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

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!

Calendar – October 2018

Sep30

Events & Lectures of interest to Calgary birders.

Canal

Birds on the irrigation canal, SE Calgary, October 2011. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

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

Wednesday October 3, 7:30 pm, Cardel Theatre. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group presentation. Backyard Birding by Ken Orich. Ken will talk about backyard birding and specifically how to design and maintain your yard to be a haven for wild birds. Free for Nature Calgary members (bring your card) and $5 for non-members, payable at the door.

Saturday October 6. Global Big Day. Count birds with eBird.

Monday October 15, 7-8 pm. Dr. David Bird, Watching Birds Naked. Presentation and book signing at the Wild Bird Store. $20 to register; information and location here.

Wednesday October 17, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series. Can Drones Help Save Our Bird Populations? by Dr. David Bird. Free for Nature Calgary members (bring your card) and $5 for non-members, payable at the door.

Thursday November 1, 6 pm. Birds & Beers social, with a presentation by Dave Russum, beginning at about 7:15, on his Prairie Walks – two walks he led in SE Alberta and the Cypress hills in 2018, and his plans for 2019. Free.

Saturday November 3, 1 pm. Alberta Institute For Wildlife Conservation. Winter Hunters. Learn about winter predatory birds and animals, followed by a tour of the facility. $15.

 

Furry Friday: Another Bobcat

Sep28

Ron Chiasson recently found this beautiful Bobcat in north Calgary.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Calgary, September 2018. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Bobcat

 Bobcat, Calgary, September 2018. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

It seems that Bobcats used to be seen mostly in the SW, near the Weaselhead or Fish Creek Park or in adjacent neighbourhoods. In the last few years we are hearing reports from many more areas of the city, including places that are quite far from the river valleys and the boreal forest. I don’t know if they are more numerous, more widespread, or if more people having cameras at the ready means we hear about almost every sighting.

Bobcat

Bobcat, Calgary, September 2018. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

You can see more of Ron Chiasson’s photography here.

Wild Bird Store Anniversary Event Saturday

Sep28

On Saturday September 29 The Wild Bird Store in Calgary will be celebrating their 21st anniversary with some events that will be of interest to local birders.

Wild Bird Store Anniversary event

 

The Wild Bird Store is located at 5901-3 St SE. They have everything you need for backyard bird feeding.

Gus Yaki’s presentations will feature photographs of virtually every species that has ever been seen in Alberta. John Acorn, co-author with Chris Fisher of Birds of Alberta, will be doing a book signing. His newest book is Best Places to Bird in the Prairies.

The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society will bring Lito, a Swainson’s Hawk, to the event. The CWRS always has a need for supplies to support the work they do. They will have a table set up for donations. If you are attending the store’s event, consider bringing any of the following items for them:

Animal Food
Frozen Corn
Frozen Blueberries
Frozen Peas
Mealworms
Animal Bedding
Towels (without strong patterns)
Fleece Blankets
Sheets (no fitted sheets)
Cleaning Supplies
Laundry Soap (unscented)
Bleach
Dish Soap
Hand Soap
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Construction Material
Exterior Door
Gazebo
Animal Supplies
Flax Hay Bales
Welding Gloves
Disposable Glove
Medical Supplies
Incubator
Digital Gram Scale
Portable Ultrasound
Office Supplies
Postage Stamps
Copy Paper
Pens & Sharpies
Envelopes

Furry Friday: Porcupine at IBS

Sep14

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Earlier this week some of the Friends of Fish Creek birding groups found a Porcupine in a tree at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. I happened to be there with my camera and took of few shots of it sleeping. It was surprisingly high up in a poplar – higher than I’ve ever seen one before! Thanks to the birders for the tip on where to see this mammal.

Porcupine

Porcupine, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, September 11, 2018.

Porcupine

Porcupine (back view), Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary, September 11, 2018.

Below is a shot showing just how high up the Porcupine was. I had to take this shot with my phone since I couldn’t get far enough away to get the whole tree in with my big lens. Can you spot it?

Porcupine

Porcupine in tree, IBS, September 11, 2018.

Porcupine

Porcupine in tree, IBS, September 11, 2018. It was about 25-30 feet up.

Shorebirds at Frank Lake

Sep10

Game bird hunting season has begun in most areas around Calgary, so fewer birders will be heading to Frank Lake. Tony LePrieur made a final trip there on September 2 and took these amazing water-level photos.

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird’s Sandpiper, Frank Lake, September 2, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

You can see more of Tony LePrieur’s photos on his Flickr page at this link.

Take Part in Global Shorebird Counting

Sep7

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

The fall shorebird migration through the Calgary area is now underway. Thursday September 6 was World Shorebirds Day. Every year for a week around this date you can take part in Global Shorebird Counting. This program allows birders to contribute, as citizen scientists, to knowledge of the distribution, population trends and abundance of shorebird species. The count this year began on September 5 and continues to the 11th.

Shorebirds

You can count shorebirds anywhere in this time period. You could find a good shorebirding hotspot, but you can also go to any local park where you usually bird and just make sure to count the shorebirds you see there. There are usually some anywhere along the Bow River and at places like the pond at Confederation Park.

You have to register your location (see this page) but reporting is easy if you use eBird since the programs are linked. Once you submit your checklist to eBird, you have until September 30 to share it with the Global Shorebird Counting account.

Try to help out with this project, and follow the results on their web page!