Here are some recent photographs of birds from in and around Calgary, by David Lilly. See more on the Canadian Bird Photographer website, and on David’s website.
Western Meadowlark
Tree Swallow
American Kestrel
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Wilson’s Snipe
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.
Compiler: Terry Korolyk (CFNS & IBS)
Bird Sightings:
May 18
–WESTERN KINGBIRD (2), near Linden, Corinne Griffin.
May 20
–WHITE-FACED IBIS (200+), Frank Lake (E of High River), Marcel Gahbauer.
–HERMIT THRUSH, South Weaselhead, W end of Glenmore Reservoir, same.
–CEDAR WAXWING (20), Fish Creek Provincial Park, Gus Yaki and FFCPP.
–CAPE MAY WARBLER (5), Brown Lowery Provincial park, Plummers Rd., near Millarville, MG.
May 21
–SNOW GOOSE, W of 53rSt. SW, Calgary, Tony Timmons.
–BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (39), E side of Third Lake, 2 km. S of Hwy 552 and 224th St. SE, Terry Korolyk.
–SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (7), same, same.
–RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, Douglasdale neighborhood, Calgary, Jim Daws.
–WHITE-EYED VIREO, Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park, willows along shore of riverside trail downriver from picnic area parking lot just N of weir, Nick Bartok, Ryan Baxter, TK, bird was photographed, first provincial record.
–CASSIN’S VIREO, N of picnic area below Carseland Weir, TK.
–MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, same, same.
May 22
–BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, Mountain View, Nancy West.
–EASTERN KINGBIRD (2), near Linden, Corinne Griffin.
–COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, same, same.
Recent Sightings in Brooks area
–GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH.
–GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.
–BAIRD’S SPARROW.
–LECONTE’S SPARROW.
The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday May 28.
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.
Bird Sightings:
May 14:
CURVE-BILLED THRASHER, Wyndham-Carseland PP, Mary Coughlin, June ?
TURKEY VULTURE, near DeWinton , Ali Bursten.
May 19:
RED-BREASTED x COMMON MERGANSER female, storm water pond, Votier’s Flats, Terry Korolyk.
May 20:
WHITE-FACED IBIS (21), east edge of Calgary, Bob Lloyd.
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER , Third Lake, Richard Clarke.
SANDERLING, Pine Coulee Res. dam, TK.
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERS, TUNDRA SWAN, TRUMPETER SWAN, Clear Lake, TK.
PURPLE FINCH, male, Griffith’s Woods PP, Bob Lefebrve, Dan Arndt.
GOLDEN EAGLE, as above,several groups.
ROCK WREN, north of old gravel rd, Nose Hill Pk, Steve Kassai.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, west of Calgary, Marilyn Sanders.
The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday May 24.
Posted by Dan Arndt
As I wrote in my original post about Griffith Woods with the Winter Birding course, I haven’t had much opportunity to visit this beautiful park on the edge of the city, and Sunday morning was only my second visit. The route we took this week was almost identical to the one we took in March, but the birds we saw were vastly different.
Griffith Woods – 5km Walking Route
We started by walking east from the parking lot, where we were inundated by a huge number of birds singing. Not only new birds for the year for many of us, but for myself at least one new life bird, and great views of others that I’d only seen in the distance or through foliage. Both White-crowned and White-throated Sparrow species were present and singing, but we also heard and saw a single male Purple Finch.
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
On the river itself, a few Spotted Sandpipers searched for food along the shore, while a pair of Belted Kingfishers patrolled the river in search of small fish.
Spotted Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Belted Kingfisher
Further east, on the banks of the large eastern ponds, we had great views of an adult and a juvenile Red-naped Sapsucker, a House Wren at the entrance of a nest hole, and a Gray Catbird who flew in for a closer inspection as we played back a recorded call.
Red-naped Sapsucker
House Wren
Gray Catbird
To top off those great views, we also spotted a pair of what we identified as Least Flycatchers along the edge of the ponds before they disappeared into the deeper brush.
