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stonechat.bsky.social
stonechat
@stonechat.bsky.social
120 followers 290 following 84 posts
🐦‍⬛ Birder / 🦬 Manitoba 🇨🇦
❤️ 🌍 Western Palearctic birds
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stonechat.bsky.social
This day in (my) birding history.

Eurasian Jay, Nov 25, 2007
(That's literally near the start of my birding journey 🪶).
Eurasian Jay, a corvid bird, cream-coloured overall with black and white on wings and a blue pattern; perched on a tree branch.
November 25, 2025 at 3:12 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Had a chance today to observe two male Pine Grosbeaks feeding on berries. They were pretty close to me, undisturbed, and rather quiet. Only occasionally I heard their very faint, tenter voice. 🪶
Winnipeg, MB Nov 2025
Pine Grosbeak - a large finch, mostly intensely red, with black wings with white edges, with massive beak, feeding on berries.
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
If I had a nemesis bird it would be American Three-toed Woodpecker. I have been chasing it in Manitoba for years. Now, I go to Saskatchewan, to Prince Albert, just barely enter the forest, hear tapping, see an Am. Three-toed Woodpecker 🪶

Other highlights: Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee.
American Three-toed Woodpecker: a woodpecker with black and white stripes, on a tree trunk with some bark scaling.
November 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
stonechat.bsky.social
From my recent trip to Saskatchewan. Whooping Cranes - one of the rarest birds in North America. Close to extinction at one point, it has rebound somewhat, due to conservation and captive breeding efforts. #birds
Whooping cranes - eight tall white birds with long necks, long legs, long beaks and red/dark faces standing in a field.
November 5, 2025 at 2:46 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Birds from my recent trip to Alberta. 🪶

Steller's Jay; Clark's Nutcracker; Black-necked Stilt
Steller's Jay: a black-bluish bird with a crest. Clark's Nutcracker: Gray and black bird with longish pointed bill standing on a rock. Black-necked Stilts: two slender shorebirds in flight, with white body, black wings and neck; long thin bill and long red legs.
September 5, 2025 at 1:07 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
A Cooper's Hawk has visited our backyard for a bath yesterday. 🪶
A Cooper's Hawk (bird of prey) bathing in a bird bath, with his head submerged in the water. A Cooper's Hawk (bird of prey) in a bird bath.
August 2, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by stonechat
johnbrownstan.bsky.social
Telling an LLM "do not shy away from politically incorrect facts as long as they are well supported" does not make it give you secret facts, it makes the LLM produce text that mimics someone who would describe their beliefs that way.
July 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
From top to bottom: American Herring Gull, California Gull, Ring-billed Gull.

California Gull is my first sighting in Manitoba, and it was my goal. 🪶
A congregation of gulls, with American Herring Gull, California Gull and Ring-billed Gull.
July 6, 2025 at 2:28 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Today's find 🪶
Golden-winged Warbler
July 1, 2025. Manitoba
Golden-winged Warbler: a small warbler with golden crown, large black bib and golden wing stripe.
July 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM
stonechat.bsky.social
This day in my 🪶 birding history
Purple Heron / Ardea purpurea
June 2014
A purple heron (large wading bird with long neck and legs) standing in the reeds.
June 10, 2025 at 4:24 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Bohemian Waxwing
Manitoba
March 1, 2025 🪶
Bohemian Waxwing on an crabapple tree.
March 30, 2025 at 2:41 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
This day in (my birding) history 🪶
Sparrowhawk / Accipiter nisus
2012
A picture of a Eurasian Sparrowhawk perched on a branch.
March 13, 2025 at 1:51 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
This day in (my birding) history 🪶
Goldcrest / Regulus regulus
2008
Goldcrest (a very small kinglet with gold bar on the head) in a pool of thawing water.
January 27, 2025 at 1:39 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
This day in (my birding) history 🪶
Rough-legged Hawk
Manitoba, 2017
A rough-legged hawk (a dark and white Buteo raptor) in flight.
January 10, 2025 at 4:16 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
A couple of good-looking #birds I have captured today. Evening Grosbeak is the latest (and maybe the last) addition to my year list. As for the Red-breasted Nuthatch, I have almost forgot that this is one of my favourite birds. Now I am reminded.🪶
A photograph of an Evening Grosbeak, a brown-yellowish finch bird with massive beak and wide yellow eyebrow. A photograph of a Red-breasted Nuthatch - a small bird with blue back, reddish breast, thin pointed bill and prominent black cap and eye line on its white head.
December 12, 2024 at 2:00 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
#lifer alert! I have been low-key trying to find a White-winged Scoter this fall, and I was sure I have failed. But a few days ago I heard one was seen on a lake in Eastern Manitoba. So I braved a 2 hour drive on the snowy road, and the bird was still there! Now I have the 3 scoters in MB.
December 10, 2024 at 2:28 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Shorebird quartet from my short trip to Florida this August.
#birds
Willet (larger shorebird with long legs and bill) wading in the water. Ruddy Turnstone (shorebird) walking in the sand. Black-bellied Plover (contrasting black and white shorebird) at the edge of the ocean. Sanderling (small white and black shorebird) walking in the sand.
November 30, 2024 at 3:20 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Birding trip on Saturday, went to see Eurasian Collared Doves, successfully. Also noticed a Bluebird, assumed Eastern as the only possibility. Luckily, I made a few photographs, and looking at them at home, discovered it was a Mountain Bluebird. Rare both geographically and seasonally. 🪶
Low quality photo of a Mountain Bluebird, but good enough to identify.
November 19, 2024 at 2:36 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Not one, but two birding highlights from yesterday. In the morning I heard crows cawing loudly and went outside. Of course there was a Great Horned Owl, it was sitting on the ground (at the golf course) and eating something. Probably something large, otherwise why it did not carry it into a tree?
November 16, 2024 at 3:19 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
OMG, how is this real.
jencross.bsky.social Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · Nov 16
The Sword-billed Hummingbird has a bill so long that it preens with its feet. These fabulous little birds evolved their long bill to feed from trumpet shaped flowers. They will also catch small insects like a swift, with bill wide open.
Guango Lodge, Ecuador
A green hummingbird hovering in front of green foliage. It has an exceptionally long bill.
November 16, 2024 at 2:44 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Horned Lark
Manitoba, Oct 7, 2024
#birds
A photo of a Horned Lark from behind, sitting on a rock near the water.
November 15, 2024 at 10:40 PM
stonechat.bsky.social
Some very good birding yesterday. Did not find any scoters, but found Boreal Chickadees, Great Gray Owl, 3 rather unfazed Spruce Grouse. Had good looks at an American Goshawk. Trying to find an Am. Three-toed Woodpecker produced another Black-backed.
November 13, 2024 at 2:41 AM
Reposted by stonechat
stonechat.bsky.social
This one is worth reviving!
Screenshot of E. Thompson "The Birds of Manitoba" calling Whooping Crane a "Flying Sheep".
October 23, 2024 at 3:12 AM
Reposted by stonechat
birdhistory.bsky.social
Once upon a time you could just call a bird whatever you wanted to. In 1923 someone collected 92 local names for the Ruddy Duck, including dicky, dinky, dipper, dapper, dopper, sleepy duck, spatter, dumb-bird, and god-damn. 🦉
October 23, 2024 at 2:50 AM
stonechat.bsky.social
Unexpectedly good birding today: cycled to a local park, taking advantage of a quiet, albeit cloudy weather, and found two birds I needed for the year list: Rusty Blackbird and Winter Wren. Besides that, saw a Pileated Woodpecker (always a treat) and a Red-bellied Woodpecker ("established rarity")*.
October 19, 2024 at 4:52 AM