Western Willet in Grasslands National Park

This Western Willet chose a roadside slough as its nesting place in Grasslands National Park, and each time we turned that corner, we watched for it — or its fledging offspring — on the gravel.

This mottled shorebird breeds mainly in inland areas in the Prairies and Mid West, then winters along the coasts of North and South America. Though fairly dull on land, in flight, Western Willets have a stunningly bold black and white wing pattern, which (I hope) one day I will (I hope) capture... (And yes! Click the link!)  But birds in flight can be little trickier than one standing on a rock...

Western Willet watching us, and watching its young fledgling. © SB 

Fledgling Western Willet, hiding in the grass. Gotta love camouflage. © SB 

What are these birds? An adult and a young Western Willet - Chevalier semipalmé

Location: Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada Prairie Passages Tour

Photo date: June 26, 2013. 

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Baird's Sparrow in Grasslands National Park

Far off in bushes at the edge of the grasses, a rare and elusive Baird's Sparrow...

Towards the left, the Baird's Sparrow © SB

What is this bird? A Baird's Sparrow 
Location: Grasslands National Park, near Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Prairie Passages Tour

Photo date:  June 26, 2013.

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First Robin Near Regina - Finally Spring!

I finally saw my first American Robin of the year in the Qu'Appelle Valley near Regina, Saskatchewan. (I'd heard rumours of these birds in various part of the city, but they still haven't come near my backyard.)

And so, I present: Robin on a wire fence.

Beneath the robin, snow. Behind the robin, snow...   © SB

There's something about their beady stare that makes me nervous around robins...

Or, perhaps I feel that way because I have some past history with these birds. Back when I lived in Montreal, one of the local robins became an attack bird with only one target: Me. And these are birds with very long memories...

Still, it's lovely to see robins return. It must really be (almost) spring.


What is this? American Robin.

Location: Near Craven, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

Photo date: April 13, 2013.

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Herd of Mule Deer in the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan

On the weekend, we saw a herd of Mule Deer foraging on the hills of the Qu'Appelle Valley — an interesting change from the White-tailed Deer we've seen several times lately.

Mule Deer grazing in the Qu'Appelle Valley. © SB

To me, Mule Deer look grayer than the more common White-tails, but there are other, more prominent differences:

• Mule deer's ears are enormous, well, like the ears of the mules they are named for. 
• They don't have as prominently white eye-rings as White-tailed Deer. 
• Their tails are thin and more ropelike with black tips — and are not raised like white warning flags when they're startled and run. 

Line of Mule Deer walking up the hill. © SB

Mule Deer, Saskatchewan, Canada.  © SB

Not obvious at a glance is that fact that these are true Western deer, said to more abundant in the southwest of the province, while White-tailed Deer are widespread across Saskatchewan and most of North America.


What are these? Mule Deer.

Location: Near Craven, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

Photo dates: April 13, 2013.

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Richardson's Ground Squirrel — with snowball

I saw this Richardson's Ground Squirrel two days ago when I was driving grid roads north of Regina, looking for Horned Larks and other spring birds.

He (or she?) popped up from a decaying snowbank to watch me... first his head, then his whole body.

And then the gopher (which is what we call the RGS in Saskatchewan) stood, a snowball in his hands. "Watch it, human. I have a snowball and I know how to use it!"

Or perhaps this is just ice, caught in his wee paw.

Richardson's Ground Squirrel, aka gopher.   © SB

What is this? Richardson's Ground Squirrel, aka prairie gopher. 
Location: Grid road north of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.   

Photo date: April 3, 2013. 

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Gray Partridges in Regina, Saskatchewan

Yes, Gray Partridges in my Regina, Saskatchewan, front yard. This pair showed up mid-morning on a harshly-backlit, white-sky winter day, as part of their local garden tour — in from the country, browsing for food.

Not sure what these red-headed birds found in our snow drifts, though, other than the buried remnants of two frozen Christmas trees. Still, they made me smile. (I love the bouncing effect of the bird, front left, which has both of its feet off the ground.)

Gray Partridges, touring the neighbourhood. © SB

We usually see a Partridge or two on our street at least once every winter. Odd, though... Not in summer. And I've only once caught a glimpse of their chestnut-red or gray-brown feathers out in what I think should be their natural habitat (whatever that means to a bird), north of the city at the Condie Nature Refuge.

What are these? Gray Partridges.
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Photo dates: March 16, 2013. 

