Tag Archive | birding talks

Birds & Beers, Thursday September 12, 2024

With a presentation on Birding in Northern Tanzania and the Serengeti, by Gordon Sick.

Grey Crowned-Crane
Grey Crowned-Crane, photographed at night by Gordon Sick.

Our monthly Birds & Beers meetings resume next Thursday, September 12. All meetings take place in the big ballroom at the Horton Road Legion, 9202 Horton Road SW. Everyone is welcome to attend these free meetings (we have to collect a small fee for the room, but this amounts to less than a dollar per person and it is optional to contribute). The Legion has food and drinks available for reasonable prices, so you can come early, anytime after 5 pm, if you want to eat or just to spend more time socializing. It is a completely informal social gathering for birders.

We will have a presentation at each meeting on a birding or nature topic. These begin just after 7 pm, so it is fine to arrive at 7 if you can’t make it earlier. This month, Gordon Sick will present on birding in northern Tanzania and the Serengeti.

Here is Gordon’s summary of the talk:

In February, 2024, a group of us took a 12 day Safari in Northern Tanzania. The group included two photographers, whose pictures we will present. We had two 4×4 safari vehicles, each with an African guide who was knowledgeable about birds (most African guides aren’t), and a Canadian naturalist, who was also knowledgeable about birds. We photographed 186 bird species, and 37 mammal species. People who go to this area to see the famous mammals have a lot of quiet time when they see nothing, so looking for birds makes the safari much more interesting. The trip started at the town of Arusha and proceeded to Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, and finally using the Ndutu Lodge as a base to visit Serengeti National Park.

Saddle-billed Stork
Saddle-billed Stork (female). Photo by Gordon Sick.

Please join us for another fun and informative year of Birds & Beers!

Upcoming Meetings:

Thursday October 24: A presentation by Myrna Pearman.

Thursday November 28: John Gapp will present on Trees in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

After the December break, we resume with meetings from January through June. The dates have not yet been set.

Birds & Beers, May 9th, 2024.

Featuring a presentation by Stephen Boucher on winter birding in the Ebro Delta, Spain.

Birds & Beers continues next Thursday, May 9th, from 5 to 9 pm at the usual location, the Royal Canadian Legion at 9202 Horton Road SW in Calgary. At about 7 pm there will be a presentation by Stephen Boucher on a trip he made in November 2023 to the Ebro Delta and the Catalan Pyrenees in N.E. Spain.

Everyone is welcome at Birds & Beers. We meet in the large ballroom. Come early if you want to have something to eat or drink, or just come for the presentation if you wish.

Photo by Stephen Boucher.

Birds & Beers, March 5, 2020

We were unable to get our usual late-February date for Birds & Beers, so we will be meeting next on Thursday March 5th.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Thursday March 5, 2020, 6:00-9:00 pm.

Dan Edwards will be presenting “Birds of the Great Ocean Walk,” a birding-oriented travelogue of his trip hiking the Great Ocean Walk in southern Australia last October. The presentation will begin at about 7:15 pm.

Kookaburra
Kookaburra. Photo by Daniel Edwards.

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.

Birds & Beers, April 26, 2018

King Penguin

King Penguins. Photo by Diane Stinson.

Birds & Beers this month will feature a talk and photo presentation by Calgary birder Diane Stinson, about a recent trip that she and her husband Rob took to Antarctica.

Diane says, “Rob and I went on a trip in January to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.  As there are not enough superlatives to describe what we experienced, I hope that this photographic presentation will provide a journey in spirit.  While the focus will be birds (including 7 species of penguins and the South Georgia Pipit – the southern-most song bird in the world), there will also be images of whales, seals, icebergs and even some flowers. One of the highlights of the trip was standing on the edge of a colony of an estimated 500,000 King Penguins in St. Andrew’s Bay, South Georgia.”

