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:
A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was seen and photographed by Robert Brown in the Shannon Terrace area of Fish Creek Park on December 30.
A CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE was seen in the Waterton Townsite on Monday Jan 31. The bird was seen by Joan and Malcolm Macdonald. It was in the neighbourhood of 101 Fern Street. A YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER appears daily in the yard of Jo Nemeth at 8525 Wentworth Dr. SW in Calgary and a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER has been seen once again in west Fish Creek in Calgary. Counters on the Fish Creek PP New Years Day count saw the bird, then in woods southeast of Bridge 5 in the Marshall Springs area. The bird was still present in the afternoon of January 1. A leucistic ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen by Matthew Sim at the Hwy 8 – Range Rd 40 junction west of Calgary on Wed Jan 2.
REDHEAD ducks have survived the winter in fairly good numbers thus far. New Year’s Day counts included 7 at Policeman’s Flats by Terry Korolyk; 3 at Beaverdam Flats by Andrew Slater; 4 there by Bill Wilson; then 5 at Carburn Park by Bill Wilson. Andrew Slater saw a GREATER and a LESSER SCAUP at Beaverdam Flats while on Dec 29, Terry Korolyk observed either a GREATER SCAUP or a
GREATER-LESSERSCAUP hybrid at Elliston Park in southeast Calgary, January 1. Terry saw an AMERICAN WIGEON at the slough in the SW corner of the Hwy 2A-Hwy 22X junction.
Observers in the area can be on the lookout for wandering NORTHERN GOSHAWKS this winter. There have been many reports thus far, both in Calgary and in the surrounding area. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was seen in the Bebo Grove-Marshall Springs area of west Fish Creek PP on New Year’s Day.
The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday, January 7.