More flocks of snow buntings

This is not my photo of course but is borrowed from the net. We went to Brandon today and except for a few ravens and lots of pigeons in Brandon we saw only two large flocks of snow buntings and also a couple of groups of two.

Several flocks of snow buntings

I have never been able to get close enough to snow buntings to take a photo such as this one taken from the Internet. However, we saw several flocks from a distance while we were driving to Yorkton yesterday. They never seem to visit our feeder in our village but are always seen in the open countryside. I have only seen them in the dead of winter.

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.

More flocks of snow buntings.

This photo shows how well snow buntings manage to blend in when they are on the ground.
We drove just 14 kilometres to Shoal Lake and saw no less than four flocks this morning, two of them quite large. There is a bit of snow and blowing snow but the temperature is finally rising. The cold spell is coming to an end for a while!

More frigid weather.

Yesterday we drove to the next town and on the way saw one flock of snow buntings. The colder it becomes the more we seem to see. At the bird feeder there are plenty of red polls as well as a few chickadees and house sparrows.

Ravens, snow buntings, pigeons, and wild turkeys

We drove to Winnipeg and back yesterday. There were a few more birds than during the cold spell which has now broken. We saw over half a dozen flocks of snow buntings as well as several ravens. Beside the highway just east of Portgage we saw two wild turkeys. In Winnipeg itself we saw several flocks of pigeons among the many that inhabit certain areas of the city.

Snow buntings in the cold..

On the way to shopping at the next town we finally saw some birds even though the wind chills are in the minus forties. We saw one large flock of snow buntings and another smaller one on the way home. There were no other birds to be seen. At the feeder though there are still a few house sparrows and chickadees. The squirrel is also still moving about in this frigid weather.

Flocks of snow buntings

This is actually a snow bunting in Norway a bit distant from here but the same bird as the ones we saw yesterday when we drove to Brandon and back. We saw two large flocks, one on the way and one on the way back. These were the only birds we saw. Usually there are quite a few ravens to be seen and often a few pigeons even in the winter.

More cold and more ravens..

We drove to Brandon and back yesterday. We saw one flock of birds that were probably snow buntings but otherwise there were only a few ravens in twos or threes. The wind chill was in the minus forties. We did not get out of the car to observe the birds more closely!

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.

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.

Shopping trip to Brandon

We drove about 250 kilometres to Brandon and back. The windchill this morning was about minus 40 and the temperature minus 29, ridiculous for March. Nevertheless there were more birds than I have seen recently. There were several ravens but all of them by themselves. We also saw two flocks of snow buntings and also a flock of some other birds I could not identify. There also two smaller birds that I could not identify.

At the bird feeder there have only been black-capped chickadees the last couple of days. However, this evening after I got home I saw all of six house sparrows at the feeder. There are obviously still some around!

Bad roads and few birds.

We drove over 100 kilometers through the countryside yesterday. The roads were not good as there was snow and then blowing snow that created ice covered sections. We saw a few ravens and two batches of snow buntings but with just three and then four birds.

The feeder is still only visited by black-capped chickadess and red-breasted nuthatches (photo). In spite of the milder weather there are still just a few birds visiting the feeder. Maybe March will see more traffic.

A flock of snow buntings

Today I visited the dump. At the dump I counted ten ravens. There was another brown bird about robin size but it flew off too quickly to identify. There are plenty of rock doves (pigeons) at a grain elevator in Shoal Lake.
On the way home I saw one flock of snow buntings (photo) the first I have seen in some while. At the feeder there have been only black-capped chickadees and red breasted nuthatches today.

A few snow buntings

The deep freeze has mellowed slightly so we went out to the next town shopping and to the dump. On one trip we saw a few snow buntings(photo) and at the dump there were a few ravens but nothing more.

The feeder now has a few sparrows that feed now and then plus the faithful black-capped chickadess and also an occasional red breasted nuthatch. No new birds as yet. I expect to see at least a downy woodpecker one of these days.

Where are all the birds gone?

Just returned from about a 150 kilometre trip through the countryside. I saw a total of one raven (photo) plus two groups of less than half a dozen snow buntings.

At the feeder there was one sparrow the other day and there are occasional red-breasted nuthatches. Today there have been up to three chickadees from time to time but usually there are no birds at the feeder at all. I put more seeds in the feeder just for something to do since it was still a third full!

Extreme wind chill.

The wind chill this evening is below minus forty! It was frigid all day. There were very visible sun dogs as we drove to the next town to shop. I saw a few rock pigeons(photo) by a small metal grainery just outside of town. I have seen them there before but the last while there has been no sign of them. Maybe they are staying close so they can go inside out of the frigid wind.

There were a few ravens here and there. We saw one large flock of snow buntings and a group of four and six. At the bird feeder the only birds I have seen today are a couple of chickadees.

No Traffic Jams at the Feeder

There have only been a few birds visiting the feeder. I have not had to refill it yet this year. A couple of sparrows returned yesterday but the most common visitors are still red-breasted nuthatches and black-capped chickadees.

On a shopping trip to the next town we saw a few ravens and one lone snow bunting (photo) but that was all.

Flocks of snow buntings

Yesterday when we went shopping to Rossburn we saw only two ravens and one snow bunting. This is the first time I have seen a snow bunting outside of a flock.
Today when we went to the dump we saw two large flocks of snow buntings along the highway. At the dump there were half a dozen ravens.

There are only a few birds at the feeder. There were just a handful of sparrows today and a couple of nuthatches zipping back and forth. I didn't see any black-capped chickadees today.