H. Moise Jr. Feed & Seed

07/29/2026

🐦 Tired of Pigeons Taking Over Your Bird Feeders? 🕊️

Pigeons may be part of our backyard bird community, but let's be honest—they can empty a feeder in no time! The good news? You can discourage them without harming them while still feeding your favorite songbirds.

Here are a few simple tips:

🌻 Choose the right feeder. Tube feeders and feeders with short perches are much harder for pigeons to use but perfect for chickadees, nuthatches, finches, and woodpeckers.

🥜 Offer foods pigeons don't prefer. Nyjer (thistle) seed is a favorite of goldfinches but isn't very appealing to pigeons. Safflower seed is another great option that many songbirds enjoy.

🧹 Keep the ground clean. Pigeons are ground feeders and love spilled seed. Sweep up fallen seed regularly or use a seed catcher tray to reduce the buffet below.

⏰ Feed only what birds will eat. Filling feeders with a day's worth of seed instead of several days' worth can help reduce waste and unwanted visitors.

🌳 Place feeders wisely. Hanging feeders away from open areas and close to shrubs or trees gives smaller birds quick access to cover while making the area less inviting for pigeons.

❤️ Remember: Pigeons are native wildlife in many urban areas and are simply looking for an easy meal. The goal isn't to harm them—it's to make your feeders more attractive to the birds you want to see.

❓What's been your most successful trick for keeping pigeons away from your feeders? Share your tips in the comments and help fellow bird lovers! 🐦🌻

07/27/2026

07/24/2026

🐦 "I want to feed wild birds... but I don't know where to start!" 🍁

If that sounds like you, don't worry—getting started is easier than you think!

Here in Ontario, you can attract a wonderful variety of backyard birds with just a few simple steps:

🌻 Start with black oil sunflower seeds. They're a favourite of chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, finches, woodpeckers, and more!

🏡 Choose a simple tube or hopper feeder. One good feeder is all you need to begin.

💧 Offer fresh water. A clean birdbath is just as important as food, especially during hot summer days and freezing winter months.

🌿 Place your feeder near shrubs or trees. Birds like to have a safe place to perch before and after they eat.

🧼 Keep it clean. A quick wash every week or two helps keep your feathered visitors healthy.

🐤 Who might visit your backyard?
❤️ Northern Cardinals
💛 American Goldfinches
🖤 Black-capped Chickadees
🪵 Downy Woodpeckers
🩶 White-breasted Nuthatches
🤎 Blue Jays..and many more!

The best part? You don't need a huge yard or expensive equipment. Even a small feeder outside a window can bring hours of enjoyment while helping Ontario's wild birds thrive.

❓Are you just getting started with bird feeding, or are you already welcoming feathered friends to your backyard? Tell us in the comments what birds you've spotted—we'd love to hear your stories! 🐦

07/23/2026

Conjunctivitis is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads where birds congregate, and we see it commonly in American Goldfinches and House Finches. A quick scrub with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water can prevent your bird feeder and bath from harboring infection.

Even if your feeders are washed frequently, you might come across a bird that picked up conjunctivitis from another shared surface in your neighborhood. If the infection has progressed to the point that you can catch the bird, use a pillowcase or small towel to gently pick it up and bring it to us.

07/22/2026

🌻💛 A Little Sunshine Just Flew Into the Backyard! 💛🌻

There's nothing quite like spotting an American Goldfinch at the feeder! These bright yellow little birds are like tiny rays of sunshine with wings, and they're always a joy to watch.

Want to invite more of them to your yard? Here's their recipe for happiness:
🌼 Fresh nyjer (thistle) seed
🌻 Shelled sunflower chips
🌿 Native wildflowers left to go to seed
💧 A clean birdbath with fresh water
🏡 A little patience—they often discover feeders by watching other birds!

Fun fact: American Goldfinches are one of the few birds that wait until late summer to nest because that's when thistle and other seed plants are at their peak. Nature really does have perfect timing! 💛

If you're lucky enough to have these cheerful visitors, take a moment to slow down and enjoy them. Their bright colors, playful chatter, and acrobatic feeder antics are a reminder that some of life's best moments happen right outside our window.

📸 Have goldfinches been visiting your feeder this year? Share your photos in the comments—I’d love to see your little backyard sunshine! 🌞🐦

07/22/2026

The cardinal that visits your feeder every morning may have been doing so for years, and there's a reasonable chance it's the same individual bird returning season after season rather than a rotating cast of lookalikes.

Backyard bird lifespans are longer than most people assume, and the numbers on this chart have a meaningful implication for how we think about the birds we see regularly.

Blue jays live seven to ten years, which means the jay that has been raiding your peanut feeder since you moved in may genuinely remember your yard from years before you started paying attention. Blue jays have excellent spatial memory, maintain long-term knowledge of food sources and landscape features, and form pair bonds that can persist across multiple breeding seasons. The jay you're watching is not an anonymous bird. It's an individual with a history in your specific location.

Downy woodpeckers reaching four to eight years and house finches living four to seven years means the birds you've attracted to your yard with appropriate habitat and food sources may return for multiple consecutive years. Bird banding studies have confirmed that individual birds show strong site fidelity, returning to the same feeders, the same water sources, and the same nesting areas year after year when those resources are reliably available.

The shorter lifespans on this list, chickadees at two to four years, mourning doves at two to five years, robins at two to six years, reflect the reality that small birds face significant mortality from predation, harsh winters, and the physical demands of migration. The ranges given are wild bird averages. Record ages for banded individuals often exceed these significantly, with banded chickadees documented past ten years and robins recorded past twelve.

What this means practically is that the habitat you create and maintain is not just providing for this season's birds. It's building a relationship with specific individuals that may return to your yard for the better part of a decade. The cardinal pair that nested in your shrubs this spring may be back next year, and the year after, and the year after that, if the habitat remains suitable.

The bird at your feeder has a life. A longer, more specific, more individual life than the casual observer tends to assume. 🐦

07/17/2026

💦🐦 Your Bird Feeder Isn't Complete Without a Bird Bath!

Did you know that water can be even more important than food, especially during the hot summer months? ☀️

Birds don't just use bird baths for drinking—they use them to bathe, too! A good splash helps keep their feathers clean, removes parasites, and keeps them in top flying condition.

Here's why every backyard should have a bird bath:

💧 Fresh drinking water – Essential during hot, dry weather.

🛁 Healthy feathers – Bathing helps birds maintain waterproof, insulated feathers.

🌡️ Beat the heat – Birds cool off by bathing and drinking, just like we do!

🐦 Attract more visitors – Many birds that don't regularly visit feeders will stop by for a drink or a bath.

🦋 More than just birds! – Butterflies, bees, dragonflies, and other beneficial wildlife also appreciate a reliable water source.

Keep your bird bath bird-friendly:

✅ Refresh the water every day or two.
✅ Clean the bath weekly with a scrub and fresh water.
✅ Keep the water shallow (1–2 inches is ideal for most birds).
✅ Place it near shrubs or trees so birds have a safe place to perch and escape predators.
💦 Bonus points if you add a dripper or small fountain—moving water is irresistible to many birds!

🐤 Fun Fact: Birds often visit a bird bath before they visit your feeder. Fresh water is one of the fastest ways to attract a wider variety of backyard birds!

📸 Question for you:
Do you have a bird bath in your yard? What's your favourite bird you've seen taking a splash? Share your photos in the comments—we'd love to see them! 💙