Tag Archive | alberta birds

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Dec 5

Dec6

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, us email us at zoxox@shaw.ca  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.

This Bird Alert was recorded on Monday December 5.

Bird Sightings:

Dec. 1

HORNED GREBE, Lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park, Malcolm and Joan McDonald

WESTERN GREBE, same, MJM

GREEN-WINGED TEAL (9), second Vermilion Lake, Banff, NP, MJM

TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE, Vermilion Lakes Drive, Banff NP, MJM

GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH (200+), Barrier Mountain Drive feeder, Exshaw, MJM

Dec. 2

CANVASBACK, above weir at Carseland, MJM

GREATER SCAUP, same, below weir, MJM

PEREGRINE FALCON, field on W side of Frank Lake (6 km. E of High River on HWY
23)

HERMIT THRUSH (probable), HWY 546 W of Turner Valley, woods between hwy and
Sheep River, Jeff Bennett.

Dec. 3

RED-NECKED GREBE, Lake Minnewanka, Phil Cram, Brian Elder, Ray Woods

WESTERN GREBE (4), same, PC, BE, RW

TUNDRA SWAN (probable, bird was an adult), Policeman’s Flats, end of Bow Riverbottom Trail, off Dunbow Rd., just SE of Calgary, Terry Korolyk

GADWALL (male and female), same, TK

NORTHERN SHOVELER (female), same, TK

REDHEAD (male and female), Elliston Park, E Calgary, TK

GREATER SCAUP (female), Policeman’s Flats, TK

LONG-TAILED DUCK (imm. female?), Elbow River, upstream up 25th Ave. bridge, MJM

HOODED MERGANSER (2 male, 1 female), Elliston Park, TK

GYRFALCON, HWY 532 just E of HWY 799, (bird was a gray morph), TK

BROWN CREEPER (4), Fenland Trail, Banff NP, PC, BE, RW

TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE (2), Vermilion Lakes, PC, BE, RW

Dec. 4

AMERICAN WIGEON, Beaverdam Flats, Bow River, Kingsley Blades on behalf of the
Nature Calgary field trip

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday Dec 8.

BIRD STUDY GROUP:

Bird Study Group meets 1st Wednesday of the month, Room 211, BioSciences Building, U of C except June through August when field trips replace the meetings.

December meeting is Wednesday,December 7. Topic will be “Birding in Brazil”, presented by Rob Worona. Meeting time is 7:30pm.

Sunday Showcase: Calgary Corvids

Dec4

Corvids, which are crows and jays, are classified by their harsh voices and their aggressive manner, both of which draw attention to themselves; large and often very gregarious birds. Most corvids have bristles on their nostrils, located on very powerful, all-purpose beaks built specially for handling their varied diet ( berries, fruits, seeds, invertebrates, small mammals and carrion). Here are most of the species that you may see in the Calgary region, the only one missing, is the colorful Steller’s Jay.

American Crow

Blue Jay

Grey Jay

Clark's Nutcracker

Common Ravens

Black-billed Magpie

Posted by Matthew Sim

Bird Profile: Bohemian Waxwing

Nov5

A rush of wings, followed  instantly by  high-pitched trills break the silence. It is a cold, wintry scene, snow falling slowly from the never-ending sheet of clouds that blanket the sky in a gloomy grey. Standing still, nothing is to be heard; no cars, no people, and, above all, no birds. Just when it seems as though the entire world has gone into a peaceful slumber, the calm is broken by the sound of nature.

When they descend in hundreds, berries don’t last long at all. These birds are highly social and travel tight together, descending en masse on fruit bearing trees, where they proceed to rapidly consume thousands of berries. A very hardy bird, the Bohemian Waxwing toughs out the frigid winters of northern latitudes, enduring harsh conditions.The waxwing is both gregarious and elegant with a slick crest, and soft, silky plumage; it is deemed attractive by many. Named for the red, drop-shaped, waxlike tip on their feathers, this bird has warm grey-brown plumage, a black patch through the eye and a yellow-tipped tail. Bohemian Waxwings are berry aficionados and during winter, survive on the fruit of trees such as mountain ash and juniper, but also eat saskatoon and choke berries. Such a heavy reliance on one source of food can greatly affect a birds population and will cause much fluctuation. If there is a high population one year and a low fruit crop the same year, many waxwings will disperse in winter further south out of their regular mapped range. These years are known as irruptive years and are cherished by southern birders who do not usually get the opportunity to observe these birds.

I love witnessing large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, it is possible to hear the whir of thousands of wings as they land, the twittering as they communicate endlessly, and the soft thud of berries as the fruit falls into the snow below, dropped by  a careless tug from the beak of a waxwing. Sometimes, after the flock has left, the snow will be littered with bright red berries. Then as cars and people pass over the fruit, the snow will be stained a rose color, evidence of the masses of birds that banqueted there.

