More visits by starlings.

We have had more visits by starlings. Crows have picked up chicken bones we put out for them. The bird feeder is not busy. There are just a few chickadees, and red polls. I haven't seen any woodpeckers for some time now.

On a trip into the city the other day, we saw lots of ducks and some geese on sloughs. I saw a pair of Mallards on a flooded area in the city while walking by the river.

Plenty of starlings

About eight or more starlings landed on my front lawn and found some fallen seeds underneath the feeder. They did not stay too long. The starling is actually a handsome bird when seen up close with light shining from its head. There is a glossy irridescent sheen that is quite attractive. Of course they are hardly a song bird!

There were a few chickadees at the feeder today and I saw a few juncos on the ground but no red polls. There are quite a few crows or at least by the noise it seems that there are!

Another warm spring day!

I saw almost a dozen mallards on a lagoon at the south end of the village. There were also a couple of crows followed me on my walk. I think they were calling me names.

Today I believe I saw two Wilson's Snipes just outside of Shoal Lake. They were actually strutting across the road although there are sloughs quite near by.

The bird feeder has not been busy the today and yesterday but today there were a few juncos back and a couple of chickadees. Red Polls are less frequent visitors now. Today I saw a house sparrow for the first time in over a week!

A starling also visited the yard, the first one I have seen this year.

Robins are back!

There is still very little traffic at the feeder although there were a couple of chickadees today as well as a handful of red polls. However when I was on my daily walk I saw robins and also two northern flickers. At the lagoons there were a pair of Canada geese. I think they may be nesting in the swampy area near the lagoons. I also saw two ducks but was not close enough to identify them. There are still some juncos about even though they have decided they have had enough of my sunflower seeds!

Magpie sighting!

I finally saw a magpie near our yard with some crows. Magpies have not been common this winter or spring so far. There have only been a few isolated red polls and one or two chickadees at the bird feeder.

I walked to the lagoon where I saw two Canada geese and on the way home I saw a huge flock of snow geese going north and quite high up in the sky..

Another quiet day at the feeder

There are no juncos or anything else at my feeder except for a very few plump redpolls that look rather sickly, not like the one in the photo.

There are still some juncos around because I saw some at the neighbour's feeder. He is feeding the birds a different kind of seed, much smaller, and he has some oats as well. The only other birds I saw today were some crows.

Quiet times at the feeder

There were only a few redpolls and a chickadee at the feeder today. The photo is of a chickadee of course. I haven't seen a junco for several days now. I assume they are gone now until next fall.

I took a walk to the lagoons. There were two wading birds but I did not get close enough to identify them. There were also two Canada geese. Crows are common throughout the village and usually visit the yard at least once a day to check if we have put scraps out for them.

A very slow day at the Feeder

The only birds I saw all day at the feeder were a few red polls. Juncos are nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they all went north since the snow is almost all melted. The wind was very strong all day and there were a few brief showers as well. The only other bird I saw were a few crows that came and wandered about the front yard eating a few stray sunflower seeds. I assume they probably ate the bacon grease I put out as well.

More ducks and geese

We went for a lengthy drive in the countryside and on side roads to visit a farmer friend. We saw a number of Canada geese but not in any large groups. We also saw several pairs of Mallards and several Buffleheads. We also saw a red-tailed hawk. Of course there were many crows mostly just one or two at a time.

Bees are visiting the feeder. They seem to think it is a hive and try to get inside. My neighbour who has a similar feeder but smaller seed had many bees burrow right inside where they were trapped and he had to take off the lid! I wonder if this is a symptom of the widespread problem of hive abandonment. It seems that something happens to the bees navigation system and they cannot find their way back to the hives.

There are only a few redpolls and the lone grosbeak at the feeder today.

One pine grosbeak returns

A quite gorgeous pine grosbeak with some vivid red feathers appeared at the feeder today. However that was the sole bird except for a very few red polls. I haven't seen a single junco all day.

This evening just at dark I am sure I heard a robin but I haven't seen one yet. The disappearance of most birds is very strange. My wife cleaned out the seeds from below the feeder and raked the grass maybe that scared them away!

No new birds yet.

The bird feeder was busy but mostly with red polls although there are still quite a few juncos. The junco numbers may be in decline already as they move north. The faithful chickadees are still here but they are never in large numbers it seems.
When I was sitting out crows came to visit but I had nothing out for them.

Another warm day.

There is not much snow left but there is enough that water is flowing in the ditches as what is left melts quickly. It is warm enough to sit out in the yard just with a sweater on and no coat. I saw a crow of two land in the spruce trees and I also heard but did not see geese.

At the bird feeder the regulars were busy: red polls, chickadees, and juncos. The juncos are still plentiful. I am expecting to see less of them as the snow disappears.

Warmest Day Yet!

The temperature must have been close to 20 C today. This is the warmest day of the year. Even so there is still some snow to be melted and there is still ice in the lagoons. I walked over to our two lagoons today but the only birds were two crows. One was calling me names by tone of his cawing. He landed on the ice and strutted around on it for a while. Near the lagoons there is a field that is partially flooded and there were a few Canada Geese that flew off from there.

THe feeder is still busy with red polls. There are still quite a few juncos around as well but no new birds as yet.

Some gulls are back

We drove all the way to Winnipeg and back about 8 hours driving in all. The snow is all gone most places except near Oakburn where we live! I suppose further north and in the park there is still snow as well.

There were quite a few crows beside the road. Most sloughs did not have birds on them but we did see a few Canada geese and the odd duck. At one slough near Winnipeg there were a group of herring gulls. I enclose a photo of a herring gull. I saw a bird that I could not identify. It may have been an osprey

When we got home red polls and juncos were still feeding the bird feeder

Warming up!

