More swallows swarming.

Apparently there is some problem with the image upload system so I will just send my last post for August in text!

There are still no hummingbirds yet today so I guess they have all left. I will leave my feeders out for another week or so just to make sure that some migrating hummingbirds have a snack.

There were swallows circling above the yard today. I think they are all or mostly tree swallows. Barn swallows are not that common any more around here.

While relaxing in the yard, I saw a northern flicker. Later I saw a crow who just finished off a couple of chicken bones we left out and also two starlings who were by the bird feeder. The feeder is being overrun by hungry mobs of sparrows and pine siskins. I saw one redbreasted nuthatch today. Chickadees are regular visitors.

No humming birds today

Although I have a total of three hummingbird feeders operational I haven't seen a single visitor today so perhaps all or most have gone south. There might be a few stop by still on their way through from further north. I imagine they need food all along the way!

I finally saw another red breasted nuthatch again but they do not seem all that common. There are a predominance of house sparrows these days and they are very messy scattering seeds on the ground and sidewalk as they like to feed there. There are still plenty of pine siskins and I see the odd goldfinch still but they seem to thinning out as well. No doubt many have already left. There is some sort of sparrow that I have no identified as yet. It looks quite a bit like a pine siskin but it is quite a bit larger and has no yellow at all and even more predominants dark streaks on its breast. I must search my books for it.

The other day I walked to the lagoons and saw northern pintails and the spotted sandpiper at least I assume that is what they were.

More Martins gathering.

Yesterday we went shopping to Rossburn. There was a scene that could have been out of the Hitchcock movie The Birds. There were droves of purple martins festooning the wires and lightstandards and swooping and diving everywhere. The martins gathered and disappeared already from our village. Maybe Rossburn is a central gathering point. Martins certainly must not like to travel alone.

There are still humming birds at the feeders. Enough that there are often fights but they are less common than a week or so ago. I do not see any adult males so perhaps the adults go before the kids! Maybe males go scouting on ahead.

The regular feeder is busy. There have been no new birds but what is lacking in variety is offest by numbers. The chickadee (photo) is still a regular visitor. They will stay all winter.

Hummingbird numbers dwindle.

There are still a few hummingbirds about. I put my flower shaped feeder out and found that they will visit it, so I will use it again next year. The numbers of hummingbirds are beginning to dwindle. I think that some may already be on their way south. I am not sure how they go. Perhaps they go in small numbers rather than flocks. I have never heard reports of flocks of them but then one might not notice them. Some folks around here keep repeating the myth that the hummingbirds go south on the backs of geese. I guess they think the little hummingbirds are too tiny and frail to go it alone. I wonder if Monarch Butterflies hitch hike on the geese as well!

The regular feeder is quite busy. THere seem to be quite a few house sparrows around these days. Some are in flocks that are unmixed consisting of all or mostly house sparrows. However I saw one purple finch mixed in! The finch looks quite a bit like a house sparrow except for its red colouring.

There are still chickadees. I actually saw three at one time yesterday. Usually there are just single birds. I have not seen any goldfinches the last day or so. Perhaps they are going south as well.

Still quite a few hummingbirds: Martins may be gone.

I haven't seen any purple martins since I saw big flocks forming the other day. I guess they are already on their way south.

Yesterday we went out to a farm and had a big pig roast (lechon). At the farm I saw many barn swallows sitting on telephone wires in the yard. When we got back home the regular bird feeder was empty with all the seeds ejected onto the sidewalk and ground! I filled it back up again. I noticed just a while ago that mostly house sparrows were at the feeder. They are the worst for spilling seed on the ground. Usually there is a mixture of birds with pine siskins predominant.

There are still quite a few humming birds visiting the feeder, enough tbat often a bird will be chased off by a competitor.

Still many humming birds

There are still plenty of hummingbirds after all. They have not all left although they are not quite as prevalent as a few days ago. Even so I will soon have to add to the nectar reservoirs.

The main feeder is regularly invaded by flocks of sparrows, siskins and the odd goldfinch and purple finch. The goldfinches seem to be thinning out. Perhaps some are already on their way south. The purple martins have already swarmed in readiness to leave.

Voracious birds

The pine siskins, house sparrows, and goldfinches, emptied the feeder by late last night. I filled it up again early this morning. I did not see any hummingbirds yesterday or early this morning. Perhaps they are started south already. I still see a few chickadees most days.(photo)

Yesterday there were swarms of purple martins circling above the yard. They must be gathering to go south already even though it is not even September as yet. However, swallows tend to leave early. The weather is cool and windy as well. Perhaps there are not that many insects left. There are still plenty of flowers so the hummingbirds will still be OK even though it is rather cool.

Humming birds fuelling up!

The humming birds managed to empty one feeder within two or three days. I refilled it this morning as it was completely empty. The hummingbirds are busy from dawn to dusk. Many of them must be immature. There are few adult males. I imagine the hummingbirds will start migrating in September if not sooner. However there are still quite a few flowers as yet.

I saw a nuthatch (photo) visiting regularly. There are virtually flocks of sparrows and pine siskins. They along with goldfinches and purple finches seem to tolerate each other.

There were several northern flickers in the yard, pecking for grubs and worms in the grass even though they are woodpeckers.

Trip to Rivers

We took a trip to Rivers the other day. I did not see any new birds. However, we did see an American White Pelican at River's Lake. There were also a few hummingbirds at a feeder at the yard where we had a birthday celebration. There is no sign of hummingbirds leaving as yet even though there have been some quite cool nights.

Our feeder is constantly bombarded by hummingbirds who refuse to share the two feeders. Usually a successful feeder perches nearby and dive bombs any intruders but it is of no avail. While chasing off an intruder another will come and feed!

We still have plenty of birds at the other feeder. I have seen several purple finches (photo) including a couple of immature birds that just have a few weak splashs of color as yet.
Chickadees are still frequent visitors as are the goldfinches, pine siskins, and house sparrows.

Bad birds

There are many birds at the regular feeder all day. Some of them, particularly female house sparrows love to dump the seed onto the ground and sidewalk. My wife gets angry and sometimes even shooses them away by knocking on the window! Afterward she goes out and dutifully picks the seed off the sidewalk, winnows it, and replaces it. Within a day it is back on the ground!

There have been several north flickers poking in the grass in the yard. I have seen no more nuthatches but there have been several purple finches as well as the regulars in droves: pine siskins, house sparrows, goldfinches and a few chickadees.

Many ruby throated hummingbirds

I have included a photo of a red-breasted nuthatch. They apparently often visit feeders for seeds but before I have always seen them going upside down on the tree trunks of the spruce trees.

There are oodles of hummingbirds. It is fortunate I have two feeders. They are very mean territorial birds. After feeding they sit close by on a tree branch and swoop down on any hummingbird that tries to feed. There are so many now though that at times there are two co-existing for a few seconds at one feeder.

THe regular feeder is also very busy. I had to replenish the seed yesterday and today much of it is already gone. The most plentiful birds are pine siskins but there are also a good number of house sparrows and a few goldfinches. I have seen a couple of immature purple finches as well, and of course the faithful chickadees.
This morning there were a couple of robins searching the lawn for worms or grubs.

A nuthatch!

Along with the goldfinches (photo), numerous pine siskins, house sparrows and the odd immature purple finches at the feeder there was also a red-breasted nuthatch this morning. This is the first I have seen this year as far as I can recall.

The hummingbird feeders are both busy and the regular feeder is just about out of seeds so I will have to refill it even though my wife put the seeds on the sidewalk back in the feeder.

Dual hummingbird feeders

I took my second hummingbird feeder off the table and hung it higher. There is renewed interest and both feeders are relatively busy.

The regular feeder is also very busy. I had to reflll it today. The majority of visitors are pine siskins but there are also plenty of house sparrows and goldfinches and the odd chickadee. Today I noticed an immature purple finch. It has just a few red blotches and looks quite weird.

Near frost conditions

The hummingbirds are busy all day feeding. I assume they need to build up strength for the trip south. I put the new feeder up and then put the old feeder on a table in the yard. I have not seen any visitors to the feeder on the table. Perhaps they will not feed close to a flat surface. They may think it is at ground level.

I saw a herring gull on a trip to the next town. There do not seem many around the area this year. Often they follow farmers as they till.

THe regular feeder is busy with pine siskins most common and then house sparrows and goldfinches (photo). There are a few chickadees.

More hummingbirds, new feeder

I bought another hummingbird feeder for 75 cents in a thrift shop in Brandon. I tried it out today as the old feeder was just about dry. Humming birds are visiting constantly these days virtually all the time. They are very hostile to each other. Hardly ever is there more than one at a time at the feeder even though there are four plastic petals to feed from. The new feeder seems to work fine. The nectar container in the old one has a slight crack that I simply sealed with duct tape. It works fine but I thought it would be good to have a spare of the same kind. However, I find that the liquid container part is not internchangeable!

There are still lots of visitors to the regular feeder including chickadees (photo). THe other regulars are pine siskins, house sparrows, and goldinches.

Trip to Brandon

We went to Brandon yesterday. There were many ducks in the sloughs along the way. We went by quickly and I was unable to identify the breeds but many looked to be immatures. There are plenty of red-wing blackbirds around sloughs even though according to a local newspaper their numbers are supposed to be declining. It is the yellow-headed blackbird that seems to be rare. The red-wings are found in virtually every slough.
There are still a lot of crows spread throughout the district. On the way home near dusk I saw many mourning doves sitting on the wires. They are common in the countryside but I have not seen any near my property.
Hummingbirds are again very active at the feeder. They usually will not allow another bird to feed along with them but chase the intruder away. This is in contrast to the pine siskins who fill the feeder until there is no room, not even standing room!

Rain, Hummingbirds

It rained most of the day, a solid rain much needed as it is quite dry. Hummingbirds have been returning to the feeder. I changed the solution and last night they were fighting each other to sip the nectar.

The usual species are at the feeder: goldfinches (photo), pine siskins, and house sparrows. I have also seen several chickadees of late.

A few more hummingbirds

Every day there are a few hummingbirds at the feeder but rather infrequently. I think that I will need to change the nectar again soon before it begins to ferment!

The feeder is busy every day. I have seen a few chickadees and one or two purple finches but most visitors are pine siskins, house sparrows, or goldfinches.

On trips out of town, I have seen many mourning doves along the highway and also plenty of red-winged black birds. I also saw another red-tailed hawk.