Remember next time you are shoveling snow in -30 degree weather; you are privileged in that you can witness this elegant species brightening up the dull grey day. These birds are truly northern and hardly extend into the U.S. They are definitely one of the things I will miss most about Calgary winters.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Saturday Selection: Winter Birds in the Calgary area

Oct29

Here is a photographic collection of some of the birds you may see in the Calgary region this winter.

Snowy Owl

Common Merganser

Hairy Woodpecker

Mountain Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Red Crossbill

Posted by Matthew Sim

Revering a Raptor

Oct28

From the day that I first laid eyes on the species, gliding on broad wings over a coniferous forest in the Rocky mountains of Alberta, I have always looked with awe at it, astounded by its sheer magnificence. Many people have soft spots for raptors. I have a soft spot for one in particular: the Northern Goshawk.

I first saw a goshawk just over a year ago. It was early October 2010, and I had signed up for the Mount Lorette Golden Eagle field trip with Nature Calgary. I went out on my own to explore the area right around the location of the watch, and, while out on the path, witnessed an adult goshawk rise up from the spruce trees and circle away. From that moment on I was always looking for goshawks; every chance I got, I would go searching for them.

Rising up out of the forest; my first views of a Northern Goshawk

Several days later, on a biking trip to Fish Creek Provincial Park, I came across an adult Goshawk perched high up in a poplar, sitting and gazing at the world around him. I stood and watched this magnificent raptor for more than half an hour, pointing the bird out to anybody who came near. Many of these were joggers or were merely walking their dogs. They took little interest in this bird, that is somewhat tricky to spot in the city of Calgary. I was rewarded though by the few who did pause to look up at the goshawk and comment on his size.

“What did you say it was called?”

“A Northern Goshawk”, I would reply eagerly, ” it’s somewhat unusual here in Calgary.”

“Really? Wow! Look at how big he his!” After staring up at him for several more seconds, they would smile and move on. Hopefully the Goshawk had made an impression on them though.

While I watched this large, strong accipter (agile, forest dwelling hawks with short rounded wings and long tails) it scratched its head withs its talon, giving me glimpses of those wicked sharp utensils it uses to tear apart its prey. Eventually, it lifted off and disappeared amongst the trees.

Goshawks are among the largest, strongest and most audacious of the hawks of North America. In November 2010, a little over a month since I first observed this species, I got an excellent opportunity to view this audacity. I was riding my bike home from Fish Creek and was running slightly late. I looked down for a moment as I pulled onto a dirt path going around a storm water pond, and, when I looked up again, there, sitting merely yards away from me in a small tree no taller than 10 feet, was an adult goshawk. They now seemed to be everywhere I went! I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could and screeched to a stop, panting breathlessly. Pulling out my camera, I marveled at how close this bird had let me get. I stood watching him, he stood watching me, this went on for several minutes before he abruptly flew away.

Taken with a 200mm lens and no crop; I could see every detail in the feathers

Instead of leaving altogether though, the goshawk started hovering over a field, pulled up, started hovering again and then pulled up once more. Then, with a sharp turn, he came whizzing right at me and flew by me at a distance of about 4 feet! The raptor was so close that my lens couldn’t focus on it!

These incredibly neat personal experiences combined with an amazingly beautiful species, have come to make me love the Northern Goshawk.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Oct 3

Oct4

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, us email us at zoxox@shaw.ca  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.

This Bird Albert was recorded on Oct 3, 2011.

SEP 25

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK – 5 seen on a Nature Calgary Field Trip to Plateau Mountain, led by Peter Roxborough
GOLDEN EAGLE – 2 seen on the same field trip

SEP 26

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL – reported by Gus Yaki who saw it at the Yacht Club on the south shore of Glenmore Reservoir

SEP 30

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE – 2000 reported by Cedric Hitchon and Ian Halladay at Stobart Lake southeast of Strathmore, seen by scope from a location off Hwy 901 which goes east of the south end of the lake. They also had 40 at the Cattleland Feedlots Slough.
BONAPARTE’S GULL – more than 100 at the south end of Eagle Lake – CH and IH
PEREGRINE FALCON – Thomas Glen saw one around the Bow Building in downtown Calgary

OCT 1

SURF SCOTER – 4 reported on Glenmore Reservoir by Youssif Attia
GREATER SCAUP – a female seen as above

OCT 2

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER – 5 juveniles seen by Tony Timmons in the southwest corner of Langdon Reservoir on Hwy 22X
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH – 32 reported by Bill Wilson off the Mount Nakiska access road. For details call Bill at 403-230-0054
SWAMP SPARROW – at the Mount Lorette raptor watch off Hwy 40 in Kananaskis Country

*BLACK VULTURE – no further reports on this bird reportedly photographed on top of the City Hall building in Raymond, AB on Thu Sept 22

The next scheduled update of the bird alert is on Thu Oct 6.

