November birds

Today after putting out the feed in the feeder and ground my yard was inundated with birds. The two on the branch are Rusty Blackbirds.  They have such a wonderful call.  Along with the blackbirds were Stellar Jays, European Starlings, Towhees, California Quail....yes it was a plethora of birds, such a wonderful sight to behold and to hear.

My husband and I were in Victoria watching my daughters field hockey game when this bird caught our attention. It appears they are Osprey nesting on the field lamps. It was fascinating watching them go back and forth to feed their young, totally oblivious to the humans below.

I think this is a Cedar Waxwing
Apparently they eat insects but are very fond of fruit and berries and have been known to expire from alcohol poisoning due to fermented fruits. They are a year-round resident on Vancouver Island.

Ducks....

The other day I was out walking and came across these birds. It would appear they are Buffleheads, males and female. The males are the one's with more white, the females have a white patch on the side of their head. This photo was taken Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island.

Partridge or Grouse?

Today hubby and I were making our way into town, when we noticed a vehicle pulled over to the side of the road and a bird was in the middle of the road. We slowed down and then pulled over.

The woman looked like she was trying to capture the bird, we weren't sure if it was hers or if there was a problem with the bird. So hubby went to see if he could help. I on the other hand decided to get out the camera.

Here she almost caught it with her jacket...but this bird was quick. We have a Wildlife Bird Sanctuary not far from us and had it been hurt that was were she was thinking of taking it. Well I don't' think this bird was hut....just lost.Here it made it's way back to the middle of the road.....hubby and the lady tried to guide it.....

There's hubby guiding it off the road.....then guess what....

This bird decided to fly right up onto the back of my truck!!!

After doing some research I am still perplexed. I think this might be a Blue Grouse, which is considered abundant in these areas but generally are found in mid to high mountain terrain. Any suggestions?

A mountain bird

Whiskey Jack

At the beginning of February a couple of my girlfriends and I went snowshoeing. It was a glorious sunny day. We had stopped just to take in the sights when these little guys started flying overhead. We had some seed snack so my friend put some in her hand and viola. These birds are Whiskey Jacks. They were really friendly birds...something tells me that we weren't the only ones who fed them.

Clark's Nutcatcher

It's been awhile since I have made a post on my bird blog. I unfortunately haven't had much time to get out to do any birding. Today, without even trying my hubby and I spotted this bird on our property. It was around 4:30 when I arrived home and saw this bird in my driveway. Later that evening my husband tells me he spotted a new bird and had photos of it on our camera. Well what a pleasant surprise. It turns out we both were looking at the same bird.

This bird is an obscure bird for our area. Apparently these birds only make it our to the Pacific Coast about every 15 years when the pines fail to produce enough seed.

These are considered a scavenger bird making birds eggs and nestlings as part of their diet. The also eat suet from feeders, and insects. They are generally found in coniferous forests in mountains.

Happy Birding all!!

Brown-Headed Cowbird (male)

These are rather interesting birds and I am not so sure after reading about them that I like the idea of having them around. They say cowbirds historically would follow the bison, feeding off the insects that associated with the huge herds. Since their food source was mobile, these birds divised a way of raising a family without having to settle down. They would deposite their eggs in other birds' nests, they found other species would raise their offspring at the deterement of their own eggs. No longer capable of making their own nest, cowbirds rely completely on other birds to raise their young. They prey upon species that had no previous contact with them and thus have added another pressure to songbirds that are struggling to survive(Birds of Coastal British Columbia, by Nancy Baron & John Acorn).

Golden-Crowned Sparrow