Gilligallou's Blog — Bird watching

Buffleheads, common mergansers, hooded mergansers ducks diving for food in the winter and summer

Spring Migration of Ducks

As the days begin to get longer and the sun a little bit stronger, I begin to think of the migration of the ducks and geese coming back north. They are definitely on the move this month, and I love to take the time to watch as the rivers and lakes open to see who first will be flying in. Open water permitting you will see some of my favourite diving ducks like buffleheads, common mergansers, hooded mergansers, common goldeneye and the scaup family. These birds dive down to the fresh aqua plants for a food source and come back...

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Louise Beckinsale
How to Choose the Right Bird Feeder

How to Choose the Right Bird Feeder

One of the largest cohorts of birders we proudly service in our store is those that have recently decided to get into birding. As with any new hobby, there is somewhat of a learning curve to the birding world and for those already deeply involved, they can also attest to the “rabbit hole” effect this […]

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Louise Beckinsale
migratory-birds

Preparing for Fall Migration

We know many of you read that title thinking that we might be getting a wee bit ahead of ourselves with all of this migration talk. Given that we are not even halfway through the month of August, many of us are still happily enjoying the summer. That said, the reality of this time of […]

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american-goldfinch-on-feeer

Summer Spotlight: The American Goldfinch

From the perspective of striking plumage, not much can compare to the colourful enjoyment that is an encounter with an American Goldfinch. While there are many other birds that compare (looking at you, Cardinal), the American Goldfinch is a true favourite of spring and summer here in the Ottawa area. With both sexes sporting a […]

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