Di Labio Birding | Bruce's Backyard

Bruce's Backyard

In this section of the website you can follow along with Bruce as he attracts, feeds and observes birds in his backyard.

Birds by the Season

Winter

Red-shouldered Hawk watching over feeders

A Red-shouldered Hawk watching over feeders at the corner of Old Carp Road and Huntmar Road on January 2, 2009.

One of the side effects of feeder birds is that you eventually attract "birds of prey" such as hawks, owls or shrikes. With more activity comes a greater possibility of a visitor such as these. This is only a part of nature!

During the winter months in Eastern Ontario it can sometimes be surprising how many species of birds spend this time of year in our area. Over 60 species can be found with some work and in your backyard you can attract an impressive variety to your feeders. Depending on the natural food supply , birds will supplement their diet by visiting your feeders. During the past few days I’ve recorded 12 different species of birds at my feeders, as well as 2 squirrels and a Short-tailed Shrew. Some of the more common species to be expected include Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, European Starling and House Sparrow. Depending on how long you have had feeders operating and the habitat on your property, you may also have a few uncommon to rare visitors such as Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse or Red-bellied Woodpecker. But always remember birds attract more birds and sooner or later you maybe surprised by a very rare visitor. So keep your field guide handy and your camera nearby.

Common Feeder Birds

Check out photos and descriptions of common feeder birds for the Ottawa area. This section will grow over time, so check back often!

Backyard Bird Feeding

Choosing a Feeder

Choosing a feeder can sometimes be a challenge due to the vast variety that are available on the market. One very successful type is the cylinder feeder. In this feeder there are small tear drop shaped feeding ports which enable only small birds, such as finches to feed.

A cylinder feeder in my backyard.

Various cylinder feeders in my backyard.

Suet feeders are also popular
with some types of birds

Platform feeders are also popular
and are easy to build at home.

A Black-capped Chickadee and a female Northern Cardinal share the feeder. This is a "gravity feeder" with numerous feeding ports. These feeders are great for dispensing sunflower seeds.

Backyard feeding is a popular winter activity.
Having a variety of feeders will increase your success.

If you feed birds you will no doubt attract squirrels. In Eastern Ontario, this will include the Gray, Black, and Red Squirrel and, during the warmer months, the Eastern Chipmunk. Also, depending where you live you might even have Northern Flying Squirrels but don't realize it because they are nocturnal. Many of the cylinder feeders are squirrel proof. Most squirrels will find plenty of seeds that have been dropped on the ground.

A Red Squirrel on a platform feeder in my backyard.

Not only will you attract squirrels, if you keep your eyes out, you may also attract many other things you didn't expect.

A White-tailed Deer visiting a bird feeder.

Backyard Bird Feeding Resources

Here are some great resources:

About Birds & Bird Feeding, Project Feeder Watch
Bird Feeding, Hinterland Who's Who
Backyard Bird Feeding, Ojibway Nature Centre

Bruce's Backyard Bird List

Ben with juvenile Cedar Waxwing

Here's Ben at age 8 with a juvenile Cedar Waxwing he rescued in the backyard. "Seedy" as it was called was brought to the Wild Bird Care Centre and later released. August 9, 2005.

I started our backyard list on August 24, 1999, the day we moved in. The first few species on August 24th included Mourning Dove, Black-capped Chickadee and Common Nighthawk. Situated in the village of Carp on 1 acre, I count any bird that I can identify by sight or sound as long as I am on the property. So far 161 species have been observed, including the most recent addition, a juvenile Peregrine Falcon hunting Rock Pigeons at the Feed Mill nearby on December 6, 2008. Still lots to add!

On September 22, 2005, this Carolina Wren was trapped in our garage and I was able to capture and release it. Despite the incident is stayed till December 7, 2005.

We've had a few surprises so far, including a Great Gray Owl in February 2006 during the invasion, a Carolina Wren that visited the feeder and lived in the back ravine from September 20 to December 7, 2005, a gray morph Eastern Screech-owl that has been visiting the back ravine and even roosted in our screech-owl box. Another big surprise was nesting Chimney Swifts in our chimney!

Chimney Swift nesting in our chimney.

If you have the time and interest, you may be surprised by home many species pass by your home.

Chimney Swift.

Chimney Swift babies from the nest in our chimney.

