Nova Scotia or Maine or nowhere?

It's been a year since I last saw the ocean. The Nova Scotia trip for last June had to be cancelled because Canada closed the border. It's still closed. Will it open again before June I wonder. If not maybe we'll get up to Maine which will be fine. Heres one from Schoodic Point in Acadia NP 2017.

 

Not a Lark or a Snow Bunting in sight.

 Very bright this morning and rather than taking even more photos of the Larks and Snow Buntings I thought how I've been neglecting the yard birds. Yesterday I set up a couple of new perches one out West and one out East where the Red-breasted Nuthatch hangs out. This morning I got set up at the West side and first bird was the American Tree Sparrow which was nice. Heres a few from this morning.

American Goldfinch

American Tree Sparrow

Blue Jay

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird

Mourning Dove

Last one's unless it snows again.

It's going to get up to 53f on Saturday with rain so most of the snow will disappear. Here's one more Snow Bunting and Horned Lark unless we get more snow. No sign of the Lapland Longspurs, perhaps it's getting too warm for them down here.

Horned lark

Snow Bunting

Nice light down the lane.

At 6am when the herd began pounding the bedroom door wanting their breakfast I immediately checked the sky. Sure enough a glow on the horizon so it looked promising for the field birds down the lane. Wasn't long before I grabbed the bins and camera and was heading up there.When I pulled up there were about 50 or so Horned Larks and about 10 or so Snow Buntings feeding on the seed I put out yesterday. When I pulled up on the opposite side of the road they flew off about 50 yards away as they do when ever a car goes past. I spread some sunflower kernels as they would not be too noticeable on the snow. They came back as soon as I hopped back in the car. The Snow Buntings are always among the first to filter back giving me a chance to get some isolated shots. I was up there about 1/2 hour and several cars and a tractor came past scattering them but after a Merlin scattered them a long way off I came home. I took 859 shots in that 1/2 hour. After several rounds of culling I narrowed it down to these few.

Horned Larks and Snow Buntings

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

How many Snow Bunting Images do I need?

As many as I can get. I want the perfect picture and I haven't got it yet so I'll keep trying. It's probably because I dont see these little beauties from one year to the next so I never get tired of them. The light wasn't the greatest today but I cant change that. Forecast is sun for tomorrow so I'll be out early to have yet another go.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Lapland Longspur

Sunday Morning Birds

It was 16F or -8.9C this morning but calm and sunny. I thought the light would be good just up the lane and so it was. Quite a few Larks, a few Snow buntings but only 1 Lapland Longspur that I saw. I didn't stay long as I could only find one glove and my fingers were freezing. 

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Saturday Birds

 A lot brighter than the weather forecast predicted. It was still chilly at 21F or -6.1C. I briefly stuck the lens out the window as I noticed the American Tree Sparrow in the sunshine. The Mocker was an opportunistic shot through the sliding window glass. 

I've decided I'm not cut out to be a chimney sweep and that all I'm saying about that. Fuck my back aches.

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Mockingbird

Song Sparrow

About 4 inches

That's about how much we had overnight on top of the 5" or so the day before. It's warmed up a bit and the drive is clear after I fired up the snow blower. I did a bit of photography and after I'd cleared the drive I drove up the lane to spread some seed for the field birds. There were only a handful of Larks but I did find 5 Snow Buntings but zero Lapland Longspur's. After lunch I went back and there were 200 or so Larks and several Snow Buntings so they're still around.

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Song Sparrow

Rare Visitor to the Backyard

I think I can count on one hand how many American Tree Sparrows I've had in the yard. While looking out for the Fox Sparrow I saw this morning I noticed this little guy chomping bits of corn. 

American Tree Sparrow

More White Stuff

It's been snowing since early morning and it's now several inches deep. I've been out several times to feed the birds but the snow covers it so quickly. I took a few pictures this morning and yes they're very white.

Blue Jay

Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco

Downy Woodpecker

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Not Spring yet

I'd better quit bitching about the snow and white backgrounds for a while. We're getting another 6-9 inches tonight according to the weather person. Groan. The snow blowers all ready to go.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Red-bellied Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Is it Spring yet?

I am fed up of these horrible white backgrounds. I want the snow gone, I want Spring Flowers and Warblers and....and... It's getting so bad I'm going to have to resort to harrassing the cats for something different to photograph. Normally this time of year I used to visit the Butterfly Attrium in Hershey to get a bit of greenery in my system along with the butterflies but with Covid forget it. Look out cats I'm coming.

Eastern Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Bluebird

Mourning Dove

Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

1

Northern Cardinal