This is a blog for, and written by, birdwatchers in the Calgary, Alberta region. Birds Calgary currently has two people posting on a regular basis, as well as a few guest authors and/or photographers.
We invite articles, photos or stories from anyone who wishes to contribute. The more contributors we have, the better birding in Calgary will be, so hop on board! Or if you’re looking for answers to bird questions, or identification puzzles, feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment on the blog. If we don’t know the answer, we have a list of naturalists to contact, so you’ll be sure to get the right answer!
Contact us at mail to: birdscalgary@gmail.com
Meet the (bird) brains behind the blog:
Pat Bumstead
Pat has been a keen birder for more years than she will admit to, and lives in a very birdy yard – 109 species so far – with way too many bird feeders. As a former volunteer at the Calgary Zoo and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, talking and writing about birds and wildlife is second nature to her, and she particularly enjoys seeing the next generations fall in love with bird watching.
Pat has not written for the blog recently but she is very active in managing the Bird Canada blog, and also the International Society for Engangered Cats website.
Bob Lefebvre
Bob was born and raised in northern Alberta, and he came to Calgary in 1986. Although he had long been interested in the natural world, he remained a backyard birder until 2008, when, inspired by the book Wild America, he began to go out on Nature Calgary field trips. He helped to organize the Birds Calgary 2010 competition and the eBird Calgary 2015 competition, and has led field trips for both Nature Calgary and for Gus Yaki’s Friends of Fish Creek birding course.
Matthew Sim
Matthew is a young nature photographer who has always taken in interest in birds, however, he has only become a serious birder in the last few years. Though birds may be his calling, he loves all aspects of nature and is always keen to learn more about the world around him.
Matthew is currently attending a post-secondary institution and hasn’t written for the blog for a while.
Dan Arndt
Dan has was born and raised in the Calgary area, and has always had a passion for nature, and in a roundabout way, birds as well. After graduating in 2006 from the University of Calgary with a B.Sc. in Natural Science geared towards paleontology, it became clear that the closest thing to dinosaur watching he’d be able to do would be by taking an interest in their descendants. It wasn’t until a couple of tropical vacations in 2008 that kick-started the drive to photograph and discover in detail the world of birds. Dan is currently assisting Bob Lefebvre and Gus Yaki on the Friends of Fish Creek birding field trips, and is passionate about his photography, birds, and all of the wonders of the natural world.
Tony LePrieur
We have been featuring Tony’s excellent bird and mammal photographs for several years. Tony says:
I’ve been watching and photographing birds and other local wildlife for close to four years. Still a newbie with lots and lots still to learn. I follow Alberta Birds and Birds Calgary religiously so knowledge levels are increasing. I also pick the brains of birders/photographers I meet and find the local community is always generous with offering up tips and advice. I venture outside the City limits on occasion (like Frank Lake) but my favourite spots to visit are Fish Creek, Weaselhead and Carburn Parks. I shoot canon with a Tamron 150-600 lens. If you want to see what I’m seeing check out my Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/
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Hi, We have had 2 successful Norther Flicker nesting boxes the past 2 years. I am looking for any suggestions for putting in a nesting cam that would not be invasive or tempting to the Flickers. Would love to hear what you suggest and what month of the year would be best to put it in. Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise. CalgaryDeb
I have no experience with nest cameras but I believe they are quite small and not bothersome to the birds. I suggest making sure you get one where you can access the photos and videos from a remote location, rahter than having to collect a memory card form the camera. As for timing, Flickers that overwinter here will start checking out nest boxes by March so I suggest having it set up in February.
Thank you for your reply and great suggestions. Happy winter birding 🐦
Hi, FREE Calgary bird event on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3 pm. Anyone can join us and simply text me (Sue) at 403-200-2356 to register.
Naturalist and bird expert John McFaul will talk about Backyard Birding at the Central Library in Room 310B at 3 pm. He will show his photos of birds and talk about: Getting to know backyard birds, bird safety, birding equipment, attracting birds.
Sunday street parking downtown is free.
Anyone (men and women) can join us and because this is my event, they simply text me (Sue) at 403-200-2356, then meet me inside the front doors of the Central Library. Recognize me in my white baseball cap. OR come to room 310B (third floor.) Thanks.
Hi Sue, I missed this event and would love to learn about BAckyard Birding. Was there a video taken? Thank you so much.
