Wild Bird Store Speaker Series Begins March 16

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

The Wild Bird Store in SE Calgary not only offers bird feed and every other product for the backyard birder, but they also have a very good Speaker Series featuring many great presenters on a variety of topics of interest to local birders.

The talks will all be done using Zoom. There are six upcoming talks on the next six Wednesdays, starting tomorrow with Dan Arndt speaking on Alberta Owls. (Unfortunately Dan’s presentation is now sold out. Tickets to these events are limited.) Check out the remaining talks below, starting March 23. They are all excellent speakers. I am particularly interested to hear Andrew Barnes on how he established the first breeding colony of Purple Martins in Calgary in many decades!

Please Note: Even though these are virtual seminars, they limit the number of spaces available. This will allow adequate time for the Q&A portion of the presentation. All presentations are through “ZOOM” and they suggest you sign up early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite and are non-refundable. Click the Eventbrite link below each talk description to purchase tickets.

To keep informed about future events hosted by the Wild Bird Store, sign up to receive their monthly newsletter here.

Eye For The Wild Photo Contest Supports Wildlife Rehabilitation

Mar6

CALGARY WILDLIFE REHABILITATION SOCIETY CELEBRATES WORLD WILDLIFE DAY BY KICKING OFF ITS ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST.

The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (Calgary Wildlife) is a registered charitable organization that was established in 1993. Calgary Wildlife provides expert compassionate care to injured and orphaned wildlife in and around the City of Calgary. As an accredited veterinary hospital (ABVMA), Calgary Wildlife is open 365 days a year and is the only wildlife rehabilitation centre located within the city. Calgary Wildlife also provides valuable outreach and educational services to the community.

In celebration of World Wildlife Day, an annual event that raises awareness about the plight of wild animals around the globe, Calgary Wildlife is resuming its annual wildlife photography contest, Eye For The Wild.

In its third year, Eye For The Wild photography contest is open to all amateur photographers to submit their best untouched photos of Alberta wildlife in their natural habitats. With over 500 species of wildlife that call Calgary home, natural habitats could include backyards, parks, and other city or natural spaces.

“This year’s World Wildlife Day celebrations seek to draw attention to the conservation status of endangered wild animals, and here in Alberta, we have a few,” says Melanie Whalen, Director of Animal Care at Calgary Wildlife, “including the Burrowing Owl and the Little Brown Bat. We hope that our Eye For The Wild contest will help draw attention to all the wild creatures that we are lucky enough to share space with here in Calgary,” says Whalen.

A ten dollar entry fee is required per photo and amateur photographers can submit up to three photographs. All proceeds raised from the contest go to helping injured and orphaned wildlife. This year’s winners will be chosen by The CBC Eyeopener’s David Gray, Norberg Hall co-director Shannon Norberg, Calgary artist Dean Stanton, professional wildlife photographer and videographer Darryl MacDonald, and Canadian artist and photographer Elyse Bouvier. Winners will be featured in Calgary Wildlife’s new print publication, its 2023 calendar, and on social media. The winners will also be awarded prizes donated by the following generous sponsors; Vistek, Donna Mac, Pandora’s Framing, The Camera Store, and The Wild Bird Store.

The Eye For The Wild contest runs from March 3rd until April 15th. For full contest details visit https://woobox.com/75gr7c

Also visit the CWRS website here.

Rocky Mountain Eagle Watch – Volunteers Needed!

Feb27

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

In 1992, Peter Sherrington and Des Allen serendipitously discovered that large numbers of Golden Eagles and other raptors were migrating along a corridor on the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains in Kananaskis. Prior to this it was thought that not many Golden Eagles migrated. Peter and a group of volunteers began observing and recording the migrating birds. Over the next ten years they observed over 80,000 Golden Eagles (plus over 16,000 other raptors from 17 other species) passing through the corridor.

Observers at Hay Meadow, Kananaskis, Alberta. Photo by Caroline Lambert

The Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation, a non-profit organization, was set up with the goal of increasing knowledge of Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle and other raptor migrations in Western Canada. For over thirty years the foundation has organized spring and fall migrant watches at three sites in the foothills.

The Hay Meadows site with Mount Lorette in the background. Photo by Caroline lambert

Caroline Lambert, one of the Principal Observers, is appealing for new volunteers to join the team of observers. Anyone can join the observers at the sites to help – it’s a very interesting place to visit and I encourage anyone with any interest to get in touch with the foundation and see where and when to go – but they also have a need to recruit more volunteers who can commit to observing for full days at regular times.

Golden Eagle, photographed by Caroline Lambert

Here is Caroline’s description of what is involved, and the rewards of taking part in this important project.

___________________________________________________________________

It’s a deep connection to nature like no other. Going to the same place regularly and staying there for a full day allows the birds and other animals to come to you, and over time you witness how the season changes, oh so gradually. That’s what it’s like at the semiannual eagle migration count in Kananaskis. A casual visitor, coming for a few hours at the peak of migration, will see just a snapshot of this. They might witness a few dozen eagles flying by, maybe a Red-tailed Hawk or Northern Goshawk, the usual chickadees, nuthatches, maybe the American Dipper. If they’re lucky, they might see some elk, or a moose, or deer grazing in the meadow. But the long-time observers have seen just about everything the area has to offer. Eighteen different species of raptor have been seen at the site, mostly eagles, but also Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, harriers, five different species of hawk, five species of falcons, and the three accipiters, with Northern Goshawk an almost daily occurrence. While cougar sightings have been admittedly very rare, most of us have seen all the other mammals in the area, including wolves and lynxes.

The eagle count at Kananaskis, run by the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation, has been running for over 30 years, and many of the older observers are no longer able to help out. We’re looking for dedicated people to help fill our ranks. We appreciate everyone who shows up with a pair of binoculars to help spot birds, but what we need most are people who will commit to a regular schedule, first as an Assistant Observer, and later as a Principal Observer. The Assistant Observer only needs to be able to spot birds and describe to the Principal where the birds are so the Principal can ID them, but the Principal Observer needs to be able to identify all the raptors that fly by. It takes some time to acquire the skills to do that – usually our Principal Observers start out as Assistant Observers and learn on the job, which is the best way to learn – out in the field, with an experienced person at your side. This isn’t for everyone as you need to be out at the site all day (mid-morning until sunset for assistants, sunrise to sunset for principals), constantly scanning the skies, and the weather can be a challenge, but for those who do this regularly, the rewards that keep us coming back and looking forward to the next season are there – the sighting of a wolf, or a Gyrfalcon, or one of those glorious days when hundreds of eagles fly by. We smile when the dipper comes by, almost every day, dipping as dippers do, and often singing. We marvel at the bluebirds, robins, and Varied Thrushes that show up in mid-March when it still seems too cold for them. It keeps us coming back season after season – not just for what we witness, but knowing that we are contributing to our knowledge of raptor demographics, especially eagles, as citizen scientists.

Even if you can’t help out, then donations to help compensate observers for expenses would be much appreciated.

The spring 2022 eagle migration count starts on March 1 and runs until April 22. Detailed information, including location and how to get there and how to donate, can be found on the website at eaglewatch.ca.

Hope you see you out there.

Caroline Lambert, Canmore

Bald Eagles at Hay Meadows, Kananaskis, Alberta. Bald Eagles are the second-most frequently observed raptors. Photo by Caroline Lambert

Northern Goshawk at Hay Meadows, Kananaskis, Alberta. Photo by Caroline Lambert

____________________________________________________________

Please check out the website – it’s full of fascinating observation records and a history of the counts. And even if you can’t get out to the sites yourself, you can support the project with a donation, or purchase a lifetime membership for just $20!

Southeast Alberta May Species Counts 2022

Feb21

The May Species Counts, held each year over a weekend in the second half of May, are a highlight on the birding calendar. There are several counts in Alberta (including one in Calgary on the last weekend in May). For each count, birders go out to sections of the 80-km diameter count circle and record all the species (and the numbers of each) that they can find. It’s an attempt to have a long-term record of birding populations during spring migration.

Lark Sparrow, Southern Alberta, May 2020. Photo by Bob Lefebvre

Many Calgary birders participate each year in two SE Alberta counts, at Brooks-Lake Newell and at Writing-On-Stone. These give local birders an opportunity to experience some different and beautiful prairie habitats and find some bird species that are not common near the city.

The organizers of these two counts, Debra Hornsby and Donna Wieckowski, are hoping to get some new people to take part this year. In particular they would like to have more birders out for the Writing-On-Stone count, but can accommodate more for Brooks/Lake Newell as well.

Below are the details.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Alberta Bird Counters! We are pleased to announce that the Brooks-Lake Newell and Writing-on-Stone Bird Counts will take place this year on the following dates:

· Brooks-Lake Newell Bird Count: Sat. May 21 and Sun. May 22

· Writing-on-Stone Bird Count: Sat. May 28 and Sun. May 29

If you plan on camping we highly recommend booking early!

