First robin this year...

I was by the living room window when a bird flew directly at it but managed to swerve away at the last minute. It landed in the yard and it turned out to be our first robin. I thought I had heard one yesterday but this is the first sighting of a robin.

First junco today..

This is not a junco from my yard but the internet! The first one I have seen appeared this morning beneath the feeder. No doubt there will soon be plenty on their way to the north. The snow will be gone with a few more days of warm weather as we had today.

About two dozen crows.

On the way to Shoal Lake today we saw about two dozen crows at the side of the road. They have probably just arrived from the south and will spread out around the countryside now. No sign of juncos as yet but they should be here soon.

Finally a new bird.

A purple finch appeared at the feeder today. I was able to obtain a photo but this is not it! I will download it later but I may have been a bit too far away. Aside from the finch there are plenty of pine siskins and some house sparrows and chickadees.

A few Canada geese

We drove to Brandon and back yesterday but saw few birds. We saw several ravens and one crow. Overhead though we saw several smaller flocks of what I think were Canada geese going north. Actually a couple were going south. Unlike the geese in the photo these geese would find that all the sloughs are frozen so perhaps they were looking for some larger body of water that had some open water already.

A Tundra Swan.

The other day I was sitting out on the deck in the balmy weather and saw and heard a swan honking overhead. I thought at first it was a snow goose but then I noticed the neck was far too long for a good. It most likely would be a Tundra swan which migrates north through here in March. Soon there should be flocks of geese as well but this is the first north bound swan I have seen. The photo is from the net not mine.

No new spring birds as yet. Plenty of pine siskins

We are still awaiting the return of spring birds such as the slate coloured junco but we have seen none so far. Meanwhile there are plenty of pine siskins. They seem to have had a banner year and are always present in our spruce trees.

A Magpie visits the spruce trees

This is just a photo from the net. Our grass is still well under the snow! A magpie visited today in the spruce trees. As it moved about the branches sloughed off snow. I think the magpie may have visited the chicken bones put out for stray cats. The latter seem all to have migrated to the local dump where there is lots of company and lots of food I suppose.

Two Magpies

We drove to Brandon and back through foggy conditions. We saw two magpies in all and numerous crows or ravens and also a couple of flocks of snow buntings. At the feeder there are chickadees and pine siskins and that is about all.

Crows may be back.

I heard what I took to be several crows but I am not sure as I really can't tell ravens from crows although I have not heard ravens very often. It must be getting near the time when they will be returning. The crows have not yet eaten what I put out for stray cats as they often do later in the year. In fact not even stray cats are eating the scraps and bones I am putting out so maybe it is not very appetizing!