Hi, I just happened to encounter a group of few birds that appeared like Fairfield from Europe. They are supposed to be rare sighting in Alberta. When I took photos and compared with those of Fairfield available on internet, they exactly match. Any comment? I live in SE Calgary in Auburn Bay.
I think you mean Fieldfare? There wouldn’t be a group of those here – very rarely one is seen in North America. I think you may have seen a family of recently fledged American Robins. They are quite similar. Look at photos of juvenile robins and compare.
They are several of them. I spotted at least six of them. May be more around. By the size they do not appear to be fledglings. Ok will compare with photos of juveniles. Thx.
Any idea why they keep taking down the peregrine falcons nests on the bridge on 22X between Chaparral and Cranston! It started when the Canadian goose took over its nest last year, forcing the Peregrine Falcon to make a new nest a bit down the road…only this year, the city took down the original nest, the goose took over the second nest the Peregrine Falcon made before the Falcons could return….leaving the Falcons again nest less. The started rebuilding the nest in the original spot only to have the city guys tear it down again!! WHY???
They are doing some construction there which involves removing the sign. These are Ospreys, and they seem reluctant to use the alternative nest platform provided. I’m not sure this was handled as well as it could have been.
Hi – It looks like a family of sparrows might be starting to build a nest inside our eavestrough. I’m worried that any nest they build will be washed away in the first rain. What should we do? Thanks in advance for the advice.
You could try to to remove the nesting material before they lay eggs. The birds may just rebuild if it’s a good spot, but they may move on. If a nest with eggs does wash away, they will re-nest. A lot of nests fail, and the birds usually have time to try again.
I saw a perching bird, slightly larger than a sparrow, yellowish-greenish head and back with a crest similar to a waxwing. Wings seemed to have black margins, Breast seemed paler than back. Seen along the Elbow River near Sandy Beach. Do you have an ID?
I can’t think of what this might be. Are you sure about the crest? Could it have been due to wind? What about the size? Most birds with a colour pattern like that are smaller.
Since the Sunnyside garden centre has closed down I have been struggling to find good bird food for my back yard. Last year I had woodpeckers, flickers, blue jays, nut hatches and chickadees – this year using Armstrong brand mixed food – nothing, just magpies.
The food Sunnyside sold had pecans, walnuts sometimes Brazil nuts and chipped seeds.
Can somebody please tell me the best place to buy good bird food
Try the Wild Bird Store at 5901-3 Street SE. They have all the seeds you mention and lots more.
If you are in the north end you might try Fairplay Stores on Kensington Road just west of Crowchild Trail NW, or Golden Acre Garden Centres at 620 Goddard Avenue NE. They all sell good quality seeds. See our Bird Feeding Primer here: https://www.birdscalgary.com/birding-resources/bird-feeding-primer/
Hi,
Today I found a deceased male duck on my front step. A large bird of some sort went flying off when we came around the corner on our return from walking the dogs. First we thought maybe the duck had flown into the house, but when we took a closer look, something had been eating the duck. It was at around 3:30 in the afternoon. We have previously had owls in the neighbourhood, but that seems early for an owl. We’re wondering if we should leave the duck overnight in case the owl or maybe hawk comes back for it? It’s winter and I don’t want to deprive them of an earned food source.
Thanks,
Carreen
There are a few birds of prey that could have dropped it. I would leave it for a while but magpies and other birds will probably clean it up.
I have tried to locate someone to answer this question. But to no avail. I Pray you can help me. I had a Ringed Turtle Dove show up, (I live 40 Km’s N.E. of Edson Alberta), in my yard 4 days ago. on the 7th of Oct. And he’s come every day since. He pecks away at seed on the ground & hangs out in the Trees. He does not mind squirrels running past, or the Blue Jays. Nervous to us & our dog. I am worried after seeing this Bird comes from California. At least, that is what I have find out. They are calling for Snow today. Who can I contact? Please Help!
Hi Gail,
It could be a Ringed Turtle-Dove (a domestic bird) but is more likely an Eurasian Collared-Dove. They look pretty similar. Collared-Doves are new to Alberta in the last fifteen years or so and do very well in the winter, so nothing to worry about. Search for Collared-Dove on our site and see some photos and video of them to compare to your bird.
Hi I am in Calgary , american robin fall in my garden after birds fight he seem to have one of his wing dislocated the vet want to put him to sleep ( kill him) so i took him home i managed to put his wing back and he is with us now for 10 days recovering and i can feel that he is getting is wing strength back he is eating and drinking fine jumping and singing so in 2 more weeks i will try to see if he can fly so i can let him go back he like the big cage we have with all kind of food clean water grapes and blue barriers his favorite but i hope he can fly back as i feel sorry for him .
