Bird Alert Update

Nov5

If you’re interested in birds in Calgary and the surrounding region, you should know about the Bird Alert phone message.

City of Calgary and Nature Calgary’s Bird Alert Number (403) 221-4519

 

Compiled twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, the message gives a rundown of all the unusual bird sightings that have been reported by birders. It lists the bird species and the location where it was seen, so you can take your chance of seeing it as well.

You can listen to the message for bird locations, or if you have a bird to report, you can bypass them, or do so at the end of the recorded message.

A bird that should be reported can be either a  rare bird not usually found in the area, or one here in the wrong season.  While beginning birders will not know what to report, checking this message on a regular basis will give you a good idea, and help to increase your birding skills.

The report for the first week in November included the following unusual birds in Calgary:

  • In Mt. Royal – Mountain Chickadee, Pine Grosbeaks
  • In Valley Ridge – Common Redpolls
  • On the Elbow River – Wood Duck
  • On the Glenmore Reservoir – Common Loon
  • In Elliston Park – Pied-billed Grebe
  • At Inglewood Bird Sanctuary – Harlequin Ducks

Although it isn’t in Calgary, a birder has reported the first Snowy Owl of the winter season near Irricana. This tundra-breeding species likes open prairie spaces. It will be a challenge to find them in the city during the 2010 competition. If you see one, please let us know!

Pat Bumstead

The Elbow River Bird Survey

Oct31
 
When I began to bird seriously, I found that the fastest way to learn was to go on field trips offered by Nature Calgary (also known as the Calgary Field Naturalists’ Society).  The best way to see a lot of bird species and learn to identify them is to go out in the company of experienced birders.
 
One of my favourite field trips is the Elbow River Bird Survey.  This is a walk along the Elbow from Stanley Park to the Glenmore Dam.  It has been led on the first day of each month for over fifteen years by Gus Yaki and his wife, Aileen Pelzer.  The walk starts shortly after dawn and takes about three and a half hours.
IMG_1826 adj

Wood Ducks perched beside the river, March 1, 2008.

IMG_0962

A Common Merganser on the River near Stanley Park, November 1, 2009.

Gus is a lifelong naturalist and is very informative about birds, plants, and other natural history.  He keeps track of all the bird and mammal species seen, and the numbers of each.  He is gathering valuable data on the changes in bird populations along the river.

IMG_0970 trimmed

Gus Yaki (pointing) leading a walk on the Elbow River pathway, November 1, 2009.

The walk is mostly flat and easy, with one small hill between Sandy Beach and the Glenmore dam.  There are a variety of habitats on the walk.  You can see waterfowl on the river and the reservoir, songbirds in the parks and along the tree-lined urban streets and backyards, woodpeckers in the stand of old poplars in Riverdale Park, and the occasional raptor almost anywhere.  In recent years Gus has been posting the list of species seen each month on the Albertabird Listserv.  You always see something interesting.
Goshawk - Elbow River trimmed

This Northern Goshawk had just knocked a Common Goldeneye down onto the ice on the river. It flew off without pursuing the attack. February 1, 2009.

Like all of Nature Calgary’s field trips, this walk is free and open to everyone.  You do not have to be a member of Nature Calgary to participate.  If you plan to attend, since this is a one-way walk, call Gus and Aileen ahead of time, so they can arrange to carpool us back to the starting point.  The starting time changes throughout the year so check the field trip list on the Nature Calgary website or on the Calgary Rare Bird Alert (RBA) on Albertabird.
 
The next survey is Saturday, May 1, 2010.  Meet in the parking lot at Stanley Park on 42 Avenue SW,  just west of Macleod Trail at 7:00 am.  If you would like to join us, call Gus or Aileen at 403-243-2248.
IMG_0977

The Elbow River with the Glenmore Dam in the Backgound.

IMG_0976 adj

The Elbow River between Glenmore Dam and Sandy Beach.

IMG_0972 Adj

Downstream from Sandy Beach.

Some Recent Results of the Elbow River Bird Survey:   

Wednesday March 31, 2010 (for April), Partly cloudy, calm,
0-8C. Ice at Reservoir Dam still frozen.

