Furry Friday: Tracks

Dec21

One of the best things about winter is seeing all the animal tracks in the snow. It’s fun to go out after a light snowfall, when you can see signs of all the mammals that have passed. Sometimes there are bird tracks and wing-prints too.

Hare tracks — Hare Tracks, November 2018. Photo by Rodney Nicholson.

These are likely the tracks of a White-tailed Jackrabbit. It was travelling from right to left, the opposite direction of the “arrow” the tracks make.

So far we haven’t had much snow this winter, but we should still get plenty of opportunities in the new year to see all kinds of animal tracks.

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.

Brewer’s Sparrow in Calgary

Dec8

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

On November 27th Gord Smith photographed this sparrow in his yard in NW Calgary. This is a Brewer’s Sparrow (Timberline subspecies). This is rarely reported in the city, or this late in the year anywhere in its northern range. They should all be in the SW USA or northern Mexico by now.

Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer’s Sparrow, NW Calgary, November 27, 2018. Photos by Gord Smith.

Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer’s Sparrows are related to Clay-colored and Chipping Sparrows which also breed locally. The similarity to these in non-breeding plumage is apparent. Had this bird been in my yard I don’t think I would have known what it was. Gord was familiar with the species, and the ID has been confirmed by Richard Klauke.

Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer’s is the smallest North American sparrow, and in this last photo you can see just how much smaller this bird is than a House Sparrow!

Swan Season

Nov11

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Here is a great photo taken by Kenneth Johnson on November 3 near the Jumpingpound Gas plant, west of Calgary.

Tundra Swan

Tundra Swans west of Calgary, November 3, 2018. Photo by Kenneth Johnson.

The darker birds with the pink on their bills are juveniles. I’m not positive that the big bird with its wings outstretched is a Tundra. It could be a Trumpeter (no yellow on the face, long bill) but the shape of the area between the eyes suggests Tundra. Comments welcome.

Trumpeter Swans migrate though the area up to about the first week of November, and Tundras a little later. Most will be gone by mid-month. The majority of Trumpeters tend to pass to the west of Calgary, and many are seen on the Glenmore Reservoir. To the east of town, far more Tundras are seen. But both can be found on any large body of water in the area, or in flocks flying overhead.

Here are eBird maps of reports of the two species during the first week of November. Each red teardrop shows a location where at least one swan was reported.

Tundra Swan

Above: Tundra Swan reports on eBird in the Calgary area, early November 2018.

Trumpeter Swan

Above: Trumpeter Swan reports on eBird in the Calgary area, early November 2018.

Calendar – November 2018

Nov5

Events & Lectures of interest to Calgary birders.

Black-capped Chickadee, Bebo Grove, October 26, 2015. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Nature Calgary Field Trips: Various dates and times. See this page. Some trips require registering in advance.

Wednesday November 7, 7:30 pm, Cardel Theatre. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group presentation. Antarctic Adventures by Diane Stinson. Free for Nature Calgary members (bring your card) and $5 for non-members, payable at the door.

Saturday November 10 (all day): The Cochrane Research Institute. Symposium: Wilderness, Wildlife, and Human Interaction – Changing the Paradigm. $40, Cochrane Ranchehouse. Tickets, information, location here.

Thursday November 29, 6 pm. Birds & Beers. A social event for anyone interested in birds. Featuring a presentation by Joan and Wayne Walker (beginning at about 7:15 pm) on their recent trip to Africa. Royal Canadian Legion, 9202 Horton Road SW. Free; everyone welcome.

Wednesday December 5, 7:30 pm. Cardel Theatre. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group presentation. “Getting Down” with Calgary Area Birds. A tour of Calgary area birds as seen through the lens of amateur nature photographer Tony LePrieur. Tony’s photos have featured prominently on Birds Calgary for several years; come and see how he gets his great photos. Free for Nature Calgary members (bring your card) and $5 for non-members, payable at the door.

Sunday December 16. Calgary Christmas Bird Count. Count birds in the field or at your feeders. Contact Phil Cram (field) at crampj*at*telusplanet.net and Barb Coote (feeders) at barbcoote*at*gmail.com.

Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Birding Course. Now taking registrations for the winter session, beginning January 7, 2019.

Birds & Beers, November 1, 2018

Oct21

The next Birds & Beers event in Calgary, which will include a special presentation by Dave Russum, will be held on Thursday, November 1. We were unable to get the room in late October so this will act as the October Birds & Beers. The following one will be on November 29.

Snowy Owl

In less than a month the Snowy Owls will be back in the Calgary area. Snowy Owl, northeast of Strathmore, January 2012. Photo by Rob English.

Everyone is welcome to come out to this social get-together, have a meal and a drink, and discuss birds with your fellow birders. We will meet in our usual location:

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285

9202 Horton Road SW

Thursday November 1, 2018, 6:00-9:00 pm

As a special treat, Dave Russum will give a slide show and brief talk about the Prairie Walks he led in 2018. He had participated in the walk that Gus led across southern Alberta in 2017, so in 2018 Dave followed up with two trips, to the Cypress Hills and to SW Alberta. He will also talk about the plan for more trips in 2019.

The talk itself will start at about 7:15 or 7:30 pm, to give people time to eat and visit first. Feel free to drop in just for the presentation if you want. See you there!

October Global Big Day This Saturday

Oct4

For the last four years, eBird has held a Global Big Day in May to try to count as many of the world’s bird species as possible in one day, with citizen scientists counting birds all over the world. May is the height of spring migration in the northern hemisphere, and the count has been extremely popular and successful. This year eBird is holding another Big Day on Saturday October 6th, when many birds in the northern hemisphere are on migration, and spring is under way in the southern hemisphere.

Global Big Day

Image from the eBird Global Big Day page.

All you have to do to participate is to submit an eBird list from any birding you do on October 6. There is information on the Global Big Day page on how to set up an account if you haven’t already done so. You can also watch the results come in from all over the world during the day on this page.

Get out on Saturday and participate in this event! If you can’t get out, send a list from your yard. Every little bit helps!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: