tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17443973456658081552024-03-21T05:36:28.118-06:00Prairie NaturePhotographs of native prairie birds, animals, insects and scenery, from Northern Lights to Snowy Owls, featuring wildlife from Saskatchewan, Canada. Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-64413057575907620382016-12-08T15:47:00.000-06:002016-12-08T15:47:00.158-06:00Cackling Goose - Like Canada, but Smaller <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cackling+Goose" target="_blank">Cackling Geese</a> landed on the waterfowl display pond in Regina's Wascana Park recently, I thought they were <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Canada+Goose" target="_blank">Canada Geese</a>. But when they swam closer, I realized that despite the similar markings, they looked quite different. Not only were they much smaller — closer to duck-sized — but they had rounded heads, with steeply sloped foreheads and small triangular beaks. Kind of stub-faced, in fact.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4CX7kcYVPoerX7AcNIFFX3DHVaRipFW8GUSlDk_Z5W5nj5BUY6JZBmtqNmQj-P2KyMliw6V-nZFyf0qB__CWgC-pYjczlVm4XNDZh179hBMobtJeqlv5zj-e8rd808bEGPY9GoSKY4gN/s1600/Cackling-Goose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cackling Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4CX7kcYVPoerX7AcNIFFX3DHVaRipFW8GUSlDk_Z5W5nj5BUY6JZBmtqNmQj-P2KyMliw6V-nZFyf0qB__CWgC-pYjczlVm4XNDZh179hBMobtJeqlv5zj-e8rd808bEGPY9GoSKY4gN/s1600/Cackling-Goose.jpg" title="Cackling Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Small Cackling Goose in Regina, SK © SB </i></td></tr>
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The Cackling Goose used to be a sub-species of the Canada Goose, but it's now recognized as genetically distinct, and as a separate species that in summer flies far further north to breed. We get them here during migration, as we're on their flyway from their winter grounds. <br />
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For comparison, here's a large, long-billed Canada Goose that was patrolling its territory in the same park, where some of its species live year-long.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmjMq_WJ8r-764bAlMV7uTCvm0ZSKf-PU-EJzeOcIjXYbsraB0wcLCawAVm-9rhvR2FCpErXPe6jkpb26mQq6gbk47xiFLwNIdQaaxXvyG5WRwNvuHmWkdWqb4uPGKD8Ef8ZCzCi_wJls/s1600/Canada-Goose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Canada Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmjMq_WJ8r-764bAlMV7uTCvm0ZSKf-PU-EJzeOcIjXYbsraB0wcLCawAVm-9rhvR2FCpErXPe6jkpb26mQq6gbk47xiFLwNIdQaaxXvyG5WRwNvuHmWkdWqb4uPGKD8Ef8ZCzCi_wJls/s1600/Canada-Goose.jpg" title="Canada Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Large Canada Goose in Regina, SK. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<b>What is this?</b> A <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cackling+Goose" target="_blank">Cackling Goose</a> (<strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Bernache de Hutchins)</strong>, and a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Canada+Goose" target="_blank">Canada Goose</a> (<strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Bernache du Canada)</strong>.<br />
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<b>Location:</b> Wascana Park, Regina, SK<br />
<b>Photo dates:</b> Cackling Goose: September 29, 2016; Canada Goose: April 26, 2016.<br />
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-53355193202672066592016-11-30T17:18:00.000-06:002016-11-30T17:18:04.479-06:00Brewer's Blackbirds: Iridescent with brilliant eyes It's a delight to see a male <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Brewer%27s+Blackbird" target="_blank">Brewer's Blackbird</a> in full sunlight — I usually see these birds as only black shapes with glowing eyes, high in the trees at Wascana Park. But when they are well lit, these birds glisten with shimmering iridescence. And those eyes! Those bright, shining yellow eyes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuNal8Kr8Z56hjE_gWJtme4EDbzRGLwNqY8e5QqtG_xqEAFR-poAhTQUW6PdUCwOyBdU08V26YRFoPfIgrCqycsjKM3YhFQ20MvipQZfKv5iiEtr6LKOnUEaq-ZPPjQPvBxwUnS2VOpik/s1600/BrewersBlackbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Brewer's Blackbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuNal8Kr8Z56hjE_gWJtme4EDbzRGLwNqY8e5QqtG_xqEAFR-poAhTQUW6PdUCwOyBdU08V26YRFoPfIgrCqycsjKM3YhFQ20MvipQZfKv5iiEtr6LKOnUEaq-ZPPjQPvBxwUnS2VOpik/s1600/BrewersBlackbird.jpg" title="Male Brewer's Blackbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Brewer's Blackbird, strutting across Wascana Park, in Regina, SK © SB</i></td></tr>
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The females, however, are somewhat less brilliant, both in feathers and eyes, which in the case of the female Brewer's Blackbird I saw with the flashy guy above, were both dull brown. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0yEZHCDZZOxBGFY44K-UMpJ7dBObEVAe5KuIwGNQ0vUTZ-ZAp-zA_AHeVofr8rVWzt7XTXTQ6gtvMwvKkoW3MTi3XtVJNXbTX44o9IRQHHHiarbFcKT7fI9keuk3LzOMiua6dTI25S5b/s1600/BrewersBlackbird-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female Brewer's Blackbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0yEZHCDZZOxBGFY44K-UMpJ7dBObEVAe5KuIwGNQ0vUTZ-ZAp-zA_AHeVofr8rVWzt7XTXTQ6gtvMwvKkoW3MTi3XtVJNXbTX44o9IRQHHHiarbFcKT7fI9keuk3LzOMiua6dTI25S5b/s1600/BrewersBlackbird-2.jpg" title="Female Brewer's Blackbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> Female Brewer's Blackbird in Wascana Park, Regina, SK © SB</i></td></tr>
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<b>What are these? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Brewer%27s+Blackbird" target="_blank">Brewer's Blackbirds</a> (<strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Quiscale de Brewer) </strong><br /><b>Location:</b> Wascana Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>May 4, 2012.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-55467515104913560282016-11-24T12:55:00.000-06:002016-11-24T12:55:03.395-06:00Gray Catbird along Wascana Creek in Regina SK <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0t8ghygv0_58hmepWaceueHnEtgvTeqGuzn6eljBYrhL7IIcOv7owNTHVtOgpVN0162D0oaiL9G-G6tTqKNDpig7_Yu2grTTNMX0K0RgTBU6wbUYGlbigPe4q1yi3aV8d9jR9ts2S_xg/s1600/Gray-Catbird-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gray Catbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0t8ghygv0_58hmepWaceueHnEtgvTeqGuzn6eljBYrhL7IIcOv7owNTHVtOgpVN0162D0oaiL9G-G6tTqKNDpig7_Yu2grTTNMX0K0RgTBU6wbUYGlbigPe4q1yi3aV8d9jR9ts2S_xg/s640/Gray-Catbird-3.jpg" title="Gray Catbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gray Catbird, singing its hoarse cat-like song. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAFlXQLxY153bMMqGYG2nl1H9TgSerwbvUvgIBOYCuxs_GmTGjR85a-tKDeuaOPx3llkp69fblW7TZaAQGe0TPlgQQXvmIvwLClQ8B4lr5sAaffw3Ah9LSGkeDlO7hHZf1zECX22eWP8R/s1600/Gray-Catbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>During one of my regular, but long-ago, walks along Wascana Creek, I saw a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Catbird" target="_blank">Gray Catbird</a>.<br />
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I understand that they're not uncommon in Regina, SK, in the summer, but this is one of the few I've photographed so far.<br />
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These mid-sized birds have an overall gray colouring, with black caps and dark reddish orange under-tail feathers.<br />
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(The picture below shows a better view of these rufous feathers. In that shot, this bird looks paler, too — a trick of harsh light in deep shadow, I suspect.)<br />
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Although they sometimes mimic other birds, the Gray Catbird's standard song is an odd, cat-like mewling.<br />
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This one stayed firmly in the shade of nearby trees, as if determined to thwart me and my camera-clutching hands.<br />
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(It would be nice if birds didn't do that... I would have liked a closer look at this Gray Catbird!) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DKyXJcvtxs_4G6j0uCTBTIBBxEOdXSo_AIjGNIfEr0Wd2I6FvFHqXtaO4O2st2-WWjkle-_rUSh1q5g9XB7Dau8lOd7q3f2Ylm-Ee3skEQpEWguRkJ7GoJcRjKLxfQuKUr_hnxmKiNTs/s1600/Gray-Catbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Gray Catbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DKyXJcvtxs_4G6j0uCTBTIBBxEOdXSo_AIjGNIfEr0Wd2I6FvFHqXtaO4O2st2-WWjkle-_rUSh1q5g9XB7Dau8lOd7q3f2Ylm-Ee3skEQpEWguRkJ7GoJcRjKLxfQuKUr_hnxmKiNTs/s400/Gray-Catbird.jpg" title="Gray Catbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gray Catbird, along Wascana Creek, Regina. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is this?</b> <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Catbird" target="_blank">Gray Catbird</a> (</span><strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Moqueur chat</strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">)<br /><b>Location: </b>Wascana Creek, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>July 6, 2012.</span><br />
