In late March, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Howard Heffler, Andrew Hart, Gavin McKinnon, and I decided to suspend the BirdYYC2020 challenge which we had organized. Participants in the challenge tried to find as many species as they could within the city limits. It was going very well, with over sixty birders taking part, and with many very good species being found. But we felt then that it was important to encourage people to stay home and refrain from gathering in groups.
Many people continued to bird individually and safely and to add to their year lists. But Nature Calgary field trips were cancelled and for a time many local parks were closed. The WhatsApp Rare Bird Group was temporarily closed.
Recently things have opened up quite a bit in Alberta, and we have decided to resume the challenge, with modifications. Nature Calgary is again offering field trips, but these are limited to ten registered participants and there is no car-pooling. The WhatsApp Rare Bird Group is open again and there have been a number of good sightings reported there. (Follow the link to learn more about this app and to join the group.)
Many birders unfortunately missed out on much of the spring migration, so as we resume the challenge, it will be difficult for them to get as many species this year as they may have hoped. (I am among those – my species total for the city is very low for this time of year, and my daily Year Needs alert from eBird runs to about forty species – mostly common species that I just haven’t seen yet.)
Common Merganser with chicks. A nice sighting on one of my few outings in recent months. Bow River, June 21, 2020. Photo by Bob Lefebvre.
Therefore, although the challenge will resume, the focus will shift away from the “friendly competition” aspect to one of “data collection” – to allow a comparison of the species found this year to those reported in the city during similar events in 2000 and 2010.
Our original objectives were to have a friendly competition and to:
· Share sightings.
· Promote interest in birds and birding.
· Enjoy Calgary’s natural areas.
· Organize more Nature Calgary field trips.
· Compare results with 2000 and 2010.
We can still achieve some of these objectives. We hope people will continue to post their sightings to eBird, and to use the WhatsApp Rare Bird Alert to share special sightings within the City limits.
It’s still possible that if the pandemic is under control, we may decide to do the whole challenge again in 2021. In the meantime, if you were already participating, continue to post your sightings to eBird. If you’d like to join in, see this Nature Calgary page or the first post linked to below.
With spring finally in the air and migrants starting to arrive in numbers, this is the time of year that birders anticipate the most. This year was especially exciting for Calgary birders who were involved in the 2020 Challenge, a year-long effort to see as many species as one could within the city limits.
Harlequin Ducks, seen by many birders in the city this winter. Photo by Andrew Hart.
However, the Covid-19 crisis has made it impossible to continue group outings, and we really want to encourage people to stay home as much as possible. As you may know, Nature Calgary outings and the Friends of Fish Creek birding course have also been suspended. Reluctantly, the Challenge has been suspended. We have a few ideas as to how, if, or when to resume, which I’ll address at the end.
It’s too bad, because we were lucky enough to find quite a few great birds in the city for the winter months, and several birders had recorded over 60 species already. The WhatsApp Rare bird Alert (which has been suspended) enabled participants to rapidly re-find rarities as they were reported. One example is Gyrfalcon, a very unusual bird to get in the city limits. But many participants were able to find one that was feeding on Mallards inside the city, after it was reported on the app. (There may have been as many as three Gyrfalcons in the area over the course of a week a couple of months ago.)
Gyrfalcon, near Maycroft in SW Alberta, January 30, 2020. Photo by Raymond Toal.
Here is the statementfrom Howard Hefflerabout suspending the Challenge:
The BirdYYC2020 began as idea to repeat, taking advantage of modern online tools, the big year birding competitions previously held in Calgary in 2000 and 2010. Andrew Hart, Bob Lefebvre, and – later, gratefully, joined by Gavin McKinnon – agreed we would organize and promote the event.
We hoped to create enthusiasm in the Calgary birding community to “get out there and go birding”. AND, to share your sightings with others. We also hoped to collect the data to allow comparison with what had be done 10 and 20 years previously.
Modern digital tools, eBird being the main one, but also smart phones and a variety of in-the-field tools to assist birders of all levels, have changed the landscape. What fun to compare the new with the old. The best example is Gavin setting up the WhatsApp Rare Bird alert that allows anyone to instantly receive notification of a rare bird reported by other participants.
But the fun is over. For the foreseeable future at least.
The four of us have come to the unhappy decision that what we are doing is promoting unnecessary and unwarranted social contact at a time when the entire society is relying on each other to act responsibility.
