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.

Two Magpies in the Spruce Trees

Coming home from the post office, I heard bird noises from the spruce trees in the yard. I did not see the birds at first but then finally I saw two magpies high up in the spruces. Once in a while they raid the scraps that we put out for stray cats but today they seemed to be just passing through. Many people do not like the magpies because of their rather harsh cries but I find them quite pretty certainly much better looking than their crow or raven relatives!

Snow buntings

We drove to Brandon and back yesterday. Although the wind was driving drifting snow the roads were not bad. We saw a number of ravens, one magpie and two flocks of snow buntings. The snow buntings are the first I have seen this winter season.

Thieving magpies!

We regularly put out scraps for local stray cats but sometimes there seem to be none about. I looked out yesterday morning and lo and behold instead of stray cat a magpie was taking away the scraps. In the summer we often have crows eating the scraps but this is the first I have seen a magpie doing so. There are only a few around the village. I see them most out in the countryside and they are not all that common even there.

Fuzzy magpie...

Magpies do not come to the feeder but they do occasionally visit the yard. I had to use the zoom and that resulted in a shaky photo and a fuzzy magpie but you can at least make out some of the black and white striking colours of the magpie. Because of bad habits and raucous voice this bird's beauty is not appreciated as it should be.

Several magpies.

We went to the next town shopping this morning. The snow is long gone and there is a strong drying wind so that some farmers with crops still unharvested are hard at work combining. There are few birds about but we did see several lone magpies both on the way and coming back. We saw one crow or perhaps a raven by now as the colder weather is coming.

Magpie briefly visits

A Magpie briefly visited the yard. They are not all that common this year but I have seen the odd one around town and out in the countryside. I find them a very attractive bird but they tend to be unpopular around here because of their noise and they are supposed to drive songbirds out of the area. There are still plenty of slate coloured juncos and purple finches around the feeder.

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!

A few stray magpies

Driving through the countryside the last few days I have seen the odd magpie in the countryside flying over the fields or in to some bush. Usually I see just one and on rare occasions two or more. There do not seem to be large numbers about but they stay all winter. The magpies hereabouts are not very tame. I rarely see one in the village.

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.

In the countryside.

We went to Inglis that is just west of the west border of Riding Mountain National Park. On the way we saw few birds just an occasional raven and one solitary magpie (photo). There were no flocks of snow buntings. Perhaps they are already on their way back north! There is no sign of winter leaving though.

At the bird feeder there were all of three house sparrows at one time the other day but mostly there are a few red-breasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees.

First Magpie this year!

There continue to be only a couple of species at the feeder: black-capped chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches. The latter are the most frequent visitors. I suppose our spruce trees attract them as much as the feeder.

On our travels out of the village we have seen several flocks of snow buntings and a number of ravens usually in pairs or singles. However, I did see one magpie(photo) from a distance. They do not seem that common. Maybe they have all migrated to the campus of the University of Alberta at Edmonton. I remember seeing many there who lived off the remants of junk food dropped by students!

Finally a magpie!

Finally we saw a magpie(photo) on our way to the dump but not at the dump itself. At the dump there were over half a dozen ravens searching through the trash for lunch. Magpies do not seem to be all that common hereabouts for some reason. They appear off and on for a while and then they seem to disappear from the scene.

There are plenty of chickadees these days at the feeder. THe house sparrow invasion has tapered off a bit. There is still a Savannah sparrow visiting regularly and a few red-breasted nuthatches.

Just a few flurries

The weather is cool and windy often below freezing at night but so far we have had only a few flurries that have melted away quickly. On the way to shopping yesterday I saw two ravens and one magpie(photo). There were no other birds to be seen. The geese must be all gone or most of them at least. The sloughs are freezing over already.

At the feeder house sparrows are still predominant. However this morning the feeder was not too busy. At leastl the chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches had an opportunity to dart back and forth without encountering a wall of sparrows already on the feeder! No juncos in sight. Perhaps they are already moved on south.

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.

Loon seen at Child's Lake

We went for a picnic with a friend and his family at Duck Mountain provincial park. Of course nothing is free any more. It requires a 25 dollar sticker even to go into a provincial park now, but at least it is good for a year. They also are portable now so that you can move it from one vehicle to another. It simply hangs on your inside mirror.

There were a few blackbirds, various ducks, and many crows along the way. I also saw for the first time this year several mourning doves along the roadway. There were one or two magpies as well.

At the park there were some tree swallows but there were few birds in the coniferous forest that I saw. On Child's lake however we saw our first loon of the season. The children went down to the beach towards it. Of course it dived and emerged far from shore and ultimately disappeared from view.

There were a few herring gulls waiting for picnickers to leave morsels for them.

A few magpies about!

Magpies like crows are not too popular around here. I like both. I even feed crows leftovers at times. Magpies are not plentiful this year but I saw a couple on our way shopping at the next town. There are many more red-winged blackbirds.

The feeder is mostly frequented by chipping sparrows and goldfinches with a few house sparrows every few days and chickadees more frequently. Yesterday I saw a pine grosbeak. They are not very common this time of year. I see them more often in the winter.

My hummingbird feeder is up!

I had to buy a new hummingbird feeder. I hope the one I bought is meant to attract humming birds and not just human buyers!

We went to the dump yesterday and out in the country today. There are plenty of red-wing black birds and a few crows here and there. At the dump there was a magpie as well as a few starlings but not gulls or crows.

The feeder is being visited by many goldfinches as well as chipping sparrows and white crowned sparrows but that is about all these days. I have seen a few chickadees but there havent even been house sparrows lately.