Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 27

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary?

If it is on this Reportable_Birds (PDF), please report it to the Nature Calgary Rare Bird Alert line at 403 221-4519 and leave a message after the beep at the end of the recording. If you would like some help with species identification, email us at birdscalgary@gmail.com. To report injured wildlife call the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society at 403 239-2488, or the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403 946-2361.

Compiled by Terry Korolyk

Bird Sightings:

Sept.22
–SWAMP SPARROW(several) Frank Lake by Marcel Gahbauer.

Sept. 23
–PRAIRIE FALCON, PEREGRINE FALCON(2), NORTHERN PYGMY OWL and CLARK’S NUTCRACKER(139),seen at Plateau Mtn, in the Kananaskis, by Peter Roxburgh et al

Sept. 26
–At Confederation Park were a NASHVILLE WARBLER,PALM WARBLER(2),SWAMP SPARROW(2), WHITE-THROATED SPARROW(20) and a HERMIT THRUSH, all seen by Bill Wilson. A HERMIT THRUSH was seen there by BW on the 24th.also.
–At IBS were HERMIT THRUSH(7),PALM WARBLER(7), OVENBIRD,SWAMP SPARROW and the first fall AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, all seen by Greg Meyer.
–Seen at IBS by Sandra Savage were two RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.

The next meeting of the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group will be held on Wednesday October 3 in Room 211 of the Biosciences Building of the University of Calgary. Doors are open at 7:00 PM and the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM.

Petra Rowell, Nature Alberta will be presenting “Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Alberta”. The IBA program is a global effort to identify, conserve, and monitor sites that provide essential habitat for bird populations. Of 600 IBA sites in Canada, 48 are in Alberta (of which 36 are globally significant).

There is a large map of the University of Calgary campus at http://www.ucalgary.ca/map. The Biosciences building is in the right of the map and is marked BI. Parking is available in lots L21 and L25. Evening parking is available for $5.

Status of Landbirds in Alberta’s Boreal Plains

Sep28

The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) has released its latest report on the state of biodiversity in Alberta. The Status of Landbirds in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone reports on the status of common bird species that are monitored by the ABMI in Alberta’s Boreal Plains Ecozone (BPE).

The BPE represents 58% of Alberta’s total land area and covers a vast expanse of northern Alberta. Alberta’s BPE is rich in natural resources; it serves as a working landscape for industry, and is considered an integral part of North America’s “bird nursery”. The report highlights the status of individual species and landbird groups such as neo-tropical migrants, forest interior specialists, winter residents and species at risk.

the status of 74 landbird species in the Boreal Plains Ecozone were found to be, on average, 80% intact.
as of 2010, 21% of Alberta’s BPE has been directly altered by human activities including cultivation, forest harvesting, residential, commercial, energy, and transport infrastructure
agricultural cultivation represents the largest human footprint in Alberta’s BPE at 12%
protected areas in Alberta include provincial and national parks and National Wildlife Areas account for 11.3% of the BPE
the status of 74 common landbirds in Alberta’s oil sands region were found to be, on average, 85% intact. This region currently has a lower human footprint than the entirety of Alberta’s BPE and, therefore, a slightly higher intactness for landbirds.

Read the full report on the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Website

Posted by Pat Bumstead

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 24

Sep27

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary?

Sept. 20

–BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER and PALM WARBLER at Confederation Park, by Bill Wilson

Sept.21
–CACKLING GOOSE(4),Springwell area, S. of Spruce Meadows, by Terry Korolyk

Sept. 22
–BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER(2)(JUV), slough NW corner Hwy 542 and RgeRd 255,N. of Herrington, by Terry Korolyk. Seen at a slough on 304Str.SE S.of Hwy.552 he saw
19 SANDHILL CRANES flying over, and at the slough, there were AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER(2),BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER(11), SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER(4), PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS(70),and BAIRD’S SANDPIPER(30).
–SANDERLING(4), S.end Weed Lake, by TK. Seen there on the 23rd. were 40 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and 400 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, by Dan Arndt.
–MEW GULL(1),Mallard Pt., FCPP, by Rob Worona. Also seen there on the 23rd.
–SWAMP SPARROW, Mallard Pt., by Gus Yaki et al.
–FOX SPARROW(Slaty), Confederation Park, by BW.