We have decided to stop supporting any BirdYYC2020 initiatives. The first step has been to shut down the WhatsApp Rare Bird Group.
I sincerely hope that the actions being taken by our federal and provincial governments will slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is a threat to our global culture and economy that we are only just beginning to understand.
The best – and honestly ONLY – defense against community spread at this time is to minimize infection by strict social distancing and, where warranted, self-isolation.
A couple of days ago I “chased” a reported sighting of a Eurasian Wigeon at Carburn Park. When I arrived, I walked briskly to the likely observation spot. I interacted with other people, some were birders, and some were not. Some I knew. And some I did not. I set up my scope. Within minutes there was a small group of interested passersby. To the best of my knowledge I am not infected. I expect everyone else in that small group also felt the same way. I, and they, would hate to think that we are contributing to the spread of the virus.
But we are. So, I for one, am going to stop. The other three (Andrew, Bob, and Gavin) feel the same.
We are not going to participate in a forum that promotes unnecessary social contact.
At this time, there is no government directive to not go outdoors for a walk etc. That may change. For me, the potential public health risk resulting from random, unnecessary excursions from your home is best described in an article by a very reputable medical reporter, Andre Picard. See: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-to-tackle-coronavirus-walk-and-act-this-way/
This is really unfortunate. The BirdYYC challenge was generating a lot of interest. There are over 60 people registered and a similar number who have established the BirdYYC2020 patch. I feel we were headed toward a truly “big year”.
What shall we do? Here is one idea. We could select a date, such as March 31st , and declare the end of this birding year. Then, next April 1st, 2021, we all start again. A bit unorthodox, I know. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
We will immediately stop promoting BirdYYC2020. We have shut down the WhatsApp group.
Stay tuned. Over the next weeks things may change.
Personally, I am still in a quandary if and how to continue birding this year. I have decided, it will not be in a group.
As Howard mentioned, eBird is of course still operational, and any Patch Lists are still valid, so you can add to your lists. I added one in my yard yesterday. Some people are still (very carefully) going out birding, although many parks are now closed.
So how do we continue the Challenge? Howard made one suggestion, and I’ll add a few. If you are a Challenge participant please email me at birdscalgary(at)gmail.com, or Howard at hheffler(at)shaw.ca.
Suspend the current Patch Lists on March 31, and resume the Challenge on April 1 of 2021. This presents some logistical difficulties, since eBird won’t be tracking the totals for a split year. It would take a little more work on the part of the organizers. I also think that birders are pretty attached to one-year lists and may not like a split year either.
When safe, resume the Challenge in 2020. For example, we could resume on July 1 and continue to December 31. This would mean that the entire spring migration would be missed (individual birders can of course still add species in the spring but there would be no group outings and much would be missed by most participants). Many species missed in the spring can be found again in the fall, but not all.
Cancel the Challenge for this year, but start over from scratch in 2021. Our experiences this year would be a sort of trial run. This would mean there is an 11-year gap between this Challenge and the 2010 one, and (presumably) a 9-year gap until the next one, instead of the intended 10 years. A minor point in my opinion.
Cancel the Challenge. The next City Challenge would be in 2030.
Of these, I favour re-starting the Challenge from scratch in 2021. If you have an opinion, or any other ideas on how to resume, please let us know.
The 2020 birding challenge is well under way! About sixty local birders have begun to build up their year lists, trying to find as many species as they can within the city limits in 2020. Here is an update on how things have gone so far.
First of all, I should mention that it is not too late to join. If you were away, if you didn’t get around to joining, or if you don’t get out much in the winter, there is no reason you can’t start now and still have a big year. Even if you miss all the winter birds you will have another crack at them in November and December.
To get started, just send your name, eBird name and email address to Howard Heffler at: hheffler[at]shaw.ca. For more information, see this post.
If you are already an eBirder it is easy to get started. Just register with Howard, then set up your city patch. If not, there is still time to begin using eBird to record your sightings and have a big year. Here are the posts that will get you started.
At the end of January the leader in the challenge had recorded 52 species inside the city limits. There were 86 species seen by all eBirders in Calgary county in January. The county is larger than the city, so Howard Heffler has attempted to determine which ones were seen in the city, and it looks like there were 73 species seen collectively. You can see the list of species on Howard Heffler’s summary on Albertabird here.
In addition to the usual winter birds, the list has quite a number of overwintering birds that most birders will be able to get in the spring, summer, or fall if they don’t see them now. These include the Trumpeter Swans at Carburn Park and the Tundra Swan at Griffith Woods Park, the Lesser Scaup, Redheads, and Ring-necked Ducks at Carburn, American Robins, American Crows, and many others.
Trumpeter Swan, an overwintering adult at Carburn Park. Photo by Andrew Hart.
There are also many of the usual winter-only species that that participants should make an effort to find in the next month or so, or else have to wait until next winter. This would include Northern Shrike, American Dipper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Bohemian Waxwing, Pine Grosbeak, and Common Redpoll (Hoary Redpoll has not yet been reported). Redpolls are very scarce so I hope we get a bigger influx next winter.
In addition there are quite a few species that are much easier to find in the city in the winter, though they are in the Calgary region year-round. Examples are Northern Pygmy-Owl (seen lately in Shannon Terrace), American Three-toed Woodpecker and Black-backed Woodpecker (Votier’s Flats and Shannon Terrace in Fish Creek Park), Barrow’s Goldeneye (lower Bow River), Northern Saw-whet Owl (various locations, and really hard to find, though they are beginning to sing now and may be heard in forested areas in the next month or two).
I would also make an effort to see Harlequin Ducks – there are a few on the Bow this winter but you never know if any will be there next winter. They have been seen most reliably at Carburn Park and Beaverdam Flats. The Greater Scaup at Carburn are worth seeing too. They can be here on migration but are not common in the city. This overwintering pair is more reliable (although I haven’t seen them in four attempts). Northern Goshawk seems to be reported more often in the winter as well. I don’t know if they are more numerous in the winter or just easier to spot with no leaves on the trees.
Harlequin Ducks. Photo by Andrew Hart.Greater Scaup. Photo by Andrew hart.
There have also been a few rare birds (for the city). A single Snowy Owl was reported on Nose Hill, and a Barred Owl in Griffith Woods Park. These were unusual one- and two-day sightings. But the Clark’s Nutcracker in Quarry Park has been there for a while, and they are almost never reported in the city. Go find it – I wouldn’t count on another being seen past the spring. Gyrfalcon has been seen in the city by many participants, and that may not happen again either.
Here are the Challenge leaders at the end of January:
BirdYYC2020 Leaders, January 31
Name
Species
1
John Thompson
52
2
Blake Weis
50
3
Tony Timmons
48
4
Dave Russum
47
5
Lorrie Anderson
46
5
Evan Walters
46
5
Christopher Law
46
8
Howard Heffler
45
9
John Anderson
44
10
Alan Knowles
43
Quite a few local birders are getting out this year!
Here is an update to the leaders as of today, February 16th:
1
Tony Timmons
59
2
John Thompson
56
3
Howard Heffler
55
4
John Anderson
54
4
Lorrie Anderson
54
6
Blake Weis
53
7
Andrew Hart
52
8
Alan Knowles
50
9
Dave Russum
49
9
Evan Walters
49
11
Jim St. Laurent
48
11
Gavin McKinnon
48
11
Christopher Law
48
14
David Mitchell
47
15
Lorna Aynbinder
45
15
Tim Bandfield
45
17
Daniel Arndt
43
17
Michelle Schreder
43
17
Kerry Korber
43
20
Keith Miles
42
Mountain Chickadee. This is a species that is often in the city in winter, but not every winter. Go find it now. Photo by Andrew Hart.
The next Birds & Birds social get-together will be held this Thursday, January 23, 2020. Gavin McKinnon will give a presentation, featuring photographs like the one below, on his Big Year in 2019. Gavin’s goal was to record over 300 species in Alberta in the calendar year.
Evening Grosbeak, photographed in 2019 by Gavin McKinnon.
Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,
9202 Horton Road SW.
Thursday January 23, 2020, 6:00-9:00 pm
Everyone is welcome to attend Birds & Beers, and there is no charge. We will meet in the big ballroom at the Legion. Food and drinks are available at reasonable prices, and children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Come early if you want to avoid the lineup at the kitchen. The presentation will begin at about 7:15 so if you can’t make it at six pm, come later.
Happy New Year! Today marks the start of BirdYYC2020, a year-long birding challenge. Participants will try to find as many species as they can within the Calgary city limits in 2020.