Tillebrook: general reservations for May 20-22 opened at 9 am on Saturday February 19.

www.reserve.albertaparks.ca or 1-877-537-2757

Writing-on-Stone: general reservations for May 27-29 will open at 9 am on Saturday February 26. www.reserve.albertaparks.ca or 1-877-537-2757

All participants must pre-register. Please indicate interest in participating to Debra Hornsby and registration details will be sent out by March 31, 2022.

Because many count areas are accessed via rough country roads, high-clearance or 4×4 vehicles are recommended.

We are hopeful that we will be able to resume in-person Friday night meetings to review count protocols and hand out area assignments – be sure to be there! (We’ll have a Plan B ready in case Covid doesn’t cooperate!) Note: a small fee of $12 per person will be charged to all Brooks participants to cover the rental of the Brooks Legion meeting room. The attached brochure provides further information, and a draft count schedule. Registration forms will be emailed by March 31.

To indicate interest contact: debra.hornsby.banff*@*gmail.com

More information: Donna Wieckowski astolat*@*shaw.ca

2022-Brooks-WOS-Bird-Count-Brochure-BCB Download

The Calgary Winter Birds List – One Week To Go

Feb19

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

For the past five years Caroline Lambert and I have been keeping track of all species reported in the Calgary region in the winter months (December 1 to February 28). This is something that Gerry Fox has done for the Edmonton birding community for many years. Caroline also keeps a list for the Bow Valley birding area in the Banff-Canmore area. There is also a long-standing list for the whole province that is maintained by Richard Klauke.

Northern Flicker puffed up at -30 Celcius. We may get a little more weather like that yet! Photographed in Calgary on January 2022 by Ray Turner.

It’s interesting to see how many species and how many rarities we can find in the winter, and many birders like to keep a personal winter list so that they have incentive to get out during these slow birding months.

The Calgary region is the 80-km diameter circle that is also used for the May Species Count:

Here are the numbers of species we have recorded:

In the first two years we only accepted sightings that were posted to Albertabird but since then we have included any confirmed sightings we can get. So, although it is a small sample size, 110 to 120 species seems to be what we get in the winter.

We are currently at 113 species. The most recent additions, since January 15, are Red Crossbill, Purple Finch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Clark’s Nutcracker.

As always seems to happen when you keep a list, we have had some great rarities this year, but we have also missed on some species we usually get. But there is still a little over a week to go, so maybe we can find two or three more.

The three species that have been reported in all four previous years but not this year are American Kestrel, Harris’s Sparrow, and American Goldfinch. It seems a long shot that these will be found at this point, but it’s surprising that none have been seen.

Spruce Grouse is definitely a species we should be able to find. It was reported in three out of the four previous winters. Although their range is restricted to the western edge of the circle, there should be some around.

The other possibilities are the three local “hard-to-find” owls, Barred, Long-eared, and Boreal. And sometimes we get California Gulls or even Ring-billed before the end of February.

My personal winter list is now up to 44 species, which is still very low. I have only six species that are only or primarily seen in winter, plus a lot of resident birds and seasonal rarities. So I have nine days to go find Snowy Owls, Snow Buntings, Pine Grosbeaks, Northern Shrikes, and many others!

My best “winter” bird this year, a seasonally rare Fox Sparrow. Photo by Bob Lefebvre

Here is a link to the page that Caroline maintains with all four winter lists. If you’ve seen any of the species that haven’t yet been reported this winter, let me know.

Previous posts on Albertabird about the 2021-2022 Calgary winter list:

December 2 – 41 species.

December 18 – 90 species.

January 15 – 109 species.

Calgary Christmas Bird Count Final Results

Jan23

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

The counting and correcting is done, and here are the final results of the 2021 Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC). I helped out with the Feeder watchers again this year. Matthew Wallace coordinated the count and finalized the results. Lara Fitzpatrick created the spreadsheets that organized the data. It was a fun learning experience for us, and many emails were exchanged and many hours spent in Zoom meetings.

First, watch this summary video of the count results presented by Matthew:

The 2021 count was held on Sunday December 19. The temperature ranged from about -13 C to -10 C, with some light snow and winds of 10 to 20 kph. So the conditions were pretty good.

We had good participation this year, with 136 people out in the field (pretty much as many as we could manage with Covid protocols and the number of leaders we had) and 177 Feeder Watchers counting in their yards at 125 addresses (we can definitely add more Feeder Watchers).

