Snow Buntings at Metz

26 January 2020

     Given the up and down winter we have had so far, with relatively little snow or cold temperature, we had not seen a single Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) and set out to try to rectify this omission.

     The Metz area is a location that has been invariably successful for us in years past so we loaded coffee and muffins into the car and set off in that direction.

     The fields did not have deep snow but there was sufficient cover to give us hope.

     But as we drove slowly along the back roads we in fact saw little avian life of any kind.

     However, we knew of one particular spot where our greatest successes have been achieved in years past, and that is where we encountered a fairly large flock of Snow Buntings numbering around three hundred or so. It looks as though a farmer had put out corn for them, or perhaps a bird bander was using corn as bait to lure the birds in close. These delightful little snow birds, always active, and flying in cohesive flocks, were all around us, on both sides of the road and on the road itself.

     We were using the car as a blind, and Miriam managed to get off a few shots, but nothing of great merit.

     She thought she might do better from the back seat of the car and moved there, but given the generally dull conditions, and the constant movement of the birds, she did little better.

     In an instant, from no cause that we were able to detect, the birds swirled up en masse and left. We assumed that the corn would be an irresistible attraction and that they would return in short order. They did not! We waited for a while, but there was not a sign of a single bird. A flock of three hundred or more individuals had vanished from sight.

     I am posting below a few pictures from winters past to illustrate our successes with this species.

     As soon as we get a good snowfall and a few consecutive cold days, we will go back out there to try our luck again. After all this has also been a reliable location for Snowy Owl (Bubo scandicaus), Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor), and even the odd Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus).

     In the meantime we had enjoyed a morning together doing what we do best, and were quite content as we said au revoir to a gloomy day at Metz.

     The next time will be better!

Snow Bunting (Plectrophane des neiges)

Metz Area

Wellington County, ON

25 January 2015

     Surely one of the most delightful benefits of living in a climate where winter dominates for part of the year is the presence of Snow Buntings Plectrophenax nivalis.

     This morning Miriam and I spent a few hours in a corner of Wellington County where we have had great success in locating this species over a period of several years. Today proved to be no exception.

     One fellow, who we see almost every year, seems to be intent on banding as many Snow Buntings as he possibly can and he was again present plying his métier. 

     As you can see, he had three cages set up, all baited with corn, and the availability of food seems to be an attraction many of the birds simply cannot resist. At all times each of his cages contained several birds and even after emptying them there were other birds entering the trap in short order.

     It seemed to us that he did not empty the pens as often as might be hoped and when he did he placed eight or ten birds in a bag to carry them back to his truck from where he was applying the bands and recording the appropriate details.

     However, we are not privy to the protocols of banding Snow Buntings so perhaps this is accepted practice.

     The day was cold (around minus 13°C) and there was a strong wind, but these tiny birds face the conditions without any problem at all and are expert in exploiting every micro climate in their search for food.

     We were parked off to the side of the road ( a dirt road in this area) and the birds were often observed feeding on grit. They always seemed to park in front of our vehicle, however, never coming to the side to permit decent photographs.

     It was quite marvelous to spend a half hour with these little gems and we hope to repeat the experience a few times before the winter is over.

Lapland Longspur in banding cage captured by Sharp-shinned Hawk

Snow Buntings, Plectrophenax nivalis approaching the bird bander's cage.

Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus in the cage

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus on top of cage

Lapland Longspur captured by Sharp-shinned Hawk

While travelling the rural roads near Metz, Ontario we encountered a large flock of Snow Buntings, with a single Lapland Longspur keeping company in the flock.

There was a licenced bird bander present for the principal purpose of banding Snow Buntings, a practice we have witnessed in previous years. In order to capture the birds he uses a cage on the ground, baited with corn, with one-way access into the enclosure.

As the pictures above show, it was verging on serendipitous to watch the longspur enter the cage with four Snow Buntings. Within minutes and certainly before the bander got out of his truck to empty the cages, a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in and landed on top of the cage, no doubt attracted by the distress of the birds inside who were now flapping and doing everything possible to escape from their confines.

The hawk lost no time in inserting its talons into the pen and quickly caught the Lapland Longspur and made several attempts to get its beak into position to dispatch its prey, but without success given the relatively small mesh of the cage. By now the bird bander was on his way and when he got to within two or three metres the hawk dropped the longspur and flew off. The bird was examined by the bander and released immediately. Much to our surprise it could still fly and sped across the field with the Sharp-shinned Hawk in quick pursuit. As far as we could tell the longspur was not recaptured and the hawk dropped down into the field and then moved to the side of the road where it had nothing in its talons.

Whether the Lapland Longspur can possibly survive this ordeal is open to question, but it was a gripping, albeit somewhat distressing, drama to watch.

Our brother-in-law, John Lichty, was with us and the longspur was a lifer for him; a lifer I am sure he will not soon forget!