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Mapping Tools for the 2020 Birding Challenge

Dec22

By Andrew Hart

In the new year there will be an eBird challenge in Calgary in which participants try to see as many species as they can within the city limits. See this post for information about the challenge. To join, send your name, ebird name, and email address to Howard Heffler at: hheffler[at]shaw.ca. 

It is usually easy to tell if the spot where you are birding or have birded is inside the city limits, particularly if your location is an existing eBird HotSpot. But if you are near the city boundary and birding at a new location, it can be difficult to tell if the spot is inside or outside the city.

There are two mapping tools available to help with this aspect of the challenge. Each tool works on both a desktop and a tablet/smartphone.

Google Maps Tool

To access this on a desktop simply click on this link. This will bring up Google Maps, as below.

Calgary map

The YYC2020 area shows up as a lighter area bounded in blue.

To facilitate easier access in the future you can choose to bookmark this location in your browser.

To access on a smartphone/tablet the process is similar, and there are probably several ways to do it.  First ensure that you have the Google Maps app installed on your smartphone.

The way I have found most convenient is to generate an email with the link embedded.  You can then click on the link in the email to get the map, as below.  As with the desktop version you can then zoom in and out.  If you are in the field you can immediately check to see if you are in the city limits or not. If you are at home and checking to see if a location you have already birded at is inside the city limits, just compare your location from the eBird location map to this boundary map.

I have created an email subfolder YYC2020 on my phone with this (so far the only) email in it so that I can rapidly find the relevant email and click on it.

You can also set this up as a favourite in your smartphone browser.  I think this is more complicated, and how to do it depends on your actual smartphone and preferred browser.  There are  too many options to describe each one here.

Google Earth Tool

This requires that Google Earth Pro is installed on whichever device(s) you are going to use. It also requires setting up the City boundary as one of “My Places” in Google Earth.

The City boundary is defined in a Google Earth add in file named “Calgary City Boundary.kml”.  This is  available on the Nature Calgary YYC2020 webpage.

To access this tool on a desktop :

  • Download the kml file from the Nature Calgary website and save it in a convenient folder on your desktop. The file link is at the bottom of this page on Nature Calgary’s site.
  • Open Google Earth Pro
  • Use file open and navigate to the location where you saved the kml file
Calgary map
  • Open the kml file and you will see the Calgary City boundary saved under “temporary places” in the menu on the left.  You will also see a view showing the city limits overlaid with a brown colour.  The precise view you will get depends on exactly which layers you have switched on in the lower part of the left hand menu.
Calgary map
  • Next, to ensure you see this the next time you open Google Earth just drag the City Boundary.kml folder up in to the “My Places” folder. 
Calgary map
  • That completes the set-up.
  • Next time you open Google Earth simply click on the “Calgary City Boundary” link under My Places.

To set it up on a smart device the procedure is somewhat similar.

  • Install Google Earth Pro on your smart device
  • Install the kml file on your smart device
  • There are a number of ways to do this
  • If you already have the file on your desktop then save the file to a cloud location that is accessible to your smart device.  Typically iCloud or Onedrive.
  • Then download the file from the cloud location to your smartphone .
  • Now open Google Earth (Pro) and open the “Projects” drop down menu from the three bar menu at top left.
  • Press “open” and then “Import kml file”
  • Browse to where your kml file is located.  The iCloud screenshot below is one example
  • Tap on the relevant file
  • Bring it in to Google Earth (by tapping)
  • You will now see the city boundary as a brown overlay
  • Calgary map
  • If you want to check your own location then tap the three white dots at top right.
  • Next tap my location at the bottom, and you will see your location.
  • Note that unlike Google Maps Google Earth does not continuously update your location.  If you move and want to check again then you have to reset your location
  • If you do not have access to the file on a desktop then access the file on the Nature Calgary website from your smart device and save it to your smart device.  Then follow the same steps described above.

If you have any questions about the challenge contact:

  • Howard Heffler: hheffler[at]shaw.ca
  • Andrew Hart: andrewhart[at]shaw.ca
  • Bob Lefebvre: wbird7[at]gmail.com
  • Gavin McKinnon: gmckinnonbird[at]gmail.com

A Guide to Albertabird

Nov24

By Howard Heffler

Nature Calgary is promoting a friendly “big year” birding challenge within Calgary city limits in 2020 (BIRDYYC2020). (See this post for an introduction to the challenge.) This guide to Albertabird is one of a number of posts we will present to help everyone who participates.

What is Albertabird?

One useful tool for those taking part in the challenge is the online discussion forum “Albertabird”. This is a place where birders can share sightings, locations, and photos, so it will be useful to participants in
keeping informed during the year and giving them the best chance to see as many bird species within the city limits as possible. This article is for newcomers to Albertabird. Anyone can join Albertabird or use it as a resource – it is not just for BIRDYYC2020 participants.

The Albertabird email list was started in early 2000. Initially hosted by Yahoo Groups, a switch to the more compatible platform, Groups IO, was completed in late 2019.

This list functions within the guidelines found in the American Birding Association Code of Ethics. The Albertabird Moderators are Gerald Romanchuk, Malcolm McDonald, and Caroline Lambert.

Anyone can look at the site to read messages posted by members. Click this link to go to Albertabird in a new tab. There you can see what the site looks like.

Using Albertabird

To post messages to the list you must be a member. To join, you simply go to the site’s Home page and click on “Apply for Membership in this Group.” You will be asked to submit your email address. You should get a response to your request for membership in a day or two. 

You can open the “Messages” page to see the latest posts. You can also go to “Subscription” and set the parameters in a way that suits you. You may elect to receive each message in an individual email or in other ways or to not receive emails. Once you are a member, you can post messages and photos for all to see. You can post either right on the website or by sending an email to Albertabird[at]groups.io.

Albertabird has been a powerful and useful tool for years, allowing birders to share stories and help others learn.

We encourage you to look frequently at Albertabird and to post stories about your adventures during the BirdYYC2020 challenge.

Albertabird Guidelines

The complete guidelines for users of Albertabird can be found on the Albertabird website under “files”.

A few points to remember are:

  • Do not to hit the “Reply” button when responding to a message unless you are intending to send your comments to all subscribers.
  • All posts should contain your name and location by city.
  • Be prepared to share directions to interesting birds, except for species at risk.
  • Do not share directions on private property until you have permission from the landowner to do so.
  • Do not post detailed information on a nest location, particularly for species at risk, to minimize disturbance to nesting birds.
  • The list allows attachments such as photos or files. Files should be kept as concise as possible in the interest of saving storage space
  • Photos can be attached to the message as a file or pasted into the message. (See the guidelines on the Albertabird website for more details and restrictions.)

Enjoy!

Any questions or suggestions about BIRDYYC2020 contact:
 Howard Heffler: hheffler*@*shaw.ca
 Andrew Hart: andrewhart*@*shaw.ca
 Bob Lefebvre: wbird7*@*gmail.com
 Gavin McKinnon: gmckinnonbird*@*gmail.com

FFCPP 2020 Winter Birding Course

Nov17

The Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park (FFCPP) is now taking registrations for the popular Winter session of the birding course, which runs from January 6 to March 29, 2020.

American Dipper
American Dipper. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

From FFCPP:

Winter is one of the best seasons for getting outside to learn about birds and other wildlife. Brave the cooler weather and explore the world of birds in Fish Creek Provincial Park. The 12 week Winter Birding Course is perfect for anyone who wants to see and learn about birds in their natural habitat, and it provides an amazing opportunity for families to get together and experience nature here in Fish Creek. 

Experienced birder David Mitchell and over 30 volunteers lead these outdoor courses. Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours and participants can sign up for 1 or 2 outings per week.

Start times Monday – Thursday: 9:15 am. Saturdays: 9:00 am, Sundays: 9:00 am and 1:15 pm
Fee: Once a week outing, Friends of Fish Creek Members: $60.00, Non-members: $100.00 
Twice a week outings, Friends Members: $100.00, Non-members: $150.00 

Registration Required. For more information or to register, please see this page.

Calgary 2020 Big Year Birding Challenge

Nov11

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

For the past two decades Nature Calgary has sponsored year-long birding competitions every five years. In 2000 and 2010 the goal was to see as many species as you could within the city limits in the calendar year. In 2005 and 2015 goal was the same, but the area used was the 80-km-diameter circle centered on the Center Street Bridge.

Willet, photographed by Brian Elder in Calgary during the 2010 competition. This won first prize in the photography portion of competition.

In keeping with the pattern, we’d like to announce the Calgary 2020 Big Year Birding Challenge. This will be a year-long event, in which participants try to identify as many species as they can within the city limits between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The challenge is led by Howard Heffler, Andrew Hart, Gavin McKinnon, and myself.

As in 2015, we will exclusively be using eBird to keep track of participant’s progress. Simply name your city limits patch “BirdYYC2020” and include in your patch all the locations for which you have submitted lists that are within the city limits. (If you already have a city limits patch, just rename it.) If you are not yet using eBird you will have to set up a free account first.

There are a lot of good articles on the eBird website about how to sign up, and how to set up patches. It is really quite easy, and the eBird site is also a tremendously useful resource for birders.

We are going to keep this very simple and informal. There will be no entry fees or prizes, no categories for different experience levels, and no waivers to sign. Rather than a competition, it will be a challenge – a personal test for each participant to try to reach new goals, explore new birding locations, and learn more about the birds of Calgary.

Participants are asked to send their name, ebird name and email address to Howard Heffler at: hheffler[at]shaw.ca. This will allow the organizers to communicate with active participants. At the end of the year, we will ask participants to share their species list to allow comparison with the results of the 2000 and 2010 competitions.

In the weeks and months ahead, we will be prepared to answer questions and take suggestions. We will use this blog for ongoing communication and to write helpful instructions for participants. We also will post stories on Albertabird and on Nature Calgary’s website. We encourage all participants to share their adventures and birding tips on Albertabird.

In the 2010 competition, Michael Harrison won with 240 species! (Amazingly, he saw every species while riding his bike, competing in the “Non-motorized Transport” category.) To read about the 2010 competition, see the 2010 blog here.

Of course, 240 is a very high total – about 265 species are seen within the city limits in a typical year, but many of those are one-day wonders. In a challenge like this, you should set a reasonable goal for yourself. My goal is to see more than 180 species, which is the best total I’ve had since I started using eBird in 2012. I would love to get 200!

A challenge like this is a lot of fun and gets you really involved in the local birding community. I hope you join us!

Please see the guidelines below for more information.

Calgary 2020 Big Year Birding Challenge

Nature Calgary is promoting a friendly “big year” birding challenge within Calgary city limits in 2020.

Background

There have been two “big year” competitions in Calgary; 2000 and 2010.

(There were also “Calgary Region” competitions in 2005 and 2015.)

Scope – an eBird “Patch” challenge

Challenge yourself to find as many species of birds as you can within the Calgary city limits in 2020! 

All sightings must be within the city limits. See link below.

  • Calendar year 2020.
  • Open to all.
  • No sub-categories for participants.
  • No entry fee or prizes.
  • No waivers.
    • Nature Calgary field trips would have waivers exactly as per current practice.

Objective – a friendly competition

  • Share sightings.
  • Promote interest in birds and birding.
  • Enjoy Calgary’s natural areas.
  • More field trips.
  • Compare results with 2000 and 2010.

Challenge Guidelines and Procedures

The organizers are proposing the following guidelines and procedures to make the challenge more enjoyable and rewarding for all participants.

  • Participants “register” by adding an eBird patch (or re-naming their existing Calgary city-limits patch.) with the name: “BirdYYC2020” by January 1, 2020.
  • Participants are asked to send their name, eBird name and email address to Howard Heffler at: hheffler[at]shaw.ca. This will allow the organizers to communicate with active participants. At the end of the year, we will ask participants to share their species list to allow comparison with the results of the 2000 and 2010 competitions. 
  • We recommend that participants re-name their patch back to their own city-limits patch after the challenge year is completed.
  • Participants MUST share eBird lists and make sightings on eBird visible. The purpose is to allow all participants to chase sightings by others.  Specifically: on eBird, under My eBird, select Preferences; Data privacy – elect to NOT hide your eBird data.
  • Anybody at any time can see who is leading and his/her total number of sightings to date by looking on eBird at patch totals.
  • We have created “BirdYYC2020 RBA”, a WhatsApp group for sharing instant updates on unusual birds within the city limits of Calgary. To join the group, send a message to Gavin McKinnon (403) 519-8703.