Bohemian Waxwings seen on the 2021 Calgary CBC. *Photo by Arthur Wieckowski*

The final total on count day was 73 species, plus another four species seen during Count Week (December 16-22) but missed on Count Day. The total number of individual birds recorded was 71,468. (All numbers have been corrected to account for possible double-counting.)

Field Observers	Feeder Watchers
70 species	36 species
65,640 birds	5,828 birds

Great Horned Owl, December 19, 2021, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary. *Photo by Matthew Wallace*

Below is the bird list and the number of each species reported:

Cackling Goose	4
Canada Goose	18,954
Trumpeter Swan	5
Tundra Swan	1
Wood Duck	3
Gadwall	1
Mallard	17,251
Green-winged Teal	1
Canvasback	2
Redhead	18
Ring-necked Duck	5
Greater Scaup	2
Lesser Scaup	5
Harlequin Duck	4
Bufflehead	144
Common Goldeneye	554
Barrow’s Goldeneye	3
Hooded Merganser	2
Common Merganser	86
Ruddy Duck	1
Sharp-tailed Grouse	3
Gray Partridge	58
Ring-necked Pheasant	11
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)	1,450
Eurasian Collared-Dove	2
American Coot	1
Wilson’s Snipe	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4
Northern Goshawk	6
Bald Eagle	55
Rough-legged Hawk	6
Great Horned Owl	9
Snowy Owl	1
Northern Saw-whet Owl	1
Belted Kingfisher	3
American Three-toed Woodpecker	2
Downy Woodpecker	264
Hairy Woodpecker	41
Pileated Woodpecker	4
Northern Flicker	419
Merlin	24
Gyrfalcon	1
Northern Shrike	8
Blue Jay	138
Black-billed Magpie	2,529
American Crow	65
Common Raven	649
Black-capped Chickadee	2,218
Mountain Chickadee	7
Boreal Chickadee	7
Golden-crowned Kinglet	2
Red-breasted Nuthatch	199
White-breasted Nuthatch	114
Brown Creeper	17
American Dipper	3
European Starling	326
Townsend’s Solitaire	18
American Robin	82
Bohemian Waxwing	15,676
Cedar Waxwing	11
House Sparrow	7,394
Pine Grosbeak	79
House Finch	2,015
Common Redpoll	294
Hoary Redpoll	2
White-winged Crossbill	41
Pine Siskin	50
American Tree Sparrow	3
Fox Sparrow	1
Dark-eyed Junco	91
White-crowned Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	9
Song Sparrow	2

Other: Sp./Slash/Hybrid	5

The four Count Week birds were Varied Thrush (a continuing backyard bird that failed to show on Count Day), a Killdeer seen in Griffiths Wood Park, a Prairie Falcon seen in the east end on December 18th, and a Greater White-fronted Goose reported and photographed on the Elbow River at Sandy Beach, also on December 18.

Some of the notable birds this year were the two swan species and the Ruddy Duck (all continuing at Carburn Park), the three Sharp-tailed Grouse seen in the Tsuut’ina Nation in the SW, a Wilson’s Snipe and Snowy Owl at Carburn, a White-crowned Sparrow in the Weaselhead, and a Gyrfalcon.

We also had one species that had never been reported in the 69 previous Calgary counts – a Fox Sparrow in the yard of one of our Feeder watchers. This brings our cumulative total of all species reported on Calgary CBC’s to 143.

Matt Wallace, the count coordinator, has used the data to create some very interesting maps. (The maps below, and many more, will be posted on the Nature Calgary site when they are all complete.)

The Count Circle is divided into Sections, and here you can see how many species were found in each Section, and how the geography of the city influences species density.

Calgary Christmas Bird Count data — Number of Species seen in each Section.

Due to the open water here, we get a lot of Mallards and Canada Geese overwintering. We also often have big flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in the winter. As a result, we tend to get really high numbers of total individual birds reported. This year, 71,468 individual birds were counted. This is one of the highest totals (and possibly the highest) of any of the CBC’s in Canada this year. It is far higher than the totals for the Edmonton or Toronto counts, for example.

Below is a map that shows all the Feeder Watcher addresses (the white dots). Some areas have quite a few, but we can definitely use more!

A Black-capped Chickadee photographed by a Feeder Watcher, Calgary, December 19, 2021. *Photo by Raman Brar*

It’s interesting to look at some individual species. Bald Eagles:

Bald Eagle, Calgary, December 19, 2021. *Photo by Arthur Wieckowski*

The Eagles are concentrated along the lower stretches of the Bow River, where they feed mostly on sick or injured Mallards.

