Well, we all know that not everything is organic, so let’s see if we can clear up at least some of it.

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Winter time is a great time of year to enjoy some backyard birding.

Firstly, because there is a bigger lack of natural resources at this time of year birds are more apt to search out feeders for supplemental nutrition.

Also, because a lot more shrubs and trees have lost their foliage, it is much easier to look at and enjoy all those backyard visitors.

Having said that, we thought you might like to know what some of the birds are that you are looking at. So here’s a short list of some of the more common ones you are likely to see at your feeder at this time of year.

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Don’t you just love having a hearty meal when it’s cold outside? So do the birds! It’s important to keep them well nourished, especially at this time of year, when it becomes much harder for them to find food sources on their own.

Of course different birds have different ideas of what constitutes a good meal, so it’s important to provide the correct food for the type of birds you are trying to attract. (more…)

For those new to the wonderful world of water gardening there are some words and phrases around that can be confusing at first. Hopefully we can help you understand at least some of them in this article: (more…)

Which bird seed is going to do the best job at attracting the type of birds you want? Hopefully this will help:

Black Oil Sunflower – Pretty much all birds like this one, and it’s a good choice for attracting the greatest variety of birds.

Nijer (commonly referred to as thistle) – House Finches, Gold Finches, Purple Finches, Sparrows.

Millet – Favoured by ground feeders such as Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, Towhees, and Carolina Wrens.

Safflower – Northern Cardinals love this seed, as well as Black Capped Chickadees and Titmice.

Sunflower Hearts – Another which most birds like. Unlike Black Oil Sunflower, however, with Hearts there is no waste from any uneaten shells.

Peanut Hearts – A good choice for attracting Woodpeckers.

Hot Meats – Sunflower Hearts which have had a hot pepper coating added to them. The spicy taste doesn’t bother birds, but the squirrels hate it!