Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Snow Buntings at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin on October 23, 2018

One of my birding stops on Milwaukee’s lakefront produced a small flock of 3 Snow Buntings. 1st of the year for me so that was a real treat. They fed in a gravel area finding and eating grass or weed seeds. They are a stunning-beautiful bird anytime of year, and today they were just that. I hung around for awhile and took a few shots to share. A few walkers in the area flushed the Snow Buntings not knowingly but the birds returned after a few minutes and continued to eat weed or grass seeds. It was a beautiful morning out with full sun, low winds and temps in the upper 40’s at the time I was there. Images were taken on October 23, 2018.

Snow Bunting

Binomial name: Plectrophenax nivalis

Category: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Size: 6.75” long, 14” wing span

Weight: 1.5 oz

Note: An arctic breeder that winters in the northern US and western Canada

Snow Bunting eating seeds…

The Snow Bunting looking for seeds in the gravel…

Removing the seed from the old grass stalk…

Two of them…

Something in the bill, a seed I’m sure…

The Snow Bunting eyes up the seed on this old stalk…

Then it takes the seed and eats it…

Eating more seeds…

Looking for seeds in the gravel…

The beauty in the back…they blend in so well in their surroundings…

A little fluffed up here…

Perched pretty…

Snow Bunting at Mckinley Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin on December 3, 2017

By admin | December 3, 2017 - 8:06 pm |December 4, 2017 Bird Categories, Longspurs and Snow Buntings

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Doing some birding along the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning the highlight was a lone Snow Bunting. Finding it on the rocks at McKinley Beach, it then moved to a stony area with little grass on high ground. It fed continually while I was there eating grass and weed seeds on the ground. Stunning bird to see and watch eat too. These birds are easily seen along roadsides on the shoulder in the gravel after snow is plowed and also in open fields I would think where ever they can find seeds or insects if they are present. It was a mild December day, with sunny skies, winds were nothing as the big lake was calm, temps got into the 50’s. Images were taken on December 3, 2017.

The Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Binomial name: Plectrophenax nivalis

Category: Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Size: 6.75” long, 14” wing span

Weight: 1.5 oz

The look back…

Looking for the seeds and there were plenty…

Getting that seed on the ground between the two tiny stones…

Seed in the bill…

Looking for seeds…

Seed in the bill…

Straight on, look at the shape of that bill…

Cracking that seed…

Eating that seed…

With a seed in the bill…

The close-up

Smith’s Longspur at Brooklyn Wildlife Area in Dane County Wisconsin on April 25, 2016

By admin | April 25, 2016 - 4:03 pm |April 25, 2016 Bird Categories, Longspurs and Snow Buntings

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Bill Grossmeyer and I made the trip out to Brooklyn Wildlife Area in Dane County this morning with hopes to see Smith’s Longspurs that have been reported recently by Steve T and others, thanks all. We both knew this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After about 3 hours of a lot of walking, up and down corn rows Bill with his keen vision spotted a female, then a male. It was an exciting moment. A little stressful when a birder standing next to you can see a life bird, and you cannot. That is how good the Smith’s Longspurs blend in with the surrounding area. Life birds for both of us and a great time too. Images were taken on April 25, 2016.

Smith’s Longspur, male

Smith’s Longspur

Binomial name: Calcarius pictus

Category: Longspurs

Size: 6.25” long, 11.25” wing span

Weight: .91 oz

Smith’s Longspur, male

Smith’s Longspur, male

Smith’s Longspur, male

Smith’s Longspur, male in a fly by

Lapland Longspur at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin on October 15, 2015

By admin | October 15, 2015 - 7:06 pm |October 16, 2015 Bird Categories, Longspurs and Snow Buntings

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I birded some of the lakefront in Milwaukee this morning and one of the highlights was this Lapland Longspur at Lakeshore State Park. This adult nonbreeding male feed on a path eating seeds that have fallen to the ground. Also present at the beach at Lakeshore State Park was a Black-bellied Plover along with 3 Killdeer hanging out with a group of gulls. It was a mostly cloudy day, on a couple occasions the sun shinned for a minute or two, temps were a little on the cool side with low winds. Images were taken on October 15, 2015.