American Dipper. A few have been seen in the city this winter. You never know about next winter, so find one now! Photo by Tony LePrieur.
If you haven’t yet registered or set up your city eBird patch, you can still join. Email Howard Heffler at hheffler[@]shaw.ca with your name, eBird name, and email address and you will be added to the list. You can set up your eBird patch later too, but you’ll have to start putting your sightings into eBird right away for those to count towards your totals.
The important thing to do now if you want to get a good start on your Big Year list is to find all the winter birds that can’t be found here in the summer. The winter finches are in short supply this year but could be entirely absent next November and December, so get Pine Grosbeak and any others you can find now. Go to Carburn Park and Fish Creek Park where dippers have been seen.
All-day field trip to kick off BirdYYC2020
On Friday January 3, Gavin McKinnon will lead a field trip to various locations in the city so you can get a good start on your year. To register, text Gavin at 403-519-8703. Registration is required. See the Nature Calgary field trip page for more information.
You can increase your chances of finding good birds by following reports on Albertabird and on eBird so you can see what’s been reported and where. It’s a good idea to set your Calgary County Year Needs Alert on eBird so you get an hourly or daily email that lists everything that’s been reported on eBird that you haven’t yet seen in 2020 (keeping in mind that some reports will be from outside the city limits, so check the locations carefully).
There is a new page tab at the top of the blog called “BirdYYC2020” (right next to the “Home” tab). Click on that for links to all the articles we have posted about the challenge. This will include information about joining, using eBird, setting up your patch, setting alerts, and so on.
Horned Lark. This is a really tough one to get inside the city, but winter might be the best time to look for them on the eastern outskirts. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
If you have any questions about the challenge contact:
In the new year there will be an eBird challenge in Calgary in which participants try to see as many species as they can within the city limits. See this post for information about the challenge. To join, send your name, ebird name, and email address to Howard Heffler at: hheffler[at]shaw.ca.
It is usually easy to tell if the spot where you are birding or have birded is inside the city limits, particularly if your location is an existing eBird HotSpot. But if you are near the city boundary and birding at a new location, it can be difficult to tell if the spot is inside or outside the city.
There are two mapping tools available to help with this aspect of the challenge. Each tool works on both a desktop and a tablet/smartphone.
Google Maps Tool
To access this on a desktop simply click on this link. This will bring up Google Maps, as below.
The YYC2020 area shows up as a lighter area bounded in blue.
To facilitate easier access in the future you can choose to
bookmark this location in your browser.
To access on a smartphone/tablet the process is similar, and
there are probably several ways to do it.
First ensure that you have the Google Maps app installed on your
smartphone.
The way I have found most convenient is to generate an email with the link embedded. You can then click on the link in the email to get the map, as below. As with the desktop version you can then zoom in and out. If you are in the field you can immediately check to see if you are in the city limits or not. If you are at home and checking to see if a location you have already birded at is inside the city limits, just compare your location from the eBird location map to this boundary map.
I have created an email subfolder YYC2020 on my phone with this (so far the only) email in it so that I can rapidly find the relevant email and click on it.
You can also set this up as a favourite in your smartphone browser. I think this is more complicated, and how to do it depends on your actual smartphone and preferred browser. There are too many options to describe each one here.
Google Earth Tool
This requires that Google Earth Pro is installed on whichever device(s) you are going to use. It also requires setting up the City boundary as one of “My Places” in Google Earth.
The City boundary is defined in a Google Earth add in file
named “Calgary City Boundary.kml”. This
is available on the Nature Calgary
YYC2020 webpage.
To access this tool on a desktop :
Download the kml file from the Nature Calgary website and save it in a convenient folder on your desktop. The file link is at the bottom of this page on Nature Calgary’s site.
Open Google Earth Pro
Use file open and navigate to the location where you saved the kml file
Open the kml file and you will see the Calgary
City boundary saved under “temporary places” in the menu on the left. You will also see a view showing the city limits
overlaid with a brown colour. The
precise view you will get depends on exactly which layers you have switched on in
the lower part of the left hand menu.
Next, to ensure you see this the next time you open Google Earth just drag the City Boundary.kml folder up in to the “My Places” folder.
That completes the set-up.
Next time you open Google Earth simply click on
the “Calgary City Boundary” link under My Places.
To set it up on a smart device the procedure is somewhat
similar.