The snow is retreating quickly now as temperatures are well above freezing for longer periods. There still are some large drifts in the ditches and elsewhere though. The juncos are still around although perhaps their numbers may be slightly diminished. The redpolls are still eating voraciously. I saw a few chickadees today but not any downy woodpeckers.
When I walked about the village I heard and saw quite a few crows.

Same old birds!

I had to replenish the feeder last night and it is over half empty tonight. I put a photo of the redpolls at the feeder in this post. They are the most common visitors. I did not see the downy woodpecker today but there were lots of juncos and a few chickadees. I saw a few crows flying about the neighborhood. I guess they are waiting for more chicken bones.

Gradual warming trend.

It was a few degrees above freezing today with little wind. I was able to walk around the village without feeling cold. There is still not much water running in the ditches as the melt has been very slow and gradual.

I had to fill the feeder again today as the red polls and juncos are eating constantly and in large numbers. I still have not seen a house sparrow for several days now. There are the usual chickadees and one downy woodpecker still. No crows have visited the yard yet. The local crows must have bad eyesight because they have not taken away the chicken bones I put out.

Voracious red polls

I had to fill the feeder again this morning and this evening it is almost half empty. There are just oodles and oodles of red polls plus quite a few juncos eating constantly. The downy woodpecker is still around as are a few chickadees.

No crow has visited today even though I have put out some chicken bones later today. They will probably find them if a stray cat does not get there first!

Still waiting for Spring

The feeder is very busy. I will have to fill it again tomorrow. The redpolls are most numerous followed by the juncos. However, there are still chickadees darting back and forth the odd time. I include a photo (but not of mine). The downy woodpecker was around today. No house sparrows have appeared for days on end.
I saw several crows while walking about the village and heard geese honking.

Slowly warming up!

I had to fill the feeder again yesterday and today it is already one third gone. The weather is a bit nicer. I sat in the sun at a neighbour's and it was reasonably warm. Of course I had a parka on!

The usual birds are at the feeder. The juncos are still here. They probably will not stay too much longer. As soon as the snow disappears they drift further northward. There are still plenty of red polls. I have never seen red polls in the numbers that are around this year. In fact some years I haven't seen any at the feeder.

The downy woodpecker is still around the yard in the spruce trees and there are a few chickdees as well. There are plenty of crows around town. I walked over to the lagoons but there were no birds in the small patch of open water.

Knocked out cold!

The feeder is so busy that red polls often bump against the window that is close by. Usually they fly away immediately but sometimes they are stunned for some time. That was the case today. A redpoll hit the window so hard it actually left a bit of a feather where it hit. I thought it was dead on the ground but a while later it was disappeared. I expect it flew off but I suppose it is possible a cat got it.

There were no new birds today. However, the downy woodpecker was around several times so I put a photo of one in today's blog. The weather is still cold but not unpleasant as there is not too much wind and lots of sunshine. The snow is slowly melting away but there is no water in the ditches by the highway it is that slow. As well as red-polls there are still lots of juncos and the odd chickadee.

Sunshine but cold!

This ia another photo of a redpoll at the feeder. This was taken some time ago. Today there are oodles of redpolls at the feeder. There are so many that there is not room for them all and there are minor conflicts. There are still a few juncos that also come to the feeder but most are content to feed on the ground. The downy is still around and of course a few chickadees. Even a crow visited the yard to see if we had left any goodies out.

More cold weather!

The usual juncos and redpolls are active at the feeder. I have to fill the feeder every second day now. Usually the seeds will last four or five days at least. Even with the crowds at the feeder I have not seen a single house sparrow today. However the usual chickadees appeared and a downy woodpecker.

The juncos actually managed to eat most of the bacon grease I put out for the crows! They even picked some of the chicken bones.

Back to the deep freeze!

The feeder is quite busy again but all are regulars. Red polls are the most numerous but there are still quite a few juncos, mostly on the ground. As well as a few chickadees, a downy woodpecker is visiting today.

There is no sign of spring weather. It is windy and far below freezing. At least there is no snow but lots of sunshine.

Many Canada Geese at water aeration site

This morning we traveled north to Olha just a few miles from our village of Oakburn. There is a lake, Paterson Lake, that has open water where the lake is aerated all winter. This keeps the trout from dying of lack of oxygen. In the open water and on the adjoining ice there were several dozen Canada geese. At Olha we bought a huge sack of sunflower seeds. The birds are going through the seed at a great rate now. Perhaps they are getting ready to mate!

The red polls have been swariming over the feeder all day. A few juncos try to find a space as well but most are content to feast on the ground on fallen seed. The downy woodpecker was also at the feeder on and off during the day. I saw not a single house sparrow. There are always a few chickadees. The feeder was running on empty until I opened the new sack.

I asked the lady at Olha what she called the juncos, black eyed juncos, or slate coloured juncos. She says she calls them snowbirds because when you see them it is a sign of snow! Maybe that is true both in spring and fall!

Where is Spring?

The birdfeeder is busy. Birds need a lot of energy to brave the cold weather. It is just a few degrees above freezing and it is to get worse later in the week. At least we did not have freezing rain, although there were brief flurries this morning.

There were the usual red polls and the visiting juncos. They have been active all day. I have seen a few crows but none in the yard. I set out some bacon grease but no one has claimed it yet. I set it on the ground later so a skunk or cat may feast overnight. There were chickadees from time to time at the feeder as well but I did not see a downy or any house sparrows today.