Calendar – January 2017

Jan11

Monday January 9. Beginning of the 12-week Winter session of the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society birding course. Information and registration on this page.

Wednesday January 11, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group Speaker Series: Christmas Bird Count Results. Phil Cram and others will present the results of local Christmas Bird Counts in the Calgary region. Information here.

Tuesday January 17, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series: The Nature of Our Unseen Universe by Wesley Ernst. Information here.

Friday January 20, 6 pm. Birds & Beers. A social get-together for birders. Information here.

Wednesday January 25, Friends of Fish Creek Annual General Meeting (members only). Registration and information here.

Thursday January 26, 7 pm. Fish Creek Speaker Series: Growing Up In Alberta’s Eastern Parks, by Alison Cole. Information Here.

If you know of any upcoming local talks or events of interest to birders, please email us.

Twelve Birds of Christmas

Dec25

Bohemian Waxwing by Dan Arndt.

Black-capped Chickadee by Tony LePrieur.

Red-breasted Nuthatch by Dan Arndt.

White-winged Crossbill by Tony LePrieur.

 Pileated Woodpecker by Tony LePrieur.

Pine Grosbeak by Tony LePrieur.

Golden-crowned Kinglet by Tony LePrieur.

Boreal Chickadee by Tony LePrieur.

Downy Woodpecker by Tony LePrieur.

Dark-eyed Junco by Dan Arndt.

Brown Creeper by Dan Arndt.

Common Redpoll by Dan Arndt.

Winter Birding Course 2017

Dec15

There is still time to register to take part in the Winter 2017 session of the Friends of Fish Creek birding course. Go out on field trips with experienced leaders once or twice a week for twelve weeks, and learn about the winter birds of Calgary. You will also see the early-arriving spring migrants.

Field trips are held in several parts of Fish Creek Park, in Carburn Park, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, the Weaselhead Nature Area, Bowmont Park, and other locations.

It is still only $5 for children (accompanied by a registered adult) for the whole twelve-week course! See this page for details on how to register.

Christmas Bird Counts, 2016-2017

Dec12

The Calgary Christmas Bird Count (CBC), organized annually by Nature Calgary, will be held next Sunday, December 18. If you would like to participate, either by joining a group of birders in the field or by counting birds at your feeders, please see this Nature Calgary page for details.

There are many CBCs in the Calgary region. For a complete list, with contact emails for the organizers, see this page.

How many Pine Grosbeaks can you find in your CBC territory? Photo by Tony LePrieur, Weaselhead Nature Area, December 11, 2016.

This year, for the first time, there will be a CBC for Kids in Calgary. It will be held at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, December 17. There will be an indoor introduction to birding before the count. You must accompany your child for this activity.

The first CBC for Kids was held in California in 2007, and they are now common across North America.

If you can take your child, grandchild, niece or nephew out for a couple of hours next Saturday it will be a great way to introduce them to birding! Register by emailing naturekids(at)naturealbetrta.ca.

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Sunday Showcase: Bow Valley Birds

Dec11

Michael Kim is a 13-year-old photographer from Canmore. He has been taking photos of wildlife in the Bow Valley, and here are some of his pictures from last summer and fall.

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Belted Kingfisher, Canmore, September 8, 2016.

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Great Horned Owl, Canmore, October 2016.

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Bald Eagle, Lac des Arcs, August 1, 2016.

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Great Blue Heron, Lac des Arcs, August 1, 2016.

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Great Blue Heron, Lac des Arcs, August 2, 2016.

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Great Blue Heron, Lac des Arcs, August 3, 2016.

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Great Blue Heron, Lac des Arcs, August 4, 2016.

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Great Blue Heron, Lac des Arcs, August 5, 2016.

Furry Friday: Muskrat

Dec2

Tony LePrieur photographed this Muskrat in the Weaselhead Nature Area on November 20, 2016. Muskrats are semi-aquatic rodents related to voles and lemmings. They feed mostly on aquatic vegetation such as cattails. They are active all year and can be found in the winter in Calgary along the rivers, and around lakes and ponds. They are well adapted for the cold and for swimming under the ice.

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You can see more of Tony’s photos on his Flickr page.

Do you have photos of Mammals from the Calgary area that you’d like to share? Send them to birdscalgary@gmail.com and we may post them for Furry Friday!

Sunday Showcase: Swan and Woodpecker

Nov27

Photographs by Tony LePrieur.

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Young Tundra Swan at Carburn Park, November 13, 2016.

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The same swan at Carburn Park, November 13, 2016.

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American Three-toed Woodpecker photographed at Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Provincial Park, November 13, 2016.

Birds & Beers – Change of Date

Nov16

The Birds & Beers meeting that was scheduled for Friday November 18 has been changed to Friday December 9. This one promises to be a special event so please join us!

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285

9202 Horton Road SW

Friday December 9, 6:00-9:00 pm

This is one block west of Macleod Trail, between Heritage Drive and Southland Drive. See the Event’s Facebook page for a map and more information.

We meet in the back room at the Legion, so once you get here proceed to the back, past the food counter. It’s fine to come late if you can’t make it at 6 pm; these are very informal get-togethers. Bring your friends!