White-crowned Sparrows Return to Regina

White-crowned Sparrows returned to our Regina backyard this weekend — a stop-over on their migration to their northern breeding grounds (Northern Saskatchewan, Yukon, etc.) from their winter patch in the southern U.S.

White-crowned Sparrow, hunting for seeds in my backyard.   © SB 

I love watching new native sparrows and song birds pass through! And I welcome these White-crowned Sparrows, with their crisp black and white head markings, and jittery way of jumping back and forth while foraging for seeds under the feeders.

(And the grass itself has just started to sprout; a week ago, we had snow drifts in our yard.)

What is this? White-crowned Sparrow.
Location: Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

Photo date: May 7, 2013.

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Horned Larks Feeding Along Saskatchewan Roads

Male Horned Lark: fence post bird. © SB 

A few weeks ago, flurries of Horned Larks rose from the sides of the grid roads near Regina when I drove by.

With heavy snow still thick in the fields, the gravel shoulders seemed to be the best — and perhaps only — place for these returning birds to feed.

Horned Larks, named for the spiky black feathers on either side of males' heads, are native North American larks.


They are one of our first birds back after (or, this year, during) winter, and they form flocks alone or with a few other species. Several times earlier this year, I saw these birds along the road with several Snow Buntings. Alas, the Buntings were too far away for my camera (or me) to clearly focus.

I love the males' horns, but I'm even more pleased to have captured a reasonably sharp shot of a female, as I see them far more rarely.

And I'm surprised I haven't posted pictures of Horned Larks yet; I have some good photographs from last summer; perhaps once the snow melts, I'll post a few.

Female Horned Lark in roadside gravel and snow -
great camouflage, but fields are even better. © SB

Male Horned Lark - yes, I know...
An odd shot, but shows his horns! © SB

What are these? Horned Larks
Location: Along a grid road, near Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.   

Photo dates: April 3, 2013.

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Moonset at Sunrise: A Glow of Gold, Blue, Pink

Moonset, at sunrise.

From my window looking west, the sky glows pink as the rolling earth slides up and away from February's shimmering Full Snow Moon. Across the hall, hoar-frosted trees and snow in the east burn under a dawn fireball.

A golden sunrise. A  glittering pink moon.

Just before 8 a.m. facing west, the setting moon is bright pink coin in the sky. © SB

Across the hall, the sun blazes trees, ice, snow. © SB

What are these? Images of the moon setting in the glow of sunrise, and the glow of sunrise itself less than 10 minutes later on an icy winter morning. 

Location: Near Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Photo date: February 27, 2013. 

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House Finches: scarlet and brown feeder birds

House Finches frequently visit our backyard bird feeder in Regina, Saskatchewan — and when they perch nearby in the sun, the males' feathers are amazingly bright!  

The male House Finch has a brown crown and bright markings on his head, chest and back — the latter is often visible as a flash of red between his wings. The female, as below, is a more subdued brown and white bird. 

Male House Finch; backyard   © SB

Female House Finch; backyard   © SB

What are these? House Finches.  
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 
Photo dates: February 8, 2013. 

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Snowy Owl near Regina, Saskatchewan

Two Snowy Owls so far this winter near Regina, Saskatchewan. At least, that's all I've seen in the area northwest of the city, and I believe they are the same Arctic birds, as each is always in the same place on the prairie, making me suspect they've chosen their winter-in-the-south territory.

I saw this Snowy Owl, below, first on New Year's Day, and then again in early February — on what I swear is the exact same power pole! (At the same small bend in the same rural road, anyway.)

Snowy Owl, on the road to Pense, Saskatchewan  © SB

Based on its extensive dark markings (and what All About Birds has to say about that), I would guess it's an immature female. From what I can see, young female Snowy Owls are the most heavily barred with black.

I love these birds! They make me happy when I just drive by them!

And while so far, I haven't seen any signs of an irruption of the scale we saw here during winter 2011/12 — during which I saw them within 15 minutes on every road I took outside of Regina! — I am just so happy any time I leave the city and receive the gift of seeing a Snowy Owl in a field or on a power pole. (They seem to love power poles — height, hunting viewpoints, and few entanglements for their six-foot wingspan.)

This owl, for those wondering, was about half an hour west of Regina; my other owl (who likes hanging out in heavy, unphotographable glare or shadow) is just a few minutes away.

For pictures of Snowy Owls from last year, you might be interested in these from this blog and Latitude Drifts, one of my other blogs:

• Immature male, on pole;
• Several Snowy Owls, including a few in flight; and
• A lovely mature male Snowy Owl —  almost totally white. 

What is this? Snowy Owl.

Location: Near Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (on the road to the Town of Pense). 

Photo date: February 4, 2013. 

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Winter Chickadee in Saskatchewan

First, a confession: I adore Black-capped Chickadees. I have even frozen my fingers feeding them — and while I don't like the burn of frostbite, I love the dry rasp of their claws on my skin.

The chickadees in my Regina backyard are shy and skittish. One sound, and they are gone.

The chickadees that live at St. Peter's Abbey in Muenster, Saskatchewan, however, are completely, delightfully tamed. And gorgeous.

Black-capped chickadee © SB

What is this? Black-capped Chickadee 
Location: Near Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada

Photo date: November 22, 2012. 

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