We live 20kms east of Acme and last year we had our first pair of wrens nesting in a small hole in our soffit. This year they are back. But so excited when last night we had a night hawk on our property! Then this morning we saw our first eastern king bird. We are so excited that it seems the last few years we see new birds – don’t know if they had always been here or if we are getting more observant. We feel so blessed! About 10years ago we started seeing a brown thrasher. It took me 2 years to identify it cuz they would only flit out on the lawn and back onto the bushes
Hello! I’m sitting here saddened to see that yet again the crows or magpies have pulled down the nest of the robin in our backyard and taken the eggs. They have taken either eggs or baby birds every year and it breaks my heart to see. I don’t know how robins survive in this city! Is there any way to keep the magpies away or to protect the robin’s nest? We seem to have an abundance of magpies and so few other songbirds around. Thanks!
Quite often when a robin nest is lost it is one that has built by a young, inexperienced pair of birds. It can take a while for them to learn to build in a really safe location. If the nest is lost early in the year they will re-build and try again. I don’t know if it is early enough now. Robins do very well everywhere in Alberta, even in the city, although it is a tougher environment here with the high concentrations of crows and magpies. I don’t know if there is any way to protect the nests except to discourage them from completing one in an exposed spot.
A MAGPIE TRAP – WE TRAPPED OUT ALL THE MAGPIES THAT VISITED OUR YARD ABOUT 3 YRS AGO – THEY HAVE NEVER COME BACK. HAVE 3 ROBIN PAIRS RAISING THEIR LITTLE ONES IN MY BACK YARD. I GARDEN AROUND THEM.
I think it is legal to remove magpies if it isn’t during their breeding season (mid-February to July), as long as you are transporting them and not killing them. But in the city they would quickly be replaced by others. Most of the time Robins do OK despite all the corvids around. A city is not an ideal breeding spot for birds like Robins, but most manage.
My parents and I live in a condominium complex here in Calgary called ‘Huntsview Village’ since February 1978, and have been feeding birds from a feeder in my privacy area ever since.
Fast forward 37-years to 13 August 2015: the condo Board decrees that all bird feeders be prohibited and removed from the complex as of 15 August 2015. At the same time, dogs and cats which were never permitted in the complex are now allowed. The Board and Connelly Management have deemed birds as pests and too messy, never mind that cats have been roaming free and dog feces literally cover the common property (watch where you step!), There are times when the stench of urine and feces bring one to the verge of vomiting.
Letters pleading with the Board to allow bird feeding to continue have been ignored. The deadline for removing our feeder has now passed, and we are waiting for the Board’s next move. We find it hard to believe that an activity as harmless and altruistic as feeding birds has been turned into the crime of the century by our proxy elected condo Board. We were wondering whether anyone else out there has had a similar experience to us and, if so, how they handled the situation.
I will keep everyone informed as to what transpires next.
It is common for condo boards to prohibit anything that changes the look of each unit. I lived in one where you weren’t allowed bird feeders, flags, or any decorative yard items. At that time the rules were already in place when I moved in.
The board is probably concerned about attracting mice. A small concern compared to the illegal leaving of dog waste and allowing cats to roam free.
I placed a wren house in my yard last fall after hearing a house wren in my trees for the first time in late summer. The house wrens are back and it appears that there is a couple happily building a nest in the house. But where have all my house sparrows gone? I’ve had a flock visit my yard to feed and bathe regularly for years but I’ve seen only a few and my feeders remain full after almost a month. I read that wrens can be aggressive but that house sparrows usually win that battle. Any thoughts on why the sparrows have not been back since the nice weather arrived?
House Wrens are known to destroy eggs of other birds nesting in their territory so if some House Sparrows nested there, they may have gone to a new nesting area. But I don’t think that would cause the whole flock to stop feeding there. I have had House Wrens nesting here and still had large numbers of House Sparrows coming to the feeders. A flock will usually move around to a number of feeding locations during the day. Perhaps there are one or two new feeders up in the area that they prefer. If you want them back, make sure you have high-quality bird food and a water source. See our bird feeding primer.