1.. Canada Goose-16
2.. Mallard-20
3.. Common Merganser-2
4.. Ring-billed Gull-12
5.. Rock Pigeon-6
6.. Downy Woodpecker-8
7.. Northern Flicker-6
8.. Blue Jay-1
9.. Black-billed Magpie-16
10.. American Crow-4
11.. Common Raven-8
12.. Black-capped Chickadee-12
13.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
14.. American Robin-36
15.. European Starling-6
16.. House Finch-10
17.. Pine Siskin-1
18.. House Sparrow-6
Eastern Gray Squirrel-2

Monday March 1, 2010, 8:00-12:30. Sunny, calm, -4 to 9C.

  1. Canada Goose-140
  2. Wood Duck-1 pr.
  3. Mallard-60
  4. Common Goldeneye-1 m.
  5. Common Merganser-4
  6. Merlin-1 carrying prey.
  7. Rock Pigeon-5
  8. Great Horned Owl-2
  9. Downy Woodpecker-8
  10. Hairy Woodpecker-5
  11. Northern Flicker-6+
  12. Blue Jay-1+ heard.
  13. Black-billed Magpier-30
  14. Common Raven-3
  15. Black-capped Chickadee-22
  16. Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
  17. White-breasted Nuthatch-3
  18. Brown Creeper-2
  19. European Starling-5
  20. House Finch-6+
  21. Pine Siskin-2+
  22. House Sparrow-16

Eastern Gray Squirrel-6

 

Monday, February 1, 2010, 0815-1145. Sunny, Calm, -6 to -2C. 
 
1.. Canada Goose-190
2.. Mallard-160
3.. Common Goldeneye-2
4.. Common Merganser-2
5.. Bald Eagle-1 ad.
6.. Rock Pigeon-4
7.. Downy Woodpecker-4
8.. Hairy Woodpecker-1
9.. Northern Flicker-2
10.. Black-billed Magpie-45
11.. Common Raven-9
12.. Black-capped Chickadee-62, counted by Tony T.
13.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1
14.. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
15.. European Starling-8
16.. Bohemian Waxwing-350
17.. House Finch-6
18.. House Sparrow-24
Eastern Gray Squirrel-4
  

Saturday January 3, 2010: 8:30-12noon, Sunny, calm, -12C. 7 participants

1.. Canada Goose-450
2.. Mallard 500
3.. Common Goldeneye-8
4.. Common Merganser-2
5.. Downy Woodpecker-7
6.. Hairy Woodpecker-2
7.. Black-billed Magpie-60
8.. Common Raven-14
9.. Black-capped Chickadee-32
10.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-7
11.. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
12.. Bohemian Waxwing-200
13.. House Finch-1
14.. Common Redpoll?-5
15.. House Sparrow-35
a.. Eastern Gray Squirrel-7
b.. White-tailed Jackrabbit-tracks.
c.. Coyote tracks

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Wednesday Birding in North Glenmore Park

Oct30

On the morning of Wednesday, October 28, 2009, I took a walk around North Glenmore Park, as well as the dam at the north end of Glenmore Reservoir, in SW Calgary. The weather was chilly, relatively calm, and overcast.

Highlights included a winter-plumaged Pacific Loon still on the reservoir, lots of Buffleheads swimming and flying around, and a Common Raven carrying around a neon yellow golf ball near the golf course at the NE end of the reservoir.   H = heard

  • Pacific Loon
    Horned Grebe
    Eared Grebe
    Western Grebe
    Canada Goose
    Lesser Scaup
    Common Goldeneye
    Bufflehead
    Bald Eagle
    American Coot
    Gull sp.?
    Rock Pigeon
    Hairy Woodpecker
    Blue Jay H
    Black-billed Magpie
    Common Raven
    Black-capped Chickadee
    Red-breasted Nuthatch
    American Robin
    Bohemian Waxwing H
    American Tree Sparrow
    House Sparrow
  • Red Squirrel
    Least Chipmunk

Good Birding Everyone!

D. P. Knapik

Birding the Irrigation Canal

Oct30

Inspired by Pat’s recent post about birding the irrigation canal in Calgary, I headed down last week to check it out.  I started at the bridge on Gosling Way by the Inglewood Golf Course in southeast Calgary and headed south.  I often bird this area in the summer, but I’ve never been there in the fall after the water flow is stopped in September.  Trout Unlimited did their annual Fish rescue near the Max Bell arena on September 30.  They remove a lot of the larger fish, which would die in the winter, but there are many small fish left  in the canal.  There is still quite a bit of standing water, and some mudflats and exposed mats of vegetation.