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<br />Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-24240585582474015122016-11-19T15:06:00.000-06:002016-11-19T15:06:00.145-06:00Gray Jay - Canada's National (Northern) BirdWhen I see the range map for the <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Gray+Jay" target="_blank">Gray Jay</a>, I can understand why the <i><a href="https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/meet-our-national-bird-gray-jay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canadian Geographic</a></i> magazine has declared that the Gray Jay should be Canada's National Bird. This seriously <i>is </i>a Canadian bird — and it was even once called the Canada Jay, a name it still holds in French:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Mésangeai du Canada. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVtDdHJkskeUXhHC_Hvk72m3hEVyUsbCGWGJKWAGdz3XKqQCi_szHVq-TJxdSM-bF6Qb04W-bIzwn2ajIp7reTcz8WMRmgNI_tlCwrOQEooASI795lUdoGzk0ZAWVWyylK-g4RDbhsLJ9/s1600/Gray-Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gray Jay. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVtDdHJkskeUXhHC_Hvk72m3hEVyUsbCGWGJKWAGdz3XKqQCi_szHVq-TJxdSM-bF6Qb04W-bIzwn2ajIp7reTcz8WMRmgNI_tlCwrOQEooASI795lUdoGzk0ZAWVWyylK-g4RDbhsLJ9/s1600/Gray-Jay.jpg" title="Gray Jay. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gray Jay - welcome in my backyard, but lives too far away... © SB</i></td></tr>
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Sadly, though, we don't have Gray Jays in Regina as they aren't part of our Prairie Nature, but they are found across Saskatchewan's boreal forests. </div>
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If I'd known on my last visit to the Banff area that this honour would be falling where it did, I'd have tried a lot harder to capture a good (with cheeky forward head tilt, and clear back feathers) image of this bird! </div>
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<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">What is this? </b><span style="background-color: white;">A <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Gray+Jay" target="_blank">Gray Jay</a> (</span>Mésangeai du Canada)<br style="background-color: white;" /><b style="background-color: white;">Location:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> Deadman's Flats, near Canmore, Alberta</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Photo date:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> October 12, 2016</span></span></div>
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<br />Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-6427762078363987072016-11-18T12:17:00.000-06:002016-11-18T12:17:22.254-06:00Marsh Wren on a wetland cattail in the marsh Yes, we have <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Marsh+Wren" target="_blank">Marsh Wrens</a> in Saskatchewan, but so far they don't want to pose for me. As I've been trying to learn the different kinds of wrens today, I thought I'd post a picture of a Marsh Wren anyway, taken along the Dyke Trail in Richmond, B.C.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_SKpj6EM5TGmAnGQG3TPIlDvoGb-IVAbzgtazsikZ9G3_N_s_Yu9n2OsE3IlXZoF2oi1mgcQ-jKy1m2mpioh-jIRdEvmNjFxzZafY-165Xi_j152-Tlt4HLJ94qdyYUedRb7rzks1MsD/s1600/Marsh-Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Marsh Wren. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_SKpj6EM5TGmAnGQG3TPIlDvoGb-IVAbzgtazsikZ9G3_N_s_Yu9n2OsE3IlXZoF2oi1mgcQ-jKy1m2mpioh-jIRdEvmNjFxzZafY-165Xi_j152-Tlt4HLJ94qdyYUedRb7rzks1MsD/s1600/Marsh-Wren.jpg" title="Marsh Wren. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marsh Wren on a cattail, in the - what else? - marsh. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">What is this? </b><span style="background-color: white;">A <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Marsh+Wren" target="_blank">Marsh Wren</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span></span></span><span style="color: #3d3d3d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Troglodyte des marais)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Location:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> Along the dyke, Richmond, B.C. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">Photo date:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> April 26, 2014 </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">~~~~~</span></div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-2926764153102046632016-11-16T16:47:00.000-06:002016-11-16T16:47:04.241-06:00Flycatchers - Alder or Willow - Regina SK What I know is that this little bird is a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Flycatcher" target="_blank">Flycatcher</a>. I've been told it's a Traill's Flycatcher, a former species now divided in two — the more northern Alder Flycatchers and more southern Willow Flycatchers. (In terms of the North American continent, that is.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZINscBPiYOhyphenhyphenqFBiqegUtVdER53kQPGyPnI87Xf_xaIJw3H4TT5bHhBq9Vvo4hdk-3eHoNY7VOM3efHH275pY-K3HxI5bcUhscf8IRz2fNkV6tzazbrrfjUVvcjcbzZ8sc8MxPrVmTpGH/s1600/Flycatchers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Alder Flycatcher (or Willow Flycatcher). Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZINscBPiYOhyphenhyphenqFBiqegUtVdER53kQPGyPnI87Xf_xaIJw3H4TT5bHhBq9Vvo4hdk-3eHoNY7VOM3efHH275pY-K3HxI5bcUhscf8IRz2fNkV6tzazbrrfjUVvcjcbzZ8sc8MxPrVmTpGH/s1600/Flycatchers.jpg" title="Alder Flycatcher (or Willow Flycatcher). Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Flycatcher in Regina, SK.<br />Thoughts on this being an Alder Flycatcher? © SB</i></td></tr>
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As Flycatchers are very difficult to tell apart unless you know the species well, get a close look, and hear them sing, I will leave this bird ID at that. A Flycatcher. Maybe Willow, although in our part of Saskatchewan, perhaps more likely to be an Alder Flycatcher. Whatever it was, I appreciated the visit and chance to photograph this little backyard bird. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUyNZq2SvazDkxkbfroFOx_tw7vhglv2qyz_Zvlsrl_4J34XLfl1C_fnyZruCDcKXbtJsTt4uDBKkSzoCrQcLJGZGyIdC-Jntlc92hcxJhl9KUDGa-C4v_RVlEVWJ0proP9ntTncYGSq2/s1600/Flycatchers-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alder Flycatcher (or Willow Flycatcher). Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUyNZq2SvazDkxkbfroFOx_tw7vhglv2qyz_Zvlsrl_4J34XLfl1C_fnyZruCDcKXbtJsTt4uDBKkSzoCrQcLJGZGyIdC-Jntlc92hcxJhl9KUDGa-C4v_RVlEVWJ0proP9ntTncYGSq2/s1600/Flycatchers-2.jpg" title="Alder Flycatcher (or Willow Flycatcher). Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful long wings and soft colours <br />on this little (Alder? Willow?) Flycatcher. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<b>What is this? </b>A <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Flycatcher" target="_blank">Flycatcher </a>— perhaps an Alder Flycatcher (<strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Moucherolle des aulnes)</strong>. Or if not, a Willow Flycatcher (<strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Moucherolle des saules</strong>.)<br /><b>Location:</b> Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date:</b> May 19, 2012<div>
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~~~~~</div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-85405609077859931522016-11-13T12:21:00.000-06:002016-11-18T12:34:22.375-06:00Golden-crowned Kinglet at AE Wilson ParkI was lucky — or perhaps not, given the quality of the photograph — to catch a picture of a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Golden-crowned+Kinglet" target="_blank">Golden-crowned Kinglet</a> in the underbrush at Regina's A.E. Wilson Park this month. It was with a group of other small birds, but so much smaller. It was also flitting quickly, in deep shade...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6ghFc9w7qwmapXvaNFuPJIihYtb_5NEuPE09uwDBF1GLAMUDNH-SPML6EIFdlcCi-6VZYuQmJS9P6m7D3SRG8y-zi90MWxxUpGQw8zzOCJCroCB8HVdxYGhfgSrIgM2m_VTn4Q7zK4Rq/s1600/GCKinglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6ghFc9w7qwmapXvaNFuPJIihYtb_5NEuPE09uwDBF1GLAMUDNH-SPML6EIFdlcCi-6VZYuQmJS9P6m7D3SRG8y-zi90MWxxUpGQw8zzOCJCroCB8HVdxYGhfgSrIgM2m_VTn4Q7zK4Rq/s320/GCKinglet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Golden-crowned Kinglet.<br />(I hope my luck with this species improves!) © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">What is this? </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">A </span><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Golden-crowned+Kinglet" target="_blank"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit;">G</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">olden-crowned Kinglet</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span></span><strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Roitelet à couronne dorée)</strong><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.2px;"><b>Location:</b> A.E. Wilson Park, Regina, SK</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.2px;"><b>Photo date:</b> Nov. 6, 2016 </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">~~~~~</span></div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-67333400271948062662016-11-09T11:21:00.000-06:002016-11-09T11:21:09.162-06:00Swainson's Thrush: Rare backyard Regina visitor <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Swainson%27s+Thrush" target="_blank">Swainson's Thrush</a> is a rare backyard visitor for me in Regina, SK. In fact, I've only seen one, and that was a few years ago. This small, gray-brown secretive bird with pale spectacle marks from its eye to its beak landed in the lilac hedge one May morning, pecked under its shelter for a while, then disappeared. (Which always makes me wonder how many other one-time birds I miss...)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-ELQnApYyjXlD7fRdGoRuiHit6_PSZPywU2w25jxpIQaXJuAFh0F7-rQhkMdJ5nVQVkzNJCi6_LZkYAI6Fus-JcAaQaD1NnpJu7zcPD4LkhsIIAT8JmLyOhR8pja_A0YLXsCJj12uwwi/s1600/SwainsonsThursh22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-ELQnApYyjXlD7fRdGoRuiHit6_PSZPywU2w25jxpIQaXJuAFh0F7-rQhkMdJ5nVQVkzNJCi6_LZkYAI6Fus-JcAaQaD1NnpJu7zcPD4LkhsIIAT8JmLyOhR8pja_A0YLXsCJj12uwwi/s1600/SwainsonsThursh22.jpg" title="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swainson's Thrush, backyard Regina, SK © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_qFqHe61gd_PP_6A0wpaZgbxoSZ6pbu5rpSQo18bFb3fxy0qeXyu7fCqPTLyuq5OXkDEr4aiP6Cn5yp-TRCOLSKKeyYdRKKen2eyF98iFL0mIOtNYVmsg4t6ZixlonJZdaEn1N1Mhxfy/s400/SwainsonsThursh-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Swainson's Thrush spent a lot of time half hidden under branches. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGBBqNA1I9G0wmt8Xbhk6wYSDiNHYYnz63S31SZmT_o-IhUIA1Co1oo2RqyK13Xl2F7tJZsK4GowVhKsqI8T0KlvucyBRfb3G-IOUA_k6_pvB6yc_d97RQjVc-zoNqsgLijJ1pnpIrXDV/s1600/SwainsonsThursh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGBBqNA1I9G0wmt8Xbhk6wYSDiNHYYnz63S31SZmT_o-IhUIA1Co1oo2RqyK13Xl2F7tJZsK4GowVhKsqI8T0KlvucyBRfb3G-IOUA_k6_pvB6yc_d97RQjVc-zoNqsgLijJ1pnpIrXDV/s400/SwainsonsThursh.jpg" title="Swainson's Thrush. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swainson's Thrush © SB</i></td></tr>