Sept. 23
–SNOW GOOSE(11), Frank Lake, by Andrew Slater

Friends of Fish Creek – Autumn Birding Course – Week 3, Mallard Point

Sep24

Posted by Dan Arndt

This week, the Friends of Fish Creek course set out for Mallard Point. Located at the far east end of Fish Creek Provincial Park, it abuts the largest island on the Bow River in Calgary, Poplar Island, which is off-limits to the public, but is viewable from the pathways on both sides of the Bow River. We started at the Mallard Point parking lot, walked north along the river, crossed over the bridge, and to the south-east, parallel to Poplar Island. In total, we discovered 36 species in our three hours along the river, all of which gave us incredible looks at them and were amazing to see, as always, and remember, if you want to see a bigger version of the photos in the blog, just click for a full-sized version!

Mallard Point

As we all collected at the parking lot, the consistent racket of a group of 12 Greater Yellowlegs just over the ridge in the flood channel of the Bow River that separates Poplar Island from the rest of Fish Creek Park, and these four decided to ham it up for the photographers of the group, posing close in and making sure everyone got a satisfying look at them.

Greater Yellowlegs

We headed up to the river to see what birds we could see on the Bow, or flying over it, but the star of the show was this small Northern Pike, who seemed just as interested in staring at us as we were in staring at it.

She Ain't Pretty (she just looks that way)

Northern Pike

After crossing the bridge and exploring a bit of the east side of the river, we set our eyes on the small pond that originates from a storm water outflow from the Douglasdale community, and found a fairly large group of American Wigeon joined by a solo female Northern Shoveler.

American Wigeon

While I’m not an expert on gulls, I enjoyed the plethora of plumages visible on the gravel bar just south of the second storm-water outflow into the Bow. We saw adult versions of the three most common species of white-headed gulls out there, those being Ring-billed Gulls, California Gulls, and Herring Gulls. I believe we saw juvenile versions of all three of those gulls as well, though I could always be mistaken!

juvenile Ring-billed Gull

juvenile Herring Gull

juvenile California Gull

We continued on south-east, and saw one of the harbingers of the change of seasons; a breeding plumaged male Downy Woodpecker. It seems all spring and summer that these guys simply went into hiding, but the last few weeks they’ve reappeared like magic!

male Downy Woodpecker

One of the highlights of my day at least was seeing this beautiful Orange-crowned Warbler, who, along with a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Gray Catbird, and about ten Yellow-rumped Warblers were found near the southern-most extent of our walk in the brush, chipping and whistling away while we strained our eyes to find just who was calling in the bushes.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Onward we trekked, and as we neared the furthest point of our walk, we were greeted by another gorgeous sight of a group of Mallard ducks, one of which being a male just coming back into his breeding plumage and showing off the broad violet speculum on his wing while stretching his legs, and in amongst the Mallards was another female Northern Shoveler.

male Mallard duck

male Mallard (bottom left) and female Northern Shoveler (top right)

It seemed a fitting end to the walk as we began to head back that many of our other friends from the summer would see us off. There were no small number of Meadowhawk dragonfly species flitting about as the sun warmed them up, and a handful of damselflies as well, but most noticeable was that their numbers were significantly less than last week, and far less than earlier in the summer. I do hope they hold on a while longer, as I always enjoy seeing and hearing them flit about, but it’s just a matter of time before the temperatures drop and the last of them dies out for another year.

Black Meadowhawk dragonfly

As we neared the bridge, and our walk was nearly at an end, we were gifted with just one more species as this Osprey flew overhead. I sure hope he didn’t see our Northern Pike from earlier in the day!

Osprey

That’s all for now. Next week, Carburn Park!

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 20

Sep21

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary?

Compiled by Terry Korolyk

Sept. 15, 17, 18 and 19:
Birds seen at Confederation Park included FOX SPARROW(2),and BLUE-HEADED VIREO(2) by Dan Arndt and Bill Wilson.

Sept. 16
At Weed lake, 20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and one SANDERLING were seen by Bob and Dan Lefebvre.

Sept. 17
At IBS, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER, SWAINSON’S THRUSH and A SWAMP SPARROW were seen by Greg Meyer, and on the 18th he saw a MOURNING WARBLER there.
At Mallard Point,FCPP, a BROAD-WINGED HAWK and a PEREGRINE FALCON were seen by Gus Yaki et al., and on the 18th, they saw a COOPER’S HAWK there.

