The Birdhouse Banter

This conversation delves into the critical state of grasslands in Canada, highlighting the alarming decline of bird populations and the impact of agricultural practices. The discussion transitions to the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity, emphasizing the role of birds as indicators of environmental health. The latter part of the conversation shifts focus to life at Mika's Safe House, where the care and behavior of parrots are explored, showcasing the challenges and joys of working with these intelligent birds. In this episode, the hosts discuss essential preparations for winter bird care, including cleaning birdhouses, choosing the right bird seed, and creating a bird-friendly environment. They emphasize the importance of maintaining clean feeders to prevent diseases and suggest high-energy foods like suet for colder months. The conversation also touches on conservation efforts, highlighting the alarming decline in grassland bird populations and the need to support local ranchers to preserve natural habitats.

Takeaways
  • Grasslands are one of the quickest disappearing ecosystems.
  • Sixty-seven percent of grassland birds are in severe decline.
  • Agricultural practices are devastating to grassland habitats.
  • Once grasslands are plowed under, recovery is difficult.
  • Birds serve as indicator species for ecosystem health.
  • Awareness and action are needed to protect endangered species.
  • The economic pressures on ranchers affect wildlife conservation.
  • Parrots can live for decades and require specialized care.
  • Understanding bird behavior is crucial for their care.
  • Winter months see an increase in animal surrenders. It's important to keep bird feeders clean to prevent diseases.
  • Black oil sunflower seeds are ideal for winter bird feeding.
  • Heated bird baths can help birds access water in winter.
  • Leaving grass long in the fall provides habitat for insects.
  • Winter roosting boxes can protect birds from harsh weather.
  • Suet is a high-energy food that birds need in colder months.
  • Support for ranchers is crucial for preserving grassland habitats.
  • Birdhouses should be cleaned and opened for winter.
  • The decline of grassland birds is a significant environmental concern.
  • Conservation efforts are needed to protect bird populations.
Sound Bites
  • "We have to protect it."
  • "Birds are indicator species."
  • "They could easily do another thirty years."
  • "Heated bird baths are always great."
  • "Support our ranchers to preserve grasslands."
Chapters

00:00
The Crisis of Grasslands in Canada
06:50
The Importance of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
08:03
Life at Mika's Safe House: Parrots and Their Care
15:57
Introduction and Light Banter
16:35
Preparing for Winter Bird Care
19:00
Choosing the Right Bird Seed
20:43
Creating a Bird-Friendly Environment
24:23
High-Energy Foods for Birds
26:10
Conservation Awareness and Fun Facts

What is The Birdhouse Banter?

Welcome to The Birdhouse Banter — brought to you by Meika's Birdhouse.

Join host Bryn Griffiths and co-founders Ian Sprague and Janine Couture as we talk birds! Our team brings over 100 years of combined experience and a whole lot of passion for our feathered friends — whether they're soaring wild or perched right at home with you.

We are Alberta's trusted destination for bird lovers. From quality products and expert advice to supporting bird rescue right here in our community — Meika's Birdhouse has you covered.

Bryn:

Welcome to Birdhouse Banter brought to you by Meika's Birdhouse, Alberta's trusted destination for bird lovers. Welcome back to the Birdhouse Banter. It's Bryn. It's Janine. It's Ian.

Bryn:

We're right here in Meika's Birdhouse, and there's a little bit of a chill in the air because here we go again. Yeah. Well, let's let's let's not talk too much about that. Let's let's get into the chirp right off of the top. Can we talk about Grasslands a little bit here?

Ian:

Yeah. So it's, it's kind of a hot topic. Southern Alberta, Southern Manitoba, Southern Saskatchewan Yeah. Is, you know, the, you know, the great Canary the great Canaries. The great Canadian prairies.

Janine:

Oh, see how you Canadian canaries?

Ian:

Canary. Canadian canaries. Yeah. But anyway, so that that's our grasslands, and that is one of the quickest disappearing ecosystems on the planet. It is in super crisis right now.

Janine:

Do we know why? Yeah.

Ian:

We're but what's going on there is that basically, you know, especially in Alberta, some of the cattle suppliers and all that kind of stuff have not been doing too well. They've had to reduce their herds and maybe have decided to switch from ranching and grazing livestock to conventional farming, so planting crops. And unfortunately it's devastating to that whole environment. And once you wreck it, it doesn't come back very easily. And with that, there's a bunch of birds that are already critically endangered, and there's and the situation for them is getting worse and worse.