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<b>What is this? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Swainson%27s+Thrush" target="_blank">Swainson's Thrush</a><br />
<b>Location:</b> Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date:</b> May 9, 2014 <br />
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~~~~~</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-24864630828486712322016-11-04T10:22:00.000-06:002016-11-04T10:22:05.185-06:00Greater Yellowlegs - A Regina SK ShorebirdThis summer, I saw several <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Greater+Yellowlegs" target="_blank">Greater Yellowlegs</a>, tall long-legged shorebirds, in various parts of Wascana Creek, Regina, SK. The one pictured here was near the airport; others were around A.E. Wilson Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAf24X8LHecQAQldUqxiDTTPCBypxzVtNXF1qEjD29X9Zs21WwVn2IMco7C7UMoilZAH-zWUtPwwA5f1NZ4Ycrzjb9SBv6TJDfeD1DtInFTFYPiBngVimDxOBIDcQgnSgRBpHqSpvfmST/s1600/GreaterYellowlegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Greater Yellowlegs. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAf24X8LHecQAQldUqxiDTTPCBypxzVtNXF1qEjD29X9Zs21WwVn2IMco7C7UMoilZAH-zWUtPwwA5f1NZ4Ycrzjb9SBv6TJDfeD1DtInFTFYPiBngVimDxOBIDcQgnSgRBpHqSpvfmST/s1600/GreaterYellowlegs.jpg" title="Greater Yellowlegs. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Greater Yellowlegs wading and fishing in Wascana Creek, Regina, SK. © SB </i></td></tr>
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Shorebirds, for me, are somewhat of a challenge to identify — in part because I'm rarely really close, and even the mid-sized and large ones don't look very big or clearly distinguishable at a distance. I was lucky with this bird, as it stayed fairly near in the creek, even while I walked further along the path to catch its sunlit side. </div>
<br /><b><br />What is this? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Greater+Yellowlegs" target="_blank">Greater Yellowlegs</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (Grand Chevalier)</span><br /><b>Location:</b> Wascana Creek, near the airport, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>September 16, 2016.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-22186707564840802832016-11-01T16:29:00.000-06:002016-11-01T16:31:50.297-06:00Palm Warbler minus red crown plus yellow tailI've never seen a breeding <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Palm+Warbler" target="_blank">Palm Warbler</a> with its lovely rufous crown, but I was lucky to have a non-breeding fall Palm Warbler visit my Regina, Saskatchewan, backyard to flaunt its bright yellow tail coverts a few years ago. (We're not near a lake, and get only drop-in exotics. And yes, Palms — in fact, <i>any </i>Warblers are exotic to me...)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YV5XIfdPCxB-cGTj2M8xNX9i1qv8VVLVGLm4e-3ko0QPj2h68mMDRc8PY154M-XNUm4jpzcuBX5z46g7bSWWooaAZQhQF3eaWZuKH3o-IQecKHnOL6EJCZlRUg0LGy5x0NUgv6vxzADu/s1600/Palm-Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Palm Warbler. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YV5XIfdPCxB-cGTj2M8xNX9i1qv8VVLVGLm4e-3ko0QPj2h68mMDRc8PY154M-XNUm4jpzcuBX5z46g7bSWWooaAZQhQF3eaWZuKH3o-IQecKHnOL6EJCZlRUg0LGy5x0NUgv6vxzADu/s1600/Palm-Warbler.jpg" title="Palm Warbler. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">This Palm Warbler landed near the feeder in our lilac trees,<br />then soon flew away. I always wonder how many birds<br />I miss when I'm not sitting at my window in Spring and Fall... © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">What is this? </b><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Palm+Warbler" target="_blank">Palm Warbler</a> (</span></span><strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Paruline à couronne rousse)</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location:</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Photo date:</b> Sept. 7, 2013</span></div>
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~~~~~</div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-21591426913126873202016-10-30T17:25:00.001-06:002016-10-30T17:25:15.234-06:00American Bittern - Make like a reed and disappear Startle an <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Bittern" target="_blank">American Bittern</a>, and it will stretch up its neck and freeze in place — which I guess makes this bird think it's hiding, invisible to my sight... And that may work if it's deep in the reeds, though the strategy is markedly less successful if the Bittern is standing at the side of a Saskatchewan grid road, foot lifted as if to begin its agonisingly slow walk back into the marsh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimToofwqEPBtmH0z6hMfXy9ulGcoRSqxzZU7rOPv7oegUfRdsD-iY3MtFNiIGOlYjxnspYcddgjYmXuJZaqZc3Lf8qFQoPGE-ndpwM0RiveuVm7b_AG_4xvrKdpL5dQf9DZZzZRRZFLxPk/s1600/American-Bittern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American Bittern, on Saskatchewan grid road. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimToofwqEPBtmH0z6hMfXy9ulGcoRSqxzZU7rOPv7oegUfRdsD-iY3MtFNiIGOlYjxnspYcddgjYmXuJZaqZc3Lf8qFQoPGE-ndpwM0RiveuVm7b_AG_4xvrKdpL5dQf9DZZzZRRZFLxPk/s1600/American-Bittern.jpg" title="American Bittern, on Saskatchewan grid road. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>American Bittern, on Saskatchewan grid road. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>What is this? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Bittern" target="_blank">American Bittern</a> (</span></span><strong style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px;">Butor d'Amérique</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Location: </b>Near Yellowgrass, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date:</b> May 21, 2012.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-82721450708496388572016-10-12T14:28:00.000-06:002016-11-01T15:02:03.746-06:00Grasshopper Sparrow - crown stripe and yellow glow I continue to be amazed by the varieties of Sparrows we see here in Saskatchewan. And so today, a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Grasshoppper+Sparrow" target="_blank">Grasshopper Sparrow</a>, singing its insect-like buzzing song at Grasslands National Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyWhp4jVsgSAFUoaunH2sQwHEasSQXyhttchBC1dL-cimQdB79AeGNRWdS8vlBDkp_84qPsJ0q4Zgi7Umi9CksL2v9uoiWYUOZB5bPTrlTioyaDHWtSoJeA2t-jrrIVFYlVLul8ZDV0LP/s1600/Grasshopper-Sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Grasshopper Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyWhp4jVsgSAFUoaunH2sQwHEasSQXyhttchBC1dL-cimQdB79AeGNRWdS8vlBDkp_84qPsJ0q4Zgi7Umi9CksL2v9uoiWYUOZB5bPTrlTioyaDHWtSoJeA2t-jrrIVFYlVLul8ZDV0LP/s400/Grasshopper-Sparrow.jpg" title="Grasshopper Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of my favourite Sparrow photos: A Grasshopper Sparrow singing<br />into the quiet early morning of Grasslands National Park, SK © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Grasshopper Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo6THJc5S_2Fxf-BZpEk-AzhLv0LOjNE0SnaqHYjpoLI-2Sy001-deU2BvbOogTwtqWo8nUHMs2FF-5pI5u2id3kC_kbiqteAnJ_D86Byd_GYHyF0Pi1WWdo0AgDlFUszOvyBhwF8W47j/s400/Grasshopper-Sparrow-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Grasshopper Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grasshopper Sparrow, with a bright white crown stripe,<br />pale buffy face and belly, with a slight yellow tinge. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<b>What is this? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Grasshoppper+Sparrow" target="_blank">Grasshopper Sparrow</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (<span style="color: #3d3d3d;">Bruant sauterelle)</span></span><br />
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<b>Location:</b> Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date:</b> June 24, 2012.<br />
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~~~~~</div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-12584812315140698412016-09-27T08:00:00.000-06:002016-09-27T08:00:01.766-06:00Yellow and Gray Immature Male American Redstart I decided to go birding through my photo files and discovered this <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=American+Redstart" target="_blank">American Redstart</a>, a small warbler that dropped in to visit our Regina, SK, backyard a few years ago. It stayed only a few minutes — but spent those posing on the branch that sticks out from our lilac trees towards the feeders.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasiF5K0he_5wtVwnPVM-Oie0MGFP4tvGU5RETCJEsa7sOLnIZF-EjfjPZvDKBVWJwvmsFBj5YAwORATeug9nOdbOU8FOFAtsQutNmNdMKpKQ8tzg2_RbdgwOtMrgYKSO2vftk_LluIyZN/s1600/AmericanRedstartF-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female American Redstart. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved," border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasiF5K0he_5wtVwnPVM-Oie0MGFP4tvGU5RETCJEsa7sOLnIZF-EjfjPZvDKBVWJwvmsFBj5YAwORATeug9nOdbOU8FOFAtsQutNmNdMKpKQ8tzg2_RbdgwOtMrgYKSO2vftk_LluIyZN/s400/AmericanRedstartF-2.jpg" title="Female American Redstart. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved," width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Immature Male American Redstart. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwWJWRfw9JSbeDmwVXo5FbRIgkZ9m-iHG-5qCdD0ToPEpM4daEGuzt8I5-DGWrURBf67THpGkTjmESBtP4Cm2joi4vU2GdF3LjpdIOFDyq1aEOwz7pr9v9CJmN-kNXqIfnw5L3PrZuh8a/s1600/AmericanRedstartF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female American Redstart. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved," border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwWJWRfw9JSbeDmwVXo5FbRIgkZ9m-iHG-5qCdD0ToPEpM4daEGuzt8I5-DGWrURBf67THpGkTjmESBtP4Cm2joi4vU2GdF3LjpdIOFDyq1aEOwz7pr9v9CJmN-kNXqIfnw5L3PrZuh8a/s400/AmericanRedstartF.jpg" title="Female American Redstart. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved," width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>American Redstart. (He flitted and fanned his tail - then left!) © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I'm told that at this stage, immature male (and female, which look very much the same) American Redstarts are sometimes called "yellowstarts", as a way of affectionately indicating their colour phase. And yes, females are also gray and yellow — but the blackish feathers on the rump and the salmon orange glow at the bend of its wing apparently mark this one as a young male. (It would be so nice if he'd come back in his high contrast black and orange feathers!) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>What is this? </b>Immature male American Redstart </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Paruline flamboyante)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Location: </b>Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date:</b> September 7, 2013.</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-13090347562030726782016-09-21T15:06:00.000-06:002016-09-21T15:06:02.715-06:00Cedar Waxwing in Caragana BlossomsLooking through my photos from the summer, I found this shot of a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cedar+Waxwing" target="_blank">Cedar Waxwing</a>. What a perfect match between the yellow tips of its tail and the yellow Caragana flowers of its perch. There was a small flock of about five birds at the Condie Nature Refuge that day; some hid, some — like these two — posed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q-fFMZGmH2AWFAiOU4aTT9_lc5QOCrgOQRRHGpE-sJxYB5RmQagYvKMxBmazbWKUAOgIgbPJeMJ19j8to06oDV3ZUzUesC0aPcxzycGLe5bSu0SqcHdpsF2K8TGzhogBc2Jt5kFw_gXf/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Q-fFMZGmH2AWFAiOU4aTT9_lc5QOCrgOQRRHGpE-sJxYB5RmQagYvKMxBmazbWKUAOgIgbPJeMJ19j8to06oDV3ZUzUesC0aPcxzycGLe5bSu0SqcHdpsF2K8TGzhogBc2Jt5kFw_gXf/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-2016.jpg" title="Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adult Cedar Waxwing, standing guard in the Caragana tree. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXNEXbi2b3TUloudH8WeZWvYUaGRlHjqimYIVEgYVv7kkZu1oPhzlcsgcoNXj3yynYHNUhu2-cMe-HNBD0KFgN0fL54YU5IOenf9YgUoKV9eQRArcn_hfsa5-JDLxXxxBjruv_qAWRHLf/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-2016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXNEXbi2b3TUloudH8WeZWvYUaGRlHjqimYIVEgYVv7kkZu1oPhzlcsgcoNXj3yynYHNUhu2-cMe-HNBD0KFgN0fL54YU5IOenf9YgUoKV9eQRArcn_hfsa5-JDLxXxxBjruv_qAWRHLf/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-2016-2.jpg" title="Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of an adult Cedar Waxwing, <br />showing off its yellow tail and red waxy wingtips. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<b>What are these? </b>Cedar Waxwings (<a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cedar+Waxwing" target="_blank">Jaseur d'Amérique</a><strong style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px; line-height: 17.3333px;">)</strong><br />
<div>
<b>Location: </b>Condie Nature Refuge, near Regina, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date: </b>May 29, 2016.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~</div>
</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-18665769389383493962016-09-19T08:30:00.000-06:002016-09-19T08:30:25.973-06:00Juvenile Cedar Waxwings in Regina's Lakeridge Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8NIYOrxYY_993e3aIutAAMmzPlUdAn0rlTtWiZFjtwIZlz9KQ2tsP4sdqK68hJAJExsFWu20dQ2I1UCUoqLx0377qf9gZd71rAbJO02XvcQ9dgLFKzWVgvactZni0LHGkYmA8BBe7_60/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8NIYOrxYY_993e3aIutAAMmzPlUdAn0rlTtWiZFjtwIZlz9KQ2tsP4sdqK68hJAJExsFWu20dQ2I1UCUoqLx0377qf9gZd71rAbJO02XvcQ9dgLFKzWVgvactZni0LHGkYmA8BBe7_60/s320/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile.jpg" style="cursor: move;" title="Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juvenile Cedar Waxwing © SB</i></td></tr>
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On a birding walk through Regina's Lakeshore Park, we saw a large flock of <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cedar+Waxwing" target="_blank">Cedar Waxwings</a> with many juveniles, all softly wheezing in the trees.<br /><br />I hadn't seen Juvenile Cedar Waxwings before, although I'd like to think I could have recognized them by the yellow tails, black eye patches and head crest feathers, even without the help of fellow birders with <a href="http://natureregina.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nature Regina</a>. </div>
<br />
But... I can be blind at times, and many eyes are more far likely to see what's hiding than only mine.<br />
<br />
There were no adults in these trees, but one perched high on a nearby tree, watrching the young ones, watching us.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, I think Waxwings sound like the breath of trees. Not that I know what trees sound like when they breathe, but these birds' high whistling wheeze makes me think of an old pine catching its breath while gently creaking in the wind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbbh_zrRAaNClhBHYFmKD-QRZvmsJXRTGQro0dLTy_RHE-HLwIMqQR3pHF7GUhDMj99nVMclyLrxiEd2w0lETKtJ2uVcrfMBW8IMsIAFyrK8VrfDKrqtl77Ry3fkb147a7WW3oDjXrk0J/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbbh_zrRAaNClhBHYFmKD-QRZvmsJXRTGQro0dLTy_RHE-HLwIMqQR3pHF7GUhDMj99nVMclyLrxiEd2w0lETKtJ2uVcrfMBW8IMsIAFyrK8VrfDKrqtl77Ry3fkb147a7WW3oDjXrk0J/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile-2.jpg" title="Juvenile Cedar Waxwing. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juvenile Cedar Waxwing, with soft tan belly stripes © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmv-LwGLCeO-7Nas53gTvCL1lHR_r-3BqYO4BPsDawnKL1tvFeurwbT6wH5p2Iqvb9zQiKafrtmRvpuwS8_kVWng65KR7U0hjFD4PQToIg7ljBoIz2eQ_vuYlehhwdZP1aw9vZ8PO2d48/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile Cedar Waxwings. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmv-LwGLCeO-7Nas53gTvCL1lHR_r-3BqYO4BPsDawnKL1tvFeurwbT6wH5p2Iqvb9zQiKafrtmRvpuwS8_kVWng65KR7U0hjFD4PQToIg7ljBoIz2eQ_vuYlehhwdZP1aw9vZ8PO2d48/s1600/Cedar-Waxwing-Juvenile-3.jpg" title="Juvenile Cedar Waxwings. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Several of the Juvenile Cedar Waxwings. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<b>What are these? </b>Juvenile Cedar Waxwings (<a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Cedar+Waxwing" target="_blank">Jaseur d'Amérique</a><strong style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10.6667px; line-height: 17.3333px;">)</strong><br />
<div>
<b>Location: </b>Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date: </b>September 10, 2016.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~~~~~</div>
</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-88215820021941523082016-09-18T11:00:00.000-06:002016-09-18T11:00:05.899-06:00Three stages of American Coots in Regina Saskatchewan<a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" target="_blank">American Coots</a> feature stunning contrasts as adults, with black heads, red eyes, and white bills. As babies, they are amazing — picture this: bald heads, bright orange-yellow feathers and red bills (or visit this page, which shows an <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/2013/07/american-coots-in-saskatchewan-sloughs.html" target="_blank">American Coot with a baby</a> in a Saskatchewan slough). And, as juveniles they are again different, with feathers of varying shades of gray.<br />
<br />
