When we last checked in on Gavin McKinnon’s quest to find 300 species of birds in Alberta in 2019, he was at 291 species. That was at the end of July (see this post). Since he had already seen almost all of the more common species, progress was expected to be slow for the rest of the year, as he would have to track down rarities that showed up during fall migration.
I’m happy to report that Gavin did reach 300 species on October 11th! He was slowly adding new species until he reached 299. On October 9th an Ash-throated Flycatcher was reported in St. Albert. This is the first confirmed record of this species ever in Alberta. It is native to the SW United States and the Pacific northwest. On October 11th Gavin travelled to St. Albert and saw and photographed the bird.
Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon.
Not only was this bird #300 for Gavin and a first Alberta record, but it was a life bird for him. A great way to reach his goal!
Here are few of the birds that got Gavin within striking distance of 300. He tried to photograph as many of the species he saw as he could.
Black Swift. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Vaux’s Swift. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Western Sandpiper. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Sabine’s Gull. Photo by Gavin McKinnon.
By October 12th Gavin had reached 303 species, which is where he stands today. He has also seen a total of 370 species in Canada this year, which is tied for the third-highest total in the country. Here are links to those eBird pages:
I was away quite a bit in July so there’s lots to catch up on here. First of all, here is an update on fifteen-year-old Gavin McKinnon’s effort to find 300 species of birds in Alberta in 2019.
Gavin had 216 species at the end of May, and as I mentioned last time, you need to get to at least 240 by the end of June to have a good shot at 300. Gavin had a great month in June, and finished the first six months of the year with 278 species. Here are photos of some of the new species he added in June, along with his descriptions of where he saw them and some of the other notable species. Gavin did quite a bit of travelling with his dad looking for rarities, which sometimes necessitated camping in the back of their car.
Great Gray Owl
“On the first of June we were out at Winchell lake and Horse Creek Road marshes where I got half a dozen new songbirds plus Great Gray Owl. The following day We went to Dinosaur Provincial Park where we heard Yellow-breasted Chat. I also added Rock Wren and Lark Sparrow there. The following weekend we went up to Cold lake where I got 35 year birds, the highlights being Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, lots of Connecticut Warblers and a Great Crested Flycatcher. The next day I was able to see a flock of five White-rumped Sandpipers along the rocky shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake as well as a singing male Townsend’s Warbler. A few days later I got the chance to see a Black-chinned Hummingbird that was visiting Pat Lucas’ feeders near Hillcrest Mines.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
“Between then and Cypress Hills I got to see Clark’s Grebe and Great Egret. On our way to Cypress we made two stops, one for McCown’s Longspur and another for Burrowing Owl.
Burrowing Owl
“I got three year birds within my first hour at Cypress Hills: White-winged Scoter, Dusky Flycatcher, and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds that have been nesting along the southern border of the park.
Eastern Bluebird
“In the afternoon I was able to see a pair of Bullock’s Orioles and after about an hour of checking the Bullock’s Oriole tree I found a nest with two chicks.
Bullock’s Oriole at nest
“There were also three Common Nighthawks roosting nearby. On our way back to Cypress we found three Greater Sage Grouse.
Greater Sage Grouse
“At night we were driving around the Graburn Road area and we were able to detect two Common Poorwills, one heard only, but the second one swooped in front of our headlights.”
Below is a photo of the car where they camped on some of these trips.
The camping setup in the car.
Here are more photos of some species Gavin added to his list in June.
I will do another update when Gavin Gets to 300 species. Not to keep you in suspense, at the end of July he had 291 species. Of course, as the year goes on it becomes harder and harder to add new birds to the list, but Gavin hopes to reach 295 by the end of August.
You can also follow his progress on eBird by viewing the list of top 100 eBirders in Alberta on the “Explore” tab. Here is a link to that page. You can also check out the top 100 in Canada, where Gavin is at an amazing 362 species, the second-highest total in the country!
You can see previous posts with photos and updates of Gavin’s Big Year here:
May and June are the busiest months if you are trying to find new species for the year. Here is an update with photos of some of the birds Gavin McKinnon has added to his list in May. He is trying to record 300 species within Alberta in 2019.
Sharp-tailed GrouseEared Grebe Red-breasted Merganser Pectoral Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Gray-cheeked Thrush Red Knots and Black-bellied Plovers Wilson’s Snipe Dusky Grouse Lazuli Bunting Snowy Plover Piping Plover
As of the end of May, Gavin had 216 species in Alberta. It will be interesting to see how many species he has at the end of June – although that is halfway through the calendar, I have been told by people who have attempted this before that you have to be at about 240 by June 30 to have a good shot at 300 species, depending on how many “easy” ones you missed in the spring and can get in the fall.
Here are some beautiful birds photographed by Raymond Toal in a garden in Beaver Mines, in the far SW corner of Alberta, near Waterton Park. All photos taken on May 26, 2019 by Raymond Toal.
The next Birds & Beers meeting in Calgary will be on Thursday May 30. In addition to good food, good drinks, and good conversation, there will be a presentation by Gavin McKinnon on his trip to Ecuador and the birds he saw and photographed there.
Birds & Beers is a casual social get-together where birders can relax and visit. Everyone is welcome, including children if accompanied by an adult.
Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,
9202 Horton Road SW
Thursday May 30, 2019, 6:00-9:00 pm
You can come earlier than 6 pm if you want to avoid the rush at the kitchen. We meet in the big ballroom, and the presentation will begin around 7:15 to 7:30. You are also welcome to arrive just for the presentation.
Here are a couple more photos that Gavin took in Ecuador. There will be plenty more at Birds & Beers!
Golden-naped Tanager Collared Aracari
The following Birds & Beers event will be on Thursday June 27, at the same time and place. There will be a presentation by Marshall Netherwood on “Birding and Botany on the Southern Alberta Walk with Gus Yaki.” The fall Birds & Beers schedule will resume in August. Details to follow.
Here are some birds that Tony LePrieur photographed at Frank Lake on April 27. All of these species can still be found there throughout the breeding season, along with dozens more. All photos by Tony LePrieur.
American Avocet, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019. American Coot, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019. Willet, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019. Black-necked Stilt, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019. Killdeer, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019.
The next day, after an overnight snowstorm in Calgary, there were quite a few migrating songbirds at Carburn Park. Tony was able to get some great shots of Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carburn Park, April 28, 2019.
These are the Myrtle subspecies of Yellow-rumped Warbler. The Audubon’s subspecies has a yellow throat and lacks the dark mask. Most of the ones we see here are Myrtles heading for the boreal forest. Audubons breed farther west, but we do see both on migration.
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carburn Park, April 28, 2019. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carburn Park, April 28, 2019.
There are still flocks of Yellow-rumps moving through the city now. Keep an eye out in parks and even in your yard!
Here is a wonderful opportunity to go to one of the birdiest places on earth and learn to photograph the local birds with an expert who is a native of Costa Rica. There are only three spots open for this trip so act now!
Costa Rica Bird Photography Workshop, December 2019
Conducted by Max Ortiz Aguilar
Resplendent Quetzal
Max Ortiz Aguilar is a professional Nature Photographer who lives in Calgary. Since 2014 he has maintained a website, www.photosbymoa.com, where he has his portfolio of photos available for sale and for licensing as digital downloads. Last year Max joined the Friends of Fish Creek birding course to learn more about the local birds, and he has since been contributing to this blog.
Keel-billed Toucan
You should plan to arrive to Costa Rica on December 3rd, and departure will be on December 15th. To give you the best customer service and to guarantee the best experience Max will be offering only 3 spots. In this way he will be able to give you his full attention and this will make things easier for everyone when you are in the field.
See Max’s website for a detailed itinerary of all the amazing spots you will visit during this workshop.
Black-crested Coquette
Included:
Photography mentoring by Max (in the field and post processing)
Online working sessions before and after the workshop
Multi-flash photography setup for hummingbirds
Single accommodation at all locations
All meals, including morning and afternoon snacks
Tours and park fees
Fees for local guides
Transportation (including to and from the Juan Santa María airport in Costa Rica)
Not Included:
Airfare
Macro photography sessions
Alcoholic drinks
Laundry
Insurance
Other Miscellaneous Items
Cost: Total cost per participant is $5,000 USD (all taxes included). To book, a 50% deposit is required. This deposit is non-refundable but it is transferable. The other 50% must be paid by September 15th, 2019. Please visit Max’s site for details, and contact him if you have any questions.
Here are some more of the amazing birds you can see and photograph in Costa Rica:
Yellow-throated ToucanGreen HoneycreeperKing VultureScarlet MacawOrnate Hawk-EagleBaltimore Oriole, one of the species you can see both in Calgary and Costa Rica.Red-headed Barbet
Here is a great photo taken by Kenneth Johnson on November 3 near the Jumpingpound Gas plant, west of Calgary.
Tundra Swans west of Calgary, November 3, 2018. Photo by Kenneth Johnson.
The darker birds with the pink on their bills are juveniles. I’m not positive that the big bird with its wings outstretched is a Tundra. It could be a Trumpeter (no yellow on the face, long bill) but the shape of the area between the eyes suggests Tundra. Comments welcome.
Trumpeter Swans migrate though the area up to about the first week of November, and Tundras a little later. Most will be gone by mid-month. The majority of Trumpeters tend to pass to the west of Calgary, and many are seen on the Glenmore Reservoir. To the east of town, far more Tundras are seen. But both can be found on any large body of water in the area, or in flocks flying overhead.
Here are eBird maps of reports of the two species during the first week of November. Each red teardrop shows a location where at least one swan was reported.
Above: Tundra Swan reports on eBird in the Calgary area, early November 2018.
Above: Trumpeter Swan reports on eBird in the Calgary area, early November 2018.
On Saturday September 29 The Wild Bird Store in Calgary will be celebrating their 21st anniversary with some events that will be of interest to local birders.
The Wild Bird Store is located at 5901-3 St SE. They have everything you need for backyard bird feeding.
Gus Yaki’s presentations will feature photographs of virtually every species that has ever been seen in Alberta. John Acorn, co-author with Chris Fisher of Birds of Alberta, will be doing a book signing. His newest book is Best Places to Bird in the Prairies.
The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society will bring Lito, a Swainson’s Hawk, to the event. The CWRS always has a need for supplies to support the work they do. They will have a table set up for donations. If you are attending the store’s event, consider bringing any of the following items for them:
Game bird hunting season has begun in most areas around Calgary, so fewer birders will be heading to Frank Lake. Tony LePrieur made a final trip there on September 2 and took these amazing water-level photos.
Semipalmated Plover, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
Semipalmated Plover, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
Baird’s Sandpiper, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
You can see more of Tony LePrieur’s photos on his Flickr page at this link.
