Winter Storm Warning!

I don't know how we can have a winter storm warming according to Environment Canada when it is Spring. It should be a Spring Snowstorm Warning. Anyway there are no new birds the last few days. A couple of days ago I saw a flock of snow buntings (photo) when driving to the next town to shop. We started out yesterday to drive to Inglis about an hour from here but it was snowing hard. The road was covered with snow and it was difficult to see especially when a vehicle passed. I made it only a few kilometers and then turned around and crawled back home.
Today snow is melting a bit but there is a storm warning for tomorrow. The huge snow cap on my feeder is already melted and there are a few chickadees about and also some red-breasted nuthatches but that is all. While shoveling the snow I heard crows cawing but they were not in sight.

A bit more traffic at the feeder..

Yesterday there were several redpolls (photo) at the feeder along with almost half a dozen house sparrows. Strangely enough there have been few house sparrows around this winter. Some winters house sparrows were the only birds to be seen. However, this winter there have been black-capped chickadees and red breasted nuthatches all winter at the feeder.
I believe that there are quite a few more crows already. I can hear them at times even from inside the house.

Hungarian partridges

Yesterday on the lane into my friend's farm near the west border of Riding Mountain we saw three Hungarian partridges just a short way off the lane. This is the first I recall having seen these birds but perhaps I have seen them before. These partridges are not native to Manitoba but have adapted well. I have heard that they tend to drive out native partridges from areas they inhabit.

Another new bird, the Snowy Owl.

Three days ago while visiting a farmer friend who farms near the west border of Riding Mountain National Park, we saw a Snowy Owl near his farm while driving along the road. It was just near sunset. The owl was quite visible. As with the owl in the photo it was by now means all white but had quite a few darker feathers. This is first snowy owl I have recalled seeing.

Snow and blowing snow..

We drove about 150 miles or more to Yorkton and back. Along the way we saw ravens but also we think we also saw crows. They look a lot like ravens but are smaller.
We also saw several flocks and small groups of snow buntings.
At Roblin, on Moose Lake (pond actually), we saw some geese at a couple of small open water areas. Just inside the Saskatchewan border there were two dead deer with crows or ravens busy feeding on the carcasses.
The second day of Spring saw snow flurries and blowing snow in places but the roads were not too bad. Today there is snow and wind again. Some of the roads are predicted to be bad but we will be staying home so it won't bother us.
There are the usual birds at the feeder: black capped chickadees and red breasted nuthatches.

Two Canada geese

My wife had been told that geese were back already but I took it as just a rumour. However, today while getting gas a Shoal Lake there was an unmistakable honking, not of car horns but of two Canada geese clearly visible as the flew towards the lake. Everything is still well frozen over but there are a couple of open patches where the lake is aerated so perhaps they land there.

The feeder is rarely visited and only by black-capped chickadees and the odd red-breasted nuthatch.

A few more birds....

There seem to be a few more birds about in the countryside. We saw several flocks we did not identify but there was a small group of snow buntings and as usual a few ravens usually in singles or pairs. This morning I saw a magpie(photo). By the local post office I saw a group of house sparrows but none have visited the bird feeder the last few days.
At the feeder I have only seen the odd red-breasted nuthatch and the faithful black-capped chickadees.

First Redpoll this year...

The feeder is not busy at all. However, this morning a redpoll appeared the first one I have seen this year. There was just one and it flew away before I had a chance to take a photo so I posted a photo from the internet. The black capped chickadees are still visiting and this morning I saw one red-breasted nuthatch as well. Strangely enough there were no sparrows to be seen.

Cedar Waxwings

Finally a new bird for this year, cedar waxwings. I have a shrub in the front with quite a few red berries and yesterday afternoon I saw several waxwings feeding on them. My wife has seen them elsewhere in the village but they only seem to eat dried berries or other fruit. They must like frozen food!

The bird feeder still has only chickadees and a very few sparrows visiting so far. The weather is warming up a little so maybe spring birds will appear soon.

Shopping trip to Brandon

We drove about 250 kilometres to Brandon and back. The windchill this morning was about minus 40 and the temperature minus 29, ridiculous for March. Nevertheless there were more birds than I have seen recently. There were several ravens but all of them by themselves. We also saw two flocks of snow buntings and also a flock of some other birds I could not identify. There also two smaller birds that I could not identify.

At the bird feeder there have only been black-capped chickadees the last couple of days. However, this evening after I got home I saw all of six house sparrows at the feeder. There are obviously still some around!

Two black-capped chickadees.

On trips out of town I have seen only the odd raven. At the feeder today and yesterday I have seen just a couple of chickadees. In spite of the fact there are just the two birds they nevetheless often chase each other away from the feeder!