Coots breed at a local lake, in Lakeridge Park near where I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, and when I dropped by with a group from Nature Regina to see what birds were there, three stages of American Coots swam by: An adult, a young juvenile, and a slightly older juvenile Coot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRUwXM6XnFeQZunHfyZPAwr3ZVnqVrpsey3thl0r0D_CXLKK7ZHggrq9uc-SBmoWRyFREW_oc0JfzftjtfdvHeqC__DfXDN1edKjeJJCVmDCqRy4ELxcO5hyLJYxVLZSE8LFQ18ycFtWs/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Adult American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRUwXM6XnFeQZunHfyZPAwr3ZVnqVrpsey3thl0r0D_CXLKK7ZHggrq9uc-SBmoWRyFREW_oc0JfzftjtfdvHeqC__DfXDN1edKjeJJCVmDCqRy4ELxcO5hyLJYxVLZSE8LFQ18ycFtWs/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots.jpg" title="Adult American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adult American Coot - a study in contrast, red, white, gray and black. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eVF8JpkSeoIXhbdFbn2vrGqyMx-I_AbD5tpKg5tqGUfkO-IrdrwEC7THuXyPVSqAdPrcSf9WHYsyXQqaxYhCs4gdSrlp3RmEefFyX3CJWg5rOjaO91Bao9WDXNWdnmDhbpthdLOkQyP0/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eVF8JpkSeoIXhbdFbn2vrGqyMx-I_AbD5tpKg5tqGUfkO-IrdrwEC7THuXyPVSqAdPrcSf9WHYsyXQqaxYhCs4gdSrlp3RmEefFyX3CJWg5rOjaO91Bao9WDXNWdnmDhbpthdLOkQyP0/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots-2.jpg" title="Juvenile American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> A Juvenile American Coot, whose head is starting to darken. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm3poh1Z1HHUB5pECfi2oBaAHpIYl4Y9Crf4TsrD5EPKn3cH1wTz1b2O4mhi44l1zkzf_1jRaMLdvzxLAO9gqfKIZRMgtlM0PtV-XsKCJzu4HcjiOAWi2FCSaBK54SYXvCZ3mjGYw-bNO/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm3poh1Z1HHUB5pECfi2oBaAHpIYl4Y9Crf4TsrD5EPKn3cH1wTz1b2O4mhi44l1zkzf_1jRaMLdvzxLAO9gqfKIZRMgtlM0PtV-XsKCJzu4HcjiOAWi2FCSaBK54SYXvCZ3mjGYw-bNO/s1600/Lakeridge-Coots-6.jpg" title="Juvenile American Coot. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All rights reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A younger, smaller, paler, Juvenile American Coot. © SB </i></td></tr>
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<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What are these? </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" style="color: #783f04; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">American Coot</a>s - <span style="color: #3d3d3d; line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" style="color: #783f04; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Foulque d'Amérique</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">)</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location: </b>Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>September 10, 2016.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></span></div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-41295822317699554922016-09-17T17:17:00.000-06:002016-09-17T19:50:52.677-06:00Juvenile American Pelican near my Regina neighbourhoodI photographed this juvenile <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbH5EITEz77oHuiNrKGECNXXnWTf5Nw3-SDyjcrUAMdT05KYgLjNZsZKZJJwCHiLvnrpQ75x49ObJXx5OawHnZRM5CcLvW5Jzhxwb8lb6feaGW6xocLFA_0DolgAYnpc5UkUdPRK5v76RP/s1600/Pelicans-Regina-5.jpg" target="_blank">American White Pelican</a> in a local lake when I visited with a group of birders from Nature Regina earlier this month.<br>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b><br></b></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpSKx-_mNTwUOMAL4kHfsMkSnc2bUfOWgCgwJ8WSvXXzFak1f7BaKoGV7CYRlGm7f3s9BIQkdEdv80WXDRmvbmnkZODPzGINiml0aVCrCBLBwU1eyogN5RHd2it9oZU6u4Je64pS5OCeq/s1600/Juvenile-American-Pelican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile American White Pelican, in Regina, SK. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpSKx-_mNTwUOMAL4kHfsMkSnc2bUfOWgCgwJ8WSvXXzFak1f7BaKoGV7CYRlGm7f3s9BIQkdEdv80WXDRmvbmnkZODPzGINiml0aVCrCBLBwU1eyogN5RHd2it9oZU6u4Je64pS5OCeq/s1600/Juvenile-American-Pelican.jpg" title="Juvenile American White Pelican, in Regina, SK. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved."></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This looks like the great outdoors, but this Juvenile American Pelican is really swimming <br>in front of a series of lakefront, er, water catchment pond frontage, houses. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<br>
<span style="background-color: white;">Summer and fall are such great times for birding — and for seeing juvenile birds of many species, as they are arriving back through the city now, in preparation for their winter migration south. </span><br>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">This young American White Pelican still has the light brownish feathers on its head, neck and back that mark it as a juvenile. </span><br>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuk6zGpcsFtox4eMNX-nyDysO6998T0hN174Vo8qt3V2dZ84IZZPKg3iZatiS7fUEzSxt6djENXRw1gr6qqYrz4EOsGT0zZSS3Sd4bQYvdFqQkOqzpaheeH_l-bxGX6-sfM9ilVTXsmH9/s1600/Juvenile-American-Pelican-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile American White Pelican, swimming in front of house in Regina, SK. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuk6zGpcsFtox4eMNX-nyDysO6998T0hN174Vo8qt3V2dZ84IZZPKg3iZatiS7fUEzSxt6djENXRw1gr6qqYrz4EOsGT0zZSS3Sd4bQYvdFqQkOqzpaheeH_l-bxGX6-sfM9ilVTXsmH9/s1600/Juvenile-American-Pelican-3.jpg" title="Juvenile American White Pelican, swimming in front of house in Regina, SK. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved."></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a city drainage pond.<br>This is a juvenile American White Pelican.<br>This is a house in the background.<br>Oh, Regina. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>What is this? </b>A juvenile American White Pelican (</span><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=American+White+Pelican" target="_blank">Pélican d'Amérique</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #3d3d3d; line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">)</span></span></span></span><br>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location: </b>Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br><b>Photo date: </b>September 10, 2016.</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></span></div>
</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-68886144989488974282016-09-15T17:34:00.000-06:002016-09-15T17:34:03.781-06:00American Coot: Big Foot on the Loose in Regina<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3U_s81THc3CvFrW1ffi_dd6c-3UC-omEgT07HkZ4CFRv3m6LxlCVUONCQIK-A9m6H3aIF1lf5MXZaJ0len9E76wahw-NfFhB02IvfIAaA7EW0iwJQSkUtD7fcT9I1nlxDeYxX_jCsNcc/s1600/American-Coot2016-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3U_s81THc3CvFrW1ffi_dd6c-3UC-omEgT07HkZ4CFRv3m6LxlCVUONCQIK-A9m6H3aIF1lf5MXZaJ0len9E76wahw-NfFhB02IvfIAaA7EW0iwJQSkUtD7fcT9I1nlxDeYxX_jCsNcc/s320/American-Coot2016-4.jpg" title="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">These are seriously the feet and toes of an American Coot,<br />even though they strongly resemble the segments<br />of my Thanksgiving Cactus. © SB</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had no idea that Big Foot was a bird — until I saw a young <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" target="_blank">American Coot</a> flap out of the water at a local Regina park.<br />
<br />
At first, I thought pond weeds had been caught on its droopy, elongated, fat toes, but no, what I saw as greenery was in fact its green skin.<br />
<br />
Coots are waterbirds, but not ducks, and so they don't have webbed feet. Instead, their feet are adapted to swimming with the addition of wide lobes of skin that act as toe flippers.<br />
<br />
(And these big feet also, says <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot/lifehistory" target="_blank">All About Birds</a>, support the Coots' weight on marshy ground.)<br />
<br />
There were several American Coots of varying ages in the park, which is one of their local breeding spots in Regina, Saskatchewan. One black-feathered adult, a few darkish gray juvenile Coots, like this one, and a younger, smaller, light gray bird.<br />
<br />
My thanks to the <a href="http://natureregina.ca/" target="_blank">Nature Regina</a> group I went bird watching with!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFteM93NRUwLfUKjjJ4lRT77efGEgLWbIjw6y_47fNNDFl9qSF-HM-JwB8AT6IL7ja5Ev7G-U0pD6gDXaTkS9ss_muhopLkramOk4EoCYOOmV2TAjVieXnh0FqnLWFMsBrMyQOAyhyphenhyphenbLJ/s1600/American-Coot2016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFteM93NRUwLfUKjjJ4lRT77efGEgLWbIjw6y_47fNNDFl9qSF-HM-JwB8AT6IL7ja5Ev7G-U0pD6gDXaTkS9ss_muhopLkramOk4EoCYOOmV2TAjVieXnh0FqnLWFMsBrMyQOAyhyphenhyphenbLJ/s1600/American-Coot2016-2.jpg" title="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">What big floppy feet, you have, young American Coot! © SB</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ELg6I_QyK7hyiI5tueMzUr-FzBarBZq5twl0N-73cxWpqisgr0a1LIicKlDjDzis1JOGhp-Z58Wk9aLIT21mL03Ym5LGr7o3Eo5wbfo8aVhIIae32_nF0L-_KEbSZAa61IbbX4xTYoP1/s1600/American-Coot2016-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ELg6I_QyK7hyiI5tueMzUr-FzBarBZq5twl0N-73cxWpqisgr0a1LIicKlDjDzis1JOGhp-Z58Wk9aLIT21mL03Ym5LGr7o3Eo5wbfo8aVhIIae32_nF0L-_KEbSZAa61IbbX4xTYoP1/s1600/American-Coot2016-3.jpg" title="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walking is easy, when you're well grounded. </span></i><br />