Ian:

So there there's meadowlarks. There's there's pipettes. There's there's there's just a few birds that that are really, in in in severe decline anyhow.

Bryn:

It's it's disappearance of habitat.

Ian:

It's disappearance of habitat, and and and so those the birds that would populate the the the the the grasslands or the short grass prairies, you know, out of all of birds in Canada, 67% decline is in that group of birds. Right? So the birds that are here in the parkland, the songbirds, the ones that we we see quite regularly are are are not isn't they're not in nearly as bad shape as those guys. Right? They're they're they're holding their own basically.

Ian:

Waterfowl, their numbers are actually going up for some for some species. But when it comes to the birds that are in the in the in the short grass prairies, 67% decline. So that's the the hardest hit by what's going on here right now.

Bryn:

So so this is primarily the flip over to farmland. Yeah. But what about weather? We we just went through a summer where we didn't just beat Mhmm. Our rainfall record in the, Edmonton Metro Area.

Bryn:

We tripled it. Yeah. That's how unbelievably wet it was here. Mhmm. South of us, South of Red Deer

Ian:

Mhmm.

Bryn:

They've been bone dry. Yeah. And north of us, it has been quite dry. It's just been this one swath right through the middle of the province of Alberta this past summer. Absolutely.

Bryn:

And now we're also going into a super El Nino winter. Yeah. So I'm worried about like, we're talking about grasslands, areas like that.

Ian:

Mhmm.

Bryn:

This is gonna be this could be a hard twelve months for birds and for everybody.

Ian:

Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. You know, oops. There's my one.

Ian:

My That's it. Yeah. But it it it's it's devastating, and and it's very, very confusing for for the for the animals that are down there, just as it is for us. But I think, you know, in the short prairies, we can have animals that are, that, you know, maybe grass fire or something like that. They'll bounce back from that Right.

Ian:

Fairly easily. Easily. But once you plow it under, it's when where where the where the problem lies.

Janine:

Introduce non native species of plants.

Ian:

Yeah. Exactly. And then, you know, or or and then you get into that mono crop thing. So that's like a biological desert. There is no diversity there at all.

Ian:

We're growing canola or whatever that whatever that, whatever that crop might be.

Janine:

No hate to the farmers. We love our farmers.

Ian:

Yeah. I'm not I'm not that's and I I understand the economics behind it. I understand the thinking behind The biggest problem is is that it's just one of those things that, we have to we we we we should be trying to do more to, to to protect it. Like, so I don't know if they wanna, you know, if they wanna try to be a national park or or if the the government wants to get involved that way, But we really have to we we you know, it's it's it's it's it's probably the one area that that is in in in most critical need, in in our area.

Bryn:

But that's sad from 1970

Ian:

Mhmm.

Bryn:

Where you're looking at, what, seventy six percent

Ian:

Yeah.

Bryn:

Of of birds have disappeared

Ian:

Yeah.

Bryn:

In those areas. That that that's Staggering. That is staggering. It's also a long time Yeah. But nonetheless, it's still staggering.

Ian:

Yeah. Yeah. And then there's no there's no look at and no talk of it changing, I guess is the big thing. Right? So they were not looking at at supporting our ranchers saying, okay, well, I understand that the economic problems with beef or something like that, but let's still try and graze this property.

Ian:

You know, we'll maybe get some assistance somehow. I don't know how it could work. I'm not I'm really not that smart.

Bryn:

So so what's the big thing here? Is it making people aware of it? I think so. And not only making people aware of it, then making it more aware to the levels of government that might might be able to do something about it.

Ian:

Well, for sure. So if we start talking about it and then, you know, here are or and and I know in in a lot of the, you know, the the the biologist crowd and all that that are aware of it, they're definitely talking about it, because they're really very concerned about it because it's it's it's getting worse, not better. And and and so, yeah, if we if we all have a knowledge about it, then at least maybe we can maybe put the pressure on some of our politicians and and maybe come up with a solution. There's lots of smart people out there. Do you think they're listening, though?

Ian:

Well, hope so. I would hope so. You know, you know, if if they definitely will want if it all disappears, you know, because it's not just

Bryn:

Oh, yeah.