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Winter Prairie Sunset: glowing red skies on retreat

Today, the wind dropped and the temperature rose to close to zero. And at sunset, a celebration of pinks and golds in the sky.

Light vanishes quickly from the sky here on the Prairies — at least, in winter darkness falls fast... (Summer? Another story.)

These pictures were taken from my room at St. Peter's Abbey, where I am on a writing retreat.

Sunset. 6:48 p.m.  © SB

Sunset. 6:57 p.m.   © SB

What is this? Sunset 

Location: Near Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada

Photo dates:  February 22, 2013

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Dark-Eyed Slate-Coloured Juncos - Regina Backyard Guests

Dark-eyed Juncos flit through our yard in winter. On a non-scientific basis (i.e., when I happen to be by the dining room window and I'm lucky enough to see them), I'd say they've shown up four or five times so far this season. Factor in the fact that I'm away most of the day and rarely at that window when I'm home, and (if you're good at this kind of analysis), you might have a clearer sense than I do of how frequent their visits really are.

I think these Dark-eyed Juncos are stunning. Seriously formal in their colours, and so beautifully distinctly different when seen from  above or below. Gray on white on gray on white on gray on white... Beats the mottled colours of the regular sparrows (about the same size, and my most common feeder guest) any time. I think... Right now, at least, looking at their photos, I think that... But then again, I really like House Sparrows...

In any case, judge for yourself — aren't they lovely?

Dark-Eyed Junco waiting for seeds. © SB

Dark-Eyed Junco at the suet feeder. © SB

Cornell's All About Birds website has photos of two main kinds of Dark-Eyed Juncos. The birds in my yard fall into the Slate Coloured branch of that family tree. It's not uncommon, according to the pictures on that site, for their gray back feathers to be mixed with brown — especially with females.

AAB says Juncos are sparrows, distinguished by their colouring especially the flash of white tail feathers in flight. They breed in deciduous or mixed forests, and winter in fields, parks, roadsides, and backyards across the country. They are a very common bird at feeders; if you're interested in their songs, there are audio files at the Cornell site.

What are these? Dark-Eyed Slate Coloured Juncos.   
Location: My backyard bird feeder, Regina,Saskatchewan.  
Photo dates: December 30, 2011

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My elusive neighbours: prairie hares

Too high to leap here...

It was late when I left the office. I felt tired and achy after more than a week of presenteeism and wanted only a hot bath. Or wine. Or sleep. Or preferably all three. High quantities, in any order.

Sky blurred into night, snow shimmered in the headlights of my van. I slowed to turn into the network of alleys behind my house. And stopped.

Ahead, five metres on, eyes flashed at me. White on white, a hare on hard-packed snow, pure energy coiled in the middle of my route. It sprang and twisted and took off down the alley to the next alley south -- the one that goes to my garage.

I drove slowly after it. On my left, the prairie hare ran for a snowbank, scaled it, and leaped over a fence. On my right, a second one appeared, eyes shining from a drift beside the roadway. It stared, then ran in gliding leaps, pausing for seconds at a time to peer back at me. It passed half a dozen backyards before veering through a gap beside a hedge.

These hares are new to me this winter. At least, their official name is: White-tailed jackrabbits, which as anyone can tell from a name like that, are hares, not rabbits at all. (Names of species are oh, so logical.) I often see them in the alley and my front yard. Usually at night. And usually two. Siblings, or a mated pair? Or do they make that distinction?

They're not new to this community, but until this year, I called them rabbits. Grey-streaked in summer, they look to me like cute cottontails, but without those plush-toy fluffy tails. (I am perhaps a less-than-attentive observer of nature.)

White-tailed jackrabbit mid-colour change. 

Late fall. All photos © Shelley Banks

One day late last fall, when I was leaving work, I saw one standing near my (red, right side of pic) van, the weirdest rabbit I've ever seen. Its legs were far too long -- and totally white. The winter colour changes had begun.

After that, I called them snowshoe hares. They are small, with neater ears than cartoon images I've seen of desert jackrabbits. But snowshoe hares like forests, and my city is in the middle of the prairie. The prairie is also where white-tailed jackrabbits have long lived -- in addition to city parks and laneways. Eventually, I accepted the obvious: these were my neighbours.

On my way to work the morning after I saw the pair in the alley -- I was still sick, but ready for another presentee day -- I slowly traced the same route in reverse. That white-tail's tracks were clearly visible, its long thin footprints chiseled deep into the snow.

No time to look before the leap --

I hope there were no dogs... 

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