<i style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">American Coot, Regina, SK © SB</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ONxFd3mdPhws8b6JhjXmw8z35WpQjhryO2z2T4U8zAdjmWNRaw11lQsNZ8XkVs-iCltVQrUKhOanpaQ8wT736v3Xtj3eS066eZXV6HpJ0XG95Pjc4Mm3DsiJhkO-TRvb9ouccCi7TM6o/s1600/American-Coot2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ONxFd3mdPhws8b6JhjXmw8z35WpQjhryO2z2T4U8zAdjmWNRaw11lQsNZ8XkVs-iCltVQrUKhOanpaQ8wT736v3Xtj3eS066eZXV6HpJ0XG95Pjc4Mm3DsiJhkO-TRvb9ouccCi7TM6o/s1600/American-Coot2016.jpg" title="American Coot - feet. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Young American Coot, Regina, SK. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">(When it gets older it will turn black. What a range of colours these birds have, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">including <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/2013/07/american-coots-in-saskatchewan-sloughs.html" target="_blank">bright orange</a> when very young!) © SB</span></i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is this? </b>A young <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" target="_blank">American Coot</a>, showing off its awesome feet. (</span><span style="color: #3d3d3d; line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="color: #783f04; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=coot" style="color: #783f04; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Foulque d'Amérique</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">)</span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location: </b>Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>September 10, 2016.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></span></div>
</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-74683788505225945192016-09-13T16:38:00.001-06:002016-09-13T17:42:22.865-06:00Ross's Goose flying with Canada Geese <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmB-XioVyJULpyx7DF8-_Au80StVnnRSRv7OZJy6STSu0qD_VE2pcI86BgHLpkHfwmgQ02wgCPGb6rVWFIZyUKqo0JuHnEPigpxcKlROGjze4BJz34pqPrvoCkTrTZQprEDG9c80L50lc/s1600/Ross%2527s-Goose-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ross's Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmB-XioVyJULpyx7DF8-_Au80StVnnRSRv7OZJy6STSu0qD_VE2pcI86BgHLpkHfwmgQ02wgCPGb6rVWFIZyUKqo0JuHnEPigpxcKlROGjze4BJz34pqPrvoCkTrTZQprEDG9c80L50lc/s400/Ross%2527s-Goose-.jpg" title="Ross's Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ross's Goose flying over a park in Regina, SK © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A small flock of geese circled the park — all brown, except for one white Ross's Goose.<br />
<br />
And colour wasn't the only difference: The Ross's Goose was also dramatically smaller than the rest.<br />
<br />
Ross's Goose breeds in the Arctic and passes over Saskatchewan on its migratory flight path to and from California and other spots in the southern U.S.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rosss_Goose/id" target="_blank">All About Birds</a> says looks like a miniature <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Snow+Goose" target="_blank">Snow Goose</a>. None of these were flying in the park for on-the-spot comparison, but the Ross's Goose was certainly far smaller than a Canada Goose!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB917RKlZP74eLwv99SWscSHeQQMBXHPTU1YIPEC_HX92oHz_cUl9mkKD6yeEE3CISjLQ7JPQDEAaTcOkGebxgOElNsggERaNx6O8CHCxpcAp1lPVHBM8RSimt2wHRImjrOmhkS7gnYDqi/s1600/Ross%2527s-Goose-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ross's Goose with Canada Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB917RKlZP74eLwv99SWscSHeQQMBXHPTU1YIPEC_HX92oHz_cUl9mkKD6yeEE3CISjLQ7JPQDEAaTcOkGebxgOElNsggERaNx6O8CHCxpcAp1lPVHBM8RSimt2wHRImjrOmhkS7gnYDqi/s1600/Ross%2527s-Goose-2.jpg" title="Ross's Goose with Canada Goose. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tiny Ross's Goose, flying beside a Canada Goose. Regina, SK © SB </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>What is this? </b>Ross's Goose (with a Canada Goose) — </span></span><span style="color: #3d3d3d; line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oie de Ross</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;"><b>Location:</b> Lakeridge Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>September 10, 2016.</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-23054676571890963322016-09-11T09:23:00.000-06:002016-09-11T09:23:32.578-06:00Mud-digging Northern Flickers: Wascana Park, Regina <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've always thought of <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Northern+Flicker" target="_blank">Northern Flickers</a> as tree birds not ground birds, bark drillers not dirt diggers. But when I watched several Flickers in Regina's Wascana Park on Friday, these large brown woodpeckers were spending far more time in the mud than in the trees. (And even those on the trees had muddy beaks to show that they, too, had been digging. Or they'd just finished scraping their beaks against the bark, to get them clean.) </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfLtoXTxzNiilMWt8ntDYpALq8yXUHXbfZXOhAj8AL6bfQ8AR72hUL842uBdrlf2epoP2iavvyPhA1nggoJ-WRtDDRCAavL1xERzSKC5bvFNV28HP8cBnklQ2ukslbvryNosZemp-wfVT/s1600/NorthernFlicker2016-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfLtoXTxzNiilMWt8ntDYpALq8yXUHXbfZXOhAj8AL6bfQ8AR72hUL842uBdrlf2epoP2iavvyPhA1nggoJ-WRtDDRCAavL1xERzSKC5bvFNV28HP8cBnklQ2ukslbvryNosZemp-wfVT/s1600/NorthernFlicker2016-3.jpg" title="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Northern Flicker, taking a break from dirt drilling. © SB </i></td></tr>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguth7NqFEI0VPxbNLtZAIhfcPt-u71dvu7630UCTd4MmXxdsC9rCngjwQ4atpsnIy9XkAfThC8NP-sIQTt5bazKFEx652dU_TTnDdcJx242wQ_lHz_Arx_pMYZcArh7AkLsT1dODW5UDLB/s1600/NorthernFlicker2016-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguth7NqFEI0VPxbNLtZAIhfcPt-u71dvu7630UCTd4MmXxdsC9rCngjwQ4atpsnIy9XkAfThC8NP-sIQTt5bazKFEx652dU_TTnDdcJx242wQ_lHz_Arx_pMYZcArh7AkLsT1dODW5UDLB/s1600/NorthernFlicker2016-6.jpg" title="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Northern Flicker resting on a tree, with muddy beak. <br />The line of yellow wing feathers is also visible. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wIda9wlCWP4GqzYlnw-v75nEwMo7Z7_X1NWiSegL0-DvvvbemCZC0-pwlz65uBGA_x9imfDQhJ6NgNts5Ff0EoTGsMU7Gh-cTI4bu56VQZvFK2ZzyTmry2rTzl1Br4XlYhQAoBx-nYa4/s1600/NorthernFlicker2016-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wIda9wlCWP4GqzYlnw-v75nEwMo7Z7_X1NWiSegL0-DvvvbemCZC0-pwlz65uBGA_x9imfDQhJ6NgNts5Ff0EoTGsMU7Gh-cTI4bu56VQZvFK2ZzyTmry2rTzl1Br4XlYhQAoBx-nYa4/s200/NorthernFlicker2016-5.jpg" title="Northern Flicker (yellow shafted). Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blurred, but shows the colour of these<br />Northern Flickers' feather shafts. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is this? </b>A Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted); or <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.3333px;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Northern+Flicker" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pic flamboyant</a>. </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location:</b> Wascana Park, Regina, Saskatchewan<br /><b>Photo date: </b>September 9, 2016.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></span></div>
<br />Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-89348040392340555442016-09-08T14:41:00.000-06:002016-09-09T16:36:34.879-06:00Immature Ruby-throated Hummingbird drops by: Regina, SK <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMkpfDvmJjPAflANf3uM_BS4QwcUwORdQMSMjYonY6crSh117ktKk612wgP8r2a1BQ8x0kuCwVKixV-qXEiTKZmy63XUNGrGliBBPoKnYsgONjlV1b2TcaJ2pv4OefqRpeprOPviOdzmo/s1600/Hummingbird16-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMkpfDvmJjPAflANf3uM_BS4QwcUwORdQMSMjYonY6crSh117ktKk612wgP8r2a1BQ8x0kuCwVKixV-qXEiTKZmy63XUNGrGliBBPoKnYsgONjlV1b2TcaJ2pv4OefqRpeprOPviOdzmo/s400/Hummingbird16-2.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting in the lilac trees between feedings. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was planning to put away the hummingbird feeder when I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird buzz by it. So I refilled it with fresh sugar water, and have been told to continue doing so for several weeks yet. Hummingbirds may be migrating, but they are not yet gone — and there are often strays that arrive later in the fall looking for sustenance.<br />
<br />
At first, I thought the Ruby-throated Hummingbird we saw throughout the day yesterday and the one that's been busy here today was a female, because its throat is quite pale. On a closer view, though, there are a fair number of dark speckles on her/his throat, which makes it more likely that this is an immature male...<br />
<br />
