Cold Weather Bird Photos

Mar4

Well, it’s turning into a very long, cold, and ridiculously snowy winter here in Calgary. I’m sure the poor road and pathway conditions are keeping many local birders at home more than usual, but if you do go out, you may be treated to some spectacular winter sights, as the following pictures show. All photos were taken by Ron Chiasson in Calgary this winter, with the exception of the American Dipper photo, which was taken in Kananaskis.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles

Mallards

Gray Partridge

Gray Partridge

American Dipper

Downy Woodpecker

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneyes with Canada Geese

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye

Northern Goshawk

House Finch

House Finch

Mule Deer

White-tailed Deer in chest-high snow.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Canada Goose

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan with Canada Geese

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

sunbeams

To see more of Ron’s photos, go to his website here, or follow him on Instagram.

Young Goshawk at Confederation Park

Feb25

An immature Northern Goshawk has been hanging around Confederation Park this winter, feeding on Mallards that frequent the open water there. Ron Chiasson has photographed this bird in action. All photos taken at Confederation Park by Ron Chiasson.

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

Northern Goshawk

To see more of Ron’s photos, go to his website here, or follow him on Instagram.

 

Winter Birds of Confederation Park

Feb25

Confederation Park in NW Calgary gets a lot of attention from birders during the fall warbler migration, but it is good birding spot year-round. You can see a variety of bird species even in winter, as these photos show.

The photographer is Ron Chiasson, who is a new contributor to the blog. You can see more of his photos at Ron Chiasson Photography, or follow him on Instagram here.

All of these photos were taken between November 2017 and February 2018 in Confederation Park.

Brown Creeper

Brown Creeper

Northern Flicker

Northern Flickers

House Finch

House Finch

House Finch

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Black-capped Chickadee

Mallard

Mallard

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Pine Grosbeak

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Eastern Gray Squirrel

White-tailed Jackrabbit

White-tailed Jackrabbit

Thistle

There is also a young Northern Goshawk hanging around the park, feeding on Mallards. Ron’s photos of the Goshawk will be in the next post.

Winter Birds of Queen’s Park Cemetery and Carburn Park

Feb24

Bohemian Waxwing, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Northern Flicker, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Hooded Merganser, Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Brown Creeper, Queen’s Park Cemetery, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Northern Goshawk, Queen’s Park Cemetery, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, see his Flickr page.

Birds & Beers, March 1, 2018

Feb24

The next Birds & Beers event will be this Thursday, March 1 at the usual location.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285

9202 Horton Road SW

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

Trumpeter Swans at Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Our speaker for this evening is Gary Kindrat, Wildlife Program Manager for the Calgary International Airport. Gary has over 30 years of experience in the environmental field, mostly in waterfowl research. He will share his responsibilities and personal experiences as he has worked with the airport authority to determine regulatory requirements, staff training, and control and implementation techniques necessary to maintain safety for wildlife and passengers.  We hope you can join us for a rather unique and entertaining evening.

Everyone is welcome. Food and drinks are available, and the presentation will begin after 7 pm.

Upcoming Birds & Beers dates, all at the same time and place: Thursday March 29, Thursday April 26, Thursday May 24, Thursday June 21.

 

…Country Birds

Feb10

Horned Larks, photographed outside of Calgary by Tony LePrieur.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark, Calgary area, January 7, 2018.

For more of Tony’s photos, see his Flickr page.

City Birds…

Feb10

Here are some recent photos from around the city, by Tony LePrieur.

Bohemian Waxwings, Carburn Park, February 4, 2018.

Bohemian Waxwing, Carburn Park, February 4, 2018.

Bohemian Waxwing, Carburn Park, February 4, 2018.

Bohemian Waxwing, Carburn Park, February 4, 2018.

Townsend’s Solitaire, Carburn Park, January 13, 2018.

Common Redpoll, Weaselhead, January 7, 2018.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Carburn Park, January 13, 2018.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Carburn Park, January 13, 2018.

Sharp-shinned Hawk, Carburn Park, January 13, 2018.

Black-capped Chickadee, Carburn Park, January 7, 2018.

For more of Tony’s photos, see his Flickr page.

Superb Owl Sunday

Feb4

Posted by Bob Lefebvre (I apologize that the blog was down for the last two days. It was a server problem – we aren’t going away!)

About a dozen years ago some people started using the term “superb owl” in advertising to avoid a similar copyrighted term, and since owls are indeed superb, birders have had a lot of fun with it on game day by posting their favourite photos of owls. Here are some local owls to liven up your day.

Snowy Owl, January 2018, east of Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Snowy Owl, November 2017, east of Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

A well-camouflaged Great Gray Owl, November 2, 2017, Bow Valley Parkway. Photo by Michael Kim.

Great Horned Owl, December 19, 2017, High River area. Photo by Anne Elliott.

Northern Pygmy-Owl, January 28, 2018, west of Calgary.

Northern Pygmy-Owl, November 2017, Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Northern Hawk-Owl, February 2017, west Calgary. Photo by Ron Chiasson.

Ron Chiasson’s photos can be seen at Ron Chiasson Photography.

Dan Arndt’s photos are on his Flickr page.

Anne Elliot’s photos and extensive descriptions of her photographic experiences are on her Flickr page.

American Dipper On Ice

Jan14

American Dippers are aquatic songbirds that feed in fast-flowing mountain streams, capturing all their food by walking under the water on the stream bottom, by swimming, or by picking insects off the surface. They are sometimes seen in the city on Fish Creek, the Elbow River, or even on the Bow in the winter, but are more common west of the city where they breed.

Tony LePrieur captured these fantastic shots of a Dipper seen from water level at Elbow Falls, west of Bragg Creek, on December 24. The first photo shows the nictitating membrane which protects the eye when the bird is submerged. Tony lay in the ice-cold water and on the ice for two hours to get these shots!

American Dipper, Elbow Falls, December 24, 2017. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

American Dipper, Elbow Falls, December 24, 2017. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, go to his Flickr page.

 

Great Gray Owl

Jan13

Tony LePrieur photographed this Great Gray Owl hunting near Priddis, SW of Calgary, on Christmas Eve 2017.

Great Gray Owl, Priddis area, December 24, 2017. Photographed by Tony LePrieur.

Great Gray Owl, Priddis area, December 24, 2017. Photographed by Tony LePrieur.

To see more of Tony’s photos, go to his Flickr page.