These photos were taken by Tim Hopwood over the past two weeks in various locations within the city of Calgary. The first four photos show Red Crossbills (which seem to be more abundant than usual in the city this winter), and the rest are White-winged Crossbills.
To see more of Tim’s photos, see his blog, Tim J. Hopwood Images.
Rob English was lucky enough to get these photos of a Northern Hawk-Owl chick in May 2012. Â This was from the pair that nested just off Grand Valley Road, NW of Cochrane. Â Rob says that to his knowledge, this was the first day out of the nest for this fledgling, and it was very busy exploring its environment!
Posted by Dan Arndt
While on vacation, I had planned to look for some of our old favourites from Calgary who might also be down here enjoying the warm weather for the winter. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. I was a little surprised though at just what species I did find down here, and which ones I expected to find, and didn’t.
I do want to clarify too, that many of these birds spend all year long down here, but their range extends all the way back home to Calgary, which, as the crow flies, is about 4100 km. Quite staggering, when you consider that many of them make the migration from Calgary to this part of the world with very few stops for food or shelter.
Here are just a few of our fine feathered friends enjoying the sun, sand, and tequila down here in Mexico!
Belted Kingfisher
Gray Catbird
American Coot
Double-crested Cormorant
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great Blue Heron
American Redstart
Sanderling
Northern Waterthrush
American White Pelican and Peeps (along with a couple cormorants and Brown Pelicans)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow Warbler
Least Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
The highlight of the 2013 New Year’s Day Bird Count in Fish Creek Park was the rediscovery of a Black-backed Woodpecker, first reported in the area on December 19, 2012. These birds are seldom seen in the Calgary region – I believe it is at least five years since the last one was seen inside the city. On the afternoon of January 1st, I went to the Marshall Springs area to look for it. Luckily for me, Ursula Krol, who had found it in the morning , had returned and found it again.
Photos by Bob Lefebvre
This Song Sparrow has been overwintering in Votier’s Flats, Fish Creek Park. Â It spends quite a bit of time feeding in the open water of the creek. Photos by Bob Lefebvre.
The creek at Votier’s Flats.
Posted by Matthew Sim
As I’m sure many of you know, there can be some very busy points in our lives; right now I’m preparing for semester finals at school, keeping up with sports, preparing for a return to Calgary over Christmas and trying to keep up with the birding. While I can’t always get out, there is always time to notice the birds in my backyard. Here are some of the regulars.
Yellow-rumped Warbler; showing off that characteristic yellow rump!
Orange-crowned Warbler; is it just me or can anybody else see a faint orange streak just above his eye?
Chipping Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
By the time you see this I will be back in Calgary for 2 weeks; I’m looking forward to some good northern birding again!
This Sharp-shinned Hawk was keeping a close eye on the feeders in this Brentwood yard on November 10, 2012. Â Photos by Eric White.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Since the Barred Owl was first reported in the Bebo Grove/Shannon Terrace area of Fish Creek Provincial Park, Tony LePrieur has made many trips there to search for it. After almost two months without success, he finally was able to see and photograph it on December 7. He watched it for almost an hour as it hunted. All photos by Tony LePrieur.
Barred Owl with Meadow Vole.
Barred Owls are uncommon in the area and rarely seen in the city. This one (or another Barred Owl) has been in the Bebo Grove area for the last two winters (they are non-migratory, but I don’t think it has been reported in the summer – likely it nested in another nearby area).
If you go looking for it, please stay on the trails and watch from a respectful distance. Do not try to flush it – Barred Owls are vulnerable to predation, especially from Great Horned Owls, which are also in this area.
On the same trip, Tony was entertained by this Merlin which took a bath in Fish Creek.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
This bird has been in my yard for the last couple of weeks. Â When I first saw it, on a feeder with its back facing me, I thought it was a new species for the yard, but it turned out to be a male Common Redpoll with some white feathers in its wings and tail.
From some angles it looks normal…
Feeding on the ground…
Next to a normal (if out of focus) Common Redpoll…
Here is the Cape May Warbler that Elizabeth Sargeant had in her yard in SW Calgary last Sunday, December 2. Â It was feeding with a group of Golden-crowned Kinglets. Â Needless to say, this is very late for any warbler to be around, but it is the fourth time in the last eleven years that a Cape May Warbler has been reported in Alberta in the winter months (December-February).