Unless, of course, there are two birds taking turns in our yard? But I think it's just that with feather colours, so much depends on the light.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKsPwV-VGp1rOd-IHqoTI-VXIhHNf_41CMj_jtzB527jhX1M3_621CwOkoM7843d6cbGvcLbbWASG52_NEVsf8ip1Xg0WOySO7N22RYCgu3bMhNuCYaTLmtQNyJPWkiQrJyDpyRhczNW4/s1600/Hummingbird16-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKsPwV-VGp1rOd-IHqoTI-VXIhHNf_41CMj_jtzB527jhX1M3_621CwOkoM7843d6cbGvcLbbWASG52_NEVsf8ip1Xg0WOySO7N22RYCgu3bMhNuCYaTLmtQNyJPWkiQrJyDpyRhczNW4/s1600/Hummingbird16-6.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This Ruby-throated Hummingbird has me trained - I see it, I fill the feeder. © SB </i> </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IDCzuNEvl975DAm53D7zFb35mQEQfF3C1nhyphenhyphensCdIWYA1APasBeOlC4EOENMY2ElRGTrJJIeTgWOrwQC9c_WprwWlLaJU0B6XjPN9qCu9Ov91xwPbhyphenhyphenv1VK1VSUJ9Q-d5E1-JR6q-Bel3/s1600/Hummingbird16-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IDCzuNEvl975DAm53D7zFb35mQEQfF3C1nhyphenhyphensCdIWYA1APasBeOlC4EOENMY2ElRGTrJJIeTgWOrwQC9c_WprwWlLaJU0B6XjPN9qCu9Ov91xwPbhyphenhyphenv1VK1VSUJ9Q-d5E1-JR6q-Bel3/s1600/Hummingbird16-4.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I think this is the same bird - it's possible it's not, as this was taken yesterday, <br />and the ones above were taken today. The light was different, which affects colour. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xuVa6Vw2b6-UzM031VHdi06Nn5M0CY-yqMF-ReCpS6tqfpfQBUWQHJfXJ2x5PQmRrVKbItmfXYiCDrRqjp8XVE6OaJcUb2zWXgSTvpLO6cgDszr7ChFT7TVvylOWPUUBnmCURAdHDQ9Q/s1600/Hummingbird16-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xuVa6Vw2b6-UzM031VHdi06Nn5M0CY-yqMF-ReCpS6tqfpfQBUWQHJfXJ2x5PQmRrVKbItmfXYiCDrRqjp8XVE6OaJcUb2zWXgSTvpLO6cgDszr7ChFT7TVvylOWPUUBnmCURAdHDQ9Q/s1600/Hummingbird16-5.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A front view, yesterday's Ruby-throated Hummingbird, resting. © SB</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4w78b_-ILrr3U8YqS-zfNyShc4aoc-3UNjzHb65Se_rlwOfavC7he6lRnhGgTkQnBUMrewCCIqfnVp-Qn6reG47DBeltjdB-TzSmIf3UeAth0iAu2st5YlFOrcv-uGacXcMn2rV6qrkN/s1600/Hummingbird16-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4w78b_-ILrr3U8YqS-zfNyShc4aoc-3UNjzHb65Se_rlwOfavC7he6lRnhGgTkQnBUMrewCCIqfnVp-Qn6reG47DBeltjdB-TzSmIf3UeAth0iAu2st5YlFOrcv-uGacXcMn2rV6qrkN/s1600/Hummingbird16-3.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another look at the feathers of today's Ruby-throated Hummingbird. © SB </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<b>What is this? </b>An immature male <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Ruby-throated+Hummingbird">Ruby-throated Hummingbird</a> - <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Ruby-throated+Hummingbird">Colibri à gorge rubis</a><br />
<b>Location: </b>Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date: </b>September 8, 2016.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.48px;">~~~~~</span></div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-66685643386546348232016-08-24T14:43:00.000-06:002016-09-08T15:43:09.052-06:00Juvenile Chipping Sparrow: New baby bird for our Regina yard <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRn4_Q2MUBMHfZeUKdYD1jm_xlqGxsFYVjf0QSRaFi45PscuatrTDhj5BquIAp-am9uZagyaajJjV5pkKth26C8QKpSM32urS0OF4Wj1gmA0uPczMWMaOc8mJ1RGDk5k5mqEHgcQnChuE/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRn4_Q2MUBMHfZeUKdYD1jm_xlqGxsFYVjf0QSRaFi45PscuatrTDhj5BquIAp-am9uZagyaajJjV5pkKth26C8QKpSM32urS0OF4Wj1gmA0uPczMWMaOc8mJ1RGDk5k5mqEHgcQnChuE/s320/JuvChippingSparrow-5.jpg" title="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juvenile Chipping Sparrow in the garden sprinkler </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had several new-to-us young birds this summer, including a juvenile <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Chipping+Sparrow" target="_blank">Chipping Sparrow</a> with fresh baby bird feathers that differ just enough from the adults' to be confusing.<br />
<br />
For example, its trademark red cap had not yet grown in, and its breast was streaked, not pale buffy gray. But the close presence of the adult — who frequently fed it, as well — confirmed that this streaky brown baby bird really was a Chipping Sparrow.<br />
<br />
I knew that some Chipping Sparrows stayed for the summer in parts of Regina, Saskatchewan, but this was the first time I've been aware of one nesting near my part of town.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3XJpCIoB69HUYBfxREdvLlnG76bzBwo9aoypqxvBRqVgBA6Cno90Obr0sfse3zX0kEyGqKT5CYzkKG7Pgg4UKHoyv7HEjq45GP9teTD6GTmP_xNSoXxiWtzcj4IAu-RdUDbWKlAfSnPH/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adult Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3XJpCIoB69HUYBfxREdvLlnG76bzBwo9aoypqxvBRqVgBA6Cno90Obr0sfse3zX0kEyGqKT5CYzkKG7Pgg4UKHoyv7HEjq45GP9teTD6GTmP_xNSoXxiWtzcj4IAu-RdUDbWKlAfSnPH/s320/JuvChippingSparrow-2.jpg" title="Adult Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adult Chipping Sparrow © SB</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm5Tm0vv7clXhyphenhyphenYCYHd4dqybFBbzEbB7WazFGFpEW5-8Ic-qvNUkDmwr5b4i2B19yRPNQ7sU7Ud8a4VVzPei6uT58Bwv44iQaKkdd88Ei1-9Y8pVI0X5SNiJy0-hMLY8ChmGfyw1HmTn2/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm5Tm0vv7clXhyphenhyphenYCYHd4dqybFBbzEbB7WazFGFpEW5-8Ic-qvNUkDmwr5b4i2B19yRPNQ7sU7Ud8a4VVzPei6uT58Bwv44iQaKkdd88Ei1-9Y8pVI0X5SNiJy0-hMLY8ChmGfyw1HmTn2/s320/JuvChippingSparrow.jpg" title="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Juvenile Chipping Sparrow © SB</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy0EY8Fl2EUUrui142B24wubRRzTyRIdh7v_DCRhkrNJ41QfGs3X8Zj5ZDwe1rH6x3ZIVx8cC0l1zZm2tMZAutz9EE5aFkaidOJO8u4_um1tckg2dtOlUYsM1uHUCzDIEepRjwAwdmUWw/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adult and Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy0EY8Fl2EUUrui142B24wubRRzTyRIdh7v_DCRhkrNJ41QfGs3X8Zj5ZDwe1rH6x3ZIVx8cC0l1zZm2tMZAutz9EE5aFkaidOJO8u4_um1tckg2dtOlUYsM1uHUCzDIEepRjwAwdmUWw/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-7.jpg" title="Adult and Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Feeding time for the Chipping Sparrows © SB</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86MPIiOSCqFpwcXkzrS19wT4sQ_oEuEqA1HmxQJfOUjVOGeYxVxlY9wq2ld10Q24kIvwJ5zEHXkYG6Ba00YXP0YcMNbY4RR5J1F2ui03kVZqCFPoH0ow4VRC_YNg9lNPCyEY440F2jJET/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adult and Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86MPIiOSCqFpwcXkzrS19wT4sQ_oEuEqA1HmxQJfOUjVOGeYxVxlY9wq2ld10Q24kIvwJ5zEHXkYG6Ba00YXP0YcMNbY4RR5J1F2ui03kVZqCFPoH0ow4VRC_YNg9lNPCyEY440F2jJET/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-8.jpg" title="Adult and Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dependent and demanding! Chipping Sparrows. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraFpZwmFPJkEHmZF0GIbeDM9W_B-Emr6WZQzy6v1nn-H9d_qyNuX5rjHXQZOI6MXdbX9sT1OWR0dG1RpyjvSGT1RkM2SyutGR3jLi_YNk7aUNB-3PvpR7UbgJEFY2EziUhsyZ0lhl-T_N/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraFpZwmFPJkEHmZF0GIbeDM9W_B-Emr6WZQzy6v1nn-H9d_qyNuX5rjHXQZOI6MXdbX9sT1OWR0dG1RpyjvSGT1RkM2SyutGR3jLi_YNk7aUNB-3PvpR7UbgJEFY2EziUhsyZ0lhl-T_N/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-10.jpg" title="Juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brown speckled juvenile Chipping Sparrow © SB</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierHnz7VEEEOHsWVaWY86J1O-EYQBRYd4ieUj8fLTUIrAEzXcwls4t_BmYskITgEmduqFCXJ5El4OqKmJNVBnwniZ37y2wNd5jnVQB_Zq-mYKxOLLDjp3rI5WgzP93xtPcXXcvUhfxmeN6/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Adult Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierHnz7VEEEOHsWVaWY86J1O-EYQBRYd4ieUj8fLTUIrAEzXcwls4t_BmYskITgEmduqFCXJ5El4OqKmJNVBnwniZ37y2wNd5jnVQB_Zq-mYKxOLLDjp3rI5WgzP93xtPcXXcvUhfxmeN6/s1600/JuvChippingSparrow-3.jpg" title="Adult Chipping Sparrow. Copyright © Shelley Banks, All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Adult Chipping Sparrow - no, to streaks, and yes, to a red cap. © SB </i></td></tr>
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<b>What are these: </b><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Chipping+Sparrow" target="_blank">Chipping Sparrows</a> - an adult and a juvenile. (<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Chipping+Sparrow" target="_blank">Bruant familier</a>)</span><br />
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<b>Location:</b> Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. <br />
<b>Photo dates:</b> July 31 to August 2, 2016.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.48px;">~~~~~</span></div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-51546455955050817772016-08-17T16:25:00.000-06:002016-08-18T17:33:05.586-06:00Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrating though Regina, SK<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSfW9ojB8nljYJvDrt169krvObQWIF25cfMQ8zEEZWphK4qdExudY11nI7rjIqinF1w6YeaxtC4kn9kZxbMaP62scGFSxI41W5CweLyUfgVAd0MKzSvnbl06tL33a6X1XVtDBck4GZn0N/s1600/RubyThroat16-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSfW9ojB8nljYJvDrt169krvObQWIF25cfMQ8zEEZWphK4qdExudY11nI7rjIqinF1w6YeaxtC4kn9kZxbMaP62scGFSxI41W5CweLyUfgVAd0MKzSvnbl06tL33a6X1XVtDBck4GZn0N/s400/RubyThroat16-2.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, in my Regina, SK, backyard. © SB</i></td></tr>
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We were lucky again this year to see a <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Ruby-throated+Hummingbird" target="_blank">Ruby-throated Hummingbird</a> in our Regina, SK, backyard — and yes, we did see one, but only one! (So far? Will more come? The feeders are ready...)<br />
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This year's Hummingbird was a mature male, with a red throat that looks dark brown here, because of the angle of the light. Had I caught him on my sensor facing towards the sun, it would have glistened like, well, some would say, a bright ruby.<br />
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He arrived in the garden in the early morning, fed from cosmos and petunia flowers for a while, and then veered off over the trees, not to be seen again.<br />