Ian:

You know, it's not just the birds. The birds are where it starts. Usually, they're one of those indicator species, you know, if all of sudden the birds disappear, then we know what happened, you know. Same with bees.

Bryn:

We hear that about bees all the time.

Ian:

Same sort of thing. You lose the bees, you're in you're in big trouble. Right? So, you know, if you lose the birds and all a sudden, you're gonna have a lot of grasshoppers probably. Right?

Ian:

And then, you know

Bryn:

One thing leads to another. It's Domino's.

Ian:

Yeah. And then, you know, then the pronghorn antelope. What's going on with that? You know? So it's it's it's it's an ecosystem that is, you know, it's disappearing super fast.

Janine:

And it's an important ecosystem.

Ian:

Yeah. You need it. For sure. Absolutely.

Bryn:

Okay. There's our

Ian:

Wow. Rant for the morning.

Bryn:

Well, it's okay. It's good. It's good stuff to talk about, so there's that. Hey. Let's take a break.

Bryn:

When we come back, you know what time it is. Safe house time. Right on. Time to check-in with Janine and find out what's happening at Meika's safe house. Hey, Janine.

Bryn:

How are you? Everything okay?

Janine:

You I'm doing good. How are you?

Bryn:

You were quiet in that last segment because, the two of us got on soapboxes to talk about grass grasslands and that

Janine:

kind of thing. That's not my forte. So my forte is the safe house and the parrots.

Bryn:

Hey. Can I can I ask you about know nothing about the fact explain to me who Beaky and Buddy are?

Janine:

Beaky and Buddy are our longest residents and for good reason. They're not altogether friendly. They're very, very serious birds. They're two Amazon parrots. One is a double yellow headed Amazon, and the other one is a yellow naped Amazon.

Janine:

They're considered those type of Amazons are considered to be one of the harder harder types of Amazons to deal with. They they're older birds. They were hatched in the eighties. They are bonded together, which doesn't help their

Bryn:

So they're they're a package unit?

Ian:

Is that

Bryn:

what you're telling me?

Janine:

Social thing. Yeah.

Ian:

They are awesome in a lot of ways.

Janine:

They are so awesome in so many ways, but if you value your life

Ian:

Yeah.

Bryn:

Okay. I gotta stop here right there. Value your life. Like, sorts of Oh, shenanigans. Oh, your fingers gotta

Ian:

wash your hands. Definitely.

Janine:

Face. Neck. Yeah. Anything that they can lunge and bite at.

Bryn:

They Really?

Ian:

Yeah. Think it's the funnest game. They laugh while they're doing it. They they have a they have a really good time. Yeah.

Ian:

I've always called them the teachers, the educators Yes. Because I have all kinds of people come in that that are really drawn to them because they're very vocal. They're they have lots to say and all that, and I always tell

Janine:

them, you opera.

Ian:

Yeah. They sing. They do a whole bunch of things. Yeah. But, you know, just, you know, keep your hands in your pockets, guys.

Ian:

You you you don't want to

Janine:

I with them.

Ian:

You don't wanna play that game.

Bryn:

Okay. So how long have you had Biki and Buddy?

Janine:

Think we've had them since 2015 or 2016.

Bryn:

So the chances of them moving on here?

Janine:

They would have to be a really specialized house that understands Amazon behavior, people with ex like, a lot of experience.

Ian:

And a good sense of humor.

Janine:

And a very good sense of humor. Yeah.

Bryn:

Yes. And keep the fingers. Oh.

Janine:

Yeah.

Bryn:

Yeah. Although if they had more space, would they back off a little more?

Janine:

I don't think so, to be honest. Like I think in order to work with them, we would have to separate them and work with them individually. Because working with them together, one of them, they're, like, both extremely protective over each other. So if you're trying to talk to one of them, the other ones, they're gonna attack you.

Ian:

Yeah. Yeah. And vice versa. To watch. Like, it it truly is.

Ian:

Like, there's there's a there's a bunch of language. They're very clear. They're well, they're talking to you, but they're also talking to each other. Right. So there's like, Buddy Buddy truly doesn't like me very much.

Ian:

But Beaky, I can kind of talk to, you know, and and he'll he'll tolerate my presence to a certain extent. But Is that a guy thing, or is that because I don't know what it is.

Janine:

Think did his nails as well too many times.