IMG_0805 auto adjusted

The Canal near the Inglewood Golf Course

On the canal I saw several Mallards and Ring-billed Gulls, one Blue-winged Teal, one Common Goldeneye, and six Greater Yellowlegs.  The yellowlegs would occasionally catch small fish.  Also hunting in the water was a  juvenile Great Blue Heron.  A man who walks there every day told me that the heron had been there daily for about three weeks.  He also saw a lone swan there about two weeks previously – the only one he has ever seen in the canal.  I’m not sure if there was enough water now for a swan to be able to take off.
IMG_0810 corrected

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

There was one Merlin in the trees on the west side of the canal, which took a run at a squirrel and then chased off a harassing magpie.  Bald Eagles nest on the golf course and have overwintered here for the past few years, but I didn’t see them that day.  As I walked south (still only about 100 metres from the bridge), I came across a group of eight Common Mergansers and two groups of Hooded Mergansers, twelve in all, including five adult males.

IMG_0816 trimmed

Hooded Mergansers, conveniently demonstrating 3 different positions of their crests.

On the way back, some new birds had arrived.  There were three Long-billed Dowitchers feeding in the canal (very late migrants), and then a group of six Rusty Blackbirds on the mudflats.  These birds are not very common, and these were the first ones I’ve ever seen.

I returned to the canal on the weekend to get some photos and see what was new.  Most of the same bird species were there, plus one male Redhead.

IMG_0841 trimmed

Redhead (right) with female Hooded Merganser.

I also walked north from the bridge to the source of the canal north of the Max Bell arena.  There were Mallards, Ring-billed Gulls, Canada Geese, and a muskrat building a lodge in the middle of the canal.  I’m not sure how he’ll make out when it gets colder – he’ll probably have to move to the open water on the river.

Muskrat Still 1 auto adj

Muskrat at lodge.

The canal is a great place for fall birds, and seems to get some late migrants.  Lately it has been freezing over at night, and there are birds there only on warm afternoons.

The canal stretches east for many miles, so there is a lot to explore.  It is also a good location to do Non-Motorized Transport birding, since there is a paved pathway running alongside it.  In the summer I have ridden my bike all the way to Lake Chestermere (25 kms) and back, birding all the way.

It’s Feed The Birds Day

Oct24

siskins oct 24The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the UK has proclaimed October 24 as Feed The Birds Day. It serves as a reminder of all the things we can do to help the birds through the coming winter.

We’re good at providing fast food for birds in our feeders, and this is certainly a life-saver in the cold snow-covered conditions. But what about ‘slow food?‘ There are many things you can do in your garden and yard to provide food for all wildlife.

  • Plant native plants such as Saskatoons,  juniper and other species that provide berries in the winter for birds such as Bohemian Waxwings. I had a crowd of about 50 waxwings zoom in on my tree last winter, stripping it of berries in a matter of minutes. White Spruce trees also provide cones for Red-breasted Nuthatches and crossbills, and shelter from the wind.
  • Make a brush or log pile. I have a huge Northwest Poplar tree in my yard, and during any windstorm we lose a fair number of branches of all sizes. Instead of throwing them out, or chopping them up for mulch, we stack them in a pile in the back of the yard. The birds use it as a sanctuary and often take shelter there in inclement weather throughout the year. A log pile is an even better idea, as it will provide solid shelter for a variety of small creatures over the winter, and if left alone, will become a host to mosses, fungi and lichens to decorate your yard.
  • Provide an insect home. We do not get rid of our leaves in the fall – we treasure them! Our garden is covered with about 8 inches of leaves, which are then covered with burlap to keep them from blowing away. This not only keeps the moisture in the ground, but also provides homes for thousands of ladybugs and other overwintering insects. In late spring, we cautiously remove them, first making sure the ladybugs have awakened and flown away.

These are just a few ideas for helping the birds along this winter. If you have other suggestions, please leave us a comment below!

Feed The Birds Day in Calgary this year was accompanied by rain, sleet and snow in the morning. I made sure all my ‘fast food’ feeders were full, and was rewarded by a yard full of Pine Siskins. These little seed eaters were everywhere, at every feeder. I don’t believe I’ve ever had that many in the yard at one time! These birds are year round visitors in Calgary, so they served as an additional reminder to remember the birds in the coming frigid months!

Pat Bumstead

 

Birding Canal

Oct18

You just never know where you’re going to find birds.