Helpful Hints and Participant Expectations

  • There are about 200 hotspots in the Calgary “county”. All the ones within the city-limits (90) begin with the prefix “Calgary” or “Fish Creek PP”.
  • Over the next few weeks we will develop detailed procedures and instructions for things such as:
    • how to set up an eBird patch,
    • how to set up eBird alerts,
    • how to join Albertabird,
    • how to use WhatsApp,
    • how to use the mapping tools, and
    • other topics that might arise.
  • We hope to make a seasonal list of birds to help participants target specific species during each season.
  • Some species will be identified as “reportable” so you know what will be of special interest to everyone else.
  • Of course, we will do what we can to ensure participants respect private property, drive and act safely and responsibly, and follow ABA ethical guidelines: especially as it relates to protecting sensitive species.
  • We have maps of the city boundary in PDF format available.
  • Here, also, is an online Google map of Calgary.

Any questions or suggestions contact:

  • Howard Heffler: hheffler[at]shaw.ca
  • Andrew Hart: andrewhart[at]shaw.ca
  • Bob Lefebvre: wbird7[at]gmail.com
  • Gavin McKinnon: gmckinnonbird[at]gmail.com

Birds, Bats, and Building Collisions

Aug22

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Window strikes, or birds colliding with windows, is a big problem – not just in residential yards, but in urban downtowns where tall glass structures are a big obstacle to migrating birds (and bats too). Many birds migrate at night, and skyscrapers can cause a lot of bird mortality. You may have seen some of the disturbing photos of hundreds of dead birds of many species that are collected in Toronto’s downtown every year by the Fatal Light Awareness Project (FLAP). A similar effort is undertaken in Ottawa by Safe Wings Ottawa.

Toronto, unlike Calgary, is located on a major migratory flyway. So how big is the problem here, and what can be done to minimize the damage? This is what Kathleen Johnson has set out to discover, by creating the Calgary Migratory Species Response Team.

Chipping Sparrow
A Chipping Sparrow found in downtown Calgary by Kathleen in the spring during one of her preliminary checks for birds killed by window strikes.

Kathleen has done an amazing job of assembling a team of experts and setting up a detailed and well-prepared group of volunteers to begin surveys of Calgary’s downtown. The CMSRT will plot the locations of all birds and bats found, to learn where the problem areas are. The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society is directly involved as well, so that any injured animals can be rescued.

CMSRT Poster

This weekend there will be a two-part orientation session for anyone wishing to volunteer. The first part will be an information and training session at the Central Library downtown, and the second part will be in the field (downtown) early Sunday morning. See the event on Facebook here.

Please visit the group’s Facebook page to learn more about this effort. You can also follow them on Twitter (@CalgaryResponse). If you want to volunteer, email them at calgaryresponse[at]gmail.com.

Tonight, August 22nd, Kathleen will give a brief overview of the project at the Birds & Beers event (6-9 pm, at the Legion at 9202 Horton Road SW) and will have more information available for anyone interested in getting involved. This is a really exciting initiative and I hope everyone can get behind it and help out!

2019 Autumn Birding Course

Aug21

If you are new to birding and want to get out in the field with some experienced leaders, or if you are new to Calgary and want to see where to find the birds here, or if you just want to get out with a group of friendly birders and enjoy what you find, the Friends of Fish Creek birding course is for you!

Birding course

These popular outings have been going for many years now, and there are hundreds of Calgarians that go out every week to learn about birds. The groups go to a variety of birding hotspots in Fish Creek Park and in other parts of the city. Pick a day of the week and register to join! Outings begin the week of September 2!

See this page for more information and to register.