Ian:

Something like that. There's that. But yeah. But so I can be I'll I'll talk to to Beaky, and I I he does deserve my full attention because he's a pretty big strong bird. But, then all of sudden, I have this other one that's latched onto my leg or something like that, and they say, and there's Buddy.

Bryn:

Yep. Do do okay. So so when again? 20 when? Eighteen?

Bryn:

Seventeen?

Janine:

No. Twenty sixteen, I think.

Bryn:

I was close. I was I was I was closing in on it. Yeah. Yeah. So so the question is is that do you have to like, they would not be able to be separated, I'm guessing, at this point.

Bryn:

Right?

Janine:

To me, would be cruel

Ian:

to separate. To you.

Janine:

You know? They've been together for so long. They they they like I said, they were hatched in the eighties. They had lived in the same house for many years, decades. So it would be like separating you from your wife.

Janine:

You know? It's Wait a minute. Give it

Ian:

Wait a minute.

Janine:

For your best friend.

Bryn:

I didn't say that. Yeah. Oh, there we go. Okay.

Janine:

It would be like separating you from your best friend. And it's it's to me, that's not kind. No. So we'd like to keep them together. If a bird likes another bird, we try very hard to keep them together.

Bryn:

Okay. So the eighties It was

Ian:

a great time, man.

Bryn:

So how much longer will they have?

Janine:

They could easily do another thirty years.

Bryn:

Really? That's crazy. Yeah.

Ian:

Well it was was it last fall? Couple years ago. Beaky. Yeah. Buddy had Buddy had a

Janine:

An episode.

Ian:

An episode of some sort where he wasn't doing well and

Janine:

they He had a stroke, so half of his body wasn't working. Like Mhmm. And he ended up being in intensive care for quite a few months, like weeks, you know. Yeah. At least six to eight weeks.

Janine:

And just to recover, I couldn't have them together. And Beaky was really, like, where is my friend? Yeah. Once he once he recovered, now he's back in and it's like nothing ever happened.

Ian:

Yeah. So Yeah. No. He just something something, you know Yeah. Yeah.

Ian:

It'd something we should have had when we had Murray around. Excuse me.

Bryn:

And back to health, though? Yeah. He's recovering.

Ian:

Oh, absolutely. Mean as ever. Yep.

Janine:

Yep. Yep. Very much very much, buddy.

Bryn:

Oh, man. Yeah. Okay. Well, there's the story of Beacon Buddy. So if I was if we were to just walk back there right now, would they stand out for me?

Bryn:

Because I think they if it's the ones that the ones that we were in in here Yeah.

Ian:

They're in there. Yeah. The green ones.

Bryn:

They are both quite intimidating. Yes.

Janine:

Yes. They are.

Ian:

I will I will

Bryn:

be honest with you. I'm I'm pretty good around birds, but those two

Janine:

You don't wanna be in there when they're not

Bryn:

In a good mood. Okay.

Janine:

If the like, we let them out, and we have to shut the door so

Ian:

that And we have to remember that they're out because I we had them out on Sunday morning.

Janine:

Mhmm.

Ian:

And just because we had to surface the not we Kai had to surface the cage.

Bryn:

Yeah.

Ian:

Yeah. And so the the birds were out on the on the tree and all that kind of stuff, and they're doing their thing. Mhmm. And, well, they were happy, so we left them alone. And then, of course, then the people started coming in, and it's like, oh, don't go don't go in there yet.

Ian:

Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Wait. Before you go into that room, let's Would

Janine:

you like to sign a waiver? Yeah.

Bryn:

Good to know. Information to know. Yeah.

Ian:

For

Bryn:

sure. Hey, Janine. Gotta ask you too because here we are. We're we're past the midway point of October. So is it what has to happen?

Bryn:

When is the change in the safe house as we go into the winter months? And, also, not changing the clocks this year. We're staying on regular daylight savings time as a bit of an experiment to see how it works for the next six months. So I'm kinda curious to know what kind of effect will it have in the room next door?

Janine:

I think it's not gonna have very much of an effect, because mainly our birds are on a timer anyways. Like, so they have they have their UV lights that turn on at a certain time. So they're still gonna get the same amount of of light and and darkness regardless.

Bryn:

Right.

Janine:

So I feel like it's not gonna be a big deal for them. I think it's gonna be more of a a thing for the humans. That

Bryn:

will be for a lot of people.

Janine:

Right? Having to get up with the darkness and go to bed with the darkness. Darkness. So, yeah, I think that's it's more harder on the humans than than our particular birds since Yeah. They are controlled.

Ian:

It's gonna be hard on you, then it's gonna be extra hard on me.

Janine:

I just wish that they would do it during, like, spring where you have to go forward. Like, why do they gotta take away our hour that we get? Like, damn. You know?

Bryn:

Now we're talking about politics. We'll never get the right answer on that one.

Ian:

No. Anyways.

Janine:

Nope. So.

Bryn:

Alright. And then and then what about, do people surrender animals very much over the winter months, or is it a lot quieter?

Janine:

I find in, you know, this October, November, it quiets down a little bit, which is nice.

Bryn:

Any any idea for that? Like, is it just the way it is?

Ian:

I think kids are back in school a little bit. We're not we're not traveling.

Janine:

Time with their

Bryn:

birds. Sure. Yeah.

Janine:

Yeah. They can

Ian:

It's the calm before the storm generally, though. You know, if if you wanna go, like Yeah. Historically, you know, December 1, December 2, it picks up, like, you know, the the phone starts ringing. I can't keep my birds anymore. You know, something bad's happened or, you know, it it just I don't know what it is, but it

Janine:

just Winter blues.

Ian:

The wind yeah. All that stuff. And Okay. That that's usually when it hits us in the in the beginning of December.

Bryn:

Yeah. Alright. Well, let's, let's hope that, it's a good what what do you consider to be a good winter?

Janine:

Adoptions? No surrenders.

Ian:

Okay. There you go.

Janine:

Work with your birds. Yeah. Work them. You can do this.

Bryn:

And don't forget. You can drop by here at Meika's Birdhouse because if you have questions

Ian:

Yeah. Don't

Bryn:

take the easy way out because Oh, yeah. Yeah. You guys you guys have got plenty of answers, so I like that.

Janine:

We got lots of experience doing all kinds of things. We've heard it all. So

Bryn:

yes. Got it. Okay, guys. Thanks. Hang on because it's time for the seed coming up, plus we also have what do we have coming up as well?

Bryn:

Pontiacs. Hey. See, I get that twice out of her here today. So there's that. By the way, I've also determined that every time you say I I I may change this, but every time you say absolutely, Ian, you're gonna hear

Ian:

Oh. There you go. I like it. Or you

Bryn:

could get one of these. Yeah. Actually, you know what? I think I prefer

Ian:

There you go. Alright. There you go. Alright.

Bryn:

So leave it with me.

Ian:

Yeah. I need all the help I

Bryn:

can what I can do. Alright. Hang tight. Coming right back. Okay.

Bryn:

It's now time for the seed and time to wrap things up. Okay. So here we are. We're in October. Gotta ask you guys right off the top.

Bryn:

The change of the season. So we've got a bird feeder. They're up all year, and I keep it I keep it, loaded all year. I want my friends to have some food because it's gotta be tougher when we get snow to find stuff. Right?

Bryn:

Right. So there's that. But what other kind of changes do do I need to do to make it better for the birds outside in the in the winter months?

Ian:

So this time of year is a perfect time of year to open up your birdhouses. You know, there's nobody gonna be living in it in the wintertime.

Bryn:

You're talking about the front?

Ian:

Yeah. So if you if you have a a birdhouse that's easily cleaned

Bryn:

Okay.

Ian:

Open it up, take if there's a nest in there, whatever, take it all out, maybe give it a quick wipe down.

Bryn:

Those won't be used in the winter. They won't they won't stay in there

Ian:

too They might go in there as a windbreak, but they're they're not using it

Janine:

For nesting. No.

Ian:

Okay. Nesting or any hanky panky or anything like that. Sure. Right? So so they'll be they'll they'll So

Janine:

you clean the debris, use a mild solution of bleach and water, and, you know, that cleans out the parasites

Ian:

and And then just leave it open. Yeah. And and leave it open. Let the cold do what what the cold does best, and that's that's kill a whole bunch of creepy crawlies. So Okay.

Ian:

Yeah. And then, come spring again, we'll seal them up and get them ready to go.

Bryn:

Now I I've did this it would have been probably the middle of August, probably a month late. And that was I took the bird feeder down, and I dumped all the old seed out. I just it's time to go. Yep. And then I just kinda gave it a bit of a a cleanup with brush.

Ian:

Yep.

Bryn:

But I don't think I used a bleach product. I think I used some water with maybe even just a little soap, and I just kept

Ian:

Just soap? Sure.

Bryn:

Yeah. Yep. That's okay?

Janine:

Yep. Yeah. As long because this year, especially, they like, with all the water that we had Yeah. We're seeing a lot of birds with conjunctivitis, like eye disease, like fungal infections.

Ian:

Mhmm.

Janine:

So it's really important to keep those feeders clean because it's been so moist, and that's like just a breeding ground for for bacteria and fungus to grow. So

Ian:

And you definitely don't want to be coming down with something like conjunctivitis or something like that in the cold because they definitely the end. That'll be the end of you because it's they need all that energy. Just to survive. Just to stay warm. Yeah.

Ian:

Right? So they can't be

Janine:

fighting things infection on top of trying to stay warm. It's virtually yeah.

Bryn:

Is there a different type of bird seed I can use that would be more, I don't know, would help them a little bit through the winter months, or just don't change the diet?

Janine:

The best thing would be the black oil sunflower.

Ian:

Black oil sunflower seeds, which are in your medium chips or in your normal gardeners and all that. That's that's all the same stuff.

Bryn:

Gotta take it all out of the shell. Right?

Ian:

So it

Janine:

That's if you get the the non Mhmm.

Ian:

Yeah. But you it's it's the same seed

Janine:

shelled stuff.

Ian:

You can get it without the shell. So you won't you know, the no mess is black oil. Right? Yeah. But it but it's it's, like the you know, it's just the type of seed it is, and it's high protein.

Ian:

What is she doing? She's posing for photographs.

Bryn:

Yeah. We got some

Janine:

We got a

Bryn:

need in here. Ace photographer in this network

Ian:

today. Yeah. Yeah.

Bryn:

Oh, okay. So so I I know that there's sunflower seeds that are in shells and not. So are you saying the shell ones you like?

Janine:

They're both they're both good. So the difference is with the shell, number one, they're expending a little bit more energy by having to crack the shell open.

Bryn:

Okay.

Janine:

And having the seed in the shell still will allow it to germinate if it falls on the ground. So you can get medium medium sunflower chips that's already hulled, so they just have to just gulp it down. They don't have to break them.

Bryn:

You've got plenty of those here.

Ian:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. For sure.

Janine:

Yeah. And, yeah, they just gulp it down. And if a couple seeds land on the ground, then it won't germinate. It just

Bryn:

Here's what I found last winter. The voles will get it.

Ian:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. They gotta eat too.

Bryn:

Oh, yeah. And we get we had quite the troop last year. Yeah. However, the coyotes, I think, in the back alley have figured it out. Yeah.

Bryn:

So I have not seen many at all this, this past summer. But okay. So, what other things do I need to be aware of to get my yard ready to make sure everybody's gonna make it through a long, long winter even though they're talking super El Nino.

Ian:

Whatever

Bryn:

it It still could be cold.

Ian:

Oh, I'm sure we're gonna get cold snaps, and I'm sure we're gonna get snow.

Janine:

Heated bird baths.

Ian:

The heated bird baths are always great. One thing that I do, and I I, you know, I I

Janine:

And sue it.

Ian:

And Sorry. Yeah. Sue it. She's know, yeah. We'll get to that.

Ian:

I'm I'm working on something here, Lee.

Janine:

Okay. Okay. We'll get to the point then.

Bryn:

There we go.

Ian:

So I leave my grass long in the in the in in the the fall. I don't I don't cut my grass,

Janine:

you know. Because he's lazy.

Ian:

I'm I'm protecting the environment, guys.

Bryn:

Okay. There you go. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I cut mine short because I'm trying to get rid of voles.

Bryn:

I didn't do it last year.

Ian:

Yeah. But if you keep it a little bit longer, and then, you know, that'll give a good habitat for voles and good habitat for bugs Ladybugs. Little little Yeah. Little little insects. Better for

Bryn:

my yard is what you're saying.

Ian:

The whole thing is better if it's left a little bit long. And what do they say about May, Janine? Janine's favorite thing.

Janine:

Oh, I hate this so hard.

Ian:

No mow May.

Janine:

I hate it.

