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Taken March 26, 2011, during a spring snowstorm in Calgary.
Bob Lefebvre
Bird Alert March 28
Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Monday March 28, 8:00pm. To report a bird sighting,call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording.
Thursday, March 24
–HERRING GULL (5), Bow River, N.of 22x bridge
Friday, March 25
–EURASIAN WIGEON (1) Frank Lake
Saturday, March 26
–CANVASBACK (2),Bow River,west of the bridge over Hwy.1x at Seebe
–WESTERN MEADOWLARK (1), near Millarville
–RED-TAILED HAWK (2), one light, one dark morph, near Millarville race track
–ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (3),same as above
–KILLDEER (1), near open water in front of race track
–AMERICAN TREE SPARROW (20+), near Black Diamond
–THAYER’S GULL,Bow River,N.of 22x bridge, east Fish Creek PP
Sunday, March 27
–TRUMPETER SWAN (8),Frank Lake
–EURASIAN WIGEON (2), Frank Lake
–KILLDEER (1), Frank Lake
–SHORT-EARED OWL (5), near Frank Lake
–NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL (1),River Rd, west of High River
Meet The Mountain Bluebird
The Mountain Bluebird is an early migrant to our area, arriving in mid to late March. There have been a few sightings in the countryside recently, and one was reported in the Tuscany subdivision on March 25. In Calgary, you might see them in Weaselhead, North Glenmore Park, Fish Creek Provincial Park or Nose Hill Park.
Read more about this beautiful bird and report any sightings on the Weaselhead Society website.
See also:
Photo courtesy of fotopedia.com
Here’s Looking at You-Whoo!
As 2011 began, the Northern Saw-whet Owl was right at the top of my list of Birds I Must See. I had heard them singing in the spring before in both the Weaselhead area and in Bowness, but I had never seen one. They are very small, about eight inches (20 cm) high, and active at night. They spend the daytime roosting in tree cavities or dense conifers. So although they are quite common, they are rarely seen.
…….
On Saturday, March 19, the Friends of Fish Creek Park Society outing was at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, where we were looking for returning gulls and waterfowl. Before starting, the leader, Gus Yaki, mentioned that a Northern Saw-whet Owl had been reported a few days previously at the sanctuary. We would look for this little bird near the end of our walk, in the row of spruce trees that run north from Walker House.Â
…….
However, as we turned north by the lagoon, I noticed a pair of Black-capped Chickadees that seemed quite agitated. Two of us hung back to investigate as the rest of the group went ahead. After a couple of minutes a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches arrived, and then a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and another pair of chickadees. All the birds were noisy, flicking their tails, and making short sweeping flights into the tree. I have seen birds behave like this before – they are trying to drive away a predator. Still, despite circling the tree a couple of times, I could see nothing. Finally, from a spot right under the tree branches, I found the owl:
Then he found me back:
……
…….
These owls sit still when confronted, and this one barely moved, except for batting his eyes, as you can see in the video.
…….
Good Birding!
Bob Lefebvre
Bird Alert March 24
Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Thursday March 24, 10:00pm. To report a bird sighting,call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording.
Monday, March 21
–GREAT BLUE HERON (1) Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
Tuesday, March 22
–RED CROSSBILLS (3) in the SW Oakridge subdivision
Wednesday, March 23
–SHORT-EARED OWLS (15) north end of Frank Lake
–ROUGH LEGGED HAWKS (15) as above
–NORTHERN HARRIERS (4) as above
–AMERICAN TREE SPARROW(4), NE of High River
–SNOWY OWL (1), north of Blackie on Hwy 799
Great-horned Owl Nest Cam
The Ellis Bird Farm has set up a live stream video of a great-horned owl nest on their property. Once you sit through the annoying commercial at the beginning, you can follow the life of this bird, and be there when the eggs hatch. A warning though – these owl nest cams are completely addictive. As it gets closer to hatching time, you might as well give up trying to do anything but park yourself in front of your computer.
The stream is color during daylight hours, and has gray-scale pallet of near infrared artificial illumination during the night.
Great-horned owls are early nesters, and this poor girl appears to be sitting on eggs while covered with snow today. Yet another reason to need some real spring weather in this province!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ellis-bird-farm-owl-cam
Good Birding!
Pat Bumstead
Bird Alert Report March 21
Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Monday March 21, 9:00pm. To report a bird sighting,call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording.