Here is the Mallard map:

Note how closely the Mallard distribution mirrors that of Bald Eagles. Mallards rest on the river, and go out to farmer’s fields to feed. There was also a huge concentration of 6,000 birds in the bit of open water at the northeast corner of Elliston Lake. Perhaps this is a safe place for them to rest, where there are fewer eagles around to prey on them than along the Bow.

The Canada Goose numbers were even higher than the Mallard numbers, with a similar distribution.

Black-billed Magpies are probably the most visible bird in Calgary, as they are found in all habitats and are very vocal. Many residents find them too aggressive and noisy to be likeable, but they are fascinating, beautiful, and intelligent birds. Like other urbanophiles (American Crows, House Sparrows, House Finches, and Rock Pigeons for example), they are doing very well in the urban environment.

The total number of Magpies reported on the CBC continues on a long-term upward climb:

As in the Magpie example above, we can use the CBC data to produce graphs of long-term trends of the overall results and of the numbers of individual species. The next graph shows that the number of participants and party-hours has steadily increased over time, as has the total number of birds recorded, but the number of species seen each year has plateaued.

The 73 species we had this year is the third-highest total ever, but it is line with a pretty flat graph since the mid-1980’s:

Below is an interesting graph that shows the number of Sharp-tailed Grouse reported. We had three this year, and three in 2016. But that’s it for the last twenty-plus years. They used to be found on Nose Hill and other areas at the city’s edge. But Nose Hill is now surrounded by development and the city has expanded to most edges of the Count Circle.

Sharp-tailed Grouse, Tsuut’ina Nation, Calgary, December 21, 2021. *Photo by Chris Durtnall*

The results of the Calgary Count and several other nearby CBC’s were presented at the January meeting of Nature Calgary’s Bird Study Group. The meeting was recorded, and a replay will soon be available on the Nature Calgary site here.

The next Calgary CBC will be on Sunday December 18, 2022. If you haven’t taken part before and are interested in participating, either as a Field Observer or a Feeder Watcher, email me at birdscalgary[at]gmail.com.

Many thanks to Matt Wallace for all his hard work in organizing the count and producing the maps, to Lara Fitzpatrick, who created the spreadsheets that captured all the data, and to the photographers.

Here is a link to an article about the Calgary Count results on CBC news, including a video interview.

Be sure to subscribe to Matthew’s Citizen Blitz channel on YouTube to keep informed about upcoming citizen science events in Calgary – and to see more great nature videos!. You can also follow him on Twitter (atcitynatureyyc) and on Instagram (atcitizenblitz).

2021 Calgary Christmas Bird Count Results

Dec31

Here are the preliminary results of the 70th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which was held on December 19. Over 300 people participated this year – 136 field surveyors and 173 feeder watchers at 123 addresses. The current totals are 72 species (plus an additional two species seen during count week), and 75,917 individual birds.

(A previous version of this post had 326 field surveyors. That was an error, and the number has been corrected.)

Rough-legged Hawk. Five were recorded on this count. *Photo by Bob Lefebvre during the 2011 Calgary CBC.*

These numbers are slightly higher than last year. The species total is higher than the long-term average of about 66. There are still some adjustments to be made to the numbers and the possibility of adding another species to the total.

For those interested in hearing all the details of this count, Matt Wallace will be speaking on the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group Zoom presentation on Wednesday January 12, along with the compilers of several of the other local CBC’s (and possibly even the Edmonton count!). Nature Calgary members should receive a link to this meeting by email. If you would like to become a Nature Calgary member, see this page.

Common Redpoll. Almost 300 were reported on the Calgary CBC, as well as two Hoary Redpolls. *Photo by Bob Lefebvre*

Below is a more complete summary of the day, by Matt Wallace:

The 70^th annual Calgary Christmas Bird Count took place on December 19. We had a highly successful year and I wanted to share the tentative numbers with you all.

Before jumping into the details I want to thank everyone who participated this year and acknowledge the outstanding efforts that were put in. The legacy and continuation of this count would not be possible without everyone’s contributions and appreciation for the natural world. Thank you to all of the participants and especially our section captains for accommodating the many new birders that joined in on the count. Thank you to TsuuT’ina Nation for allowing us the opportunity to visit your land on count day. I also want to give a special shout out to Lara Fitzpatrick and Bob Lefebvre for their superhuman coordination and data entry powers. They were both calm, cool, and enthusiastic about ensuring the collection of data and experience for participants was accessible and fun. Thank you to all!

Note: These are the tentative numbers (without adjustments) received on count day.

Weather:

A relatively mild day for Calgary in December compared to previous years with temperatures in the -20s. Light winds (~10-15 km/hr) began in the afternoon.