Least Flycatcher
We left the ponds after searching a bit longer for some other birds that we could hear nearby, but only the briefest glimpses confirmed the songs of the Yellow Warbler, Lincoln’s and Song Sparrows, and the ever present Clay-colored Sparrows buzzed in the background.
Turning back west, we continued past the parking lot and deeper into the spruce forest of Griffith Woods, which meanders through a number of small tributary channels of the Elbow River, very small ponds and wetland areas, but is dominated by the White Spruce that make up a significant portion of the foliage. The birds were heard more than seen, and while we heard a number of Pine Siskins, White-winged Crossbills, Boreal Chickadees, and both Hairy and Downy Woodpecker species, it was hard getting our binoculars on them, let alone the camera lens!
Coming to one of the first bridges, we saw a pair of sandpipers, which initially we thought were also Spotted Sandpipers, as before, but the white breast, greenish legs, and drastically different demeanor identified them as Solitary Sandpipers, which can sometimes nest in trees, as we noticed a few minutes after this shot was taken.
Solitary Sandpiper
We meandered for the next half hour with very few birds seen, but heard Chipping Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and what we thought was a flock of Black-capped Chickadees mobbing a predator, but turned out only to be an unusually vocal flock. A moment later, the call of the Audubon’s subspecies of Yellow-rumped Warbler was heard only a few meters away. Once again, we had great views of it as it was protective of its territory, indicating that it would very likely be breeding in the area if it can find a mate this season.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s subspecies)
Our last really great views were of the male Pileated Woodpecker that we originally saw back in March, once again protecting the nest hole in an abandoned power pole near the condominium complex.
Pileated Woodpecker
On our way out, we did get one other new bird on the year in Calgary. High above us soared a juvenile Golden Eagle, with bright white patches under the wings, and that incredible golden brown hue over the rest of its body. While my camera couldn’t quite zoom in far enough to get a decent shot of it, my binoculars gave me good enough views that I’m looking forward to getting back out into the country to see these birds up close again. As for Griffith Woods, I look forward to exploring it once again this summer, and into the fall once the warblers begin heading south once again.
These fantastic photos of a male Rufous Hummingbird were taken by Marilyn Sanders just west of Calgary in the community of Stonepine, off of Highway 8.
Posted by Matthew Sim
Each year, spring migration brings something different. The year I first bought my camera, migration brought to me several brilliant male Western Tangers. This was the first time that I was really enthusiastic about birding and, with birds like this in my backyard, it is not difficult to see why.
The Western Tanager has to be, in my honest opinion, one of the top 5 most beautiful species that we can see in Calgary. Its red, yellow and black plumage make it stand out during migration, when the trees are still bare of leaves, but be warned, once the leaves come out, this brilliant songster all but disappears into the forests, becoming rather inconspicuous despite its bright colors.
A bright-red head combined with black wings, back and tail and canary-yellow underparts and neck are what make the male so beautiful. The female, considerably duller, is green olive above and yellow below. Arriving in southern Alberta in early to mid-May (they arrive later in the month in the mountains), the Western Tanager heads to boreal and montane forests to breed. Though the species prefers coniferous and mixed forests for nesting, during migration, it frequents a wider range of forests.
The Western Tanager can be seen in the city in areas such as Bebo Grove in Fish Creek or Edworthy Park during the summer. Outside of the city, they can be seen in the mountains and in the Water Valley area, among other locations. During the month of May,you might even spot one in your own yard- they are most often seen among the higher branches of trees so remember to look up!
Did you know…
The red on the Western Tanager’s face is formed by the pigment rhodoxanthin, a pigment not usually found in birds. The other tanagers (such as the Scarlet Tanager) make the pigments that give them their bright colors however, rhodoxanthin is not manufactured by the Western Tanager meaning that they must obtain it from the food that they eat (probably insects who in turn gain this pigment from the plants they eat).
Posted by Matthew Sim
Last time I wrote a ‘Postcards from Texas’, I bemoaned the weather and fate for whisking away any migratory birds from my binoculars and my camera. This time, however, weather and fate were both on my side for a full 3 days, bringing warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, orioles, buntings, catbirds and cuckoos to my very neighborhood.