Ian:

Yeah. So

Janine:

You're not gonna go the entire month of May without mowing your darn lawn.

Ian:

No mowing. It's just I

Janine:

can't say it. That bothers me.

Ian:

All for the good of the environment, Janine. God. But

Janine:

I hate it so hard.

Ian:

I might need a swather to get to my lunch.

Bryn:

I have a good feeling this is gonna end quicker than I thought this episode's gonna end. But for

Janine:

I agree though. For, like, the first few weeks, you know, like, it's beautiful and everything or whatever. Not even in May. We're not even close. We're still only in October.

Janine:

But anyways

Ian:

Well, I was just thinking ahead. Yeah. Just With a smile on your face.

Janine:

Yeah. For the first few weeks of May, don't mow it. Just give the insects a chance to come out of hibernation.

Ian:

I think I think the real numbers, if you wanted to do it from a, like, a different point of view, is that once we are consistently having overnight temperatures above zero, like, you know, five, ten degrees or something out overnight, then by all means, mow the lawn where you you're gonna wear out your lawnmower blade. We're we're like this is

Bryn:

like the latter part of October when we're talking mowing already in the spring. Let's just let Yeah.

Janine:

Let's Let's get through the winter.

Ian:

But that's but that's how I that's how we got here. But anyways, so I I you know, leaving the some leaves on the ground, leaving leaving leaving your yard alone, basically, and let it prepare itself for winter. Shelter for birds to get out

Bryn:

of the wind, that kind of thing. What can you do there? Is there anything you can do?

Janine:

So There are winter roosting boxes.

Ian:

Winter roosting boxes. Really? Yeah. For sure. They're basically a like an oversized birdhouse with the door put on upside down, basically.

Ian:

The hole instead of being at the top of the birdhouse is at the bottom.

Janine:

What's the reason for that?

Bryn:

Thank you. I was

Ian:

just gonna ask. Was just

Bryn:

gonna ask that. Okay.

Ian:

Yeah. Because then they can crawl up on so inside is there's some perching. Oh. So they can crawl up to the perches, and it just helps them stay out of the wind a little bit. Yeah.

Ian:

I've had can you put, like,

Bryn:

a piece of plastic on there? Take the one wall off and put plastic so you can see them in there, or is that gonna defeat I like the privacy.

Ian:

Well, it's not so much the privacy, but the insulation value.

Bryn:

Okay.

Ian:

Alright. Alright. So that's that's know, instead of having I know that's dumb, but, you know You could put a you could put a camera in. There are

Janine:

there are cameras you can get that you can see.

Ian:

How tough

Bryn:

how tough are those to get?

Ian:

A camera? Yeah. Well, I can I can order you one? It's there

Bryn:

we go. So you yeah. So you get you

Ian:

okay. Yeah.

Bryn:

Yeah. Somebody's interested in that?

Ian:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Or you could use a trail camera or anything like that. Right?

Ian:

But it's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a it it it it it's just another one of those things. But I I haven't had a lot of success with them.

Ian:

At least I haven't noticed a lot

Bryn:

of success. At minus 35.

Ian:

Yeah. Because I'm at minus 35. I'm not hey. Anybody in the roosting box? That's right.

Ian:

Hey.

Bryn:

I said, okay. Fine.

Ian:

Yeah. I'll leave my snowshoes in those. Gotcha.

Bryn:

What else do we have to get ready for? Because November's coming close.

Ian:

Halloween. Trick or treat. Trick or treaters. Yeah. No.

Ian:

But that that that

Janine:

Well, the other thing that we could talk about is suet, though. Like

Ian:

Oh, suet.

Bryn:

Suet. Suet.

Janine:

For winter.

Ian:

Another great high energy food for the colder days.

Janine:

Yes.

Ian:

We feed it Yeah. Year We feed it year round, but it's it's another great energy food. Right?

Janine:

Nice and

Bryn:

So would you put that in like we're talking about these bigger shelters, that kind of thing. You put sewage in there because they'll eat that right up. Right? Or You wanna put it inside. You wanna keep it out of there.

Ian:

Yeah. You wanna keep it out of there because you don't need anybody fighting over you know, they they need that.

Bryn:

Okay.

Ian:

Right? So Yeah. The feed stays in the feeders, and and and if you try to use a a roosting buck, which is, you know, go ahead. But, it's, you know, it's just for it's just for hiding out in in in super cold windy days. K.