Install Google Earth Pro on your smart device
Install the kml file on your smart device
There are a number of ways to do this
If you already have the file on your desktop
then save the file to a cloud location that is accessible to your smart
device. Typically iCloud or Onedrive.
Then download the file from the cloud location
to your smartphone .
Now open Google Earth (Pro) and open the
“Projects” drop down menu from the three bar menu at top left.
Press “open” and then “Import kml file”
Browse to where your kml file is located. The iCloud screenshot below is one example
Tap on the relevant file
Bring it in to Google Earth (by tapping)
You will now see the city boundary as a brown
overlay
If you want to check your own location then tap the three white dots at top right.
Next tap my location at the bottom, and you will see your location.
Note that unlike Google Maps Google Earth does not continuously update your location. If you move and want to check again then you have to reset your location
If you do not have access to the file on a desktop then access the file on the Nature Calgary website from your smart device and save it to your smart device. Then follow the same steps described above.
If you have any questions about the challenge contact:
A WhatsApp group has been set up to allow Calgary birders participating in the 2020 “Big Year” Birding Challenge to share instant updates on rare/uncommon birds sighted within the city limits. The big advantage of this group over email listservs will be that everyone can send out and receive updates quickly. It is essentially like sending a text message, much faster and more direct than email. Photos can be also be shared with the app.
WhatsApp groups are currently restricted to 256 members, which we hope will be more than enough to include all the birders who want to get “instant” bird news while they are out and about.
For those who do not want instant updates we will have a weekly report of rare birds on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Follow the challenge on Twitter at @birdyyc2020.
Joining the group
If you don’t already have WhatsApp on your phone, you will first need to download and install it (via iTunes, Android Play or the Microsoft Store, depending on what type of smartphone you have). The app is free. Once you have the app, you will need to send a request to one of the group admins with your request to join the Birdyyc2020 RBA group.
The WhatsApp icon.
There are currently two group admins: Gavin McKinnon and Bob Lefebvre. In order to join the group please send a message to either one of them and they will add you to the group. A text message to their phone number is the easiest way to do it. Gavin 403-519-8703; Bob 403-370-0556. Include your name so that it will be visible to users when you post messages to the group.
The group is open to all birders interested in Calgary’s rare birds. All BirdYYC2020 challenge participants will receive an email with a link to join the WhatsApp group. If you received this email simply follow the link to join the group. To join the challenge, email Howard Heffler at hheffler[at]shaw.ca with “Challenge” in the subject line.
Group Guidelines
● The group is only to be used for sharing information about rare and uncommon species within the city limits of Calgary. Please remember that every message you send goes out to everyone in the group. Although general chit-chat and banter is expected please avoid having conversations in the group chat.
● If you find a bird on the list of ‘reportable’ species, send a message to the group as soon as possible. (A list of reportable species will be provided to participants.) Include as much detail as you think necessary to enable others to find the bird if they choose to go and look for it. If you do pursue (“twitch”) a reported sighting please send an update on whether you have been successful or not.
● Consider the welfare of the bird at all times. Do not send out news of sensitive or breeding birds. Please do not report the locations of owls or other species prone to disturbance on the group chat. If you are unsure of whether or not to post please contact one of the group admins before doing so.
We encourage participants in the challenge to also share their sightings on the listserv Albertabird. If you are not a member of Albertabird, see this post for information.
Don’t wait until January to start using the app! We have been using it for a while already, and we’d like to see it used next week during the Calgary Christmas Bird Count, and on other counts over the Christmas season.
Mew Gull, photographed on the Irrigation Canal in SE Calgary on October 13, 2019, by Gavin McKinnon, and shared immediately with BirdYYC2020 WhatsApp group users.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Gavin McKinnon by email (gmckinnonbird[at]gmail.com) or phone (403-519-8703).
When we last checked in on Gavin McKinnon’s quest to find 300 species of birds in Alberta in 2019, he was at 291 species. That was at the end of July (see this post). Since he had already seen almost all of the more common species, progress was expected to be slow for the rest of the year, as he would have to track down rarities that showed up during fall migration.
I’m happy to report that Gavin did reach 300 species on October 11th! He was slowly adding new species until he reached 299. On October 9th an Ash-throated Flycatcher was reported in St. Albert. This is the first confirmed record of this species ever in Alberta. It is native to the SW United States and the Pacific northwest. On October 11th Gavin travelled to St. Albert and saw and photographed the bird.
Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Ash-throated Flycatcher, St. Albert, October 11, 2019. Photo by Gavin McKinnon.
Not only was this bird #300 for Gavin and a first Alberta record, but it was a life bird for him. A great way to reach his goal!
Here are few of the birds that got Gavin within striking distance of 300. He tried to photograph as many of the species he saw as he could.
Black Swift. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Vaux’s Swift. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Western Sandpiper. Photo by Gavin McKinnon. Sabine’s Gull. Photo by Gavin McKinnon.
By October 12th Gavin had reached 303 species, which is where he stands today. He has also seen a total of 370 species in Canada this year, which is tied for the third-highest total in the country. Here are links to those eBird pages:
I was away quite a bit in July so there’s lots to catch up on here. First of all, here is an update on fifteen-year-old Gavin McKinnon’s effort to find 300 species of birds in Alberta in 2019.
Gavin had 216 species at the end of May, and as I mentioned last time, you need to get to at least 240 by the end of June to have a good shot at 300. Gavin had a great month in June, and finished the first six months of the year with 278 species. Here are photos of some of the new species he added in June, along with his descriptions of where he saw them and some of the other notable species. Gavin did quite a bit of travelling with his dad looking for rarities, which sometimes necessitated camping in the back of their car.
Great Gray Owl
“On the first of June we were out at Winchell lake and Horse Creek Road marshes where I got half a dozen new songbirds plus Great Gray Owl. The following day We went to Dinosaur Provincial Park where we heard Yellow-breasted Chat. I also added Rock Wren and Lark Sparrow there. The following weekend we went up to Cold lake where I got 35 year birds, the highlights being Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, lots of Connecticut Warblers and a Great Crested Flycatcher. The next day I was able to see a flock of five White-rumped Sandpipers along the rocky shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake as well as a singing male Townsend’s Warbler. A few days later I got the chance to see a Black-chinned Hummingbird that was visiting Pat Lucas’ feeders near Hillcrest Mines.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
“Between then and Cypress Hills I got to see Clark’s Grebe and Great Egret. On our way to Cypress we made two stops, one for McCown’s Longspur and another for Burrowing Owl.
Burrowing Owl
“I got three year birds within my first hour at Cypress Hills: White-winged Scoter, Dusky Flycatcher, and a pair of Eastern Bluebirds that have been nesting along the southern border of the park.
Eastern Bluebird
“In the afternoon I was able to see a pair of Bullock’s Orioles and after about an hour of checking the Bullock’s Oriole tree I found a nest with two chicks.
Bullock’s Oriole at nest
“There were also three Common Nighthawks roosting nearby. On our way back to Cypress we found three Greater Sage Grouse.
Greater Sage Grouse
“At night we were driving around the Graburn Road area and we were able to detect two Common Poorwills, one heard only, but the second one swooped in front of our headlights.”
Below is a photo of the car where they camped on some of these trips.
The camping setup in the car.
Here are more photos of some species Gavin added to his list in June.
I will do another update when Gavin Gets to 300 species. Not to keep you in suspense, at the end of July he had 291 species. Of course, as the year goes on it becomes harder and harder to add new birds to the list, but Gavin hopes to reach 295 by the end of August.
You can also follow his progress on eBird by viewing the list of top 100 eBirders in Alberta on the “Explore” tab. Here is a link to that page. You can also check out the top 100 in Canada, where Gavin is at an amazing 362 species, the second-highest total in the country!
You can see previous posts with photos and updates of Gavin’s Big Year here:
May and June are the busiest months if you are trying to find new species for the year. Here is an update with photos of some of the birds Gavin McKinnon has added to his list in May. He is trying to record 300 species within Alberta in 2019.
Sharp-tailed GrouseEared Grebe Red-breasted Merganser Pectoral Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Gray-cheeked Thrush Red Knots and Black-bellied Plovers Wilson’s Snipe Dusky Grouse Lazuli Bunting Snowy Plover Piping Plover
As of the end of May, Gavin had 216 species in Alberta. It will be interesting to see how many species he has at the end of June – although that is halfway through the calendar, I have been told by people who have attempted this before that you have to be at about 240 by June 30 to have a good shot at 300 species, depending on how many “easy” ones you missed in the spring and can get in the fall.
