Tag: birds

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Cottage Life

How to keep birds (and yourself) safe from Avian Flu

Photo by Paul Reeves Photography / Shutterstock

The dramatic cacophony of avian personalities that arrive at our feeders is—along with the longer, warmer days—one of the greatest joys of spring. Practicing good feeder hygiene has always been important, but even more so this spring since a new strain of avian flu, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is making its way across Canada.

This particular strain of avian flu primarily affects waterfowl, poultry, raptors, and certain shorebirds. Initially detected on the east coast, there are now approximately 100 confirmed cases of sick/dead birds nationally. According to Christopher Sharp, a population management biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service, “more important than the absolute number of confirmed cases, is that confirmed or suspect cases have now been detected across the country, with the exception of the far north.” And with birds on the move due to spring migration, that number will no doubt increase.

Where does this leave cottagers? Stuart Mackenzie, director of strategic assets at Birds Canada, says it’s important for cottagers to be aware of the disease. The most important thing is to avoid feeding water birds (ducks, gulls, geese)—tempting as it might be!—since it encourages wild birds to congregate around food sources, which in turn can easily drive up the likelihood of viral transmission. And of course, “if you see dead birds, don’t touch them, keep your animals away from them and report any sightings, especially of waterfowl, water birds or gulls to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative,” Mackenzie reminds us. Although the transmission of avian flu to humans remains rare, any handling of wild birds needs to be done with caution and followed by rigorous handwashing.

And what about our beloved feeders? One of the curiosities of avian flu is that it affects species differently: while water birds are the most common carriers, the disease appears to be most lethal to poultry, and holds the least risk for songbirds and other feeder visitors. Sharp believes that bird feeders are still safe on cottage properties as long as there is no domestic poultry anywhere nearby.

However, he emphasizes that feeders should be cleaned regularly and rigorously with “a weak solution of domestic bleach (10% sodium hypochlorite),” rinsed thoroughly and dried carefully before they are refilled. If you have backyard chickens on your cottage property, Sharp advises to “limit contact between wild birds and poultry,” essentially by removing “outdoor sources of food, water and shelter that attract wild birds.”

Although the Canadian Wildlife Service’s recommendation to avoid any unnecessary contact with bird feces seems straightforward enough, anybody with a waterfront property knows that such contact happens unintentionally—most often in the form of goose poop. Sharp suggests modifying waterfront properties “to make them less attractive to Canada geese,” including allowing the regeneration of natural shoreline vegetation, mowing less frequently, which makes the lawn less inviting to geese and putting up barriers that limit access to lawns. In other words, this might be the season to tend less to the lawn-manicuring, grab a good book, and let nature offer a makeover!

Backyard birding: how to help birds build nests

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Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the double-crested cormorant

By Elliotte Rusty Harold/Shutterstock

The double-crested cormorant gets a bad rap. But give this big, prehistoric-looking bird some props: the species’ numbers have exploded since the 1970s, after they suffered at the hands of DDT. Just like eagles, cormorants would eat fish contaminated by the pesticide (and produced eggs with too-thin shells as a result). In 1950, there were only 900 breeding pairs in the Great Lakes. By 2000, that number had jumped to 115,000.

What do cormorants eat?

Some anglers aren’t huge fans of this bird, which, fair enough: it does spend much of its time catching fish. Flocks of cormorants will fly dozens of kilometres from their home base to forage. They soar in tight formations then dive below the surface of the water to catch more than 250 species of fish, including small fare such as minnows and yellow perch, plus invasive species including round goby and rainbow smelt. For the record, anglers, most research shows that sport fish only make up a small percentage of a cormorant’s diet.

Cormorants are excellent swimmers—at least, they are when they’re going after food. This bird has a cool fishing technique: it chases after fish underwater, propelling itself with its webbed feet. (Other bird species that swim underwater, like the Cassin’s auklet, use their wings like fins to “fly” as they pursue prey.) Cormorants have hook-tipped beaks for a reason. They use the hook to snag their dinner. Sometimes they catch crayfish. When they do, they repeatedly bash the crustacean against the surface of the lake until its legs fall off, then flip it into the air to catch and swallow it head-first. Show off.

