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~ For people who are passionate about respecting the earth, walking in nature, observing wildlife, local diet, making do, repurposing, organic gardening, foraging for wild plants and fungi, natural health, scrumptious healthy cooking, renovations, DIY, crafting, raising children simply and mindfully, taking time for stillness, and living in harmony with the seasons.

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Category Archives: birds

pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in birds

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Tags

Alberta birds, Alberta woodpecker, birds, Dryocopus pileatus, pileated woodpecker, woodpecker, Yellow List

pileated woodpecker3

At last, a pileated woodpecker came to visit and stayed long enough for me to get a few photographs with my camera. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos but it is difficult getting a vibrant shot on a very grey day… especially when one is indoors and photographing through a window! Until I get a proper zoom lens, quietly and patiently waiting at the dining room window is a strategy that gets me closer to many of these shy and elusive birds than I might otherwise get.


I love pileated woodpeckers- they are definitely one of my favorite birds and not because I grew up watching Woody Woodpecker! They are just such unusual birds with their ‘punk rocker hair’, and their huge size gives them a presence that demands respect. I also like their call, which to me sounds like a monkey in the jungle. Often in the summer when I am gardening I will hear one long before I spot him/her in a nearby tree.

pileated woodpeckerPileated woodpeckers are Alberta’s largest woodpecker. According to my Field Guide to Alberta’s Birds, they prefer “older, mature, dense canopied forests, particularly mixed and deciduous woods where there are large, dead or dying trees for nesting. They are rarely found in burns or areas of downed timber.”

Pileated woodpeckers can be seen all year round in Alberta. Although their population is considered stable, they are on the Alberta’s Yellow List as their preferred habitat of old growth forests is deteriorating.

pileated woodpeacker2

This unique bird is one that can never be confused with another here in Alberta. It’s unique head shape, size and striking colors set it apart from other Albertan woodpeckers. Once you’ve seen your first one, you may find yourself hooked and searching the forests for another encounter. These are truly magnificent birds!

pileated woodpecker1

Resource:
McGillivray, W. B., & Semechuk, G. P. (1998). The Federation of Alberta Naturalists Field Guide to Alberta Birds. Edmonton, AB: The Federation of Alberta Naturalists.

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the joy of feeding the birds

16 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in birds

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Tags

birds, bohemian waxwings, boreal chickadee, chickadee, Common Redpoll, dark-eyed junco, Downy Woodpecker, evening grosbeak, hairy woodpecker, nuthatch, pine grosbeak, purple finch, winter birds

Downy Wood Pecker1One thing that I do appreciate about the cold winter months is that I spend more time indoors in front of the dining room window. I usually set up my laptop on the table there and write for hours, pausing every now and then to watch the birds while working out an idea. There is almost always activity at the feeders and every so often I am rewarded with a sighting of a new bird that I have never seen before. That’s when I get excited, jump up, reach for the camera and watch the new bird(s) for as long as they choose to stick around. Later, I attempt to identity the bird using my Field Guide to Alberta Birds and then pencil in the date and the bird in my birding journal.

Here are some Bohemian Waxwings. They ignore the feeders but love the berries on the Hawthorn tree. I also get Cedar Waxwings coming through to stop for a snack on this tree. These birds fly in large flocks and are power-eaters: they can eat every berry on a large tree in mere minutes.

Bohemian WaxwingsNext are some Evening Grosbeaks. These are one of my favorite birds. I love their yellow feathers, large size and powerful beaks. They also ignore the feeders but love the Hawthorn berries.

Evening Grosbeak1Next is a Pine Grosbeak. They are winter visitors so I enjoy them while I can. I love the brilliant red color in the winter.

Pine GrosbeakI think the two birds below are purple finches. Please correct me if I am wrong. I am going by their white underparts. Gorgeous birds!

Purple FinchNext are some Common Redpolls. These are also winter visitors and they travel in large flocks. They are tiny little things, about the size of a chickadee, and the males have the showiest colors while the females tend to be brown. They love the thistle in my finch feeder.

