If you’re interested in birds in Calgary and the surrounding region, you should know about the Bird Alert phone message.

City of Calgary and Nature Calgary’s Bird Alert Number (403) 221-4519

Compiled twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, the message gives a rundown of all the unusual bird sightings that have been reported by birders. It lists the bird species and the location where it was seen, so you can take your chance of seeing it as well.

You can listen to the message for bird locations, or if you have a bird to report, you can bypass them, or do so at the end of the recorded message.

A bird that should be reported can be either a rare bird not usually found in the area, or one here in the wrong season.  While beginning birders will not know what to report, checking this message on a regular basis will give you a good idea, and help to increase your birding skills.

The report for the second week of November for unusual birds in Calgary:

• North bank of the Bow River between the 10th & 14 Street bridges in NW Calgary – Orange-crowned Warbler
• Carburn Park in SE Calgary – Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), Red-winged Blackbird, Sharp-shinned hawk, Northern Goshawk
• East of the cement plant on 194 Avenue SE – Glaucous Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is Thursday, November 19.

Pat Bumstead

BIRD STUDY GROUP – Meet September – May, 7:30 PM on the 1st Wednesday of the month, Room 211, BioSciences Bldg, University of Calgary. The next meeting is Wednesday, December 2, with a talk by Sandy Ayer on Birding Adventures in the Congo. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Talks are free and open to the public.