Good afternoon!
It’s been a pretty quiet month so once again, this post will be mainly photos & descriptions.
We are so incredibly buried in snow this winter! At least the Polar Vortex is finally leaving us alone. January & the first half of February were incredibly bitter with wind chills near -55C! It never ceases to amaze me how the birds handle those conditions but of course, most birds that are at my feeders in winter are true Arctic species and this area is SOUTH for them!
I had a great time hosting this little female Snow Bunting in my yard for nearly a month. I finally stopped see her over a week ago so she has moved on. The Dark Eyed Junco and immature White Crowned Sparrow that were here all winter have also moved on to other areas.
Snow Bunting with male Pine Grosbeak
I have to post some photos of one of, if not THE cutest bird to grace my yard: the ever adorable Canada Jay. They have SO much personality! Check out these expressions:
Adorable, super fluffy Canada Jay
They just don’t come much cuter than this! <3
Classic Jay pose in my Crabapple tree
The ‘heated’ birdbath has been a big hit this season. Even though it’s plugged in at all times, it’s been difficult to keep the birdbath thawed enough. At one point, there was only a small opening left in the very center & the birds actually had to take turns! There is no available open water anywhere near here right now so many birds are taking advantage to get something to drink:
Canada Jay
Blue Jay on birdbath rim
Female Pine Grosbeak
Male Evening Grosbeak on nearly frozen birdbath
Pine Siskin trying to get a drink
A really fun visitor this year is this Raven. It usually comes here alone but every once in a while, there will be another with it. I will sometimes put out treats for it like chunks of deer fat that a hunter friend gave me. Here’s a little sequence:
Nervously coming in to scope out the platform feeder (the largest bird to visit my yard is also the most jumpy!)
Who’s a pretty Raven then! Giving a lovely pose.
Success! Lunchtime!
Other lovely visitors this month:
Handsome male Common Redpoll in my cedar tree
Webcam snap: Hoary Redpoll (1 of 2 so far) with a male Pine Grosbeak
Super cute female Common Redpoll … love that little mask!
Beautiful female Evening Grosbeak
A pair of Hairy Woodpeckers has taken a liking to the suet/peanut butter log. I heard a Downy Woodpecker call loudly the other day but have not seen one in weeks. I believe these 2 will be a resident mating pair this coming spring.
Female Hairy Woodpecker
Male Hairy Woodpecker in my Crabapple tree
After a month-long absence, some Ruffed Grouse finally returned to my yard on Valentine’s Day.
This Grouse thoroughly enjoyed the peanut halves that day! Kept company with a little Chickadee.
I believe this is a different Grouse than the one in the other photo. This one is definitely larger & behaves differently; much more nervous. It made a hilarious landing on the feeder hooks one day, before jumping down to the platform!
I’ll end this month with a neat photo of 2 male Pine Grosbeaks. The one on the left appears to be completely washed out colour-wise, like it was dunked in bleach. The other bird is normal colour. Possibly a case of hypomelanism where a bird will be paler than normal. Very interesting to see!
Pale & normal coloured male Pine Grosbeaks in my Crabapple tree.
That’s it for this month. Hang in there, spring is just around the corner! (honest!)
What a wonderful assortment of winter treats!
Thank you from an almost-bird-starved city-apartment-dweller.
All the birds are so beautiful in the snow and on your nice feeders! Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful photos! Truly nature at its best!
Beautiful pictures. It’s interesting that there haven’t been as many birds as last winter. And I still remember the sweet thrasher.
There was a very interesting article about Canada jays in Living Bird magazine last year, the Winter 2018 issue (however, it was for January 2018 and not December).
I always enjoy your feeder and yard, and am hoping the disappearance of wonky bird is b/c of all the snow!
Tammie, a treat for our eyes & heart ! Thank you for sharing your backyard goings-on with us! Your pictures are just so beautiful. That little grouse is so cute adorable.. I love it!!
Well put together, all nice photos and good information Tammie. I especially liked the Canada Jay not because of quality alone but has always been a favorite for me and have not encountered one in a long time.