2105_3903 Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak
A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak balances on a very slim branch following a freak spring snowstorm on the northern prairie. This seed-eater is related to the cardinals, which also includes the buntings and tanagers.
The snow was so bright that it made house windows extra-reflective, and a number of people here reported bird deaths from collisions. The most effective strategy seems to be to place colourful post-it notes at random on any large pane of glass; the birds then recognize it as a solid object and don't try to fly through it. This worked for two of my friends: no more collisions.
Reflected light from the snow was a bonus for this photographer, as it kept the birds' underparts bright. I made this shot in my artist friend Laureen Marchand's backyard, near her feeders, where hundreds of birds gathered in the aftermath of the freak May snowstorm. She is @laureenartist on Instagram.
One more to come from this amazing morning. Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2105_3903 Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak
A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak balances on a very slim branch following a freak spring snowstorm on the northern prairie. This seed-eater is related to the cardinals, which also includes the buntings and tanagers.
The snow was so bright that it made house windows extra-reflective, and a number of people here reported bird deaths from collisions. The most effective strategy seems to be to place colourful post-it notes at random on any large pane of glass; the birds then recognize it as a solid object and don't try to fly through it. This worked for two of my friends: no more collisions.
Reflected light from the snow was a bonus for this photographer, as it kept the birds' underparts bright. I made this shot in my artist friend Laureen Marchand's backyard, near her feeders, where hundreds of birds gathered in the aftermath of the freak May snowstorm. She is @laureenartist on Instagram.
One more to come from this amazing morning. Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.