Thank you – your response makes sense as our neighbourhood has been changing and maturing so I have noticed other feeders around. Although I have not had nesting sparrows in my yard, I do keep an abundance of food and also a couple of water features and have actually noticed a few more sparrows around in the last couple of days. The feeding areas are actually a lot cleaner but I’m guessing the sparrows will be back and in the mean time I get to enjoy watching and hearing the little wrens. Thank you for your advice.
Just looked at your web site for the first time – congratulations! It’s excellent!
Hi there,
Coming to Calgary just 9 years ago, we are new to photography with a DSLR, and new to birding. I really like the blog, and I will continue to read it. It has already helped me identify a couple of species. We have been really enjoying the outdoors in and around Calgary especially Fish Creek Park. I think it is so amazing to have such a green space in the heart of this great city.
Aubrey
I live in Somerset. One year we seemed to have a lot of grosbeaks. I just love these birds. Are they common? Why don’t I hear them anymore?
Hello ! On July 19, 2013 we had a special visitor in our Marlborough Park yard…a Juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl . It roosted in our spruce/fir tree for the day then went on it’s way through the night. What a thrill to see such a beautiful creature! We were able to sneak a few photos but I don’t see how to share them here. I did post on the Alberta Birds Facebook Page if you would like check it out.
Hope everybody’s got a peep on the rare Purple Sandpiper at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I saw it first Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 10:35 am.
I farm SE of Calgary, near Carseland. We have noticed two new birds around the feeders in the farm yard. Have never seen them before but checking the bird books we think they are Eurasian Collared Doves, have one pair for sure and probably two pairs in the yard. Is this unusual?. Have they moved this far N.? Looking forward to a reply, thanks.
Eurasian Collared-Doves have only been in Alberta for about ten years, but have spread at least as far north as Peace River, and are now fairly common in rural areas of south and central Alberta. They have spread up the west coast into Alaska. Older field guides probably don’t show them that far north.
Here is a link to a post about a pair I had in my yard in Calgary in 2011:
http://birdscalgary.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/backyard-birds-eurasian-collared-dove/
Hi. I live just outside of Red Deer in the Boreal Forest area and I have been watching and feeding a Varied Thrush since Mid November. Glad to see he has survied the winter months. Has anyone else witnessed this uncommon sighting?
Varied Thrushes will sometimes overwinter here. There was one in NW Calgary that was seen for about three weeks in December 2012. I had one in my yard in SE Calgary from Dec. 25, 2011 until almost the end of March 2012. The last three weeks he was here he was singing daily. See this post: http://birdscalgary.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/wednesday-wings-varied-thrush/
But other than the one that was in Calgary earlier this winter, I haven’t heard of any others overwintering this year. So you are lucky indeed!
Bob Lefebvre
How common is the Harris’s Sparrow? Think i have one coming to my feeder out here on the ranch. It is the only bird that seems to match what I see.
If you are in the Calgary area, they are not common. We only get a few in Spring and Fall migration (although one overwintered in SE Calgary last year). This is the time of year that we see them on their southward migration. Last week there was one in north Calgary for a few days. This is a bird that should be reported to the Rare Bird Alert hotline at 403 221-4519. If you are sure that is the bird, call and leave a message with the location and dates, and your name. Or, if you are a member of the discussion group Albertabird, post a message about it there.
What kind of birds are congregating on Lake Bonavista right now? They are swimming and diving – few are flying around but saw one take off this morning loon-style – in fairly large numbers (~100). I would guess either a type of grebe or merganser.
I think they all came to my feeder in Willow Park!! I’ve never seen so many nuthatches, chickadees, house sparrows, redpolls and crossbills all in one place over the weekend. They just about emptied my sunflower seed feeder with loads of them pecking seeds off the ground underneath it too. Noticed the nuthatches are already ‘hiding’ the seeds in the bark of the evergreens. I wonder if that’s a sign of a very cold winter ahead as they seem so busy this early on. Loads of this year’s young with them too.
I have a cottage at Sylvan Lake AB and our birds from our feeder disappreared this Sept long weekend. Can anyone expain this?
Depending on the species, they may have migrated. If it is a variety of species and they aren’t showing up, perhaps you have a hawk or owl near your cottage that is spooking them.
Hi there,
Just joined the blog! I live rural, 10 minutes directly east of Calgary, a whole mix of wetland, prairies and woodland. Tonight as I was walking out my back door I heard all the usual birds, swallows, robins, blackbirds (everything!) going mad! I looked up and saw a snowy owl flying out of my trees with all the little birds in chase. I have seen this before in Airdrie and came within 5 foot of the owl in some trees…..however, I am wondering about this – I am reading in many places that these birds aren’t in this area in summer? Am I correct? Because now I’ve seen two! I originate from NZ, so my knowledge of the local wildlife is not too keen yet.