Date	Max Temp.	Min Temp.
Dec 19 2021	‑10.1 °C	‑13.4 °C

Circle Sections and Participants

The Calgary Circle was divided into 38 sections this year. This is consistent with previous years as “subsections” were created for teams to survey within an official section of the circle. We now have an up-to-date digital map that includes all subsections. Participants were able to use the map in the field by saving it to their phone. This helped to ensure they were surveying within the circle boundaries and correct sections that they were assigned to. The Circle Section Map can be viewed here.

Participant numbers were strong with a total of 309 participants in total. There were a total of 123 Feeder Watcher residences with some households tag-teaming their yards throughout the day. On count day, a total of 136 people were in the field with many new birders joining the count for the first time. The number of field surveyors matches the average over the past 15 years (136). The field team hours were down from the record in 2020 (330) but we found more individual birds and more species than in 2020.

Number of Participants	Total	Field Surveyors	Feeder Watchers
	309	136	173

Total Counting Hours	615	273	342

Field Surveyor Details	Total	Walking	Driving
Counting Hours	273	203	69
Distance Traveled (km)	1498	461	1,036

Birds Summary

This year we used two methods to obtain bird data from field teams. Participants could share their eBird checklist with an account we created specific for the CBC. Effort data, mammal sightings, and bird data (not submitted to eBird) were submitted by each section captain using the template.

All eBird checklists (98) shared during count day can be viewed in the eBird Trip Report here.

Count Results	Total	Count Week
Total Count – Species	72	2
Total Count – Individual Birds	75,917

Below is the summary of all species and individuals counted. Field teams counted a total of 68,115 individuals (70 species) and Feeder Watchers counted 7802 individuals (35 species). Notable species and records are highlighted in yellow. Calgary count data has been collected since 1952.

(Use slider at bottom to reveal more columns.)

SPECIES COUNTED	2021 Count	10-yr Average	2021 vs. 10-yr Avg	% of Years Reported Since 2011	% of Years Reported Since 1952	Record High Count	Record High Year	Notes and Comments
Cackling Goose	4	12	-66%	80%	17%	139	2004
Canada Goose	23,967	12,902	86%	100%	74%	27,452	2004
Trumpeter Swan	5	1	456%	30%	12%	5	2017/2021	Tie for Record
Tundra Swan	1		900%	10%	6%	1	1991/2021	Tie for Record
Wood Duck	3	3	7%	80%	42%	40	2007
Gadwall	1	1	0%	50%	41%	29	1987
Mallard	17,323	11,356	53%	100%	100%	24,506	1992
Green-winged Teal	1		150%	20%	54%	9	1981
Canvasback	2	1	300%	30%	14%	2	1963/2021	Tie for Record
Redhead	18	13	37%	70%	45%	35	2020
Ring-necked Duck	5	2	213%	60%	19%	5	2019
Greater Scaup	2	1	300%	30%	14%	6	2007
Lesser Scaup	5	3	79%	80%	58%	14	1991
Harlequin Duck	4	1	264%	50%	38%	7	1989
Bufflehead	144	194	-26%	100%	72%	321	2015
Common Goldeneye	554	1,110	-50%	100%	99%	5,356	2007	Low Count Year
Barrow’s Goldeneye	3	10	-69%	100%	72%	25	2016
Hooded Merganser	2	3	-38%	90%	54%	8	1995
Common Merganser	86	80	7%	100%	99%	159	2017
Ruddy Duck	1		900%	10%	3%	1	2018/ 2021	Tie for Record
Sharp-tailed Grouse	3		900%	10%	39%	25	1986	Notable Sighting
Gray Partridge	58	66	-13%	100%	97%	276	1977
Ring-necked Pheasant	11	10	12%	100%	99%	124	1961
Rock Pigeon	1,417	1,992	-29%	100%	70%	4,611	2006
Eurasian Collared-Dove	2	26	-92%	80%	13%	63	2015	Low Count Year
American Coot	1	1	-9%	50%	22%	4	2018
Wilson’s Snipe	1		233%	10%	17%	3	2005	Notable Sighting
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4	6	-29%	90%	33%	10	2014
Northern Goshawk	6	4	46%	90%	74%	9	2019
Bald Eagle	69	33	110%	100%	80%	69	2021	Record Year
Rough-legged Hawk	5	7	-30%	100%	71%	17	2015
Great Horned Owl	9	7	30%	100%	84%	26	1991
Snowy Owl	1	–	–	0%	58%	15	1973	Notable Sighting
Northern Saw-whet Owl	1	1	25%	60%	25%	2	2005
Belted Kingfisher	3	2	36%	100%	72%	9	1988
American Three-toed Woodpecker	2	1	82%	50%	39%	5	1980
Downy Woodpecker	263	181	46%	100%	96%	263	2021	Record Year
Hairy Woodpecker	39	35	11%	100%	86%	50	2018
Pileated Woodpecker	4	2	100%	90%	49%	5	2015
Northern Flicker	363	229	59%	100%	78%	363	2021	Record Year
Merlin	24	22	8%	100%	93%	43	2015
Gyrfalcon	1	1	43%	40%	30%	4	1990
Northern Shrike	8	5	57%	100%	78%	11	2015
Blue Jay	137	112	22%	100%	61%	256	1994
Black-billed Magpie	2,401	2,607	-8%	100%	100%	3,096	2020
American Crow	65	103	-37%	100%	72%	152	2012	Low Count Year
Common Raven	625	507	23%	100%	70%	858	2017
Black-capped Chickadee	2,140	1,910	12%	100%	100%	2,221	2006
Mountain Chickadee	7	4	84%	60%	48%	19	1987
Boreal Chickadee	7	18	-60%	100%	81%	101	1987
Golden-crowned Kinglet	2	18	-89%	100%	86%	85	1990	Low Count Year
Red-breasted Nuthatch	200	382	-48%	100%	75%	727	2015
White-breasted Nuthatch	110	108	2%	100%	81%	203	2014
Brown Creeper	17	20	-16%	100%	84%	33	2014
American Dipper	3	2	36%	90%	61%	7	1994
European Starling	326	320	2%	100%	99%	1,445	1995
Townsend’s Solitaire	18	4	350%	100%	48%	18	2021	Record Year
American Robin	82	86	-5%	100%	62%	219	2001
Bohemian Waxwing	15,816	10,262	54%	100%	96%	20,012	2005
Cedar Waxwing	11	12	-4%	70%	45%	88	2003
House Sparrow	7,096	6,113	16%	100%	97%	10,304	2000
Pine Grosbeak	64	196	-67%	90%	87%	862	2011
House Finch	1,916	1,046	83%	100%	45%	1,916	2021	Record Year
Common Redpoll	272	580	-53%	100%	93%	2,025	1995
Hoary Redpoll	2	3	-20%	30%	39%	22	1969
White-winged Crossbill	40	718	-94%	90%	59%	4,448	2015	Low Count Year
Pine Siskin	50	187	-73%	100%	62%	772	2003
American Tree Sparrow	3	2	100%	50%	45%	34	1999
Dark-eyed Junco	64	163	-61%	100%	71%	392	2018
White-crowned Sparrow	1	–	–	0%	3%	1	2005
White-throated Sparrow	9	3	233%	70%	35%	15	1994
Song Sparrow	2	1	300%	40%	26%	3	1995

Count Week Species: Varied Thrush, Prairie Falcon

Species Normally seen but not counted in 2021: Northern Pintail, Ruffed Grouse, Cooper’s Hawk, Red Crossbill

Just a reminder that these numbers are tentative. I will be presenting a more in-depth analysis on the count and describe our methods for adjusting these initial numbers at the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group on January 12 via Zoom.

Thank you all. Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!

Matt Wallace

Foothills Birds – Live Bird Cameras

Aug29

Most Calgary birders know of Barb Castell’s home in the foothills SW of the city, near Priddis. Many have been there, and it is a great place to see birds, including some uncommon species, that come to her feeders and bird baths. It’s one of the most reliable places in the area to see Evening Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, and even Black-headed Grosbeaks.

Of course this is private property with restricted access, but there is a YouTube Channel which has a daily live stream from three cameras set up on the property. You can watch the birds live, and participate in the chat about what is being seen. There are also many archived past live streams, and clips of highlights on the site.

Here is the YouTube page: Foothills Birds.

They also have a web page with more information and a link to the YouTube site: foothillsbirds.com

Below is one of the clips from YouTube, featuring some brave Blue Jays.

With fall migration now under way, as many as 26 species have been seen in a day recently, including migrating warblers and hummingbirds. Archived streams feature birds like Northern Goshawks, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Ruffed Grouse, and Mammals like Red Squirrels, Northern Flying Squirrels, and Bats. It is very entertaining and educational to watch!

