A large flock of snow buntings

We ended up just visiting friends in Southwestern Manitoba and returning the same night. My old 1500 dollar car misbehaved on the way back but we made it OK. I think the car is saying that it has given me back more than the 1500 I invested a year and a half ago!

We saw few birds along the way. However, there were a few ravens usually singles or at most pairs. However, south of Virden we encountered a very large flock of snow buntings. I thought we would have regular sighting of them in our over a hundred mile trip but those were the only ones we saw.

The feeder still has the regulars but I actually saw two Savannah sparrows at the feeder yesterday so at least we have one new species along with the chickadees, house sparrows, and red-breasted nuthatches.

A Savannah sparrow

There is at least one Savannah sparrow visiting the feeder today. This is the first time I have seen one since the snow came. The regular feeders are: house sparrows, chickadees, and red-breasted nuthatches.

Traveling to the next town to shop this morning we saw a couple of flocks of snow buntings again. This time we saw them a bit closer and they do look quite a bit like the photos I have seen on the net. They are larger than I thought the other day. We even got a glimpse of a few landing in a field. They do not seem to come into the village. At least none have visited our feeder.

We will be on the road over the weekend going to southwestern Manitoba and then on to Regina Sask. so I will keep my eyes open for new birds.

Snow buntings?

We saw several flocks of birds that were partially white and in flight the white patches stand out clearly. They may very well be snow buntings (photo). There are snow buntings in this area in the winter but photos I found on the internet do not look quite the same. The birds in the photos seem larger than what we saw. Perhaps these were redpolls but there seemed too much white present for that to be the case.
Unfortunately I have not yet seen these birds on the ground or up close. They are always at a distance and flying quite quickly.

The bird feeder has the usual visitors. First and foremost house sparrows but quite a few black capped chicadees these days and visits by red-breasted nuthatches are quite common. I am always on the lookout for a new bird but so far have had no luck.

Warming up a bit

The weather is moderating somewhat but there is still no sign of the lone junco that was around a few days ago. No new birds have visited the feeder. Groups of sparrows are still visiting regularly and eating voraciously. Certainly many of the sparrows look very plump and well coated with fat for the winter. The sparrows are visiting in smaller groups thank goodness. There is even room on the feeder for a chickadee (photo) or red-breasted nuthatch to butt in and snatch a seed.

Along the highway we encountered another large flock of redpolls but they still have not discovered our feeder. Perhaps they are finding enough feed on their own.

Ravens and Redpolls

On our trips out of town there are few birds to be seen but a couple of days ago we saw a large flock of birds, probably redpolls. Yesterday, we saw a much smaller group that also appeared to be redpolls. So far no redpolls have appeared at the feeder. Last year there were quite a few from time to time. The only other birds we have seen in the countryside late are ravens. They often appear singly or in pairs.

The feeder is busy but mostly with the occasional visits of sparrows who consume a great deal of seeds and distribute even more. There are also quite a few chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches.

The record cold weather is continuing in spite of global warming! The windchill this morning was minus forty three. This is about as bad as it gets anytime in the winter. The actual temperature is minus 29. We go quite a bit lower than that but usually the wind dies down so windchills don't usually go into the minus forties.

So far I haven't bothered to plug in our old 93 Acclaim but it is in a garage so that may help. One of these chilly mornings it may decide enough is enough and not go.

I haven't seen the lone slate coloured junco the last couple of days. Maybe the weather finally did it in.

Frigid weather continues

The feeder is refilled. I finally braved the freezing cold and wind and also the snow. I had to clear a way across the lawn and to the garage to access my bird seed. There are still intermittent visits by flocks of house sparrows. I counted around sixty in one flock. Even while they were feeding a couple of red-breasted nuthatches were able to muscle their way to the feeder and pick up some seeds before flitting back to the spruce trees.

The lone junco is still about. Sometimes he or she is the only bird feeding. Its wing is definitely a bit abnormal although it seems to be able to fly OK around the yard. Perhaps it will stay for the whole winter unless the weather is so severe that it freezes. It is after ten o'clock AM and the temperature is still minus 29. Fortunately, the wind is almost calm for now. Of course when the temperature warms up a bit the wind goes up too making the wind chills much higher.

Feeder running on empty

Since it was Sunday yesterday and very cold I did not venture out the whole day, and as a result the feeder is almost completely empty. It is raided from time to time by voracious flocks of house sparrows. However there are several other types of birds visiting. There seem to be a few red-breasted nuthatches that roam the spruce trees searching the bark for something to eat and then dashing to the feeder for a much easier way to get food. Chickadees are also back in some numbers, enough that I have seen at least two at the feeder at once.

The lone slate coloured junco is still around. He is often completely alone at the base of the feeder eating dropped sunflower seeds. I just wonder if he is completely well as he should be far south by now. At least the cold hasn't killed him. He seems to fly without trouble but I noticed when his wings are folded one sticks out slightly. Perhaps he cannot fly long distances.