Sept. 18
At FCPP, Glenfield area, a MOURNING WARBLER was seen by Terry Korolyk, and on the 19th, a PURPLE FINCH by TK.

Note: IBS(Inglewood Bird Sanctuary); FCPP(Fish Creek Provincial Park)

Bird Profile: Least Sandpiper, the smallest of them all

Sep21

Last week I went out for a walk in my neighborhood down here in Houston, Texas. As I walked along a storm water retention basin, I noticed 2 very small shorebirds hanging out with the usual Killdeer. Upon further investigation, I discovered that they were Least Sandpipers, a species that shows up several times a year in my neighborhood during migration.

These Least Sandpipers are quite unique and their name might give you a hint as to why; this species is the smallest shorebird in the world at a mere 13-15 cm in length and weighing only 19-30 grams. The pair that I saw provided an interesting look at differences in plumage, while one was a drab adult in winter plumage, the other was a more brightly colored juvenile.

Adult Least Sandpiper in winter plumage

Juvenile Least Sandpiper

The Least Sandpiper is a shorebird known as a peep, a group of small, difficult to identify sandpipers. While many “peeps” can be challenging to identify, the Least Sandpiper is usually fairly easy to name. The number one characteristic that separates the Least from other peeps is its yellow legs, (the others have black legs) though sometimes their legs can appear dark in poor light or when covered with mud. I once read an interesting article from the American Birding Association (ABA) that described how to identify peeps based on posture; the Least Sandpiper, it said, could be separated from the other 4 regularly occurring North American peeps by these habits:

They typically feed from a crouched position with their “knees” (tibia-tarsus joint) almost brushing the ground
The way they plant their feet can often make it seem like they are feeding between their toes though this is not quite as evident in my photos
Least Sandpipers also seem quite nervous, glancing around a lot and freezing at any sudden noise or motion.

Least Sandpiper in breeding plumage

I found this ABA article quite interesting because it adds a whole new dimension to birding, birding by posture, that not everybody may use or be aware of. You can read the full article here.

While the Least Sandpipers I saw this past week were quite timid as always, once I sat down and waited patiently, the juvenile approached me and passed by me within feet, though I had to be careful not to make any sudden motions.

Least Sandpipers have likely all passed through Calgary already on the way back from their arctic breeding grounds to warmer regions in the southern U.S.A., Mexico and South America where they will spend the winter however next May they will be right back again, to complete their long travels once again.

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 17

Sep19

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary?

Compiled by Terry Korolyk

Sept.13:
–Possible hybrid warbler, Tennessee/Mourning, seen by Terry Korolyk in Fish Creek PP, E. of bridge # 7.

Sept. 14 + 15:
–AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, S.end Weed lake along Hwy.560. Several seen there by Marcel Gahbauer, and one by TK.

Sept. 15 + 16:
–SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER(2), SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER(10), PECTORAL SANDPIPER(200+), SW corner of Hwy 560 and Hwy 24, by TK.
–RED-NECKED PHALAROPE(60), Cattleland Feedlot slough, N. of Strathmore, by TK.
–WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE(3) seen by TK 2km.S.ofHwy 552 on 304 Str. SE. Small flock seen by Ron Kube at RR 282 and TwpRd 360.

Sept. 16:
–BROAD-WINGED HAWK(2), by Peter Roxburgh and Calgary Nature members,seen at Plateau Mtn. in Kananaskis country.
–CLARK’S NUTCRACKER(500+) migrating through Plateau Mtn. area, as above.

Friends of Fish Creek Autumn Birding Course begins again – Week 2

Sep17

Posted by Dan Arndt

This fall, Bob Lefebvre and I are running one of the Sunday morning groups this year, and while this is the second week for the group, it’s my first week back from vacation.

Lafarge Meadows, one of the locations I always am finding new birds at, was our location for the day, and in our 5.75 km walk up and down the river bank, dodging golf carts and buses, we managed to see a pretty decent number of species. The annotated map shows our general route, as we headed from the Boat Launch, clockwise following the river, then back north along the paved path.

Our Route

On the ponds at the north end, we were given good close looks at a Great Blue Heron, seen here giving a brief lecture to some unruly Mallards that had taken over its roost. It flushed them away, or at least attempted to, before going back to its business of catching its breakfast.