Why do cormorants ‘pose’?

When a cormorant isn’t fishing, it’s just hanging out. This bird spends at least half of its day resting (hey, sounds like a cottager!). Ever spot one standing on a bare, windy rock or branch—or on your dock—with its wings outstretched? It’s trying to dry out. Cormorants have less preen oil (the stuff that helps ducks shed water) than other birds, so their feathers are soaked after a morning of fishing. Experts believe this difference is what actually helps cormorants hunt underwater more effectively.

 

Categories
Cottage Life

A bear-proof bird feeder, can it be done?

Photo by Mark Kreger

For many years, Mark Kreger had a bird feeder, one that was strung on a wire between two poles about 10 paces apart to keep it out of the reach of local wildlife. But late one season at his cottage near Kearney, Ont., the feeder went missing. It reappeared the following year, about 100 metres away in the bush, with some obvious bear damage. “I clearly had to think of something better,” he says. “Originally, I thought higher posts and a higher wire, but I didn’t want to have to use a ladder to refill it,” says Mark. He decided to try a feeder that pivots. “It’s like a teeter totter, but a vertical one.” 

Mark first tried dangling his bird feeder from a wire on a 2×3 of spruce attached to a post he made from a small tamarack. “An animal snapped it like a toothpick after a few nights,” says Mark. The next design was a metal conduit attached with two hooks and bolted to the tree, but an animal bent that too. As any loyal Cottage Life reader knows, humans are often no match for determined wildlife. “I finally reinforced it with rebar, but the animals still bend it,” he says. “It’s been bent to such an extent and so often that I now remove the feeder every evening and replace it in the morning.” An avid DIYer, Mark isn’t fazed. “I enjoy the challenge,” he says. “But for now, the bears have won.”

Though Mark loves to scavenge for materials, he bought the conduit and the rebar for about $30. Common visitors to the feeder include goldfinches, blue jays, and the odd hairy woodpecker.

Solved a cottage problem by building something? Show us: edit@cottagelife.com.

Categories
Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the greater yellowlegs

By Brian Lasenby/Shutterstock

The greater yellowlegs has—wait for it—yellow legs. Good call, whoever gave this shorebird its common name. In March, the migratory bird begins to come home from winter U.S. digs in brackish wetlands, mudflats, flooded fields, and, ugh, sewage ponds, headed to Canada’s boreal wetlands and damp meadows. Greater yellowlegs parents seem to prefer shallow water and shrubby ponds where they can safely raise their kids. Who wouldn’t? During breeding season, the birds will sometimes fly up to and then perch on trees to watch for predators.

The greater yellowlegs vs the lesser yellowlegs

The greater yellowlegs walks with a high-stepping gait, its limbs flashing. Its cousin species, the lesser yellowlegs looks (no surprise) almost identical. But the greater bird is literally greater—that is, larger—with a longer, thicker bill. Side-by-side, most folks could see the difference, but when each bird is solo, it can be hard for anyone but an experienced birder to ID each yellowlegs.

What does this bird sound like? 

The greater yellowlegs’ screechy alarm call is one reason why birdwatchers don’t love this guy. It tends to scare away other shorebirds, so its nicknames are “tattler” and “yelper.” The most common call is a chirpy, ringing cry: tew tew tew. (It sounds, at least to some people, that the bird is saying its name: “yel-low-legs”). If you want to hear the bird in real life, be prepared to spend some time in boggy areas. When it’s dry, head to muddy reservoirs or lakes; when it’s wet, you can spot them in flooded fields. Adult birds also tend to wade into deeper water compared to other sandpipers—one reason that birders call the greater yellowlegs a “marshpiper.”

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Cottage Life

Funding for chimney owners—and chimney swifts

Photo by Ron D’Entremont

Cottages are seen as a ‘home away from home’, a place to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. But they can also provide a home for wildlife. The chimney swift, a small grey cigar-shaped bird that preys on mosquitoes and other flying insects, has adapted to roost and nest in human-made structures—preferring, as the name suggests, chimneys. However, chimney swifts in Canada are in major trouble; over 90% of the population has declined since 1970.

To help conserve the species, Birds Canada, with financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada, has launched the Chimney Swift Chimney Restoration Fund. Owners of structures in need of repair and used by chimney swifts for nesting and roosting can apply for financial support from the fund. The fund may provide up to 50% of the total cost of the restoration project, while ensuring that the repairs continue to allow chimney swifts to use the structure for nesting and roosting.

Chimney swifts tend to occupy buildings that were built before 1960, says Véronique Connolly, coordinator for the Chimney Swift Fund. As aging chimneys fall apart or are capped or demolished, the chimney swifts lose out on valuable habitat.

“Often chimney owners don’t have the financial resources to repair a chimney. Sometimes it’s easier just to demolish it,” says Connolly.

Chimney swifts seek out chimneys built with rough materials like brick, stone, or concrete. “Chimney swifts can’t perch like birds that you would see on telephone wires,” says Natasha Barlow, a projects biologist for Birds Canada. Their back toes can swivel forward though, helping the birds cling to rough surfaces, she says.

Those rough building materials also provide a nice attachment area for swifts to construct their nests. Chimney swifts use saliva to glue small twigs together and then adhere the nests onto interior chimney walls, says Andrew Coughlan, the Quebec director for Birds Canada.

Coughlan maintains that chimney swifts make good tenants. “They’re not particularly noisy, and they don’t make huge nests,” he says. ”Nests are very small—about four inches wide—so it’s not going to block the chimney or cause a fire hazard.”

Sharing your cottage or home with chimney swifts doesn’t mean ceding your chimney entirely to the birds, adds Barlow. Chimney swifts migrate south for the fall and winter, so homeowners are perfectly safe to use their fireplaces and chimneys as intended while the birds are away.

The application deadline for the fund is April 21, 2022. Applicants can visit the Chimney Swift Chimney Restoration Fund’s website for the full eligibility criteria and application process.

 

How two engineers fixed a leaning chimney

Backyard birding: how to help birds build nests on your property

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the ptarmigan

By Carrie Olson/Shutterstock

Think of the ptarmigan as a kind of winter-hardy chicken. The alpine-dwelling bird, part of the grouse family, has feathered feet, the better for walking on snow, and plumage well-adapted to keeping it camouflaged year-round. North America has three species of ptarmigan (taar-muh-gnn): the rock ptarmigan, the willow ptarmigan, and the white-tailed ptarmigan (pictured). They’re all chunky-bodied, with short tails, legs, and wings.

What’s unique about this bird?

In winter, all three species are nearly snow white. Unlike other birds, they go through three plumage changes during the year. (Other species typically have only breeding plumage in spring and summer, and their drabber, non-breeding colours come winter.) As the snow starts to melt, ptarmigans begin to moult their white feathers into a barred pattern, starting from the head and progressing towards the tail. By mid-summer, males and females look nearly identical. Then, as the summer turns to fall, both turn more and more grey. The process is barely complete before the birds begin moulting back to white again.

How do they survive winter?

Winter is a lean time for the ptarmigan. Food sources are low, and the birds are limited to the few plants growing above the snow—they eat the seeds, buds, and twigs of low shrubs. Willow ptarmigans, in particular, are very good at balancing on spindly branches of higher shrubs to get at the catkins and other goodies. The rock ptarmigan, on the other hand, prefers to scratch down into the snow to get at buried vegetation such as purple saxifrage. This avian is also smart enough to take advantage of the craters dug by caribou and muskoxen. Interestingly, research shows that each ptarmigan species has evolved a slightly different bill size and shape to allow it to successfully feed through the winter.

But can they fly?

In the spring, ptarmigan chicks hatch in their shallow nests; it can take an entire day for a baby to break out of its shell. Then, it eats its own yolk sac for protein. Uh, yum? Within a few days, chicks can scurry, mouse-like, along the ground. By the time they’re a week old, they can fly—though they’re very clumsy. They get better at it, of course. (Less chicken-like.) Flying skills become especially important for our northern-dwelling adult rock ptarmigans. Some migrate as far as 800 km in a year, making them the most nomadic of the grouse species.

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Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the Northern cardinal

By Danita Delimont/Shutterstock

The Northern cardinal is a cheery pop of colour against the winter landscape. Unlike so many other bird species, cardinals don’t moult their bright red plumage, so they stand out at bird feeders year-round. They’re one of North America’s most recognizable species—who can’t ID a cardinal? Even the females have a sharp, spikey crest and a cherry-coloured beak. Pretty, pretty bird!

The Northern cardinal is unusual for another reason: it’s one of the few female songbirds that actually sings (usually in spring and summer, on the nest). Ornithologists believe this may tell their male partners when to bring them food. (“I want pickles and ice cream! Right now!”) A female Northern cardinal also typically sings longer and more complex tunes than the male—again, unusual in the bird world.

In winter, cardinals are largely quiet. But they do form large flocks, for foraging—sometimes they’ll gather with other species such as dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows. They’re pretty easy to attract to winter bird feeders; with no insects to hunt for, they’ll eat almost any seed you put out. (That said, they’re big fans of black-oil sunflower seeds.)

Weekly Hack: Winter bird feeding tips

Although mated pairs that hooked up the previous spring will often stay together for the winter, about one fifth of couplings break up by the time the next breeding season rolls around. Aww, divorce sucks. Newly split, both male and females are ready to find a new mate.

Have you ever seen a cardinal attacking its own reflection—in mirrors or car windows, for example? That’s because in spring and early summer, both males and females obsessively and fiercely defend their territories. Including from themselves. A cardinal isn’t smart enough to realize that it’s fighting its own reflection, and will attack a shiny surface for hours.

 

Categories
Cottage Life

Create a holiday bird feeder tree

Photo by Elliotte Rusty Harold / Shutterstock

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this season or want to up your wintertime bird feeding game, decorate a tree in your yard with some DIY edible decorations. You may also get some squirrel or deer visitors; which are an extra visual bonus for the kids.

“What I think is fun about this idea is that you turn just filling up your bird feeder every day into a family activity,” says Jody Allair, Director, Community Engagement at Birds Canada. He says it’s a festive thing to do that goes beyond your typical decorating and becomes something the birds will appreciate. It’s also a way to build connections to the natural world. “We need more of those,” he says. “This is a great arts and crafts project to do as a family, and the reward is having birds in your yard.” It’s win-win for you and the birds.

First, pick a tree in your yard. Allair says it doesn’t have to be a conifer – even a bush will suffice. Speaking of trees, he also says once you’re done with your real Christmas tree, instead of putting it in the dump or in the garbage, you could ‘plant’ it outside once you’ve removed the tinsel, garland, and decorations. Of course the stump won’t take root in the frozen ground, but its branches can offer additional habitat for animals.

And since you’re doing all this to help the birds, “there are important elements to keep in mind to create a bird-friendly environment,” say Allair. “Don’t place the food or items in an area where birds are going to collide with the windows. Be strategic.” Also, if you have cats, keep them inside or on a leash. For anything you wish to hang, use natural string (the thicker the better he says); never use fishing line. “Natural string that can break down in the sun after a few months is fine.”

Now to the fun part. Here are five DIY feeder ideas you can make yourself this winter:

Hang bird-friendly Christmas cookies. Use this recipe from Birds Canada. Let your kids choose which shapes they’ll want their cookies to be.

Love blue jays? Give them peanuts, or peanut butter. “The best way to present them is with a peanut wreath, or Allair says you could simply string them together and hang them up. “They’re crazy for peanuts.”

Meet the blue jay

Pinecone feeders. Go for a nature walk and gather some pinecones (not spruce, though, as Allair says they’re too soft). Tie on a string for hanging them up, then add peanut butter. (Allair says regular popular store brands are okay.) The hearty, rigid cones have lots of openings to fill.

Make your own suet balls or cakes. These offer a lot of messy DIY fun for kids. Allair recommends using large plastic margarine tubs to keep the mess at a minimum – unless you like lard all over the place. “It’s fun to roll the suet in seeds,” he says. Which type is best? Allair recommends black oil sunflower seeds – they have a high fat content, which birds need, and all species of birds are able to open them (no nutcracker required).

Log feeder. If you’ve got some hollow branches on hand, you can hang those, filled with peanut butter. “The birds will pluck out the peanut butter,” he says.

The main goal for each of these is to provide things the birds would like to eat in the natural world, “but you’re presenting it in a festive way,” he says.

You can also DIY a more traditional bird feeder and fill it with seed. To attract cardinals, include some sunflower seeds inside. Cardinals are “robust and like the perch,” Allair says, so they’ll need a sturdy structure where they can enjoy their meal.

If you provide a mix of food, you can expect chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, and hairy woodpeckers.

Once your tree’s all decorated, relax with some hot chocolate by the fire and watch for visitors that stop by to admire – and eat – the outdoor decorations.

Know someone that’s an avid birdwatcher? Allair says Birds Canada’s Project Feeder Watch program makes a great last-minute gift.

 

Categories
Cottage Life

Create a holiday bird feeder tree

Photo by Elliotte Rusty Harold / Shutterstock

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this season or want to up your wintertime bird feeding game, decorate a tree in your yard with some DIY edible decorations. You may also get some squirrel or deer visitors; which are an extra visual bonus for the kids.

“What I think is fun about this idea is that you turn just filling up your bird feeder every day into a family activity,” says Jody Allair, Director, Community Engagement at Birds Canada. He says it’s a festive thing to do that goes beyond your typical decorating and becomes something the birds will appreciate. It’s also a way to build connections to the natural world. “We need more of those,” he says. “This is a great arts and crafts project to do as a family, and the reward is having birds in your yard.” It’s win-win for you and the birds.

First, pick a tree in your yard. Allair says it doesn’t have to be a conifer – even a bush will suffice. Speaking of trees, he also says once you’re done with your real Christmas tree, instead of putting it in the dump or in the garbage, you could ‘plant’ it outside once you’ve removed the tinsel, garland, and decorations. Of course the stump won’t take root in the frozen ground, but its branches can offer additional habitat for animals.

And since you’re doing all this to help the birds, “there are important elements to keep in mind to create a bird-friendly environment,” say Allair. “Don’t place the food or items in an area where birds are going to collide with the windows. Be strategic.” Also, if you have cats, keep them inside or on a leash. For anything you wish to hang, use natural string (the thicker the better he says); never use fishing line. “Natural string that can break down in the sun after a few months is fine.”

Now to the fun part. Here are five DIY feeder ideas you can make yourself this winter:

Hang bird-friendly Christmas cookies. Use this recipe from Birds Canada. Let your kids choose which shapes they’ll want their cookies to be.

Love blue jays? Give them peanuts, or peanut butter. “The best way to present them is with a peanut wreath, or Allair says you could simply string them together and hang them up. “They’re crazy for peanuts.”

Meet the blue jay

Pinecone feeders. Go for a nature walk and gather some pinecones (not spruce, though, as Allair says they’re too soft). Tie on a string for hanging them up, then add peanut butter. (Allair says regular popular store brands are okay.) The hearty, rigid cones have lots of openings to fill.

Make your own suet balls or cakes. These offer a lot of messy DIY fun for kids. Allair recommends using large plastic margarine tubs to keep the mess at a minimum – unless you like lard all over the place. “It’s fun to roll the suet in seeds,” he says. Which type is best? Allair recommends black oil sunflower seeds – they have a high fat content, which birds need, and all species of birds are able to open them (no nutcracker required).

Log feeder. If you’ve got some hollow branches on hand, you can hang those, filled with peanut butter. “The birds will pluck out the peanut butter,” he says.

The main goal for each of these is to provide things the birds would like to eat in the natural world, “but you’re presenting it in a festive way,” he says.

You can also DIY a more traditional bird feeder and fill it with seed. To attract cardinals, include some sunflower seeds inside. Cardinals are “robust and like the perch,” Allair says, so they’ll need a sturdy structure where they can enjoy their meal.

If you provide a mix of food, you can expect chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, and hairy woodpeckers.

Once your tree’s all decorated, relax with some hot chocolate by the fire and watch for visitors that stop by to admire – and eat – the outdoor decorations.

Know someone that’s an avid birdwatcher? Allair says Birds Canada’s Project Feeder Watch program makes a great last-minute gift.

 

Categories
Cottage Life

Create a holiday bird feeder tree

Photo by Elliotte Rusty Harold / Shutterstock

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this season or want to up your wintertime bird feeding game, decorate a tree in your yard with some DIY edible decorations. You may also get some squirrel or deer visitors; which are an extra visual bonus for the kids.

“What I think is fun about this idea is that you turn just filling up your bird feeder every day into a family activity,” says Jody Allair, Director, Community Engagement at Birds Canada. He says it’s a festive thing to do that goes beyond your typical decorating and becomes something the birds will appreciate. It’s also a way to build connections to the natural world. “We need more of those,” he says. “This is a great arts and crafts project to do as a family, and the reward is having birds in your yard.” It’s win-win for you and the birds.

First, pick a tree in your yard. Allair says it doesn’t have to be a conifer – even a bush will suffice. Speaking of trees, he also says once you’re done with your real Christmas tree, instead of putting it in the dump or in the garbage, you could ‘plant’ it outside once you’ve removed the tinsel, garland, and decorations. Of course the stump won’t take root in the frozen ground, but its branches can offer additional habitat for animals.

And since you’re doing all this to help the birds, “there are important elements to keep in mind to create a bird-friendly environment,” say Allair. “Don’t place the food or items in an area where birds are going to collide with the windows. Be strategic.” Also, if you have cats, keep them inside or on a leash. For anything you wish to hang, use natural string (the thicker the better he says); never use fishing line. “Natural string that can break down in the sun after a few months is fine.”

Now to the fun part. Here are five DIY feeder ideas you can make yourself this winter:

Hang bird-friendly Christmas cookies. Use this recipe from Birds Canada. Let your kids choose which shapes they’ll want their cookies to be.

Love blue jays? Give them peanuts, or peanut butter. “The best way to present them is with a peanut wreath, or Allair says you could simply string them together and hang them up. “They’re crazy for peanuts.”

Meet the blue jay

Pinecone feeders. Go for a nature walk and gather some pinecones (not spruce, though, as Allair says they’re too soft). Tie on a string for hanging them up, then add peanut butter. (Allair says regular popular store brands are okay.) The hearty, rigid cones have lots of openings to fill.

Make your own suet balls or cakes. These offer a lot of messy DIY fun for kids. Allair recommends using large plastic margarine tubs to keep the mess at a minimum – unless you like lard all over the place. “It’s fun to roll the suet in seeds,” he says. Which type is best? Allair recommends black oil sunflower seeds – they have a high fat content, which birds need, and all species of birds are able to open them (no nutcracker required).

Log feeder. If you’ve got some hollow branches on hand, you can hang those, filled with peanut butter. “The birds will pluck out the peanut butter,” he says.

The main goal for each of these is to provide things the birds would like to eat in the natural world, “but you’re presenting it in a festive way,” he says.

You can also DIY a more traditional bird feeder and fill it with seed. To attract cardinals, include some sunflower seeds inside. Cardinals are “robust and like the perch,” Allair says, so they’ll need a sturdy structure where they can enjoy their meal.

If you provide a mix of food, you can expect chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, blue jays, and hairy woodpeckers.

Once your tree’s all decorated, relax with some hot chocolate by the fire and watch for visitors that stop by to admire – and eat – the outdoor decorations.

Know someone that’s an avid birdwatcher? Allair says Birds Canada’s Project Feeder Watch program makes a great last-minute gift.