Common RedpollsHere is another Common Redpoll sharing this feeder with a Downy Woodpecker.

Common Redpoll and Downy Wood Pecker

Chickadee dee deeAbove is a Chickadee (dee dee). These little creatures are so cheerful and friendly. Last spring, I was cross country skiing and had briefly stopped on the trail. Two little chickadees flew right up close to me and landed on a nearby tree. They kept cocking their little heads and staring at me expectantly so I took off my mitten and reached out to them. One by one they took turns landing on my hand and got an even closer look at me. Then they flew away. It was a magical moment.

Below is a White-breasted Nuthatch. I also see Red-breasted Nuthatches as well. They love the suet and I call them the acrobats because they are the only birds that I’ve seen so far that are as comfortable upside down as they are right-side up.

Whitebreasted NuthatchBelow is a Hairy Woodpecker. This is not a very good shot but they look just like Downy Woodpeckers only twice the size and they have huge, long beaks.
Hairy Woodpecker

Dark eyed JuncoAbove is a Dark-eyed Junco. I have only seen this bird once or twice. Below is a Boreal Chickadee, another personal favorite of mine as they are so shy and pretty.

I’ve seen many other birds that have been too quick to catch on film, including Pileated Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, brown-headed cowbirds, a pheasant, a Northern Saw-Whet Owl and a Great Horned Owl. I also see Blue Jays on the tree quite regularly. Huge ravens fly around but have never visited the feeder or the Hawthorn tree. Once there was six woodpeckers on the tree at one time: four Downy Woodpeckers and two Hairy Woodpeckers. It was a woodpecker convention!

You just never know what you’re going to see out there. Whether you have feeders set up or not, winter is a fantastic time for birding. There are many species that only travel through Alberta at this time of the year. So as you are walking or skiing or even taking a break while snowmobiling, take a look around and find out who is watching you!

Boreal Chickadee

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recent encounters with winged ones

16 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in birds, butterflies, cabin living, wild life

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Arctic Fritillary buttery, Boloria chariclea, dragonfly, hawk, orange butterfly, red dragonfly, ruby throated humming bird, turqouise dragonfly

Each day that I live out here is full of close encounters with wild plants, insects, and animals. Each day, I never know what I will see or bump into. Some of these encounters are rare (like the Great Horned owl last fall or the tiny Norther Saw Whet owl, the size of my hand, this winter), and some are daily encounters (hawks, a wide variety of birds at the feeder, frogs, deer). Often, I do not have my camera handy or am too slow. But sometimes I am lucky and can capture the image. Whenever I can, I will share these encounters with you and we can enjoy the beauty of our natural world together. Today, I will share a few shots of winged ones taken just this week…

An Arctic Fritillary buttery (Boloria chariclea), adding a splash of color to my morning…

A ruby throated hummingbird at rest just outside the diningroom window (near the picnic table). I see them everyday as they love my flowers, but I have never seen one perched and at rest before. They are so tiny!

There are two hawks that live in the field where Lucy and I hike twice a day. I am not sure exactly what kind of hawk as I only get a good look at them when they are flying overhead and my field guides show them perched from the side. Most days, the hawks fly up and cry out as Lucy and I walk underneath their nesting tree. They are so huge that I once mistook one of them for a Great Horned Owl (from a distance). I made up a song in thier honor and sing it for them every time I see them:

Oh, kihew, oh kihew, you are chosen by Creator

to carry our messages up through the smudge smoke

I honor you this day and treasure your existence

may your children be blessed to the seventh generation

Here is a little sharp-tailed grouse. They are sometimes close to the trail and Lucy and I have startled them twice this week. There are four young ones. I got a good look at mama when she flew towards me to distract me from her babies. Lucy was good and left them alone.

There are also thousands of small red and large turquoise dragonflies that fill the evening skies on our walks. They dive and bomb and swirl around me, feasting on the misquitoes that my body attracts.

Enjoy your day, everyone!

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