I’d like to urge you to go to YouTube and subscribe to this channel. It’s as simple as clicking on the “Subscribe” button if you are a regular YouTube user. If not, to get your free subscription,

1. Go to: https://www.youtube.com/foothillsbirds

2. Log into your Google Account, if you aren’t already logged in, top right corner.

3. Click on the red SUBSCRIBE button on the right side.

4. It should change from red to gray and say UNSUBSCRIBE.

Being subscribed to a channel is not obtrusive. For you, it just means that the site appears in your feed as a suggestion from time to time when you are already on the YouTube site. Any new clips that they add will appear in your suggestions. It will also be easy for you to re-find the site since there will be a link to it under your subscriptions.

But it is very important for Foothills Birds to get more subscribers! Even if you do not plan to visit the site much, please subscribe so that it will be suggested to more and more YouTube users and seen by more people. There are currently about 444 subscribers, and if they get to 1000, it will allow them to get more advanced features from YouTube and allow them to do more to support the birds.

Some photos of birds seen at the feeders, from the web site:

The best time to view the birds is when they are hungry early in the
morning. The camera is usually on from from dawn to dusk.

This location is now an eBird HotSpot, so you can go on eBird and see what has been reported there every day. There have been 105 species observed at the location this year, and 140 species all-time!

If you are on Twitter, follow them @FoothillsBirds. They regularly post photos of birds that are at the feeders and in the area.

So visit the site, watch some clips and live streams, and subscribe. Let’s help them reach their goal of 1000 subscribers!

Get Involved in the Calgary May Species Count

May17

The Calgary count on May 29 and 30 still has some areas that need surveyors.

The May Species Count is an annual event in which birders count the number of birds of each species within the 80-km diameter circle centred in Calgary. The circle is divided up into many smaller territories, and there are a few that so far are not covered this year.

Area 2: FCPP Bridge 6 to Macleod Trail (Votiers Flats)
Area 3: FCPP Macleod Trail to Bridge 13 (Glennfield)
Area 4: FCPP Burnsmead South to Lafarge Meadows
Area 31: Irricana
Area 37: Acme/Carbon
43b: Confluence Park – pending
43g: Pine Creek Water Treatment Plant
43j: Nose Hill Park – pending

The Calgary count circle with the rural territories marked. The city is also divided up into many territories.

If you are an experienced birder and want to participate by covering one of the areas above, contact John McFaul at alpglow[at]telus.net. He will provide details of the procedures and a description of the territory to be covered.

Online Film – Avian Summer

Jul19

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Photographer and filmmaker Rick Andrews has produced a wonderful wildlife documentary about some of our local birds. Avian Summer has fantastic high-resolution video of birds that migrate into Southern Alberta each spring, where they come to find a mate and raise the next generation, before migrating south again in the fall. Watch the trailer below.

Avian Summer by Rick Andrews – trailer.

The full film is available to rent or purchase on the Vimeo platform. The cost is $8 for a three-day rental, and $25 to buy. You can watch it on your phone, tablet, or computer. (I played it on my phone and streamed it to our TV, and it looked fantastic.) Proceeds from Avian Summer will benefit the Growing the Grassroots Endowment Fund in support of nature-based interpretive programming at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge.

I really enjoyed this thirty-seven minute film. It focuses mostly on waterfowl, raptors, herons, and cranes, and a few songbirds. There are a lot of great sequences of birds raising their young.

Rick Andrews is a conservation wildlife photographer and filmmaker from Southern Alberta. He has many other excellent films available for free on Vimeo, so be sure to check them out. (It is free to sign up on Vimeo.) Rick’s collection of films showcases resident wildlife in Southern Alberta, including the full-length documentary Wildlife of the Oldman River Valley (2018), as well as several documentary shorts including Great Horned Owls (2020), Country Club Marmots (2019), and Lethbridge Wild Turkeys (2018).

Here is the poster from the film’s online premier, which was on June 25. The question & answer session with Rick is available to view on the Helen Schuler Nature Center Facebook page here.

Check out these excellent productions, and help support conservation in southern Alberta.

You can follow Rick Andrews on Facebook here.

Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society.

Birds Calgary

A birding blog for Calgary, Alberta and area

Archives

Wild Bird Store Speaker Series Begins March 16

Eye For The Wild Photo Contest Supports Wildlife Rehabilitation

Rocky Mountain Eagle Watch – Volunteers Needed!

Southeast Alberta May Species Counts 2022

The Calgary Winter Birds List – One Week To Go

Calgary Christmas Bird Count Final Results

2021 Calgary Christmas Bird Count Results

Foothills Birds – Live Bird Cameras

Get Involved in the Calgary May Species Count

Online Film – Avian Summer

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