One warm October afternoon, I decided to walk the dog along the irrigation canal. During the summer, this canal is full, as water is channelled from the Bow River to agricultural fields east of the city. It is drained each fall. At this location (Ogden Road & 50 Ave SE), it is bordered by trees on one side, and parallels the Bow River.

Fall irrigation canal

Fall irrigation canal

Once the canal is drained, you can see floating mats of vegetation left behind, that look like they should be full of bird goodies.

Floating mat of vegetation, and a ring-billed gull

Ring-billed Gull checking it out.

Walking down the bike path that borders the canal, I was delighted to see some very late fall migrants poking around in the mud.

Juvenile great blue heron

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

Lesser yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Also checking out the canal were a Solitary Sandpiper, two Killdeer and numerous Mallards. Overhead, there were Rock Doves, Canada Geese, Common Goldeneyes, European Starlings, and another late migrant, a Red-tailed Hawk. Not a bad count for someone who wasn’t birding!

Trivia Tuesday: Preening

Sep29

The most important act that a bird performs is the preening of its feathers. They begin by grasping with their bill, one feather at the base and nibbling towards the tip to remove oil, dirt and parasites. Or they may just simply draw the feather through the partially clamped bill in one quick movement to smooth the feather barbs and remove dirt so they will lock together. This process also works fresh oil into the feathers from the preen gland located at the base of the tail.

Eurasian collared dove preening. Cornell.edu

Eurasian Collared-Dove preening. Cornell.edu

Some birds help to preen each other’s heads, usually paired birds at the nest site. Mutual preening is always concentrated on the head and neck, which a bird cannot reach with its own bill.  These mutual caresses are thought to remove foreign objects from feathers, as well as reinforce pair bonds and reduce aggression.

One captive Giant Cowbird at a zoo in Texas frequently offered its head to people and solicited touching. Many responded by scratching the cowbird’s head, and whenever people stopped, the bird displayed again to invite more preening. Caged parrots will often inch along the perch and bow their heads to people, an invitation to scratch their heads.

Taken from the book Canadian Feathers: A Loon-atics Guide to Anting, Mimicry and Dump-nesting, by Pat Bumstead

Little Brown Birds

Sep28

I have a first-year White-crowned Sparrow in my yard today.   This isn’t too unusual – I usually get a few of these going through in both spring and fall.  But a few years ago, before I became serious about birding, I never would have noticed this bird.  It would have been lost among the dozens of House Sparrows in my yard.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow

One of the first things a beginning birder should do is familiarize themselves with all the common birds they see every day.  For the backyard birder, this means not only birds like magpies and chickadees, which are distinctive, but also all the little brown birds which crowd the feeders every day.  The vast majority of these in Calgary will be House Sparrows, and in the last few years, House Finches.

House Sparrows have two distinct costumes – the brown/white/grey/chestnut of the adult male, and the dull brown/grey of the female and juvenile.  The male’s plumage is quite distinctive.  The amount of black in the bib can vary, and the colours are more crisp in the summer, but with a little practice the males can be recognized easily.
In contrast, the females and the young are quite plain (females and the young of both sexes look alike).  For me, the key identifying feature is the pale line behind the eye.  An important field mark for all House Sparrows is their unstreaked breast.  If it has spots or streaks on the breast, it isn’t a House Sparrow.

Young male House Sparrow

 

Female House Sparrow

 

House Finches are the same length as House Sparrows, but a little slimmer, and they weigh less.  They all have streaked breasts.  The adult males have colour on their heads, breast and rump, which is usually orange-red or pinkish, but can occasionally be orange or even yellowish.  Females and young are plain grey, but have heavily streaked breasts.

Female House Finch

Male House Finch

Spend some time learning to recognize House Sparrows and House Finches in your yard, and then any unusual little brown birds will jump right out at you.  In the last five years, I have had nine species of native sparrows in my yard – White-crowned, White-throated, Lincoln’s, Savannah, Harris’s, Chipping, Clay-coloured, American Tree Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos.  I have also had Purple Finches, which are easy to spot once you know the House Finches.  There are several other sparrows, and many other little brown birds, that you could get besides these.
Although it’s fun to watch the House Sparrows and House Finches at your feeders, it’s always exciting whenever you see a little brown bird in the yard and realize “That’s something new!”

American Tree Sparrow

Harris's Sparrow

Bob Lefebvre
 

Grackles Galore!

