Pine Grosbeaks - A Glimpse of Scarlet Winter Birds

Male Pine Grosbeak, taking a break from feeding on crabapples. © SB  

As winter ends, a memory of one
of the most beautiful birds I saw this season: A male Pine Grosbeak feeding on frozen crabapples in an old orchard.

We'd been watching the flock for days, hoping to see a mature male in all his scarlet glory, but for days, he eluded us. (Was there really only one? We saw many females and/or immature males, with their far less vibrant colouring.) Finally, one evening, he appeared; word quickly spread, and the cameras came out.

These birds, as the Audubon field guide says, are "often absurdly tame." I took the pictures of the red Pine Grosbeak through a gap in a windbreak wall of spruce trees, and yes, it saw me, but appeared barely curious. A quick glance, then a return to what mattered: eating the fruit at his feet.

The female Pine Grosbeaks tend to be more beige or gray overall, with golden highlight feathers on the head and back... Immature males, the same, except that some may also sport brighter orange feathers. I'm not sure I can tell the difference, though I'd tend to call the brighter birds, males. (Birds.Cornell.edu has some comparative shots, though the author of that page was also less than confident in the distinctions.)

These are large birds of the boreal forest — significantly bigger than the House Finches that frequent my backyard bird feeders. All About Birds calls them the rarest of winter finches, and says they periodically make winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States. I understand that the colouring of the males may vary through shades of pink, but ours was most definitely scarlet.

I'm going to guess that this one is a female Pine Grosbeak -
though it could equally be an immature male. ©SB

Male Pine Grosbeak in the crapapple, at right;
immature male or female on the ground, at left. ©SB

I'd call this an immature male, making the transition to full scarlet feathers.
Not only are his head and back bright, but there are a few scarlet
feathers already dotting his chest. ©SB

What are these? Pine Grosbeaks — Durbec des sapins.

Location: Near Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Photo dates: Top three: February 17 - 19, 2016; bottom: November 14, 2014. 

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Baltimore Orioles in Regina: High in Wascana Park Trees

Baltimore Oriole near the tree top. © SB 

High in Regina trees near sunset last night, I saw five Baltimore Orioles — four males, one female.

(Perhaps there were more female Baltimore Orioles, but they are not as easy to see, being a soft yellow rather than the fiery torch orange of the males — a colour that's even brighter in red sun rays.)

I was at Wascana Park, Regina, Saskatchewan, in and around the bird pond by the Conexus Arts Centre, and what a gathering of birds!

Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Robins, a Brown Thrasher, three kinds of Warblers (Yellow, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crested), various sparrow and lots of Red-winged Blackbirds.

But the Baltimore Orioles were my favourite, live energy glowing and crackling at the tops of the tree! I love that orange flash!

Baltimore Oriole feeding
on (insects in?) old leaves. © SB 

Baltimore Oriole - male. © SB 

Baltimore Oriole - female.  © SB 

A reader posted to say that these birds are called Northern Orioles... Perhaps in some places, but recent printings of my guides continue to use the name, Baltimore Orioles. 

Cornell's All About Birds has this to say:

"The Baltimore Oriole hybridizes extensively with the Bullock's Oriole where their ranges overlap in the Great Plains. The two species were considered the same for a while and called the Northern Oriole, but in the 1990s, after genetic studies, they were separated again."

So, Baltimore Oriole is the name I'm using here. 


What are there? Baltimore Orioles
Location: Wascana Park, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  

Photo date: May 18, 2013.

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Baltimore Oriole: Improbably, brilliantly orange

I've seen very few Baltimore Orioles this season — only two, in fact: first, the improbably, brilliantly orange and black bird in this photograph, taken in Saskatchewan's Qu'Appelle Valley; and second, an equally vibrantly orange bird, high in a tree in Regina's Wascana Park.

Baltimore Orioles summer and breed here, but so far, the specialized oriole feeder we bought is not doing its job: Not a single oriole has been sighted in or near our yard.

I was startled when this bird landed on a post beside me;
such a brilliant colour!  © SB

What is this bird? A Baltimore Oriole
Location: In the Qu'Appelle Valley, on the road from Rte 99 over to the little church near Craven, Saskatchewan. 

Photo date:  May 25, 2012. 

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Orange Skipper Butterflies on Purple Flowers

Skipper butterfly feeding on flowers
(Note the long proboscis sipping)  © SB 

Tiny skipper butterflies fed on wildflowers and rested in the grass beside Wascana Creek in Regina last week.

Skippers as a group are easy to identify because their furry bodies are so large in proportion to their wings, at least compared to many other butterflies.

They are also very small — overall, these butterflies are less than an inch long. They were tricky to snap pictures of because they rarely paused long as they skipped from blossom to blossom.

There are many different kinds of skippers, and I'm not really sure what kind sips from our Regina flowers. 

However, the dark rim and markings on their wings look like Delaware Skippers. (Here's their range map, and yes, it includes Saskatchewan.) Perhaps someone who knows will comment here. 

Skipper butterfly on a stalk of grass  © SB

Top view, Skipper butterfly   © SB

What are these?  Skipper butterflies on alfalfa or wild purple vetch. (Perhaps Delaware Skippers.) 

Location: Along Wascana Creek, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Photo date: July 5 and 6, 2012.  

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