Let Me Tell You About the Birds and the Bees and the Flowers and the Trees

DThille

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Only a couple photos from yesterday...both of these would have been better had I had the long lens on the camera. When I first headed out into the garden area, I spooked two whitetail deer.

20220902DSC_0505Whitetail.jpg

If you look carefully, you should be able to spot what they were named for (edge of field more or less below the double pole).

20220902DSC_0550Sparrow.jpg

I believe this is most likely a song sparrow. This photo really puts my trellis fence in a bad light.

I found a frog when I was digging a hill of potatoes...I didn't see it at first, but felt it and saw movement as I was feeling around for potatoes...that's slightly disarming. I was too slow to get a photo of a bee in a squash blossom.
 

Mandy Onderwater

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That's beautiful!
I bet that the frog gave you quite a fright - I know it'd do that to me, haha. I did have a mini-heartattack when I was digging over some soil in a large pot and I ran into large grub. Gave me the heebie jeebies.
 

DThille

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A bit of an exciting day today in the country.

20221002DSC_0722Raptor.jpg

When I pulled up this fellow was hanging out. I'm quite certain it's a merlin.

20221002DSC_0757Goldfinch.jpg

I'd thought the goldfinches had already flown the coop for warmer climes.

20221002DSC_0760Bird.jpg

Sparrows drive me batty trying to identify.

20221002DSC_0761Bird.jpg

Same bird, different pose.

20221002DSC_0725Beetle.jpg

This beetle was in the house...I haven't attempted to identify yet, but thought it looked neat and also thought it belonged outside rather than in the house.
 

DThille

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So the prior images were confirmed as a savanna sparrow.

20221005DSC_0779WhiteThroatedSparrow.jpg

I was out to the country yesterday to finish digging potatoes and there were a number of white-throated sparrows flitting about.

20221005DSC_0777WhiteThroatedSparrow.jpg

I'm hiding...that does make it rather difficult to get a good focus with the camera...I need to review the camera documentation to resolve taking clear photos of twigs and leaves when I want the bird as the focal point.
 

DThille

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Here's a few photos from yesterday.

20221008DSC_0808BlueJay.jpg

Blue jay.

20221008DSC_0812SavannaSparrow.jpg

Savanna sparrow.

20221008DSC_0816SparrowSilhouette.jpg

Looking a different direction, with the sun creating a bit of a silhouette shot.

20221008DSC_0817SparrowSilhouette.jpg


20221008DSC_0821NestSparrowFlight.jpg


20221008DSC_0822Junco.jpg

Dark-eyed junco.

It's definitely autumn here. We get enough wind at the country place that many of the trees have lost all their leaves.
 

DThille

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This wasn't quite at the property...we stopped on the shoulder of the highway within eyesight of our buildings...definitely within 2 km. I'd seen a flock of snow geese on Friday, so when they were there this morning and we had the camera with us, I wanted to ensure to take a few shots.

20221030DSC_0844Geese.jpg

When I was looking more closely, I saw some Canada geese in the photo as well. There's probably around 300 birds in this front section of the photo (note two other groups in the distance).

20221030DSC_0848Geese.jpg

Put on the long lens so we could get something a bit better.

20221030DSC_0849Geese.jpg

There are two colour morphs of snow geese - white and blue. At one point I think they were considered different species or the blue a subspecies, but the Merlin bird ID app (Cornell School of Ornithology) notes they are morphs.

We only see these during migration season - they nest in the far north.
 

DThille

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Nearby. They glean as they migrate...it's pretty far so presumably they feed as they go.
 

DThille

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20221212DSC_0912_36HouseSparrows.jpg

House sparrows...I'm not particularly keen on feeding these guys.
 

DThille

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I counted 36 in the one photo....
 

DThille

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I wouldn't expect the house sparrows to damage anything per se. I just don't want to spend money on seed for them. There are sunflowers and other plants with seeds standing in the cover crop section of the property and they are well above the snow line yet.

20221219DSC_0924Partridges.jpg


20221219DSC_0923SinglePartridge.jpg

Not the greatest quality as I took the photo through the truck window on arrival today and it didn't take long for me to start fogging it up once the truck was shut off. These are gray partridges. I scared up a larger covey behind the house (at least a dozen) but my glasses were foggy at that point so I couldn't get a good count.
 

DThille

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These guys will hunker down in the snow...it's a great insulator. Like grouse, they will basically bury themselves...which means you need to be prepared for a heart attack should you happen upon them and startle them into flight.
 

Mandy Onderwater

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Very true! I've made "bunkers" in the snow when I was a kid. Provided a great windbreak too. We don't get quite the amounts you do though. On a particularly "bad" winter, it'll be below the knees still.
Enough for some amazing snowmen though. We tried to make those no matter how little snow we had. Sometimes I miss it
 
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