Janine:

There's different ways to present your suet too. You know, you can put it in a suet feeder, or you can spread it on trees. You don't have to you don't have you can think outside the the box because a lot of the the woodpeckers and clingers will stick to the side of a tree to eat.

Bryn:

So just soften it up and then just kinda spread it in?

Ian:

Spread it on, and they'll

Janine:

they'll eat it off the bark.

Ian:

Got it. For sure.

Janine:

And that'll that'll keep some of the bigger birds like the crows and the magpies away.

Bryn:

Love it. That's great. That's very, very helpful hint. Hey. Okay.

Bryn:

You ready to get to it? Go ahead.

Janine:

Fun facts.

Bryn:

Alright. There we go.

Ian:

Absolutely. I didn't say it. No. I didn't.

Bryn:

I didn't. Sorry. I

Ian:

have a quick trigger finger there. You're stealing my thunder.

Bryn:

Okay. So what do we got for fun fact today? We take a

Janine:

look at Short Grass Prairie.

Bryn:

Seems appropriate since we seems like it was only three hours ago we started talking about that on

Ian:

There this was a theme. There was. K. So what's the fun fact, Janine?

Janine:

I don't know. You wrote this.

Bryn:

You too.

Ian:

Alright. So the the it's a it's a not so fun fact, really. It's it's just it's it's just

Janine:

a fact. It's a lame fact?

Ian:

It's a lame fact. It's a it's a boring. Well, it's a

Janine:

it's Like, hey. Come up with something fun.

Bryn:

Well, maybe it'll be fun by this time next year.

Ian:

Maybe maybe we can have a a a an episode where we say there's been a change to this. Right? But as we speak right now, every year, the the Canadian Shortgrass Prairie loses a chunk of property about the size of Toronto. Wow. Year over year consistently.

Ian:

Right? So that's a that's that's a not so fun fact. So that that's, you know, that's that's what we need to try to figure a way to prevent.

Janine:

Wow. The size of Toronto.

Ian:

The size of Toronto.

Janine:

Toronto's pretty big.

Ian:

You got it.

Bryn:

Are we talking about the GTA, the Greater Toronto Area, or just the city of Toronto?

Ian:

I'm gonna say with just the city of Toronto, because I don't

Bryn:

know the answer. Big. Yeah.

Ian:

I don't know the answer to

Bryn:

your question. So so what do you do? Do you get to your MP? Do you get to your MLA and say, look. What are we gonna do about this?

Ian:

But, you you know, and and we can definitely definitely whoever will listen to you. Yeah. But the other thing is is, you know, is with with our with our ranchers, you know, support our ranchers. You know, make it make it so they, you know, that they don't have to sell off their cows to and and switch over to, traditional farming. Right?

Ian:

That that they can they can because grazing that proper that that that that short grass prairie is perfect. That's what it's made for. It's meant for bison to be grazing on. So, you know, the the the maybe the best thing we could do is just sort of, you know Support our farmers. Support your support your ranchers.

Ian:

Doesn't matter if it's in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba. All these guys, you know, so so we can instead of another canola field, we can have, we can have some short grass berry.

Bryn:

I like that, and it's a great way to end this particular episode because we started off the top of it, and I'm bringing back that stat too that you had. Since 1970, '70 sorry. 67% of grassland birds have disappeared. So that's an exclamation mark on on the episode. And we've had some fun.

Bryn:

We've learned a lot as well. Thanks, guys. We'll talk

Ian:

to

Bryn:

you coming up in the month of November. I can't believe I'm just saying that.

Ian:

Get your ski pants. Yep. I'll have

Bryn:

to have them let out of bed. Alright. Thanks. Talk to you later. Alright.

Ian:

Thanks, Brynn.

Janine:

Thank you.

Bryn:

Hey. Thanks for joining us today. If you're a birdbrain like me and you don't wanna miss our next podcast, then check us out on any of your favorite ear candy sites like Apple, Spotify, Google. There's lots of them out there. Make sure you tell your friends and make sure you follow or subscribe to our podcast.

Bryn:

That way when a new one drops, you'll get the new one right to your home perch. And, also, if you're not as the crow flies and you can't drop into our location, check us out online at meika'sbirdhouse.com. That's it for the Birdhouse Banter. Have yourself a great day. Let's get chirping.