Thanks for any info,
Lisa
So glad I found this WordPress blog for Birds Calgary and am delighted to be following it now!
Question: In my treed yard in the SE, near Fish Creek Park, I was absolutely delighted to enjoy White-Crowned Sparrows coming in small flocks to eat at the feeders and scratch their way through my wildflower gardens in late April. They are brave and feisty, holding their own with the House Sparrows, unlike the Purple Finches that only come around when the House Sparrows have ‘stepped out’. I was hoping they’d stay and nest in the area but they were only here for a couple of weeks. Do they continue further North, or West? I miss their songs and antics in my gardens!
Cheers, Gina
White-crowned Sparrows move on to the boreal forest, but some very rarely do nest here. One was seen on the weekend in the Weaselhead area. I had quite a few in my yard too but haven’t seen any since May 19. They will pass back through in September and October (but won’t be singing).
By the way, are you sure you have Purple Finches? They are scarce in Calgary, and House Finches are common in yards.
Thank you for this and I am glad I included mentioning that favourite. I have been trying really hard to tell the difference and apparently I’m not alone. In the end I went with online bird calls (not that you can trust everything on the internet!). These birds in my yard have a red ‘blush’ on their heads & shoulders, and their call is a methodical series of notes ending in a rather harsh (but I like it) blurred sound. I am new to being a birder and am not sure how to type it out. Like a tttttthrp maybe? It very recognizable to me, a little song that always has the same happy notes then ends with a noticeable exclamation mark, so to speak. Now with your help, I shall quit calling these little darlings ‘Purple Finches’ and give them their proper moniker of ‘House Finches’. They are lovely and I want to call them by the right name. Oh and thanks for the tip to watch for the White-Crowned Sparrows in the fall. Their animated antics make me smile.
Yes, the House Finches have that harsh note at the end of song phrases.
I noticed you do not have anything about a house finch. We have had about 15 come and feed off of our feeders and 8 are males. I am out in the spring bank area and they are loving my black sunflower seeds. We also have 5 Blue jays who visit regularly and a beautiful red breasted nuthatch,as well as a downy wood pecker, some mountain chickadees, a norther flicker, a pile of common red polls and in the last two day our newest addition a morning dove!! this winter we had cedar wax wings and pine gross beaks. I am new to the area and was not really into birds but everyday I am out there with my binoculars to see if I have a new one. I am a total birder 🙂 I have a bunch of pictures too as they are really close when they feed on our feeders I will email some to you guys. I hope to be the person who spots a rare one that I can show off to you
Joella
Matthew, thank you so much for your reply! I had not realized there were two types of crossbill as I have till now only seen the bird with the somewhat ‘twisted’ beak. We’ve not seen them in the backyard again this week. It’s interesting, we used to live in Lake Bonavista which as you appreciate is only 5 minutes’ away in the car… yet it’s amazing the different species of birds we see living on the golf course vs Bonavista. Only a week or so ago we watched a bald headed eagle perched high up in a poplar tree on the GC late afternoon looking for squirrels or jackrabbits. Living in such a quiet area now it’s become fascinating to watch all the different birds coming in to the backyard…. yes, even the flickers drilling the metal vents on top of our roof.
This is an excellent website that I am so glad I have come across, thank you again for your very informative response. MB
March 13th 2012
Live in Willow Park on the golf course. After the snow today we saw several unusual birds….. they were pecking on the brick patio with a group of juncos, the same size as the juncos. They were almost completely red with black wings, no colour bars on the wings and no mottling of feathers like a sparrow. They did not have a crossbill as I have seen those in past winters/springs in our yard. Nor were they redpolls. They had a beak like a finch and the size of a finch. Beautiful little birds, only about four of them in all. Can anyone help identify what I might have been looking at? Thank you. Marilyn Bushell.