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Last year, we had our first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and all were <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/2015/08/ruby-throated-hummingbirds-in-regina.html" target="_blank">juvenile males</a>, with only faint streaking on their throats. I'd like to think that this week's bird was one of those hummingbirds, come back again to visit on its way south.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKSuoZDqDfnz7F3zImpqu7bRr2mqONpgU3c6IhwyfUHeup_OWfeI3YzlMokPj02QMYnLZIKRSwl-i3MST-xQZJXFycxLQVkTgXVMZ28KnyUgLsO-cYxRkjRGFC9yc2SyBpWGiOUHDctGf/s1600/RubyThroat16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKSuoZDqDfnz7F3zImpqu7bRr2mqONpgU3c6IhwyfUHeup_OWfeI3YzlMokPj02QMYnLZIKRSwl-i3MST-xQZJXFycxLQVkTgXVMZ28KnyUgLsO-cYxRkjRGFC9yc2SyBpWGiOUHDctGf/s400/RubyThroat16.jpg" title="Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Copyright © Shelley Banks, all rights reserved." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of </i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">the male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, showing his throat. <br />(Really! This was red in the sunlight!) <br />In my Regina, SK, backyard. © SB</i></td></tr>
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I just wish it would have stayed longer!<br />
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Ah well. Maybe next year. (And maybe more will show up this year, too...)<br />
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<b>What is this?</b> A male <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Ruby-throated+Hummingbird" target="_blank">Ruby-throated Hummingbird</a> - <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Ruby-throated+Hummingbird" target="_blank">Colibri à gorge rubis</a><br />
<b>Location: </b>Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan<br />
<b>Photo date:</b> Regina: August 13, 2016.<br />
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~~~~~</div>
Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-50573214381822144342016-08-04T10:04:00.000-06:002016-09-11T16:16:32.923-06:00Common Nighthawk: neither nocturnal, nor a hawk<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9P76zUsQ19qnGLV-OJIGChrpyjrjg0jBddxrYQ0wn_b8HiB05uCKRW0bRTJ2IyladB3qQJZzHtoAXWX58gNq5zLAPsbaC5njfW-_V8vVOLiHa2h52wLKD1atZXivSkPXU3i5JWafGeKo/s1600/Nighthawk2016-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9P76zUsQ19qnGLV-OJIGChrpyjrjg0jBddxrYQ0wn_b8HiB05uCKRW0bRTJ2IyladB3qQJZzHtoAXWX58gNq5zLAPsbaC5njfW-_V8vVOLiHa2h52wLKD1atZXivSkPXU3i5JWafGeKo/s320/Nighthawk2016-3.jpg" title="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sunset, and the Common Nighthawk flies. © SB</i></td></tr>
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The <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Common+Nighthawk" target="_blank">Common Nighthawks</a> swept up from their rail fence roosts in the late afternoon to soar over the Frenchman River campground in search of insects.<br />
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And that was a very good thing, as there were perhaps 17 million mosquitoes per square inch that evening. And so the Nighthawks dined well. (Although perhaps less well than their voracious prey. Not that mosquitoes are overly fond of me, but I'm told by camping companions that they were vicious.) <br />
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During the days we stayed at Grasslands National Park, I came to love their eerie, sharp <i>Meemp, meemmp </i>calls, and to look forward to their booming dives. Or, maybe it's as they pull out of the dive that they boom. Regardless, this swift, slim birds can be startling LOUD!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQkC60cE8dtTpxWr9pOMU_QojjAYhw2QOgqHn1Pfkkm7qilgBw_x1Wiblg-fP19Cit5m9M3OgCEWmN8A2eFpFZnQM05ozvqDnD0XV2o5v9_bfxGnKslPlgJAZtqsz8MU6SBB43S8w05ZQ/s1600/Nighthawk2016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQkC60cE8dtTpxWr9pOMU_QojjAYhw2QOgqHn1Pfkkm7qilgBw_x1Wiblg-fP19Cit5m9M3OgCEWmN8A2eFpFZnQM05ozvqDnD0XV2o5v9_bfxGnKslPlgJAZtqsz8MU6SBB43S8w05ZQ/s1600/Nighthawk2016-2.jpg" title="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bark bird: A Common Nighthawk resting during the day on a rail fence. © SB</i></td></tr>
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To identify Common Nighthawks in their early morning and late afternoon flights, look for a dark form with a bright white stripe about one third of the way up from the tips of their wings. You might also notice the white V of neck feathers. </div>
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To identify Common Nighthawks during the day, cross your fingers and look for bumps on logs... Their bark-patterned feathers offer them excellent camouflage! </div>
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And despite their name, Common Nighthawks are neither strictly nocturnal, nor closely related to hawks. But they <i>are </i>fairly common, and can be found across North America.<br /><br /> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-ilg9fL4mfEi-irQAuxUyFEnWxu2AaBw3wuQ3LOAh_O7sYf2ySG_6Ho3ZCELyimb79Gz7JGG6RlDbq1uClyRnXWzxz_XKnEkeXf7ht4KQq4aGbNy76yXIW2R62KawPXWHyGYCg6NLwvU/s1600/Nighthawk2016-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-ilg9fL4mfEi-irQAuxUyFEnWxu2AaBw3wuQ3LOAh_O7sYf2ySG_6Ho3ZCELyimb79Gz7JGG6RlDbq1uClyRnXWzxz_XKnEkeXf7ht4KQq4aGbNy76yXIW2R62KawPXWHyGYCg6NLwvU/s1600/Nighthawk2016-5.jpg" title="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Common Nighthawk in flight © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjwCnescO5viKvy05lqmLNHRmw3PJBrcsXvrxOWs617xnla0MRKzn0JGQoXeTf9VheqwZBnqba_FKTv2UI2lxaG4QV2NuxRLAtl8Q6m6UWRdyMXVp2GCImzokVVlkJItJXl1MvagHO_Tc/s1600/Nighthawk2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjwCnescO5viKvy05lqmLNHRmw3PJBrcsXvrxOWs617xnla0MRKzn0JGQoXeTf9VheqwZBnqba_FKTv2UI2lxaG4QV2NuxRLAtl8Q6m6UWRdyMXVp2GCImzokVVlkJItJXl1MvagHO_Tc/s1600/Nighthawk2016.jpg" title="Common Nighthawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved. " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Daytime, and two Common Nighthawks rest on the fence <br />around the Frenchman River Campground at Grasslands National Park. © SB</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">What are these? </i>Common Nighthawks (<span style="line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Common+Nighthawk" target="_blank">Engoulevent d'Amérique</a></span><span style="color: #3d3d3d;">)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Location: </i>Frenchman River Campground, Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan.<br /><b><i>Photo date:</i></b> June 13 and 14, 2016.</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></i></div>
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Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1744397345665808155.post-9784311611994154572016-07-26T09:33:00.000-06:002016-09-11T09:56:06.646-06:00Because it's Summer - an immature Swainson's Hawk On the Canadian Prairies in summertime, we see lots of hawks — many of which are <a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Swainson%27s+Hawk" target="_blank">Swainson's Hawks</a>, large raptors in varying shades of brown and white that visit us from spring through fall, then soar off to winter in Argentina. (Or maybe it's Argentina that they visit? We both claim these birds as ours...) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMdONKUx0LsYcxr-OHoofXSV1q0nY6W3qAv-jbzeKlNxmMqFBVQCTYWttzHuzOLvq4RiDgdpgboGLeTa61DKtjMjFwod4tusSXlr7p68ePApZ_tOTCIWvcrJqfIWCHWic2aOMxG3wlVD0/s1600/Swainson%2527s-Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Swainson's Hawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMdONKUx0LsYcxr-OHoofXSV1q0nY6W3qAv-jbzeKlNxmMqFBVQCTYWttzHuzOLvq4RiDgdpgboGLeTa61DKtjMjFwod4tusSXlr7p68ePApZ_tOTCIWvcrJqfIWCHWic2aOMxG3wlVD0/s1600/Swainson%2527s-Hawk.jpg" title="Swainson's Hawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Immature Swainson's Hawk - just another prairie fence post bird... © SB</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe1jRCgIa-vjGF3oPOverZVOoAYB7-gzwSFyeh1ctBeuZR9mNVF-Jol43Ftvj09dNX2A6b2jJKdj_zDwGdPUAPVzKtpVSfwHiUhtYfktZhMV5OcyGDGhArDB9u1hsxgLrxbJxHTTmYdTh/s1600/Swainson%2527s-Hawk-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Swainson's Hawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOe1jRCgIa-vjGF3oPOverZVOoAYB7-gzwSFyeh1ctBeuZR9mNVF-Jol43Ftvj09dNX2A6b2jJKdj_zDwGdPUAPVzKtpVSfwHiUhtYfktZhMV5OcyGDGhArDB9u1hsxgLrxbJxHTTmYdTh/s1600/Swainson%2527s-Hawk-2.jpg" title="Swainson's Hawk. Copyright © Shelley Banks. All Rights Reserved." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swainson's Hawk takes off. © SB</i></td></tr>
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I photographed this young Swainson's Hawk several years ago. I'm told that it would have been about one year old at the time I took these pictures, which show it moulting into its second generation feathers. (Apparently Swainson's are the only North American buteo with an immature plumage in their second year, somewhere between juvenile and adult. The things you learn from <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatsthisbird/" target="_blank">What's this Bird? </a></i>With thanks to the American Birding Association for that Facebook group!)<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is this? </b>A young Swainson's Hawk <span style="font-family: inherit;">(</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://prairienature.blogspot.ca/search?q=Swainson%27s+Hawk" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Buse de Swainson</a>)</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Location:</b> South of Chaplin, Saskatchewan, in/near the <a href="http://www.chaplintourism.com/shorebirdsgallery.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve</a>.<br /><b>Photo date:</b> </span>June 29, 2012<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~~~~~</span></div>
</span>Shelley Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04884586311645350859noreply@blogger.com0