Birds of winter - photo essay | The Western Producer

Pine grosbeaks forage on small crabapples in a farmyard near Aylesbury, Sask. | Mickey Watkins photo

A hardy western meadowlark that should have migrated months ago sits on a fence post east of Brant, Alta. | Mike Sturk photo

Gray partridges huddle near and between the rails of a Canadian Pacific Railway line west of Blackie, Alta. | Mike Sturk photo

Flocks of arctic snow buntings have arrived on the Prairies and can be seen gleaning seeds from roads and in fields with sometimes hundreds taking flight en masse when a vehicle passes. These birds were spotted near High River, Alta., Dec. 10. | Mike Sturk photo