Sep21

This message was received on the Albertabird message board, and worthy of a blog mention!  (To visit Albertabird, go here:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Albertabird/ )

On September 19 at about 07:30 I saw a flock of slightly over 600 Common Grackles in an urban park – Crescent Heights park. I had never seen such a large flock before. They were feeding on the ground, eating acorns from oak trees, and feeding on the seeds left in pine cones, in other words, they ate almost anything they could find. The colours on them were brilliant – dark blues and purples. Quite a sight. Several early strollers also stopped to watch them.

H Vanderpol

Nature Calgary Fall Field Trips

Sep21

The following nature walks are free, and open to all. Join us as we get to know Calgary & the birds better!

SEPTEMBER

Sat Sep 26, 9am: Bird Mallard Point, E end of Canyon Meadows Dr SE. Leader, Howard Heffler, 403-284-2961

Sun Sep 27, 8:30am: Bird Wyndham-Carseland Prov. Park. Bring lunch. Meet at Anderson LRT (Macleod Tr) S. of pedestrian walkway. Leader, Howard Heffler, 403-284-2961.

OCTOBER

Thu Oct 1, 8am: Monthly Elbow River Birding Survey. Meet Stanley Park, 42 Av SW, just W of Macleod Tr. Walk to Glenmore Reservoir, ride back (3.5 hours). Call leaders, Aileen Pelzer/Gus Yaki, 403-243-2248, to ensure vehicle space for return.

Sat Oct 3, 9am: Bird Votier’s Flats, FCPP at South end of Elbow Drive SW. Leader, Howard Heffler, 403-284-2961.

Sun Oct 4, 8:30am: Bird Eagle Lake and vicinity. Meet Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, E end of 9 Av SE. Leader, Rob Worona, 403-984-7655.

Sat Oct 10, 9:30am: Peak of Golden Eagle Migration, Mt. Lorette. Bring lunch. Meet Assumption School, 34th Av NW (NW corner of Sarcee Tr at Hwy #1).  Leader, Andrew Hart, 403-279-5209.

Sun Oct 11, 9am: Bird North Glenmore Park. Meet Weaselhead Parking lot, 37 St & 66 Av SW.  Leader, Rob Worona, 403-984-7655.

Sat Oct 17, 8am: Full day Raptor and Eagle Watching, Windy Point, Sheep River. Meet Anderson LRT (Macleod Tr), S of Pedestrian Overpass. Bring lunch, thermos of hot drink, warm, windproof clothing. 350 m climb to lookout site. Leader, Peter Roxburgh, 403-271-7033.

Sat Oct 17, 9:30am: Late fall birding for rare gulls, loons, other waterfowl, late passerines and others (approximately 6 hrs). Meet N. Glenmore Park, in large lot overlooking the reservoir, west of the rowing club. Leader Terry Korolyk, 403-254-1878.

Sun Oct 18, Bird Griffith Woods Park, 2.5km W on Hwy 8 from Sarcee Tr SW, then left at 69 St SW into Discovery Ridge. Continue straight at traffic circle, then left on Discovery Link into parking lot. Leader, Grant Brydle, 403-720-4957

NOVEMBER (Note daylight savings time ends Sun Nov 1/09)

Sun Nov 1, 8:15am: Monthly Elbow River Birding Survey. Meet Stanley Park, 42 Av SW, just W of Macleod Tr. Walk to Glenmore Reservoir, ride back (3.5 hours). Call leaders, Aileen Pelzer/Gus Yaki, 403-243-2248, to ensure vehicle space for return.

Sun Nov 8, 9am: Bird the Bow River. Meet FCPP HQ parking lot, off Bow Bottom Trail SE. Leader, Tony Timmons, 403-256-0754.

Sun Nov 15, 9am: Bird Bebo Grove-Shannon Terrace, FCPP. Meet parking lot S end of 24 St SW. Leader, Gus Yaki, 403-243-2248.

Sun Nov 22, 9am: Bird Votier’s Flats, FCPP, S end of Elbow Dr SW. Leader, Grant Brydle, 403-720-4957.

Sun Nov 29, 8:30am; Bird Sibbald/Exshaw/Harvie Heights. Meet Assumption School, 34th Av NW (NW corner of Sarcee Tr at Hwy #1). Bring lunch. Leader, Andrew Hart, 403-279-5209.