A number of nuthatches visiting

There are more nuthatches visiting the feeder than usual. Perhaps there are not too many insects to be found in the spruce bark. The feeder ran out of sunflowers again and I had to refill it.
The usual flocks of house sparrows do their usual damage by emptying out seeds! There are still quite a few chickadees, and pine siskins, and today I saw several Savannah sparrows again. I also saw a couple of purple finches.

Many slate coloured juncos

We were in the country all day plucking and cleaning chickens. Of course I just watched and enjoyed the scenery. There were quite a few dark-eyed or slate coloured juncos around the bush at the farm yardsite. I saw also one magpie and a crow. Overhead there were numerous flocks of Canada geese the whole day.

A few southbound snow geese

On the way to the next town shopping yesterday we saw about a half dozen snow geese flying south. These are the first I have seen. There are usually large flocks passing over when they start to leave.

I did not see any more slate coloured juncos today but there were plenty of redbreasted nuthatches, chickadees, pine siskins, and of course house sparrows.

The wind was strong enough to blow the feeder off its foundations but I have put it back more firmly I hope.

Another Harris sparrow

I saw a Harris sparrow this morning, the first I have seen for some time. There were a lot of red-breasted nuthatches visiting today more at once then I have seen so far. There were also several purple finches again. As usual there are chickadees as well and pine siskins but the house sparrows are still coming in substantial flocks.\

This morning I also saw the first slate coloured junco of the fall season. No doubt they will soon be here in large numbers.

Hordes of sparrows visit the feeder from time to time and cause havoc. They insist on scratching and pecking seeds out onto the ground. There are still plenty of other birds. I have seen several purple finches again (photo) and chickadees and red breasted nuthatches visit frequently. The second most common birds are pine siskins. The goldfinches must no be all or mostly gone. I think that some I thought were female goldfinches are actually pine siskins. There are still a few crows about.

Still hordes of house sparrows

I think the sparrows must be fattening up for the winter. They all look plump and well fed. There are some larger flocks of two or three dozen some of which are all sparrows. However there are often sparrows mixed in with other birds at the feeder. Today there were plenty of pine siskins but I did not see any purple finches or savannah sparrows. There are also chickadees(photo) and red-breasted nuthatches, both are frequent visitors.

Rising cost of feeding birds

Our low cost sunflower seed supplier ran out between this morning and this afternoon when my wife went to pick up a sack. I ended up paying 18.00 for a sack at a hardware store. It seems the prices of sunflowers are rising. I didn't notice so many fields planted this year, perhaps because of high prices for other grains.

Anyway the birds were happy to start wasting seeds as fast as they could again. Some of my friends just give up and quite feeding when the sparrows start to make runs on their feeders! Actually I have a soft spot for house sparrows. At least they stay with us all winter. Usually there will be a few sparrows around when there is no other bird to be seen.

Right now though there is still a fairly good representation. Not all the goldfinches are gone yet (photo). There are plenty of savannah sparrows, pine siskins and purple finches. The last few days red breasted nuthatches are frequent visitors as well.

More birds bound for the south

Although I have not heard or seen large numbers of geese departing yet, yesterday there was a huge flock of black birds along the highway. They may be red-wing blackbirds from further north or perhaps starlings. We did not get close enough to identify them.

There are quite a few nuthatches (photo) about and at the feeder. Yesterday we also saw about half a dozen northern flickers around the yard. Chickadees are also daily visitors as are purple finches, pine siskins, and savannah sparrows. There are still a few goldfinches around but mostly females. Maybe they are hardier! Large flocks of house sparrows are regular raiders of the feeder. They should be out in the fields eating grain!

Two Crows!

I took a trip to the dump and on the way I saw two crows along the highway. At least I assume they are crows. Soon they will be replaced by ravens who come here from the north for the winter.

There have been quite a few red breasted nuthatches visiting the feeder and also several purple finches. Chickadees are still common as well. I found a dead pine siskin near the feeder. I have no idea what was wrong perhaps he hit the window and broke his neck but I rather doubt it. There are still savannah sparrows, and again today I saw a female goldfinch. The most common birds though are flocks of house sparrows. I wish they would stay in the fields where there must be plenty of grain for them on the ground. There have been very few flocks of geese going south as yet.

Fewer visitors

There have been fewer birds at the feeder the last couple of days. Still some flocks of sparrows visit from time to time and scatter seed about. There are still the usual varieties of birds: house sparrows foremost, savannah sparrows, pine siskins, red breasted nuthatch, chickadees, and still the odd goldfinch at this late date.
When we went to shop at a nearby town I saw some herring gulls still around. They were following behind a tractor that was cultivating. There is still some grain to be harvest around here as light rains have made the grain too damp to thresh.

Voracious sparrows

The female house sparrows are the most messy when it comes to scattering seed from the feeder. The spilled seeds got wet and my wife gathered them and set them on the back porch to dry. When we returned from shopping there were hardly any seeds left in the pan. Some had been eaten but most had just been scattered all over outside the pan!

I finally decided to take down the hummingbird feeders. There have been no hummingbirds for about a week and last night there was a heavy frost so if they are not all gone they will be frozen!

There are still plenty of savannah sparrows about as well as pine siskins, and I saw a goldfinch at the feeder again today. I thought they would be all gone. I saw more than one purple finch at a time and there are probably several red breasted nuthatches as well or at least if there is just one it must be very hungry.

Sunflower seed consumption

I used up a large sack of sunflower seeds in about a month. The general store where I buy them is out so I had to go to the regular hardware and buy a smaller bag until the new stock comes in. Apparently the cost of sunflower seeds is climbing just like oil and gas! The farmers should be happy with grain prices as well but the yields are not that marvelous.

There seem to regular visits by nuthatches (photo) these days but it is large flocks of sparrows that seem to clean out the feeder regularly. With the smaller flocks there are often purple finches, savannah sparrows, pine siskins, and still the odd goldfinch mixed in. Chickadees are still coming regularly as well. It will not be too long until the juncos begin to come from the north on their way south.

The leaves are changing colour and cucumbers are already freezing from patchy frost a couple of nights.

A few blackbirds yet.

Yesterday I saw a small flock of red-wing blackbirds a ways out of town. Perhaps they are moving through from further north. There are still a few goldfinches at the feeder (photo). I am rather surprised as I thought they would be already gone. There may have been a slight frost last night and it is to go down to freezing later this week. Only a few flocks of geese have gone over so far.

The feeder is still very busy. Most are common house sparrows but there are also a few chickadees, savannah sparrows, and the odd red-breasted nuthatch. Also chickadees are fairly common along with purple finches. The purple finches and savannah sparrows as well as the siskins come mixed in with house sparrows.

No hummingbirds

We have seen no hummingbirds for several days so perhaps they are all or mostly gone south already. I still see a few swallows. However we drove far out in the countryside yesterday and I did not see any red-wing blackbirds. This summer every slough had a few. On the sloughs there were a few ducks and I saw on pair of Canada geese but I was unable to identify the ducks except for some northrn pintails.

A redbreasted nuthatch(photo)is visiting the feeder again. There are so many house sparrows that the seed level goes down considerably every day. When we were away for the day it was virtually empty when we returned. There still many pine siskins, and some savannah sparrows plus a few purple finches. I saw a norther flicker again in they yard yesterday. There are still a few crows about but it will soon be time for ravens from further north to appear for the winter.

A house sparrow "sport"

There were plenty of birds at the regular feeder this morning including a male house sparrow that had white wing tips. I wonder if they were bleached or what. They did not look bleached.
There was a purple finch among the group as well as many pine siskins and some savannah sparrows as well. Yesterday I saw a long goldfinch still here. There were no hummingbirds for the last two days. I will leave the feeder out a while longer.
Chickadees are common at the feeder and yesterday there was a red breasted nuthatch again.

Red Wing Blackbirds Swarming

We drove down to Hamiota yesterday. On the way I saw three different large groups of red-wing blackbirds on wires gathering to fly south. There are a few ducks on sloughs but I was not close enough to identify any. I haven't noticed any mourning doves lately.

There were no hummingbirds today but I saw one the other day. I guess there are still a few moving through on their way south.

THe main feeder is busy. There are Savannah Sparrows, house sparrows, pine siskins, and the odd goldfinch still around. I saw another purple finch yesterday. A starling flew in with a bunch of house sparrows. The sparrows ate up some old bread I put out for them but my wife put out some corn and that was left untouched.

savannah sparrows

I finally identified some of the sparrows that I knew were not house sparrows. They look a bit like pine siskins but they have no yellow on them and are larger. It turns out they are savannah sparrows I am reasonably sure. They look quite a bit like song sparrows but have no black spot on their front. They do have many streaks of black on their chest. The photo I have enclosed looks exactly like the ones at the feeder.

There are still a few hummingbirds visiting occasionally. I thought I should leave the feeders out in case some stop by on their way south from further north. At least there has been no really cold weather as yet. There are still plenty of flowers.

I noticed on a trip to Winnipeg on Saturday that the crops are almost all harvested near Winnipeg. I saw a flock of Herring gulls. I assume they are gathering to go south. I even saw a few Canada geese already flying south. However, at Oakburn there are still some swallows around yet.