Archives

Bird Profile: Ring-necked Pheasant

Apr17

 

The male Ring-necked Pheasant is a very colourful bird with a loud, harsh and raucous “koork-KOK”, call; one that often emerges from grasslands, deep brush and agricultural land. The pheasant is native to Caucasus and Russia and has been introduced all over the world as a popular game bird.

Ring-necked Pheasant

 There is usually one male who guards his harem of plain, mottled females from other males, chasing them away during the breeding season. Pheasants are known to hunker down in a roost in very bad weather, going for days without eating. They nest and forage on the ground, eating seeds, wild fruits, nuts and insects.

 I had my own special encounter with a pheasant the other day. I rode my bike to Fish Creek and as I turned a corner, I came to within a couple meters of a pheasant. He was startled (so was I!) and in his haste to get away, slipped on ice! Definitely funny for me to see!

Elegance… This male Pheasant is trying to be as regal as possible. 

He hits the ice as he runs away and is unprepared…

Whoa!!! He definitely wasn’t ready for this!

Dignity regained… Or so he thinks. 

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: April 14

Apr16

Welcome to the City of Calgary and Nature Calgary’s (CFNS) Bird Alert. This Bird Alert was recorded on Thursday, April 14, at 10:25 am. To report a bird sighting, phone 403 221-4519 and leave a message after the beep at the end of the recording. To report injured wildlife please call Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society at 403 239-2488, or the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403 946-2361.

SIGHTINGS FOR:

Wednesday, April 13

–BLACK-NECKED STILT (3) – at a slough E of Irricana (the road to Tschetter Hutterite Colony) on RR 260, N of Twp Rd 270 seen by Joan & Malcolm McDonald.

–GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1) – as above at a slough on the W side of RR 254 about 1 Km N of the farm by J&MM.

–TREE SWALLOW (1) – observed by Cedric Hitchon on the Bow River at the Hwy 22X Bridge in SE Calgary.

–TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE (1) – reported by Matthew Sim in his yard in the Willowpark community in SE Calgary.

Monday, Apr 11

–SNOW GOOSE (1) – observed flying in with Canada Geese on Twp Rd 314 E of RR 253 N of Linden by Corrine Griffin.

–GADWALL (2 pair) – near the observation blind at Frank Lake on Hwy 23 about 8 km E of High River by Greg Wagner.

–PEREGRINE FALCON (3) – 1 seen feeding on a duck along the SW shoreline of Basin 1 at Frank Lake by GW and Thomas Glen reports a pair in downtown Calgary.

–LAPLAND LONGSPUR (300) – seen on Twp Rd 314 E of RR 253 N of Linden by CG.

–RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (1 male) – seen by Carol Coulter in her yard in the Southwood subdivision in SW Calgary.

Sunday, April 10

–RUDDY DUCK – seen at Frank Lake by GW.

–SHARP-SHINNED HAWK – reported by Dwight Knapik at the Calgary Zoo private breeding facility off Dunbow Rd just SE of Calgary.

–WHOOPING CRANE (2) – seen flying northward over the Hwy 2 & Hwy 547 overpass S of Calgary by Roger Hoffort

Saturday, April 9

–AMERICAN KESTREL – watched by Bob Lefebvre by the irrigation canal at 32 Ave & 26 St SE in Calgary.

–PRAIRIE FALCON (1) – seen on the S side of the river upstream from the Bearspaw Dam W of Calgary by Kelly Day & Christine McDonald.

–RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (3) – seen just SE of Frank Lake by GW.

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is Monday, April 18.

Posted by Pat Bumstead

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: April 11

Apr12

Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Monday, April 11 at 9:00 pm. To report a bird sighting,call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording. The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday, April 14th.

SIGHTINGS FOR:

Sunday, April 10
–AMERICAN AVOCET(1), no location given
–GREATER YELLOWLEGS(1), Frank Lake
–BONAPARTE’S GULL(1), Clear Lake, east of Stavely
–NORTHERN CARDINAL(1)(F), 4th.Str. and Cliffe Ave, E.of StanleyPark
–AMERICAN GOLDFINCH(1), Votier’s Flats, Fish Creek Park

Saturday, April 9
–RED-BREASTED MERGANSER(1)(m), Bow River, Mallard Pt, East Fish Creek Park
–DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT(7), snow covered gull colony, Langdon Reservoir
–BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON(2), Frank Lake
–GREATER YELLOWLEGS(1), Frank Lake
–PEREGRINE FALCON(1), Frank Lake

Friday, April 8–BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON(1) Frank Lake

Thursday, April 7–THAYER’S GULL (adult), GLAUCOUS GULL (adult) Shepard Landfill

Birds of Frank Lake

Apr12

Thank you to David Lilly for sending us these amazing pictures taken at Frank Lake on April 9/11.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Tundra Swan displaying

Rough-legged Hawk

Posted and species identified by Pat Bumstead

 

Foraging Flocks

Apr8

We’ve seen it often enough; you’re out bird watching, looking at the deserted trees and bushes and wondering where all the birds are. Suddenly, they are upon you, lots of them, making it next to impossible to follow them all. It’s a foraging flock. But what is a foraging flock?

These congregations of several different species, often insectivorous, occur where there is an abundance of food. There has to be a ‘nuclear’ species as a basis for the flock’s hierarchy; with this species being central to the flock’s formation and movement.

Attendants come next. Attendant species often don’t join in on the activities until the flock’s activities enter their territory.  Titmice and chickadees often fill the roles of a ‘nuclear’ (‘core’) species in North America and are soon followed by nuthatches, creepers, woodpeckers, kinglets and New World warblers all of which are insect-eating birds. These flocks are seen mostly in the non-breeding season when birds come out of the secrecy of breeding and raising a family.