Thursday, March 17
–ROSS’S GOOSE(1), Frank Lake
–CACKLING GOOSE(1),Frank Lake
Friday, March 18
–SNOW GOOSE(2), flying near Longview
–TURKEY VULTURE(1),at Mt.Lorette hawk watch
–GOLDEN EAGLE(129), Mt.Lorette hawk watch
–SHARP-SHINNED HAWK(1),Mt.Lorette hawk watch
–NORTHERN GOSHAWK(1),Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
–NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL(2),Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek PP
–MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD(1)(m), w.of Longview
Saturday, March 19
–HARLEQUIN DUCK(2),Bow River at IBS
–HOODED MERGANSER((2) IBS
–COOPER’S HAWK(1),east Fish Creek PP
–NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL(1),IBS,
Sunday, March 20
–SHORT-EARED OWL(12),around Frank Lake
–AMERICAN TREE SPARROW(4), NE of High River
In Search of the Three-toed Woodpecker
There are two species of three-toed woodpeckers that can be seen in Calgary. They are the American Three-toed Woodpecker and the Black-backed Woodpecker. Both of these woodpeckers are residents of the boreal forest.  They can occasionally be seen here during the winter months in the west end of the city, where the forest creeps in.  I, however, have never seen a Black-backed Woodpecker anywhere, and I’ve only seen American Three-toed Woodpeckers outside of Calgary. But last week, with the expert guidance of Gus Yaki during an outing with the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society (FFCPPS), I was finally rewarded with close-up views of the American Three-toed Woodpecker.Â
Last Saturday’s FFCPPS outing was to Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Park, where we searched a stand of spruce south of bridge #5. An American Three-toed Woodpecker has been seen occasionally in this area all winter.
Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park. Access the parking lot from 24 Street SW in Woodbine.
There are many dying spruce trees in this area because of the high water levels. When a spruce dies, wood-boring beetles move in, which in turn provide a food source for the woodpecker. The birds chip off chunks of the bark to get at the larvae. Listen for the soft tapping of the woodpecker, and look for trees which have the reddish-coloured wood under the bark exposed. The bark chips will be scattered at the foot of the tree.
The tree on the right has had the bark chipped off by a woodpecker,
exposing the reddish wood below.
Bark chips on the snow under this tree show that a woodpecker has been feeding here recently.
We quickly found the bird, a male, working on a dying spruce. (Males have a yellow patch on the top of their head). These birds are not timid around people, so we were able to get quite close to watch it worry the bark.
 Hammering at the bark – wood bits flying!
 Prying up a bark chip.
“Maybe if I go at it from this angle…”
This bird will probably move out of the city to breed before too long, so if you want to see it this season, you’ll have to get out there soon.  Meanwhile, I’ll be in Griffith Woods Park looking for the elusive Black-backed Woodpecker.Â
Good birding!
Bob Lefebvre
.
Inglewood Birds
We received the following email this weekend, and four incredible bird pictures. Thank you so much for sending them to us Rosanna!
My husband and I were down at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this past week and were able to capture these images. Hope you can use them!
Mrs. Rosanna Evans
Calgary, AB
Bird Alert Report March 17
Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Thursday, March 17 at 9:00pm. To report a bird sighting, call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording.
Monday, March 14
–NORTHERN HARRIER (1)-Along Horse Creek Rd, 11km. n.of Hwy.1A
Tuesday, March 15
–CACKLING GOOSE(1),Frank Lake. SE of Calgary
–AMERICAN WIGEON(2)-location as above.
–EURASIAN WIGEON(1)-same as above.
–NORTHERN PINTAIL(6)-same as above.
–RING-BILLED GULL(1)-same as above.
–ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK(3)-same as above
–SNOWY OWL(1)- same as above.
–GOLDEN EAGLE(103)-Mt.Lorette hawk watch, W. of Calgary.
–RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD(1)(M)- same location as above.
–SNOW GEESE(13)-near Taber
–LAPLAND LONGSPUR-same location as above.
–GYRFALCON(1)–same as above.
Wednesday, March 16
–MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD(1)(F)-1.5km.E.of Scope Reservoir, near Hays
–WESTERN MEADOWLARK(1)- west end of Scope Reservoir
–NORTHERN HARRIER(1)(F)- 10km. S. of Lomond
NOTE:Reports of migrating GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON AND AMERICAN ROBIN have come from several locations.