Unphotogenic Downy Woodpecker.

This is actually a downy woodpecker on his way up the feeder post to the feeder. I don't think the photo will win any prizes. This is the first downy I have seen in some time. Nuthatches are quite common but the downy is only an occasional visitor so I do not get many chances to photograph it.

Nuthatch in the snow!

We had quite a bit of snow the other day. I was finally able to get a photo of a red-breasted nuthatch. There were no other birds visiting the feeder so the nuthatch stayed long enough for me to take his picture. They are around all winter but are seen only occasionally. Usually they are busy running upside down on the spruce trees digging into the bark.

Red Breasted Nuthatch..

This is not my photo of the red-breasted nuthatch. They seldom come right to the feeder but I saw one today. I did not have time to snap a photo though. I have not seen one for quite some time. There are few birds these days but house sparrows and a few black-capped chickadees.

Fuzzy Nuthatch through a rainy window..

The red-breasted nuthatch shown here rarely visits the feeder but usually is seen upside down on the spruce tree trunks. This might be a younger one as the reddish colour is not visible. This is the first nuthatch I have seen in some time but they are usually here in the late fall and even over the winter..Even when they do visit the feeder the nuthatches leave quite quickly. I usually miss them when I try to take a photo.

Redpolls on the ground again

The redpolls are the most prevalent visitors to the feeder these days. Next would be the black-capped chickadees and finally the odd house sparrow. The only new species was a red breasted nuthatch the other day.

Red-breasted nuthatch returns..

For the first time I can recall this year there was a red-breasted nuthatch at the feeder. They were common late in 2008 but then they disappeared for a few months. There are plenty of redpolls these days plus more chickadees the last while. There are very few house sparrows.

Faithful chickadees

Chickadees are among the most faithful visitors these days. There are no new species although there a downy woodpecker has appeared from time to time. The juncos seem to be all gone. It is even a while since I have seen a red breasted nuthatch. Of course there are plenty of house sparrows at the moment. They tend to come in rather large flock of several dozen at a time.

Another downy woodpecker

Yesterday another downy woodpecker visited. It actually landed on the feeder but I was unable to act quickly enough to get a photo. This photo is borrowed from the internet! There are not many different kinds of birds at the feeder these days. The most numerous visitors are the common house sparrows but there are also quite a few black capped chickadees and the odd pine siskin and also red breasted nuthatches but that is all!

First Fall Junco

The first Junco appeared yesterday just in time for fall to start. There will probably be a lot more within a few days. They stay around for quite a few weeks before continuing their journey south.

Plenty of house sparrows are visiting these days even though there must be plenty of grain out in the fields. There are also quite a few chickadees and today I saw a couple of red-breasted nuthatches.

Hummingbirds becoming more common..

There are more hummingbirds now, enough that there are fights fairly often. The most common birds at the feeder these days though are the house sparrows. There still seem to be some young ones begging for food. Pine siskins are also plentiful. But there are also a few chickadees now and also some red breasted nuthatches.

We drove to Winnipeg and back yesterday. I did not see any new birds unless some of the ducks on the sloughs were ones I have not seen before. I was not close enough to identify any of them. We did see a mourning dove. Of course there are plenty of red-winged blackbirds but I did not see a single yellow headed blackbird.

A lone black-capped chickadee visits.

During the summer I only see chickadees occasionally. I saw one the other day who darted in to grab a sunflower seed before he was crowded out by house sparrows and starlings. I have never seen so many young starlings. There were about a dozen starlings and close to two dozen house sparrows at the feeder the other morning. There are also a few pine siskins, nuthatches, and even American goldfinches who all manage to scrounge a few seeds.

Red-breasted nuthatches

This is not my photo. I saw two red-breasted nuthatches pursuing each other by spruce trees near the feeder. Perhaps they are mating. There are plenty of young birds about. The young house sparrows insist on pestering their parents for food even though they seem quite capable of pecking for sunflower seeds just like their parents. In fact if they are unable to cajole the adults into feeding them they go back to feeding themselves. Maybe there is a lesson for humans in all this.

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.

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.

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.