Tag Archive | backyard birds

Stay-At-Home Birding: Some Backyard Birds

May3

Here are some birds seen recently by local birders in their yards. Lots of great birds can still been seen while staying at home! Some of these are migrating and won’t be seen in the summer, but others are year-round residents.

Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Patrice O’Brien.
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Patrice O’Brien.
Blue Jay
Blue Jay, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Patrice O’Brien.
American Robin
American Robin, Okotoks, April 2020. Photo by Lloyd Bligh.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Jane Potter.
Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Jane Potter.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Jane Potter.
House Finch
House Finches, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Jane Potter.

Finally, here is a photo of a Varied Thrush that Karen Bout photographed in her yard in April. I have heard of three or four reports of Varied Thrushes passing through the city this spring, and there were at least three that overwintered here this year.

Varied Thrush
Varied Thrush, Calgary, April 2020. Photo by Karen Bout.

May can be even better for migrants passing through city yards, so if you are isolating at home, keep an eye open!

Thanks to all the readers that submitted photos.

Safe Birding and Backyard Birding

Apr11

April 11, 2020. Posted by Bob Lefebvre.

With the current Covid-19 situation, it is not safe right now to bird in groups, and may not be for a long time. Nature Calgary has cancelled all group field trips for the time being, and the Friends of Fish Creek Spring Birding Course has been postponed. The BirdYYC2020 Challenge has also been suspended. Provincial and National Parks are closed.

Spring migration is under way (despite the winter-like weather we’ve been having), but I have not been publicizing any sightings at specific locations, to try to avoid having crowds gather there. Of course there are other ways for word to get around, and many people are getting out.

There is no problem with birding alone, or with another person from your household. If you do go, here are some guidelines from eBird on how to do so safely:

  • Keep your optics to yourself. Don’t share your scope, binoculars, or camera with others; disinfect the eye caps of your optics after each birding trip.
  • Maintain distance. If you are birding near others (whether they are birders or not), maintain at least 6 feet of space between yourself and other people at all times. Take turns at blinds, shelters, and in other situations where proper distancing may not be possible.
  • Avoid touching communal surfaces. This includes railings, doorknobs, handles, and other frequently used areas of public sites. If you touch these surfaces, wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer immediately.
  • Respect restrictions and closures. Check if your favorite park, trail, or wildlife refuge is still open before heading outside. Plan your birding trips in accordance with the latest recommendations of your local authorities.
  • Share checklists, not phones: eBird Mobile users should avoid passing phones to review checklists for the time being. Confirm lists verbally before submission and if you need to make changes after you submit, it is easy to share and correct lists on the eBird Mobile app!

See the entire article on birding mindfully on eBird Canada.

One way that birders can stay safe and continue birding is to do it their own yards. Many of us already feed the birds and watch them in our yards regularly. This is a chance to increase the number of hours we spend looking for new species in or from our yards, and a great opportunity for more people to begin backyard birding.

Here is another article from eBird Canada on how to get the most out of birding at home. I encourage you to use eBird to record what you see. If you are interested in comparing what you see in your yard to what others are seeing, you can set up a Yard List on eBird. See these eBird Help Centre articles for instructions. And here is a more detailed article I wrote on setting up Yard Lists. I’m sure some of you have thought about starting on eBird or setting up Patch and Yard lists, but just never had the time before. Maybe now is a good time to start!

If you do feed birds in your yard, you may want to take advantage of the delivery service offered by the Wild Bird Store in Calgary. Go to their web page to see how to get bird feeders or seed delivered to you. You can also do contactless pickup at the store. These are good options so that you keep your risk to a minimum and support a local business.

I have been having problems with my camera so I’m unable to share any new photos I’ve taken in my yard. I’ve had huge European Starling flocks lately (often eating crabapples), Robins in the birdbath, occasional Bohemian Waxwing flocks eating crabapples, a nesting pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves, and a local Merlin who has chased the Starlings a few times.

Reynold Reid also had a Merlin in his yard in the Chaparral neighbourhood in SE Calgary recently, and luckily for us his camera is working fine!

Merlin
Merlin with prey, Calgary, March 26, 2020. Photo by Reynold Reid.

The Merlin is eating a rather large prey species. Can anyone identify it? I have an idea but would like to hear what you think.

If you have been getting good photos of backyard birds in Calgary and would like to share them here, email them to birdscalgary[at]gmail.com. Until I get my camera working properly I’ll post some of them, and some of my older photos.

Backyard Birds: Eurasian Collared-Dove Nesting Pair

Apr10

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

I’ve had Eurasian Collared-Doves in my SE Calgary neighbourhood since 2009, and they have nested in the area for several years. For the last three years a pair have nested within sight of my house.

The doves are non-migratory but do gather together in small flocks in the winter, and I don’t usually see them around the yard. The nesting pair arrived back on March 17, and perched in our apple tree for a while.

Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove pair, March 17, 2019. Photo by Bob Lefebvre
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove pair, March 17, 2019. Photo by Bob Lefebvre

I have since seen the pair around quite a bit and heard the male calling and displaying. They nest at mid-level in spruce trees and I think I know which spruce they are nesting in, but it’s very hard to find the nest. I’ve never yet seen the nests or young of this species.

Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove pair, March 17, 2019. Photo by Bob Lefebvre
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove pair, March 17, 2019. Photo by Bob Lefebvre

Migrant Sparrows: White-throated and Chipping

May25

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

More birds from my backyard. The White-throated Sparrows were around for just a couple of days in the first week of May (although I heard one singing in the neighbourhood this morning, possibly a late migrant grounded by the strong winds and rain we had yesterday). Chipping Sparrows passed through last week, and I counted up to thirty in my yard one day, along with a few of the closely-related Clay-colored Sparrows.

White-throated Sparrow, Calgary, May 7, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

White-throated Sparrow, Calgary, May 7, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

The above photo shows the sharply contrasting white throat patch and the yellow lores that are keys to identifying this species. Some White-throated Sparrows have tan and black rather than white and black head stripes, but they should always show the white throat and a least a little yellow on the lores.

The tan and black variation is a colour morph which some White-throated Sparrows have throughout their lives. It is not a juvenile characteristic, like the tan and gray head stripes of the White-crowned Sparrow. All White-crowns have tan stripes as juveniles, and white stripes as adults. Here is an old photo of an adult White-crowned Sparrow. Besides the lack of a white throat and yellow lores, note the clean gray breast and spotted back feathers which are quite different from the White-throated Sparrow. The pale bill (pink or yellow) also stands out.

White-crowned Sparrow, Calgary, May 10, 2010. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Below are a few of the Chipping Sparrows that were in my yard. There were thousands in yards all over the city that week.

Chipping Sparrow, Calgary, May 18, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Chipping Sparrow, Calgary, May 18, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Chipping Sparrow, Calgary, May 18, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Both of these species breed in the city. White-throated Sparrows are common in the Weaselhead, the west end of Fish Creek Park, and other parts of the city where the boreal forest intrudes. You can hear their beautiful song there right now. Chipping Sparrows breed throughout the city, even in suburbs in low numbers. Their song is a long, dry, steady trill, which is sometimes mistaken for an insect sound.

Other birds I’ve had pass through my yard recently on migration include White-crowned Sparrows (in pretty low numbers this year) around the end of April and first week of May, Ruby-crowned Kinglet at about the same time, and a Baltimore Oriole briefly on May 21.

Goldfinch and Other Backyard Birds

May16

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

The first American Goldfinch of the year arrived in our yard on Mother’s Day.

American Goldfinch (male), Calgary, May 14, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

American Goldfinch (male), Calgary, May 14, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Although I occasionally hear goldfinches flying over in the summer, they don’t stay to breed in my neighbourhood and I usually don’t see them in my yard except on spring and fall migration.

There are Northern Flickers here year-round, and there are at least a couple that are still courting, so maybe this is the year that my Flicker nest box finally get used (by Flickers, rather than House Sparrow, Starlings, or squirrels).

Northern Flicker (intergrade male), Calgary, May 16, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Northern Flicker (intergrade male), Calgary, May 16, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

This year our local pair of Swainson’s Hawks is building a nest just down the block, so I’m seeing and hearing a lot of them. I will post more about these birds as the season goes along.

Swainson’s Hawk, Calgary, April 30, 2017. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.

Great Backyard Bird Count Goes Global

Feb7

GBBCBanner_600px

For the first time, anyone anywhere in the world with Internet access can participate in the 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) February 15-18, 2013. Participants simply watch birds at any location for at least 15 minutes, tally the numbers of each species they see, and report their tallies online. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

This year, anyone visiting the GBBC website will be able to see bird observations pouring in from around the world and contribute their own tallies. Global participation will be made possible thanks to eBird, a real-time online checklist program that the Cornell Lab and Audubon are integrating into the GBBC for the first time this year. The GBBC is open to anyone of any skill level and welcomes bird observations from any location, including backyards, national parks, gardens, wetlands, and urban landscapes. The four-day count typically receives sightings from tens of thousands of people reporting more than 600 bird species in the United States and Canada alone.

“We’re eager to see how many of the world’s 10,240 bird species will be reported during the count this year,” said Cornell Lab director John Fitzpatrick. “We’re looking forward to this historic snapshot of birds that that will be reported from around the world. We need as many people as possible to help build the wealth of data that scientists need to track the health of bird populations through time.”

Participants will be able to view what others are seeing on interactive maps and contribute their tallies for ongoing bird research and conservation efforts. For the first time, participants will also be able to upload their counts from the field using the eBird BirdLog app for Apple or Android smartphones. To celebrate the new global reach of the count, developers of the eBird BirdLog app are offering regional versions of the app for just 99 cents through February 18. Learn more.

common redpollJust how big is this year’s irruption of northern finches and other species such as the Red-breasted Nuthatch? GBBC reports will help define the answer.

“This count is so much fun because anyone can take part, whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher,” said Gary Langham, Audubon’s Chief Scientist. “Invite new birders to join and share the experience. Once you get involved, you can continue with eBird year round.”

“The popularity of the Great Backyard Bird Count grows each year,” said Dick Cannings, Senior Projects Officer at Bird Studies Canada, “and with the new features, participation will be even more exciting.”

Participating is easy. To learn more about how to join the count, get bird ID tips, plus downloadable instructions, web buttons, and flyers, visit www.BirdCount.ca. The count also includes a photo contest and a prize for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online. You can also read a summary of the 2012 GBBC. Portions of the GBBC site are now available in Spanish at www.ContandoAves.org.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible in part by sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

Posted by Pat Bumstead