Ivory Silk Lilac Tree a Pollinator 'Magnet'!

Our Ivory Silk Lilac trees are out in full, glorious bloom & have been covered with various pollinators as you can see from the photos that follow!! While they can be a wee bit messy when the blooms brown & fall (if located in a patio area as one of ours is), we still love the mild fragrance, the delicacy that they bring to our garden and the beauties that are attracted to them. It's always nice to add a few different colours & textures as contrast can provide much more depth & interest in the yard. The Ivory Silk Lilac does this...It's only for a limited time but we certainly appreciate the elegance they provide & the pollinators that love them!  Look for these trees at your local garden centre!!

Hummingbirds love Weigela!

The Weigela "Bristol Ruby" have been in full bloom for over a week now....and the Hummingbirds, Butterflies & Bees love them!! It's great fun watching all of these beauties move from blossom to blossom throughout the day. Look for these lovely shrubs at a local garden centre near you....Add some glorious colour & attract the pollinators too!

Hummingbird in the Bristol Ruby Weigela!

Family Time with the Sparrows

We always love this time of the year...it confirms to us why we enjoy attracting & welcoming the birds to our yard with feeders, trees & most importantly - water. When the adults bring their newly-fledged young to the garden & introduce them to the feeders, what fun it is for everyone!! The wing flapping, chirping...and sometimes squawking...is delightful as the little ones look for a serving of seed from mom or dad. This family of House Sparrows has recently arrived and we are loving every minute!! We hope that you too are seeing some new arrivals in your area!! Yes...they're House Sparrows, but you must agree, they're pretty darn cute!!

Lunch Time!!

The Great Canadian EcoFest

The 3rd annual Great Canadian EcoFest is happening this Sunday, June 14 in beautiful Komoka, Ontario!!  The event runs from 10am to 4pm with lots of fun stuff for the whole family! Admission is free and you can enjoy Dog Agility Shows at 11:30 & 1:30; Tennis Lessons from 11 to 1; Charity BBQ; Eco Marketplace; Birds of Prey Show; Live Music & More!! This is going to be the place to be on Sunday ~ Make sure to say hello to our good friends from local rehab ~ Swift Care Ontario ~ You might just find some of our bird houses at their booth!! For additional EcoFest information: http://www.greatcanadianecofest.ca/

**If you're interested in seeing all of our previous updates & news posts, be certain to click on the "News" tab ~ Thank you!!

Brown Thrasher

Over the last couple of weeks or so we've noticed a few different tunes in our garden. One was particularly unique with several different tones & sounds...like it was coming from more than one source....quite amazing actually! Upon further investigation, we discovered these beautiful tunes were coming from a Brown Thrasher. This bird has since been observed in the area of our feeders, but most often we discover it in various tree tops....each time noticed from the  sounds we hear before an actual sighting! Be certain when you're spending time in your garden or on a stroll, to take a little time to 'listen to birds'. We know you'll be really glad you did!!

Brown Thrasher high in the tree tops!

Try Safflower!!

One thing we know for sure....Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and House Finches LOVE Safflower Seed! One other thing about this seed....typically, most blackbirds and squirrels do not! When "blackbirds" are hanging around the garden, many of our customers switch to safflower seed. While you won't probably get the variety of birds and while it may take a bit for others to get to like it, it may be a choice you'd like to try! Hope you're having a great week in your gardens!!

Northern Cardinal feeding from a tube feeder filled with Safflower Seed!!

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks enjoying Safflower Seed

Indigo Buntings

Love that the Indigo Buntings are still hanging out in our garden! We're keeping a couple of our feeders filled with White Millet along with a little Nyjer seed mixed in.....especially for them. With their stunning blue, these cute finches put on quite the show! While a little shy at times, they sometimes don't mind sharing a feeder with other birds in our yard.

Indigo Bunting on a Droll Yankees seed feeder filled with a combination of White Millet & Nyjer!

Indigo Bunting "sharing" with a Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Orioles brighten every day!

There is really nothing better than having the Baltimore Orioles in their bright orange "coats" darting through the garden at this time of year!! They are really quite stunning...and entertaining! If they should decide to nest in a tree not far from your feeders, you are even luckier. They will eventually bring their young to your feeders....and what a show you will see! While they can be quite territorial at times, we managed to capture these three males sharing a spot on this pole system. Needless to say, there was much chatter happening too!!

Hummingbird Greeting on this Thursday

It was a cool start to the day , but we were greeted with some glorious sunshine.....and several visits by this truly amazing creature - Ruby-throated Hummingbird!! It's rather unbelievable when you think of how far these tiny creatures travel. Give them a hand and watch them up close with a window nectar feeder. A rather fabulous way to start the day - so very precious!! (We've got many other nectar feeders too....for both Hummingbirds & Orioles!)