A ruffed grouse...

Just south of Riding Mountain we saw a ruffed grouse just at the entrance to a field. Usually there are more than one but we didn't see any others. This is the first ruffed grouse I have seen this year. Some years I have seen them at the edges of the village where there are bushes or trees for cover.

Several kinds of ducks..

On Sunday a farmer friend and I took a tour of back roads south of the park in our area. There were plenty of ducks on the sloughs even though many are still only partially unfrozen. I saw at least three species: mallards, canvasbacks (photo) and pintails. These are the first canvasbacks I have seen this year.

First American Goldfinch.

I saw the first American goldfinch this morning. There are also chipping sparrows still about and pine siskins as well. The photo is of my own feeder last year with my
plastic bird bath missing the top in the background

A white crowned sparrow.

Another new bird this morning, a white crowned sparrow (photo). There are still plenty of juncos and also a few house sparrows.

With snow traffic returns..

We had some snow the other night and morning. As a result birds are finally returning to the feeder. Before the snow there was almost no traffic. I am not sure why the snow caused the sudden hunger! Maybe the birds have decided they should fill up in case there is more winter coming!
I thought the juncos had all gone north but there are quite a few visiting the last couple of days, along with house sparrows and a pine siskin. I also saw a chipping sparrow (photo).
The old faithful black-capped chickadees are visiting as well and I also saw a couple of red-breasted nuthatches.

Two Robins

I have seen two robins the last couple of days. One skipped by the feeder and the other was in a bush by the spruce trees. There is very little traffic at the feeder these days for some unknown reason. All I have seen are a few chickadees.
There are plenty of crows and red-winged blackbirds around.

Mallards are back...

We finally saw a pair of mallards on a slough on a recent drive in the countrside. There are other ducks back as well but I have not been close enough to identify them. I have seen several pairs of Canada geese on sloughs as well.
On a drive yesterday we saw oodles of red winged blackbirds but none of the yellow headed variety as yet. The latter seem to be becoming rare. As usual there are plenty of crows but magpies are not that common.
The feeder is very quiet these days. I have seen a few chickadees and the odd sparrow but that is all.

Red-winged blackbirds back..

Driving to the next town yesterday to shop we noticed several red-winged blackbirds including a female with two males. (I don't know how that works out).
There are also several pairs of Canada geese that have flown over the yard recently. They are probably nesting in one of the sloughs at the edge of town.
The feeder is not busy these days for some reason. The juncos are nowhere to be seen and only the odd chickadee and nuthatch have been visible lately.

Pine siskins appear

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Another new bird for the year appeared at the feeder yesterday, a pine siskin (photo) The feeder is now very busy with oodles of slate-coloured juncos feeding constantly. We went overnight to Winnipeg and when we returned late Saturday the feeder was almost empty. This is the first time this year the feeder has been emptied! Most of the seed underneath the feeder is also gone.
On the way to Winnipeg we did not see too many birds. There were quite a few geese though and some of the sloughs are already unfrozen and there were some with a few ducks on them.
Aside from the juncos there are still some red polls and house sparrows about. Of course the black capped chickadees and the odd red breasted nuthatch also visit.

Two starlings

Yesterday I saw two starlings the first I have seen this season although a flock of birds we saw a while back in the country may have been starlings. The starling is actually a remarkably pretty bird when viewed in bright light because the colours are iridescent.

Juncos are the most numerous birds at and around the feeder. They seem to prefer to eat seeds on the ground. The snow melt revealed piles of old seed under the feeder. The juncos seem to enjoy it. There are sometimes house sparrows mixed in with the juncos and there are also a few redpolls as well. The odd chickadee still visits and also red breasted nuthatches, but they are outnumbered by the juncos.
Depending on how the light strikes their back some of the juncos appear to have brown parts on their backs.

First Meadowlark of the Season

We drove almost 200 kilometers into the countryside yesterday. There were quite a few birds to be seen along away. Crows are now quite numerous but usely in singles or pairs. We also saw a large flock of snow geese in a field at one point. At another point there were three magpies together.
At one point a meadowlark(photo) was clearly visible at the side of the highway.
I drove with my farmer friend to Roblin Manitoba. At several farmsites we visited there were oodles of slate-coloured juncos. At Roblin there were geese in the open spots on the local lake.
At our own feeder the juncos are numerous along with quite a few red polls and house sparrows. The three species seem to tolerate each other reasonably well. I have seen the area under the feeder crowded with juncos with one lone house sparrow or another time a single red poll. The outsider was treated no differently than other members of the same species.

Redpolls and juncos frequent visitors.

The weather is gradually warming up although it is still far below freezing overnight. There is still quite a bit of snow around but the bare patch of lawn near our spruce trees is slowly expanding.

Traffic is increasing at the feeder. Redpolls are fairly common and slate coloured juncos often together with house sparrows are frequent visitors. The black capped chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches are still faithful visitors as well.

The first junco of the season..

I saw a bird with a darkish head over in the same bush where the waxwings were. Today I saw one at the feeder and it is obviously a junco. I assume it is a slate-coloured junco but it could be dark-eyed. I don't really know enough to tell the difference. Around here many people don't even know them even as juncos. They are little grey sparrows with dark heads and white underparts that show up for a while in the spring! I found out a while back too that snow buntings are simply snow birds. I thought snow birds were Canadians that went to the Southern U.S. for the winter..

Snow geese returning..

We saw a flock of snow geese yesterday morning. They will travel further north in time. We saw Canada geese earlier but these are the first snow geese. At the dump there was a large flock of robin sized birds. I am not sure what they were but there must have been fifty or so. Crows are quite common now and whenever I go outside I hear them. There are often some in the spruce trees so perhaps some will nest here again. Some people do not like their incessant cawing but I very much enjoy watching them and the cawing is a sign of spring.

There have been quite a few redpolls at the feeder. Sometimes there are a few sparrows mixed in and vice-versa when a flock of sparrows visits there are sometimes a few redpolls even though the house sparrows are quite a bit larger.
Black-capped chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches are still frequent visitors.

Another Cedar Waxwing..

A few more birds are returning to the feeder. Yesterday I saw a lone cedar waxwing in a shrub with ornamental fruits that waxwings eat. Also yesterday, a flock of close to a dozen house sparrows dropped by at the feeder, the first sparrows I have seen in several days. I also saw a lone redpoll feeding. Chickadees and red breasted nuthatches are still reasonably frequent visitors.

Out in the countryside I saw several flocks of small birds, one was of snow buntings. There are quite a few crows drifting in from the south.