Thursday, August 29, 2013

Horned Larks in Prairie Dog Town, Grasslands National Park

Horned Larks and Long-billed Curlews saunter through Black-tailed Prairie Dog towns in the early morning, even before the Prairie Dogs are up and playing. (What attracts these birds? Bugs? Droppings, which lead to bugs?)

First, a clear shot of a Horned Lark on a fence post, taken along a southern Saskatchewan road last summer.

Fence post sentinel, a male Horned Lark along a rural Saskatchewan road. © SB
And, second, a shot of a Horned Lark in Grasslands National Park, perched on the entry to... Yes, a Black-tailed Prairie Dog burrow.

Standing guard - Horned Lark in the Prairie Dog town. © SB

Burrowing Owls are also among the birds drawn to these towns — they borrow old burrows as nests. 

What are these birds? Horned Larks
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada (In Grasslands National Park, and along a rural road.)
Photo date: June 29, 2012, and June 25, 2013.   Prairie Passages Tour

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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Western Willet in Grasslands National Park

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

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

Western Willet. © Shelley Banks, 2013, all rights reserved.
Western Willet watching us, and watching its young fledgling. © SB 
Young Western Willet. © Shelley Banks, 2013, all rights reserved.
Fledgling Western Willet, hiding in the grass. Gotta love camouflage. © SB 

What are these birds? An adult and a young Western Willet - Chevalier semipalmé
Location: Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada Prairie Passages Tour
Photo date: June 26, 2013. 

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Cedar Waxwing Courting Ritual: Pass the Insect

It's my bug, but if you love me,
you can have it... © SB
I recently saw several Cedar Waxwings near Regina, Saskatchewan, which reminded me of a courting ritual I saw this spring...

Pass the Insect.

The ritual began when a Cedar Waxwing with a bug in its beak attracted the attention of a second Cedar Waxwing, which flew down to land on the branch beside it.

The two birds then proceeded to pass the bug back and forth for several minutes until (I think) one of them ate it. All About Birds says they'll do the same with other small items, such as fruit or petals. 

Copyright (c) Shelley Banks; all rights reserved.
Birds in Motion! Cedar Waxwings courting/feeding in an endless loop.. 
And now, in slo-mo...

The bug lure is working... The second Cedar Waxwing is landing... © SB
The bug changes beaks. © SB
Um, yum! A bug - Cedar Waxwing love. © SB
Time to share the bug love again. © SB
Back to the beginning. Start again. © SB



What are these bird? Cedar Waxwings.
Location: Condie Nature Refuge, near Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada  
Photo date: May 28, 2012.

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Cedar Waxwings - with and without Wax-Tipped Wings

At times, Cedar Waxwings' red waxy wingtips seem to be missing — a young bird, perhaps — or simply difficult to see.

Although Cedar Waxwings seem unfinished without the bright identifiers that give them their name, even without them, these birds remain very distinctive, with their black masks and flying head feathers.

Here's a look at a wax-free Cedar Waxwing, and one with bright red wax on its wings.

One of a group of five or six Cedar Waxwings,
none of which sported visible wax.   © SB

Ah, much more bird-book-cliché!
A Cedar Waxwing, with waxy wings! 
© SB

What is this bird? Cedar Waxwing
Location: Near Regina, Saskatchewan. (First picture, along Seven Bridges Road near Lumsden; second, at Condie Nature Refuge.) 
Photo dates:  First, July 29, 2013; second, May 28, 2013.  

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Monday, August 5, 2013

Baird's Sparrow in Grasslands National Park

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

Towards the left, the Baird's Sparrow © SB

What is this bird? A Baird's Sparrow 
Location: Grasslands National Park, near Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Prairie Passages Tour
Photo date:  June 26, 2013.

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

Western Kingbirds: Grey and Yellow Flycatchers near Regina

Fencepost with Western Kingbird  © SB
Today, a few pictures of Western Kingbirds — attractive yellow and grey flycatchers.

At this time of year, I've taken to calling them grid road birds, because that's where I see usually Western Kingbirds in Saskatchewan.

(Yes, right on the gravel, looking for bugs. My photographs, though, show them on fences and trees, as that's where the Western Kingbirds fly when I drive by.)

The first time I noticed Western Kingbirds, I was surprised by how bright their lemony yellow bellies are. And for me, that's their most noticeable characteristic. The bird guides, though, also talk about their white tail edges — which may disappear when worn, as well as their robin-like flight, dark lores, and short, square-tipped tails.

Western Kingbird on barbed wire, showing off its white tail feathers © SB
Western Kingbird on alert, waiting for me to drive on by. © SB

What are these bird? Western Kingbirds.
Location: Around Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada  
Photo date: First photograph, July 31, 2013; second, June 29, 2012; third, July 26, 2012.

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