First Snow Halloween

In keeping with the horror of the season, our shrike showed up today and cleared the yard. After a few moments, he left and after a bit, the birds returned, including 3 stellars jays, and our brown creeper. It's snowing presently, not a lot but - first snow of the season. Cold enough, just barely.

Late Fall

This past week we have seen our downy and Hairy woodpeckers almost daily, plus three sightings of our brown creeper. Nothing else unusual in our yard. A sighting of 5 swans at the golf course lake. No snow here yet.

If You Happen to Look --

Yesterday afternoon, I just happened to walk into the kitchen and look out the window in time to see our sharp-shinned hawk swoop around and land in our backyard on the pathway, sit there for a moment, later I realized he was "mantling" - and then lift off with a tiny varmint in his claws, it all happened so fast I did not have time to grab binoculars and look. It might have been a vole or mouse in his claws. Took place in a matter of seconds.

Earlier yesterday we saw our spruce grouse resident flying from one spruce to another, and eventually into the spruces right above our backdoor feeder. I saw the hairy woodpecker as well as the downy. Also saw a couple of juncos, and our old faithful chickadee troop as well as nuthatches, stellars' jays and gray jays.

Early this morning, we heard a big flock of geese flying over.

Woodpecker Duo

Have been seeing our Downy and Hairy Woodpecker males around. This morning, the Hairy male sat at our water drinking station, sipping away, and while he sat there, the Downy approached and flew away, as did two Gray Jays. The Hairy was dominant in his size and being there first, I guess. We have been seeing several magpies, as well as one injured, crippled one a few days ago, who looked to be on his last legs and since that one day, we have not seen him again. Lots of black-capped chickadees, boreal chickadees, nuthatches, a few siskins altho not too many, Stellars Jays and Gray Jays. It's much less busy out there in the last week. Lately have not seen any juncos, maybe for about 3-4 days. It's possible they have left our area. We had a big storm come through here this past weekend, lots of rain and some wind, snow in the higher elevations. Probably was a good weather indicator for the birds to leave.

Our friend on the Moose River reported 37 swans this morning. The rivers have been high but apparently the swans are enjoying their stopover.

Dawn Visitors

Early this morning, the rising sun lit up the underside of a northern harrier that flew up and over our yard, it was completely rosy-pinkish underneath, swooping over our dark spruces. We also had an early morning visit from a hairy woodpecker. Gray jays came in for a snack, as did nuthatches and boreal and black-capped chickadees.