The last purple martins have fledged (and are turning up in various silly places around the farm, like this guy just hanging out in the fence).
The swallows, purple martins, and crows are gathering together into larger and larger flocks, and thinking about leaving. It's always so sad when the birds leave us for the winter, and mid-August always seems awfully early. But, well, it's Saskachewan. Winter is coming.
@sundogplanets
oh my goodness, the little face :bunhdlurkaww:
@sundogplanets Aww. That’s just the cutest lil’ #birb face ever.
my ❤️ can't handle the cute!
The wildfires are impacting insect populations that migratory birds rely upon during their travels.
They risk starving if an unexpected polar vortex strikes early too.
https://therevelator.org/weather-whiplash-birds/
Pyrophilic insects are attracted to wildfires & infect scorched trees, making future wildfires worse.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfire-loving-insects-1.6923847
https://www.timminspress.com/news/how-the-spruce-budworm-has-impacted-wildfires
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/climate/bird-die-offs-el-nino.html
@sundogplanets Leaving for the winter in August seems early to me, only 7 weeks after the solstice, but I have not lived north of New Hampshire. What latitude?
@EricFielding Only latitude 51 here. But, you know, Saskatchewan. Last year we had our first frost on August 23 :(
Aug 8, 2026, 11:14 PM@sundogplanets Wow, so cute!
@sundogplanets Thanks for providing habitat for the purple Martins.
@sundogplanets is so cute and you did a nice picture there
@sundogplanets such a little cutie!
Aug 9, 2026, 1:57 AM@sundogplanets “what are you doing there, staring at me. go get the seed and nobody gets hurt.” ―Martin, the purple. probably.
Aug 9, 2026, 2:45 AM@sundogplanets dats cute
I hope it got away ok and met up with all the others getting ready for their travels 🤞
It looks so angy, its so tiny!
SO CUTE!!! 😍