Bruce's Backyard Bird List (Last Updated January 25, 2009)

	Species	Notes	2009
1	Snow Goose
2	Brant
3	Canada Goose		Feb 26
4	Cackling Goose
5	Wood Duck
6	Green-winged Teal
7	American Black Duck
8	Mallard
9	Northern Pintail
10	Hooded Merganser
11	Common Merganser
12	Common Loon
13	Double-crested Cormorant
14	American Bittern
15	Great Blue Heron
16	Green Heron
17	Turkey Vulture
18	Osprey
19	Bald Eagle
20	Northern Harrier
21	Sharp-shinned Hawk		Jan 9
22	Cooper's Hawk
23	Red-shouldered Hawk
24	Broad-winged Hawk
25	Red-tailed Hawk
26	Rough-legged Hawk
27	American Kestrel
28	Merlin		Mar 9
29	Sandhill Crane
30	Killdeer		Mar 21
31	Greater Yellowlegs
32	Lesser Yellowlegs
33	Solitary Sandpiper
34	Spotted Sandpiper
35	Upland Sandpiper
36	Bonaparte's Gull
37	Ring-billed Gull		Mar 7
38	Herring Gull
39	Iceland Gull
40	Glaucous Gull
41	Great Black-backed Gull
42	Common Tern
43	Black-billed Cuckoo
44	Rock Pigeon		Jan 1
45	Mourning Dove		Jan 1
46	Eastern Screech-owl
47	Great Horned Owl
48	Great Gray Owl
49	Common Nighthawk
50	Whip-poor-will
51	Chimney Swift
52	Ruby-throated Hummingbird
53	Belted Kingfisher
54	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
55	Downy Woodpecker		Jan 1
56	Hairy Woodpecker		Jan 1
57	Northern Flicker
58	Pileated Woodpecker
59	Eastern Wood-Pewee
60	Least Flycatcher
61	Eastern Phoebe
62	Great-creasted Flycatcher
63	Eastern Kingbird
64	Northern Shrike
65	Blue-headed Vireo
66	Warbling Vireo
67	Philadelphia Vireo
68	Red-eyed Vireo
69	Blue jay		Jan 1
70	American Crow		Jan 1
71	Common Raven		Jan 2
72	Horned Lark
73	Purple Martin
74	Tree Swallow
75	Northern Rough-winged Swallow
76	Bank Swallow
77	Cliff Swallow
78	Barn Swallow
79	Black-capped Chickadee		Jan 1
80	Boreal Chickadee
81	Red-breasted Nuthatch
82	White-breasted Nuthatch		Jan 1
83	Brown Creeper
84	Carolina Wren
85	House Wren
86	Winter Wren
87	Golden-crowned Kinglet
88	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
89	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
90	Eastern Bluebird
91	Veery
92	Gray-cheeked Thrush
93	Swainson's Thrush
94	Hermit Thrush
95	Wood Thrush
96	American Robin		Mar 14
97	Gray Catbird
98	Brown Thrasher
99	European Starling		Jan 2
100	American Pipit
101	Bohemian Waxwing
102	Cedar Waxwing
103	Tennessee Warbler
104	Orange-crowned Warbler
105	Nashville Warbler
106	Northern Parula
107	Yellow Warbler
108	Chestnut-sided Warbler
109	Magnolia Warbler
110	Cape May Warbler
111	Black-throated Blue Warbler
112	Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler
113	Black-throated Green Warbler
114	Blackburnian Warbler
115	Pine Warbler
116	Palm Warbler
117	Bay-brested Warbler
118	Blackpoll Warbler
119	Black & White Warbler
120	American Redstart
121	Ovenbird
122	Northern Waterthrush
123	Mourning Warbler
124	Common Yellowthroat
125	Wilson's Warbler
126	Canada Warbler
127	Scarlet Tanager
128	American Tree Sparrow		Jan 4
129	Chipping Sparrow
130	Field Sparrow
131	Savannah Sparrow
132	Fox Sparrow
133	Song Sparrow		Jan 9
134	Lincoln's Sparrow
135	Swamp Sparrow
136	White-throated Sparrow
137	White-crowned Sparrow
138	Dark-eyed Junco
139	Lapland Longspur
140	Snow Bunting		Jan 8
141	Northern Cardinal		Jan 2
142	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
143	Indigo Bunting
144	Bobolink
145	Red-winged Blackbird		Mar 7
146	Eastern Meadowlark
147	Rusty Blackbird
148	Common Grackle		Mar 7
149	Brown-headed Cowbird		Mar 20
150	Baltimore Oriole
151	Pine Grosbeak		Jan 18
152	Purple Finch
153	House Finch		Jan 14
154	White-winged Crossbill		Jan 17
155	Common Redpoll		Jan 2
156	Hoary Redpoll		Mar 20
157	Pine Siskin		Jan 2
158	American Goldfinch		Jan 1
159	Evening Grosbeak
160	House Sparrow		Jan 14
161	Peregrine Falcon	December 6, 2008 Hunting Rock Pigeons across the road a the Feed Mill.