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Cold Weather Bird Photos

Mar4

Well, it’s turning into a very long, cold, and ridiculously snowy winter here in Calgary. I’m sure the poor road and pathway conditions are keeping many local birders at home more than usual, but if you do go out, you may be treated to some spectacular winter sights, as the following pictures show. All photos were taken by Ron Chiasson in Calgary this winter, with the exception of the American Dipper photo, which was taken in Kananaskis.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles

Mallards

Gray Partridge

Gray Partridge

American Dipper

Downy Woodpecker

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneyes with Canada Geese

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Northern Goshawk

House Finch

House Finch

Mule Deer

White-tailed Deer in chest-high snow.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan with Canada Geese

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

sunbeams

To see more of Ron’s photos, go to his website here, or follow him on Instagram.

Winter Birds of Queen’s Park Cemetery and Carburn Park

Feb24

Bohemian Waxwing, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Northern Flicker, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Hooded Merganser, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Brown Creeper, Queen’s Park Cemetery, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Northern Goshawk, Queen’s Park Cemetery, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, see his Flickr page.

…Country Birds

Feb10

Horned Larks, photographed outside of Calgary by Tony LePrieur.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

For more of Tony’s photos, see his Flickr page.

Superb Owl Sunday

Feb4

Posted by Bob Lefebvre (I apologize that the blog was down for the last two days. It was a server problem – we aren’t going away!)

About a dozen years ago some people started using the term “superb owl” in advertising to avoid a similar copyrighted term, and since owls are indeed superb, birders have had a lot of fun with it on game day by posting their favourite photos of owls. Here are some local owls to liven up your day.

Snowy Owl, January 2018, east of Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Snowy Owl, November 2017, east of Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

A well-camouflaged Great Gray Owl, November 2, 2017, Bow Valley Parkway. Photo by Michael Kim.

Great Horned Owl, December 19, 2017, High River area. Photo by Anne Elliott.

Northern Pygmy-Owl, January 28, 2018, west of Calgary.

Northern Pygmy-Owl, November 2017, Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Northern Hawk-Owl, February 2017, west Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Ron Chiasson’s photos can be seen at Ron Chiasson Photography.

Dan Arndt’s photos are on his Flickr page.

Anne Elliot’s photos and extensive descriptions of her photographic experiences are on her Flickr page.

American Dipper On Ice

Jan14

American Dippers are aquatic songbirds that feed in fast-flowing mountain streams, capturing all their food by walking under the water on the stream bottom, by swimming, or by picking insects off the surface. They are sometimes seen in the city on Fish Creek, the Elbow River, or even on the Bow in the winter, but are more common west of the city where they breed.

Tony LePrieur captured these fantastic shots of a Dipper seen from water level at Elbow Falls, west of Bragg Creek, on December 24. The first photo shows the nictitating membrane which protects the eye when the bird is submerged. Tony lay in the ice-cold water and on the ice for two hours to get these shots!

American Dipper, Elbow Falls, December 24, 2017. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

American Dipper, Elbow Falls, December 24, 2017. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, go to his Flickr page.

 

Great Gray Owl

Jan13

Tony LePrieur photographed this Great Gray Owl hunting near Priddis, SW of Calgary, on Christmas Eve 2017.

Great Gray Owl, Priddis area, December 24, 2017. Photographed by Tony LePrieur.

Great Gray Owl, Priddis area, December 24, 2017. Photographed by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, go to his Flickr page.

 

Some Winter Owls

Jan9

Michael Kim took these photos of a Great Gray Owl and a Snowy Owl in early winter.

Great Gray Owl, Bow Valley Parkway, November 2017.

Great Gray Owl, Bow Valley Parkway, November 2017.

Great Gray Owl, Bow Valley Parkway, November 2017.

Snowy Owl, Airdrie, December 2017.

Snowy Owl, Airdrie, December 2017.

 

Merry Christmas From Birds Calgary!

Dec25

Northern Cardinal photographed in Cranbrook, BC, November 2017, by Tony LePrieur.

Below are White-tailed Ptarmigan photographed at the Highwood Pass, November 2017, by Tony LePrieur. Note the “snowshoes” in the second picture.

 

 

Some Winter Birds

Dec16

Here are some winter birds photographed by Gavin McKinnon. You can find the first two in the city, but you have to go up in the mountains to find the third.

Black-capped Chickadee.

Downy Woodpecker.

White-tailed Ptarmigan.

Read Gavin’s blog Canadian Birder here.

American Kestrel Portrait by Michael Kim

Oct11

Michael Kim photographed this beautiful American Kestrel on Grand Valley Road NW of Cochrane in September 2017.

American Kestrel, Grand Valley Road, September 2017. Photo by Michael Kim.

American Kestrel, Grand Valley Road, September 2017. Photo by Michael Kim.