Great Blue Heron giving a lecture

Attempting to frighten off the surly Mallards

Soon the heron realizes the futility of its ways and goes back to fishing.

As we looked over the pond, we were briefly interrupted by a small group of migrants, including Common Yellowthroat, Orange-crowned Warblers, and a few Lincoln’s Sparrows, before we looked back up over the pond to see some familiar faces (or familiar bills, perhaps?) The always entertaining Bufflehead, ever-present Lesser Scaup, and a lone American Wigeon even made an appearance.

Bufflehead

Lesser Scaup

American Wigeon

As we trekked southward, into the fray with golf carts whizzing by us and the noise of what seemed like hundreds of visitors to some other festivities in the park, we veered off toward the river, where we saw no small number of Double-crested Cormorants, Lesser Yellowlegs, and even at least two Osprey, hunting for fish over the Bow River.

Double-crested Cormorant

Lesser Yellowlegs

Osprey

Even deeper into the brush and further from the trail we happened across a few more warblers in the trees, including this Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a pair of House Wrens angrily chipping away at us.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

While we tend to focus on the birds on the blog, we all have a soft spot for butterflies, and this Milberts Tortoiseshell that posed quite nicely for everyone was no exception. It also marked the beginning of our trek back to the north, with the sun at our backs.

Milberts Tortoiseshell

As we were once again inundated with the golf carts and busy pathway, we kept our heads clear and our goals in sight, checking the ponds and sloughs on each side of the path as we went, and we turned up quite a few nice surprises. Each of them was more striking, with the Pied-billed Grebe surfacing now and again in an algae-choked pond, a pair of juvenile Ruddy Ducks in amongst the American Coots, and another Green-winged Teal flocking in with some more precocious Mallards!

Ruddy Duck

Green-winged Teal

Pied-billed Grebe

Finally, as the finish line was in sight and our long walk had ended, we found ourselves staring long and hard at this intrepid Cooper’s Hawk, soaring on the thermals in search of its next meal.

Cooper’s Hawk

Next week: Mallard Point!

Q & A: Odd-looking Birds on the Light Standards

Sep15

By Bob Lefebvre

Here at the Birds Calgary blog, we receive a lot of questions from bird-friendly folks throughout the province. We are sharing some of them with our readers as just another way to spread bird knowledge.

If you have a question, email us at birdscalgary@gmail.com. We may post your question and our answer. We won’t print your name or email address without permission.

Here’s a question we received last September, but which is relevant again this year.

Q: Hi. There are birds that sit on the light standards on 16^th Ave NE over the tracks alongside Deerfoot Trail. They appear to be sleeping when I drive by at 8 AM, I am curious to know what they are. There have been 2 or 3 on the westbound side and usually one on the eastbound side. Thanks.

A: It’s hard to say what they are without some idea of the size, shape, or colour of the birds. But I’m familiar with the area, and I think you might be referring to the “odd” birds that are sometimes seen there, which look long, slim, long-necked, and black. If so, those are Double-crested Cormorants. Their silhouette looks like this (photo taken in Fish Creek Park last week [September 2011]):

In better light they look like this, also taken last week [September 2011]:

Double-crested Cormorants are waterbirds that dive for fish and crustaceans. They are often seen holding their wings out to dry off after a dive. There are quite a few in the area of the weir on the Bow River, but they will soon be heading south.

Q: It’s definitely the Cormorants – last year there was just one, but now there are 2 or 3 on the westbound side and one on the eastbound side of 16th. They are always there in the morning but not always on my way home at 4:30. It’s quite high up so I can’t see much details from the car but definitely have the yellow beak and dark feathers.

(Note: In the past three weeks I have been seeing up to 35 cormorants in the area of Harvie Passage (the old weir on the Bow River) often perched in trees or on light standards along Deerfoot Trail.)

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 13

Sep14

Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary?

Compiled by Terry Korolyk

SEP 9

BROAD-WINGED HAWK – seen at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary by Greg Meyer
WILSON’S WARBLER – as above, also one seen in Lake Bonavista by Ann Simpson

SEP 10

BROAD-WINGED HAWK – as above
TENNESSEE WARBLER – Richmond area of Calgary, Phil Quinn
BLACKPOLL WARBLER – immature, just north of Scarboro Ave, PQ

SEP 12

HERRING GULL – 2 adults at Mallard Point, east Fish Creek PP, Terry Korolyk

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Mon Sep 17.

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