Prairie Nature

When Cackling Geese landed on the waterfowl display pond in Regina's Wascana Park recently, I thought they were Canada Geese . But when they swam closer, I realized that despite the similar mark...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/12/cackling-goose-like-canada-but-smaller.html

It's a delight to see a male Brewer's Blackbird  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 ...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/brewers-blackbirds-iridescent-with.html

Gray Catbird, singing its hoarse cat-like song. © SB During one of my regular, but long-ago, walks along Wascana Creek, I saw a Gray Catbird . I understand that they're not uncommon in Regi...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/gray-catbird-along-wascana-creek-in.html

When I see the range map for the Gray Jay , I can understand why the Canadian Geographic magazine has declared that the Gray Jay should be Canada's National Bird. This seriously is a Canadian bi...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/gray-jay-canadas-national-northern-bird.html

Yes, we have Marsh Wrens 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...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/marsh-wren-on-wetland-cattail-in-marsh.html

What I know is that this little bird is a Flycatcher . 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 Wil...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/flycatchers-alder-or-willow-regina-sk.html

I was lucky — or perhaps not, given the quality of the photograph — to catch a picture of a Golden-crowned Kinglet in the underbrush at Regina's A.E. Wilson Park this month. It was with a gr...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/golden-crowned-kinglet-at-ae-wilson-park.html

Swainson's Thrush 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...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/swainsons-thrush-rare-backyard-regina.html

This summer, I saw several Greater Yellowlegs , 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. Wil...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/greater-yellowlegs-regina-sk-shorebird.html

I've never seen a breeding Palm Warbler 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...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/11/palm-warbler-minus-red-crown-plus.html

Startle an American Bittern , 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 t...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/10/american-bittern-make-like-reed-and.html

I continue to be amazed by the varieties of Sparrows we see here in Saskatchewan. And so today, a Grasshopper Sparrow , singing its insect-like buzzing song at Grasslands National Park. One o...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/10/grasshopper-sparrow-crown-stripe-and.html

I decided to go birding through my photo files and discovered this American Redstart , a small warbler that dropped in to visit our Regina, SK, backyard a few years ago. It stayed only a few minu...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/yellow-and-gray-immature-male-american.html

Looking through my photos from the summer, I found this shot of a Cedar Waxwing . What a perfect match between the yellow tips of its tail and the yellow Caragana flowers of its perch. There was ...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/cedar-waxwing-in-caragana-blossoms.html

Juvenile Cedar Waxwing  © SB On a birding walk through Regina's Lakeshore Park, we saw a large flock of Cedar Waxwings with many juveniles, all softly wheezing in the trees. I hadn't seen...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/juvenile-cedar-waxwings-in-reginas.html

American Coots  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...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/three-stages-of-american-coots-in.html

I photographed this juvenile American White Pelican  in a local lake when I visited with a group of birders from Nature Regina earlier this month. This looks like the great outdoors, but thi...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/juvenile-american-pelican-near-my.html

These are seriously the feet and toes of an American Coot, even though they strongly resemble the segments of my Thanksgiving Cactus.   © SB I had no idea that Big Foot was a bird — until...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/american-coot-big-foot-on-loose-in.html

Ross's Goose flying over a park in Regina, SK  © SB A small flock of geese circled the park — all brown, except for one white Ross's Goose. And colour wasn't the only difference: The Ros...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/rosss-goose-flying-with-canada-geese.html

I've always thought of Northern Flickers 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...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/mud-digging-northern-flickers-wascana.html

Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting in the lilac trees between feedings. © SB I was planning to put away the hummingbird feeder when I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird buzz by it. So I refilled...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/09/immature-ruby-throated-hummingbird.html

Juvenile Chipping Sparrow in the garden sprinkler  We had several new-to-us young birds this summer, including a juvenile Chipping Sparrow with fresh baby bird feathers that differ just eno...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/08/juvenile-chipping-sparrow-new-baby-bird.html

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, in my Regina, SK, backyard.  © SB We were lucky again this year to see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in our Regina, SK, backyard — and yes, we did see one, ...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/08/ruby-throated-hummingbirds-migrating.html

Sunset, and the Common Nighthawk flies. © SB The Common Nighthawks swept up from their rail fence roosts in the late afternoon to soar over the Frenchman River campground in search of insec...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/08/common-nighthawk-neither-nocturnal-nor.html

On the Canadian Prairies in summertime, we see lots of hawks — many of which are Swainson's Hawks , large raptors in varying shades of brown and white that visit us from spring through fall, th...

http://prairienature.blogspot.com/2016/07/because-its-summer-immature-swainsons.html