Do The Math! Repurposing Saves!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 by Nathaniel O'Dell

We have another idea to share with you that will allow you to reuse your Mr. Canary® Finch Feeder! Everyone's heard the old adage "Saving money adds up.", and it couldn't be more true.

After the neighborhood birds had extracted every last seed of thistle possible from my bird feeder, I took it down. Instead of recycling it, I cleaned it up and set it on the counter as a piggy bank. In all honesty, a friend had gifted me a piggy bank for Christmas a couple of years back, so I didn't necessarily...

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High-Tech Reordering Reminder

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 by Nathaniel O'Dell

If we know anything about goldfinches, it's that they have appetites! It's sometimes hard to remember to check your bird feeders to ensure a constant supply for your feathered friends. Sometimes, when you finally realize that it's empty you truly wonder how long it's been that way. One day? A few days? A week? More?! The Mr. Canary Company would like to introduce our solution to your seed reordering issues! Never be without bird seed for more than a day again!

Ok, so maybe this isn't practical...

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Top Ten Bird Feeding Tips

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 by Jan Long

Use these ten simple steps to enhance your wild bird feeding experience.

1. Bird feeding is for people who love watching birds - Always place your bird feeders in places where you can readily and frequently see the birds you are feeding.

2. Start with the basics - Black-oil sunflower in a tubular feeder is a very effective combination for attracting a large number of birds to your yard.

3. Attract more species by adding additional types of feeders and seed - Try Nyjer® in a tube feeder,...

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The Early Bird?

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 by Nathaniel O'Dell

We are all familiar with the phrase, "The early bird catches the worm." While that's often the case, frankly, the American Goldfinch couldn't care less. For one, goldfinches are committed vegetarians. They'd much rather have Nyjer seed than overrated worms. Being too late to catch the worm (or not caring to) makes the goldfinch late for another appointment: nesting! According to Cornell University's Lab of Ornothology, the American Goldfinch also gets around to nesting and mating much later than...

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Finch, Finch, Cowbird?

Thursday, May 23, 2013 by Nathaniel O'Dell

I found an interesting fact on the Holden Arboretum's (one of the nation's leading arboretums and one of the Audubon Society's Important Bird Areas) webpage about the American Goldfinch. We know that the American Goldfinch works hard for days, building its nest just-so with the best materials and instincts. You can't just lay your eggs anywhere right? Unless your a Brown Headed Cowbird! This bird purposely leaves its eggs in others birds' nests to be raised by the owners. When confronted with...

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Stocking Stuffer for Bird Lovers

Thursday, December 13, 2012 by Jan Long

Here's a cute idea for the bird enthusiast in your life, or maybe a friend you're trying to ecourage to become one. 

Check out our Mr. Canary® 'Pair & a Spare for Christmas' for a different kind of gift, one that you can keep on hand that virtually 'fits' anyone. Two finch feeders filled with Nyjer seed and a 'Fancy Mix' for some holiday variety. They're ready to hang and so simple to use if you can't figure them out, you need to consider other hobby options.

Surprise someone this holiday with...

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3 Reasons Goldfinches are Changing Tune

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 by Jan Long

 

1. Heat

2. Drought

3. Color

According to an August 3 posting on Science Daily, a study of North American songbirds indicates birds that live in areas with more fluctuating weather, sing more varied songs. It's an interesting article, you should check it out.

The study, conducted by Australian National University and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, recorded 44 species of male songbirds. They transferred the 'song' information onto a spectrogram which allowed them to visually compare wild...

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3 Ways to Share Birding with Kids

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 by Mr. Canary Web Team

A week or so ago I got an email from Paul Taylor linking to a blog post about making bird feeders with children. It gives directions to make an easy bird feeder that the little ones in your life will surely like.

Encouraging children to 'notice' nature is a good thing for all of us as it promotes future generations of planet stewards. Introducing activities like feeding birds is one way to teach children about the interconnection between all living things. Children 'hear' better with their eyes,...

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Protect Your Bird Feeder at Night

Thursday, July 19, 2012 by Mr. Canary Web Team

When I let my two cocker spaniels out at night, I'm always worried about what they may stumble onto in our dark backyard.  We live on a fairly large property which seems to be a haven for nocturnal nuisances like deer, owls, foxes, raccoons -- critters I don't want my dogs bumping into at night. So I started looking for some kind of deterrent and found this company in a Google search and read about one of their products.

It's called Nite Guard Solar and and uses a red flashing LED light that...

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Red is the New ICK

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Jan Long

If you're driving around in a red car, get a car wash company on retainer.

In addition to blogging about small bird feeders or wild bird seed, I try to keep my loyal readers abreast of useful and breaking bird-related news. It's just another friendly service I offer.

Thus, when my friend, Dave Murray, brought this to my attention, I knew I had to bring it to yours.

It turns out that some guys related to Halford's Autocentres in England did a 'study' to determine which color of car attracts the...

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