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Courting Mountain Bluebirds

May31

Vincent Tolley photographed this Mountain Bluebird pair just after the male had brought a meal to the female.

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebirds near Madden, north of Calgary, May 25, 2018. Photo by Vincent Tolley.

You can find Mountain Bluebirds at their nestboxes along rural roads all over the Calgary region this month. The best areas are NW, West and SW of town. Many of the boxes host Tree Swallows but if you are persistent you can find bluebirds.

On Thursday June 28 you can join Nature Calgary as Don Stiles leads a trip along his Bluebird Nestbox trail. See baby Mountain Bluebirds and Tree Swallows and learn about the nestbox program. For more information see this page.

You can see more of Vincent Tolley’s photos on his Flickr page.

Wood Ducks at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

May30

Wood Ducks are probably our most spectacularly beautiful duck species. They are quite uncommon in southern Alberta, but the one reliable place to see them is on the lagoons at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Up to 40 birds can be seen there at times. The males are in their breeding plumage now. Judi Willis took these shots in Early may.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck (male), Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, May 2018. Photo by Judi Willis.

Wood Duck

Wood Duck (male), Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, May 2018. Photo by Judi Willis.

Sharp-tails at the Lek

May25

Tony LePrieur had an opportunity to observe Sharp-tailed Grouse displaying on a lek in southern Alberta this spring. All photos by Tony LePrieur.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Male Sharp-tailed Grouse displaying.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Another male Sharp-tailed Grouse displaying.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Two males battling.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

A female looking for a mate.

You can see more of Tony LePrieur’s photographs here.

Friends of Fish Creek Birding: 68 Street Wetlands and South Glenmore Park

May17

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

The Friends of Fish Creek birding course continues to grow in popularity, with over 300 people now going out on weekly three-hour field trips to various parks in the city. The Spring session is under way, and Max Ortiz Aguilar has contributed some photos from recent outings.

On April 22, 2018 the course went to the 68 Street SE Wetlands, east of Elliston Park. This is a fairly new area for the birding course and is excellent for spring shorebirds, gulls, and waterfowl on migration. All photos by Max Ortiz Aguilar.

American Avocet

American Avocet.

The wetlands (which are also called the Rotary/Mattamy Greenway wetlands since they are on that city-encircling pathway) lie just east of Elliston Lake, between 68 Street SE and Stoney Trail, just south of 17 Avenue. There is a parking lot south of 17 Avenue on the west side of 68 St.

68 St SE Wetlands map

Elliston Lake and the 68 St SE Wetlands.

Black-necked Stilt

Black-necked Stilt.

ShorebirdsTwo Black-necked Stilt and one American Avocet.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron.

In the first week of May the course went to South Glenmore Park in search of more waterfowl and migrants. Max took the following photos on May 6, 2018.

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow singing in the morning

Great Blue HeronGreat Blue Heron

Barrow's Goldeneye

Group of Barrow’s Goldeneye

Common MerganserMale and female Common Mergansers

To see more of Max’s photos go to his site here.

Spring Waterfowl at Confederation Park, Part 2

May14

More duck species photographed at Confederation Park in NW Calgary in March and April 2018 by Ron Chiasson. See Part 1 for more photos and a map of the park.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail, male.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail, male, with female Mallard in background.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail, male.

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail, male.

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck, male.

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck, female.

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck, male.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler, male.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shoveler, male.

American Wigeon

American Wigeon, male.

American Wigeon

American Wigeon, male, with Mallards in background.

American Wigeon

American Wigeon, male.

American Wigeon

American Wigeon, male (front), with male Northern Pintail (middle), and male Mallard (back).

You can see more of Ron Chiasson’s work here.

Spring Waterfowl at Confederation Park, Part 1

May14

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser, Confederation Park, Calgary, April 14, 2018. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

As I mentioned in a previous post (Winter Birds of Confederation Park), this NW city park is under-appreciated by many local birders, who only go there for the fall warbler migration.

Confederation Park runs on both sides of 10 Street NW but the best birding is along the creek and around the pond that is in the western half, between 10 Street and 14 Street. There is a parking lot at the Rosemont Community Association, and plentiful on-street parking on Roselawn Crescent, near the pond, and on other nearby residential streets.

Confederation Park

Confederation Park between 10 Street and 14 Street NW.

Here are some of the many waterfowl species that can be seen during the spring migration on the pond. More will follow in part 2.

All photos are by Ron Chiasson, and were taken in March and April of 2018.

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye, female.

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye, female.

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye, male.

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye pair.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser, male.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser, male.

Mallard

Mallard dabbling.

Mallard

Mallard (male) landing. Northern Pintail in background.

Mallard

Mallard, female.

Mallard

Mallards mating.

You can see more of Ron Chiasson’s work here.

Boreal Owl in the City

May9

Jim Washbrook and other residents of a Northeast Calgary neighbourhood were treated to a rare sight in late March when a Boreal Owl spent a few hours posing for photographs during daylight hours. These rarely seen little owls are nocturnal and live in the Boreal forest. Many birders have never seen or even heard one.

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl, Calgary, March 28, 2018. Photo by Jim Washbrook.

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl, Calgary, March 28, 2018. Photo by Jim Washbrook.

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl, Calgary, March 28, 2018. Photo by Jim Washbrook.

Sarah Bradley also took some photos of the owl sitting in the vines. Photos below by Sarah Bradley, Calgary, March 28, 2018.

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl

The owl apparently moved on and was not seen again after that afternoon. Nice to have one of these come to you instead of having to go look for it!

Mountain Bluebirds on Migration

Apr8

Tony LePrieur saw a flock of ten Migrating Mountain Bluebirds in the Weaselhead Nature Area in SW Calgary on April 1, 2018. All photos by Tony LePrieur.

Mountain Bluebird

Male Mountain Bluebird.

Mountain Bluebird

Six males together.

Mountain Bluebird

A female. Most of the earliest-arriving birds are males, eager to get on territory.

Mountain Bluebirds arrive back in the Calgary area every spring just about right on the equinox. The extended snowy and cold weather we are having this spring will make it tough on them. They eat mostly insects during the breeding season, but will also eat berries to survive the cold weather.

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebirds are a cavity-nesting species, and they are now often out-competed for nesting sites by non-native House Sparrows and European Starlings. In an effort to increase the nesting opportunities for Bluebirds, volunteers have erected hundreds of nest boxes in rural Alberta.

See the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society website.

You can see more of Tony LePrieur’s photos on his Flickr page.

Backyard Birds: Varied Thrush

Mar29

A Varied Thrush has been spending the winter visiting a yard in Okotoks, just south of Calgary.

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush (front) with Northern Flicker, Okotoks, January 2018. Photo by Leanne Ross.

This thrush breeds in the boreal forest and can be found west of the city in the summer. They will occasionally overwinter here.

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush, Okotoks, winter 2017-2018. Photo by Leanne Ross.

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush, Okotoks, winter 2017-2018. Photo by Leanne Ross.

Short-eared Owls in Winter

Mar28

Short-eared Owls are scarce in the Calgary area in the winter, but sometimes a few can be found hunting meadow voles around fields that have not been cultivated for a few years. Ron Chiasson photographed these owls near Calgary this winter. Short-eared Owls are a sensitive species so we won’t give the location. They have declined in the Calgary area over the decades as native prairie has disappeared, but they have an almost worldwide distribution and their conservation status is “Least Concern.”

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

You can see more of Ron’s photos at Ron Chiasson Photography.