Redwing Blackbirds!  The minute it warmed up, in they came.  Now the mornings are full of their distinctive ringing calls so indicative of Canada’s turning of the seasons.  The males come through first and their wing colours are quite subdued at the moment.

With them was a starling!

This is the only alien species I see out here although European house sparrows occur in Williams Lake.  They are the result of some misguided individual living in New York who wanted to introduce all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare.  However, most of these cannot tolerate harsher climates.  Fortunately the starlings never stay long as they are voracious eaters.

For about a month, a small flock of pine siskins has been hanging about.  They have been gobbling up the food through sheer numbers.

They winter erratically throughout BC.  Sometimes I have seen flocks of around 200.

Paradoxically, the juncos, who are usually the first migrants, and who kept appearing during the coldest weather, have now disappeared!

I never bother too much with clocks but in an effort to lose weight I am trying to eat dinner early.  Which means that I now have a couple of hours’ daylight afterwards.  I’ve been enjoying the mild evenings – during these warm days (usually plus 6C or so) it has been very windy and in the evening the wind dies down a bit.

All but the sheltered snow has gone (although the ground is rock hard and the ice will stay for a long time.)

The low evening light makes interesting compositions.