Downy Woodpeckers use chickadees as sentinels in the foraging flocks

The benefits are great for birds in these flocks, namely; the increased vigilance by more eyes, lowering the risk of predation. There could also be a rise in feeding efficiency; as bugs flee from one bird, they head right into the beak of another. Feeding together heightens the chance that someone will locate a rich feeding patch and birds benefit from the different abilities, such as a woodpecker’s strong beak.

Chickadees often act the part of the ‘nuclear’ species

Nuthatches will often join in on the action of feeding flocks.

But there are costs as well, for example, kleptoparasitism, or parasitism by theft. This is when one more aggressive bird, steals the food caught by another bird. The costs, however, are often outweighed by the more advantageous benefits.

Well, birds of a feather don’t always flock together, but they sure know who to flock with!

Posted by Matthew Sim

Bird Alert April 5

Apr5

Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This Bird Alert was recorded on Monday Apr 04.

Bird Sightings:

Mar 28:
RED-TAILED HAWK , dark morph, south of Longview

Mar 31:
A SNOW GOOSE in a flock of CANADA GEESE just east of Calgary

Apr 1:
PEREGRINE FALCON, Bow Building, (downtown),
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (2), east side Frank Lake
RED- BREASTED MERGANSER female, EURASIAN WIGEON male, flocks of LAPLAND
LONGSPURS at Clear Lake

Apr 2:
Possible LONG-EARED OWL east of Parkland Blvd/146 Ave SE
GREATER SCAUP, male, on the Bow River at Glenmore Tr. bridge

Apr 3:
NORTHERN HAWK OWL , TURKEY VUKTURE, Votiers Flats to Bebo Grove, FCPP
PEREGRINE FALCONS (2) Bow Bldg .
FERRUGINOUS HAWK over Turner Valley
CEDAR WAXWINGS (15) in Willow Park district
CEDAR WAXWING (1), in Douglas Glen dist
VARIED THRUSH (2) males at Harvie Heights

Bird Alert March 31

Apr1

Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was
prepared on Thursday,March 31, at 10pm. To report a bird sighting,call
403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording.

SIGHTINGS FOR:

Monday, March 28
–FRANKLIN’S GULL(2),Frank Lake
–AMERICAN COOT(1), same as above
–LESSER SCAUP(1m), same as above
–RING-NECKED DUCK(1m), same as above
–VARIED THRUSH(1m), North Haven backyard
–SHORT-EARED OWL((12), Frank Lake
–PRAIRIE FALCON(1) Frank Lake

Tuesday, March 29
–GLAUCOUS GULL(1st.yr.), Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
–NORTHERN HAWK OWL(1)Votier’s Flats, Fish Creek PP

Wednesday, March 30
–WOOD DUCK(1), Elbow River, Votier’s Flats,Fish Creek PP
–PRAIRIE FALCON(1) south cliffs of Bearspaw dam, Calgary
–EUROPEAN STARLING(10,000-20,000) 4 km. north of High River
Posted by Pat Bumstead

Meet The Mountain Bluebird

Mar29

The Mountain Bluebird is an early migrant to our area, arriving in mid to late March. There have been a few sightings in the countryside recently, and one was reported in the Tuscany subdivision on March 25. In Calgary, you might see them in Weaselhead, North Glenmore Park, Fish Creek Provincial Park or Nose Hill Park.

Read more about this beautiful bird and report any sightings on the Weaselhead Society website.

See also:

Hinterland Who’s Who

Photo courtesy of fotopedia.com

Here’s Looking at You-Whoo!

Mar28

As 2011 began, the Northern Saw-whet Owl was right at the top of my list of Birds I Must See.  I had heard them singing in the spring before in both the Weaselhead area and in Bowness, but I had never seen one.  They are very small, about eight inches (20 cm) high, and active at night.  They spend the daytime roosting in tree cavities or dense conifers.  So although they are quite common, they are rarely seen.

…….

On Saturday, March 19, the Friends of Fish Creek Park Society outing was at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, where we were looking for returning gulls and waterfowl.  Before starting, the leader, Gus Yaki, mentioned that a Northern Saw-whet Owl had been reported a few days previously at the sanctuary.  We would look for this little bird near the end of our walk, in the row of spruce trees that run north from Walker House. 

…….

However, as we turned north by the lagoon, I noticed a pair of Black-capped Chickadees that seemed quite agitated.  Two of us hung back to investigate as the rest of the group went ahead.  After a couple of minutes a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches arrived, and then a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and another pair of chickadees.  All the birds were noisy, flicking their tails, and making short sweeping flights into the tree.  I have seen birds behave like this before – they are trying to drive away a predator.  Still, despite circling the tree a couple of times, I could see nothing.  Finally, from a spot right under the tree branches, I found the owl:

Then he found me back:

……

…….

These owls sit still when confronted, and this one barely moved, except for batting his eyes, as you can see in the video.

…….

Good Birding!

Bob Lefebvre

Great-horned Owl Nest Cam

Mar23

The Ellis Bird Farm has set up a live stream video of a great-horned owl nest on their property. Once you sit through the annoying commercial at the beginning, you can follow the life of this bird, and be there when the eggs hatch. A warning though – these owl nest cams are completely addictive. As it gets closer to hatching time, you might as well give up trying to do anything but park yourself in front of your computer.

The stream is color during daylight hours, and has gray-scale pallet of near infrared artificial illumination during the night.

Great-horned owls are early nesters, and this poor girl appears to be sitting on eggs while covered with snow today. Yet another reason to need some real spring weather in this province!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ellis-bird-farm-owl-cam

Good Birding!

Pat Bumstead