Yellow Warbler and Nest

Jun16

Local photographer Judi Willis found this Yellow Warbler and its nest this week in the Calgary area.

Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler. Photo by Judi Willis

Here is one of the pair in the nest:

Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler on Nest. Photo by Judi Willis

This is a pretty typical spot for a Yellow Warbler nest – usually in a fork of branches in a bush like this willow, and commonly only ten feet off the ground or so. The nest seems large for a Yellow Warbler, with a lot of material hanging down (animal hair?).

Below is the nesting bird again.

Yellow Warbler
Yellow Warbler. Photo by judi Willis

Spring Birds at Frank Lake and Carburn Park

May19

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

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
American Avocet, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019.
American Coot
American Coot, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019.
Willet
Willet, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019.
Black-necked Stilt
Black-necked Stilt, Frank Lake, April 27, 2019.
Killdeer
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
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
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Carburn Park, April 28, 2019.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
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!

Field Trips for City Nature Challenge This Weekend

Apr19

CORRECTION: A previous post said that these trips were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. The correct dates are Sunday April 21 for the Reader Rock Garden trip, and Monday April 22 for Britannia Slopes.

There are two opportunities in Calgary this weekend to go out in the field and learn how iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge works before the actual competition on April 26-29. On Sunday April 21, join Gus Yaki and Calgary Challenge organizer Matt Wallace at Reader Rock Garden from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Learn how to take photos with your smartphone or camera and record the observations on the iNaturalist app on your phone or on the website on your desktop computer.

I took this photo at Pearce Estate Park during last week’s workshop. When I uploaded the photo, the iNaturalist artificial intelligence suggested it was in the Bulrushes and Cattails family, and another iNaturalist user later identified it as Broadleaf Cattail. Photo by Bob Lefebvre, Pearce Estate Park, April 13, 2019.

See this page for all the information on this workshop and field trip. No registration is required for these free events; just show up and join the fun!

On Monday afternoon, April 22, from 2 to 4 pm, join Gus and Matt at Britannia Slopes for another workshop/field trip. See this page for all the information.

If you can’t make it to the workshops but want to participate in the Challenge, get the iNaturalist app on your phone or open an account on the website, and you can learn to make observations on your own. Here is the iNaturalist Canada page.

There will be many events held during the challenge that everyone is welcome to participate in. See this page for all the events.

Any observations submitted within the city limits from April 26-29 will automatically be included in Calgary’s totals. So you can participate in the organized events, make observations on your own, or both. You don’t necessarily have to be able to identify the species you record, as the iNaturalist site will make suggested ID’s, and the iNaturalist community will follow up. The period from April 30 to May 5 will be used to try to finalize the identifications of all species identified in Calgary during the challenge. Any iNaturalist user can help with this.

Smartphones are excellent for recording photos of plants but if you are taking photos of mammals and birds you can usually get a better shot with a camera. Then you have to upload the photos to the iNaturalist site on your computer. When I went to the workshop last week, I used both phone and camera and took photos of birds, mammals, plants including fungi and lichens, and even signs of animals such as this:

This is recorded on iNaturalist as Canadian Beaver. Signs and evidence of wildlife are also included in the database. Photo by Bob Lefebvre, Pearce Estate Park, April 13, 2019.

Using iNaturalist is a great way to document our biodiversity, and to learn about our wildlife. This is from the iNaturalist.ca website:

“We can build a living record of life in Canada that scientists and environmental managers can use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone can use to learn more about Canada’s amazing natural history.

“Every piece of information on a species, combined with the vast network of citizen scientists can give a big picture of Canada’s natural history and can be a key contribution for conservation decisions.”

Winter Birding Course, January to March 2019

Dec9

Today is the last day of the Fall session of the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park birding course. After the Christmas season and all the local Christmas Bird Counts, the winter session of the course will begin on January 7, 2019 and run until the end of March. This is a great time of year to get out birding every week since you see the gradual transition from winter birding to spring migration. From late February to the end of March there are many new species arriving here every week.

White-winged Crossbill, Fish Creek Park, March 6, 2016. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

For more information and to register for the course, go to this page.