BIRD STUDY GROUP:

Bird Study Group meets 1st Wednesday of the month, Room 211, BioSciences Building, U of C.  October meeting is Wednesday, October 5. Topic is “Birds of Prey”
presented by Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation. Meeting time is 7:30pm.

Movie Monday: Nose Hill Crow Roost

Oct4

There is a large nighttime roost of hundreds of American Crows on Nose Hill again this year.  Last week I took a short video as they were arriving at about 7:30 pm.  The location is near the Brisebois Drive parking lot.  Sorry for the poor quality of the video, but it gives you an idea of what it is like.  If you want to see this roost yourself, go within the next two weeks before the crows head south.

For an explanation of this behavior, see the previous post, Crows by the Thousands.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Sept 30

Oct1

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, us email us at zoxox@shaw.ca  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.

This report was prepared on Friday September 30.

September 24
— SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (4), Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation site near Mount Lorette, Bill Wilson
— NORTHERN GOSHAWK, Mt. Lorette, BW
— GOLDEN EAGLE, (4) Mt. Lorette, BW

September 25
— SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (5), Plateau Mountain, CFNS Excursion led by Peter Roxburgh
— SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (2), Plateau Mountain, CFNS Excursion

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday October 3.
BIRD STUDY GROUP:

Bird Study Group meets 1st Wednesday of the month, Room 211, BioSciences Building, U of C.

October meeting is Wednesday, October 5. Birds of Prey – presented by Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation. Meeting time is 7:30pm.

Fish Creek Park Birding

Sep28

I had a very slow birding summer, with a knee problem that kept me out of the field and off my bike for three months.  But now my knee is better and I am back birding with Gus Yaki and the Friends of Fish Creek Society.  I went out twice with this group to the Hull’s Wood/Sikome/Lafarge Meadows area in mid-September.  Here are some pictures from those trips (click on the pictures to enlarge them).

Two Double-crested Cormorants, and on the right, an Osprey, silhouetted against the rising sun.

A cormorant dries its wings.

Double-crested Cormorant, this time with the light on the right side of the bird.

The Osprey perched in a tree.

Red-tailed Hawk in flight.

Northern Flickers.

Greater Yellowlegs, in one of the ponds by highway 22X.

We found a single Wood Duck (centre) hanging out with the Mallards.

Great Blue Heron on its usual rock.

Juvenile Bald Eagle.

This Cedar Waxwing was picking insects out of a spider web high in a tree.

American Kestrel.

Killdeer on the pond.

Killdeer on the river.

Common Raven calling near where they nested in Lafarge Meadows.

Finally, there is this bird, which we found sitting on a path that runs from the Sikome boat launch parking lot to the river.  I’ll tell its story next week.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Digiscoping

Sep26

Digiscoping is the activity of combining a digital camera with a spotting scope to record images through the scope.  Anyone who has ever looked through a good scope knows how impressive they are at turning distant specks that can’t be identified, even with binoculars, into sharply defined birds.  The combination of big lenses and up to 60X magnification really brings faraway objects into close focus.  Scopes are especially useful for waterfowl far out on lakes, and shorebirds on distant shorelines.

Today’s post features some wonderful photographs taken using digiscoping by local birder and photographer Daniel Arndt.

Eared Grebe and juvenile, by Dan Arndt

Digiscoping can be done with any point-and-shoot or SLR camera (or even a camera phone) coupled with any scope or binocular, but it can very tricky to get to good quality pictures by just holding the two together.  Here is a White-crowned Sparrow I photographed in my yard this week, using my camera phone held up to my 8X42 binoculars:

It’s very hard to tell when you have the shot in focus.  It’s even hard to get on the bird!  You get a better shot with just a good camera:

The same bird, from the same distance, taken with an SLR and 400 mm lens.  Note the leg band.

Here is another shot I took (in the winter) of a House Finch, using a point-and-shoot camera held up to my spotting scope.

However, the birds in these examples were only about twenty feet away.  I could identify them with the naked eye.  If you are dealing with distant waterfowl and shorebirds, the thing to do to get good photographs is to get an adapter that fixes your camera to the scope.  Dan Arndt’s outfit, pictured below, consists of :

Pentax K-5 camera with T-mount adapter
Meade ETX-90EC 90mm Matsukov-Cassegrain Telescope
Meade #844 Advanced Field Tripod
Meade Electronic Focuser
Meade MT-64 Camera Adapter
Pentax 39892 Waterproof Remote Shutter Release

Photo by Dan Arndt

Here are some of the amazing photos Dan took this summer at Frank Lake using his digiscoping rig.

White-faced Ibis with juvenile, and American Golden-Plover, by Dan Arndt

Lesser Yellowlegs by Dan Arndt

American Avocet by Dan Arndt

Black Tern by Dan Arndt

Black-crowned Night-Herons by Dan Arndt

American Golden-Plovers by Dan Arndt

You can see all of Dan’s digiscoping pictures on his Flickr page here, and while you’re there, explore all of his other excellent photographs as well.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre