Wildlife Watch - Nuthatch & Crocus

This edition of Battle of the Birds and other Wildlife shows images taken on April 15, 2016.

Or perhaps I should start calling it the Battle of Flora and Fauna? 

April 15th was Nelson's birthday but that didn't stop him from getting out and about. He said that while he was aiming his camera at a running hare he spotted something purple. Zooming in, he saw the Prairie Crocus, a member of the buttercup family which grows very low to the ground and only appears in the spring. Sometimes as I walk through a field soon after the snow leaves, I'll look down and realize I'm standing in the midst of prairie crocus patch. Such an inspiring sight of color after all the whiteness.

Prairie Crocus, Southeast Saskatchewan, Apr 15, 2016. Photo by Nelson Draper

I had to two surprise visitors on April 15th. The first was an Eastern Gray Squirrel with a gorgeous rufous belly but I have a whole video of that one which I'll be showing at another time. 

So for my best shot of the day, I picked a new visitor to our farm - a White-breasted Nuthatch. According to my iBirdCanada app, this bird is a year round resident of these parts, however, it only stayed for a day and a half and then was gone. Since it likes the woody areas, I don't think our shelterbelt held enough trees for its liking. 

White-breasted Nuthatch, Montmartre, SK April 15, 2016. Photo by Anita Mae Draper

I hope you enjoyed these images of Saskatchewan flora and fauna. More coming soon...