Saturday morning, something told me to go out birding. Trusting instinct, I went out to the neighborhood patches that occasionally turn up good birds. When I got to the pond, I heard a distinctive ‘chirp’ coming from the trees and shrubs lining the pond. Then came another ‘chirp’. And another. I soon was in a very excited mode, dashing this way in that, my camera turned up at the trees. A storm the night before had slowed migration, forcing migratory birds to land at the first green patch they saw, and for this reason, there were now dozens of migrants here at my local pond.
Male Chestnut-sided Warbler
Female Magnolia Warbler
Male Magnolia Warbler
Female American Redstart
As I gazed upwards into the bushes and trees, I managed to see Wilson’s, Canada, Kentucky, Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Yellow, Tennessee and Chestnut-sided Warblers, American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat. Soon, I was seeing Gray Catbirds and even a male Baltimore Oriole.
Baltimore Oriole
As I admired the oriole, an even bigger surprise came up in the form of my first ever Indigo Bunting, They are quite stunning birds!
Male Indigo Bunting
After that, I found a Olive-sided Flycatcher, identified by the two white spots on its back.
Olive-sided Flycatcher
And then some of the regulars too…
At one point, upon seeing a large bird in one tree, I investigated, expecting to find some rather unusual bird. Instead, I found a rather common Green Heron- but in a tree?!
Green Heron-in a tree!
So maybe migration wasn’t so bad after all!
Posted by Bob Lefebvre.
I have three Downy Woodpeckers that come to my feeders regularly. They are not shy, and I managed to get some close-up photos that show the prominent nasal tufts of this species. These help to keep wood chips (and nut chips) out of the bird’s nostrils. It is sometimes said that Downy Woodpeckers are named for these downy feathers at the base of their bill.
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.
May 11
— RED-EYED VIREO, Fish Creek PP, Terry Korolyk
May 12
— SANDHILL CRANE, north of Cochrane, Rosemary Healey(?)
— NASHVILLE WARBLER, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Colin Young
May 13
— WHITE-FACED IBIS 200, Frank Lake, Paul Lehman
— NORTHERN GOSHAWK, (former) Cochrane Ranche PP, Joan&Malcolm McDonald
— RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, same, J&MM
— ROCK WREN, same, J&MM
— AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, Frank Lake, Andrew Hart
— BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, Third Lake, PL
— STILT SANDPIPER 4, same, PL
— CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, Weaselhead, Bill Wilson
— CASSIN’S VIREO, Lowery Gardens, Marcel Gahbauer
— PACIFIC WREN, same, MG
— BLACKPOLL WARBLER, same, MG
— PURPLE MARTIN 15, Chestermere martin houses, PL
— MAGNOLIA WARBLER, Weaselhead, reporter unknown
The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday May 17.
Since 2008, the Calgary Zoo and ENMAX have teamed up to bring live osprey activity to the public via a high-resolution webcam. From spring arrival and nest building to the laying and hatching of eggs, the public can watch these birds of prey daily. So far this season, the female in the pair has laid three eggs.
Osprey drying his wings after a dip. Photo P Bumstead
For over 17 years, a pair of ospreys has built their summer home on a platform constructed by the Calgary Zoo atop a pole erected by ENMAX Power. The platform is located at the extreme east end of St. George’s Island in a non-public area.
“There is a large following of the osprey webcam at the Calgary Zoo,” said Doris Kaufmann Woodcock, ENMAX Corporation. “Last year alone we had over 75,000 unique visits to our website. It’s fantastic that so many people love to tune in and watch their progress.”
As part of its Osprey & Avian Nest Management program, ENMAX erected three more nesting platforms this spring in south Calgary. Ospreys often build their nests on top of power poles, potentially posing a danger to themselves while compromising the integrity of the electrical system. ENMAX has erected many platforms throughout the city in areas where these nests have caused concern.
The live streaming camera is available to the public through to the seasonal departure of the birds which typically occurs in September. For more information on the camera and to watch live, visit the ENMAX osprey cam web page.