Marilyn,
It sounds to me like the birds you saw were Red Crossbills. Your description of ‘almost completely red with black wings, no colour bars on the wings’ fits the male Red Crossbill perfectly. I have found that these birds have bills that are not quite as distinctly crossed as the bill of White-winged Crossbills and therefore, it is not always evident that they are in fact crossbills. Also, the Red Crossbill ranges in size from 14-20 centimeters (5.5-7.75 inches), compared to the juncos 16 centimeters (6.25 inches) meaning that these two species are quite similar in size, exactly as you described. The behavior that you reported is also typical of crossbills- they will often descend from the conifer trees to take grit and salt from roads and sidewalks to aid in digestion. A great sighting! As a former resident of Willow Park (I just moved away in August), it is with some excitement that there are more people in the neighborhood observing birds than I realized!
Hope this helps,
Matthew Sim
I have been invited by Calgary Herald to interact on one of their boards “Things to do in Calgary” ( http://pinterest.com/heraldandswerve/things-to-do-in-yyc/ ). For me, my favorite thing to do in Calgary is to go bird watching, a hobby I’ve had the majority of my life. I was searching for some Bird pictures, specifically a Bald Eagle and an Osprey, and I came across this site. These are the most beautiful photos of birds I ever seen for Calgary. I’m asking if it would be acceptable for you if I posted a couple photos on the Calgary Herald’s board to show others that Calgary is an incredible place to bird watch. Please contact me and let me know if I can have your permission to do so. (Honestly, my photos are horrible.) Thank you for having an awesome site that I will use now when searching for a specific bird I’ve seen or to help me locate an area to go watch for specific birds.
There is great opportunity right now to view Eagles along the Bow River in behind the Lafarge plant located East of Deerfoot Trail and North of Glenmore Trail. There are a lot of waterfowl in the open water at this location, and it has brought in not only the Eagles, but also Magpies and Crows as well. On Sunday afternoon alone I spotted 6 eagles in this area. At first I thought they were all juvenile Bald Eagles, but now I am wondering whether any could have been Golden’s. I am still converting the images, but will post as soon as possible. I would appreciate any feedback that anyone has to offer.
Thanks for reading, and happy birding!
Could you tell me where your posting guidelines are located.
We don’t have posting guidelines as such. As long as someone is talking about birds in Calgary or the region, it will suit the blog. Anything that would potentially harm birds, such as owl nest locations, will be edited though, and we also encourage following the ABA Birding Ethics, as our blog is intended to teach new birders. Our only limitation is picture size. The blog automatically resizes photos to a maximum of 1024 x 768, but a huge file size will make the page load too slow. We also advise people to be aware that any pictures they put on the blog may be downloaded by anyone, whether they have copyright notices or not. Feel free to email anything you would to go on the blog to birdscount@shaw.ca either as part of the email or as a Word Doc, and attach pictures separately. Thanks for your interest – looking forward to your posts! Pat Bumstead
Hi,
Today, I photographed some Rough-legged Hawks.
I have included a link to my web page.
http://www.davidlillyphotography.ca
Hi David Just wanted to let you know that when you left a comment with a URL in it, the system automatically diverted it to the spam filter. If you send us a similar comment in the future, please let us know if it never shows up. We don’t always check the spam filter. Including your web address in a blog post is fine. Great roughie shots too!
Hi there
Not sure this is the right place to ask this but having trouble finding a place in Calgary where I can ask! Today, March 24 I see two robins in the flowering crab tree in my back yard [Ranchlands NW]. As the ground is covered with snow, I wonder what these two will eat? Do they eat the fruit off these trees and the high bush cranberries or should I put out something just for them? If so, what? These early arrivals must find it challenging. Please let me know if and how I can help them along until the ground is bare.
Dianne
Hi Dianne
Thanks for your concern for the robins! As I type this, I have 10 of them in my back yard, all sitting in my mountain ash tree. Their winter diet is berries/fruit left on any fruiting tree or shrub, and they do not come to feeders. It isn’t unusual to have them in Calgary over the winter – there were 6 of them living in Fish Creek Park all winter this year – but their numbers are getting bigger day by day as we are supposed to be having spring in Calgary. Your robins will be fine, and as soon as it warms up, they will start singing and digging for worms.
Contact us any time you have bird questions – always glad to help!
Thank you so much. This is the first time I have blogged here and your reply has me “fired up” over this site…and glad those poor little things will be ok as we all struggle with this never ending winter!
Dianne
Robins love dried cranberries. You could try putting some out until the snow is gone. But they seem to do fine on berries and apples left from last summer.
Cranberries coming up! Even the fruit on the trees is pretty “solid” these days!!!
I think this will be a great resource for all birders in Calgary. I look forward to helping in any way I can, please let me know how I can help.
david