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!

Two magpies visit briefly..

The magpies did not bother to stop but simply journeyed across the lawn. There seem to be no crows these days. There is one person in the village designated to shoot crows so perhaps some have been shot and the others moved into the countryside. Too bad, I enjoy feeding them and watching them. It always distresses me that many people detest crows. Even magpies are disliked by many in spite of their beauty and intelligence. Maybe the people who dislike them are jealous but since I am intelligent and beautiful I have no trouble appreciating their virtues!

Feeding the Crows..

I have an old plate in the middle of the front yard that I place chicken and fish bones and food scraps on. Usually the remains are quickly snatched by local crows although upon occasion a stray cat or dog may manage to get at the scraps first.

I have a fondness for crows a fondness not shared by most locals who dislike their noisy squawks. I like to watch them. They are usually wary when they approach the food but sometimes they just dash in and off with whatever they can carry. There usually do not eat at the scene but carry the food away to be eaten at some supposedly safer location.

Ravens are back..?

This is not my photo needless to say. I don't know of any landscapes like that in the photo around here. This raven seems to have a beard! Ravens drift south to southern Manitoba from the north during the winter while the crows or most of them fly south just like our Canadian human snowbirds.

We saw what appeared to be a raven on our way to go shopping at the next town, Rossburn. I feed the crows all summer. Now when I put our bones and scraps out the local cats clean them up without being pestered by crows. I guess the crows have gone.

Yellow warbler

For the first time this year I saw a yellow warbler in the yard. The warbler was not visiting the feeder but landed in one of the spruce trees briefly. There seem to be very few warblers about any more.
My wife saw one hummingbird yesterday, the first we have seen in weeks. There are plenty of house sparrows at the feeder and also many pine siskins. A few starlings are visiting as well. They eat seeds that are fallen on the ground. Even the odd crow picks up the seeds from the ground.

Brownheaded cowbird.

The last couple of mornings when I have looked out at the feeder I have seen a brown-headed cowbird. This is the first year I have even seen these birds at the feeder. There have been a number of starlings visiting the feeder lately as well and even some of the local crows have taken to the sunflower seeds. I feed the crows scraps so they are always around. The poor local cats do not stand a chance anymore since as soon as I put something out the crows see it and pounce upon it before I am even back inside!

Little blue heron..?

We drove all the way to Regina and back. I did not see any new birds until we were just about twenty miles from home where I saw a heron in a large slough by the side of the road. I think it was a little blue heron but perhaps it was a green heron. The photo is of a little blue heron taken from the internet.

There were plenty of crows along the way, oodles of red-winged blackbirds, and also one yellow headed blackbird. The latter seem to be rather scarce the last few years.

My fuzzy crow!

Even the setting to prevent blurring doesn't always work when I hold the camera!. Here is a fuzzy crow feasting on sunflower seeds under the feeder. It is taken through a window and so there are reflections along with the fuzziness. I feed the crows our old chicken bones and any thing that is left over or in the fridge too long. I had some outdated ham and put it out the other day but it was stolen by a local orange cat before the crows could get it.

Pine siskins

There are quite a few different birds at the feeder these days. This photo is of pine siskins. There are still a few juncos but not as many as previously. They must be starting to drift northward. The snow is finally all gone but who knows we could get another few flurries yet.
I put out any scraps left over from dinner for the crows. They figure out that this is a food place quite quickly and I seen them every day in the yard just to check out what might be here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Savannah sparrows appear again

There were several Savannah sparrows at the bird feeder again. I had not seen any for several days now. There are still hordes of sparrows who insist on dumping seed on the sidewalk.
There are quite a few red breasted nuthatches every day as well as the always present black capped chickadees. There are also quite a few slate coloured juncos still around and also pine siskins as well as purple finches.
Out in the country I saw two magpies as well as several crows or ravens. This time of year I am never sure. The crows go south but tnen ravens drift in from the north.

Two Crows and a Magpie

In the countryside on the way to shopping at Rossburn we saw two crows and a magpie. I have seen very few magpies this year for some reason. We also saw a hawk but we were not close enough to identify it.

THe feeder is still busy with the usual house sparrows, pine siskins, chickadess, and red-breasted nuthatches. There are a few slate coloured juncos around as well.

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.

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.

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.