Sparrows for Saturday Critters

We have had three species of sparrows feeding recently in Bird Alley. The white-throated Sparrow is a daily visitor and is often the first arrival of the day.

the second most frequent sparrow visitor

is the little northern Tree sparrow. There are two strong identifying features of the Tree Sparrow. First, look for the bicoloured bill which has a lower yellow bill, and secondly the tree sparrow has a central dark breast spot.

the third sparrow that I found in Bird Alley about a week nd a half ago was a Song Sparrow, but with this recent cold snap it hasn't been seen since.Hopefully this lingering sparrow is now  headed for more southerly climes. As the Tree Sparrow, the Song Sparrow also has a center dark breast spot to identify it.

I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at

viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend to all American viewers and safe travels!

Winter Finches( Grosbeaks) for Saturday Critters

I was very pleased to read this week that there is an expected influx of winter finches in my area and so on the day of my reading that information  I went out looking for Grosbeaks and red berries.  I went to my favourite pond area where I usually find ducks, but knew there were red berries there also and I found a Pine Grosbeak feeding on berries!  What a wonderful surprise and find!!

The next day I was hoping to see an Evening Grosbeak show up and they did!, a small flock with both male nd females within the group.

A male E. Grosbeak in Bird Alley

shown above  ,   male Evening Grosbeaks

above , a female Evening Grosbeak

Other  species of large iterant berry feeding birds, Bohemian Waxwings, (although not winter finches) stopped by to feed on our ornamental crab-apples

I had a wonderful week viewing feeding birds 

I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at: viewingbirdswitheileen.blogspot.ca

Piebald Deer

Earlier one day this week while driving over Ghost Hill I saw a regular sized adult brown deer and a much smaller piebald one cross the highway in front of my car. 

in front of my car on the highway!  after they passed by me I stopped my car, turned and went back to see if I could get a picture of the piebald, I did and shown above there is the small deer at the edge of the woods looking at me.  A beauty!
Also a back view shows there is much white on its legs too.

I have looked at the same location again for several times this week but I haven't seen it again.