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285

9202 Horton Road SW

Thursday April 26, 2018, 6:00-9:00 pm

Everyone is welcome at Birds & Beers, including children if accompanied by an adult. It is an informal social get-together, with food and drinks available. For the first hour or so you can visit with your fellow birders, and the presentation will start after 7 pm. If you can’t be there at 6 come any time until 7.

Upcoming Birds & Beers dates, all at the same time and place: Thursday May 24, Thursday June 21.

Birds & Beers, March 1, 2018

The next Birds & Beers event will be this Thursday, March 1 at the usual location.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285

9202 Horton Road SW

Thursday March 1, 2018, 6:00-9:00 pm

Trumpeter Swans at Carburn Park, February 11, 2018. Photo by Tony LePrieur.

Our speaker for this evening is Gary Kindrat, Wildlife Program Manager for the Calgary International Airport. Gary has over 30 years of experience in the environmental field, mostly in waterfowl research. He will share his responsibilities and personal experiences as he has worked with the airport authority to determine regulatory requirements, staff training, and control and implementation techniques necessary to maintain safety for wildlife and passengers.  We hope you can join us for a rather unique and entertaining evening.

Everyone is welcome. Food and drinks are available, and the presentation will begin after 7 pm.

Upcoming Birds & Beers dates, all at the same time and place: Thursday March 29, Thursday April 26, Thursday May 24, Thursday June 21.

 

Calendar – April 2017

Events & Lectures of interest to Calgary birders.

Nature Calgary Field Trips: Various dates and times. See this page.

Wednesday April 12, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group: Dan Arndt, Pelagic Birding. Information here.

Tuesday April 18, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series: Bev Kissinger, More Than Birds in Texas. Information here.

Thursday April 20, 7 pm. Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park: Lori Beattie, Discover Calgary’s Best Walks. Information here.

Saturday April 22, 8:30 am. Alberta Wilderness Association annual Climb For Wilderness. Raise money and increase public awareness of wilderness and wildlife in Alberta. Information here.

Saturday April 22, 10 am to 3 pm. Friends of Fish Creek: Everyone Belongs Outside – Inclusion Showcase. Information here.

Friday April 28, 6 – 9 pm. Birds & Beers, a casual Social get-together for birders. Everyone welcome. Legion, 9202 Horton Road SW. Information here.

Calendar – March 2017

March. Registration is now open for the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society Spring Birding Course. The twelve-week course starts on April 3. See this page to register.

Tuesday March 7, 7 pm. Alberta Wilderness Association. Sean Nichols, Russia’s Boreal Wilderness: 10,000 km by Bicycle. Information and tickets here.

Wednesday March 8, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group: Greg Wagner, How To Manage an Important Bird Area – My Experiences at Frank LakeInformation here.

Saturday March 11. Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society: Wayne’s Wonderful Winter Walk. Information and tickets here.

Saturday March 11. Cochrane Ecological Institute. Finding Common Ground: the 2017 Symposium on Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Interaction. Speakers and topics; Registration here.

Tuesday March 21. 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series: Val Scholefield, The Natural Wonders of MadagascarInformation here.

Sunday March 26, 1 pm. Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation. Wonderful Waterfowl. A talk, and a tour of the facility. Information and tickets.

Friday March 31, 6 pm. Birds & Beers, a social get-together for birders. Information here.

Calendar – February 2017

Thursday February 2, 7 pm. Alberta Wilderness Association. Mount St. Helens: A Story of Recovery, by Dr. Evelyn Merril. Information and tickets here.

Wednesday February 8, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group: The Ins and Outs of eBird, by Mike Harrison. Information here.

Friday February 17, 6 pm. Birds & Beers, a social get-together for birders. Information here.

Friday February 17 to Monday February 20. Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Count birds to contribute to this database of winter birds. Record your sightings on eBird or get started here.

Tuesday February 21. 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series: From Ice to Salt and Back Again, by Dr. John Harper. Information here.

Thursday February 23, 7 pm. Friends of Fish Creek Speaker Series: Beaches, Birds, and the Boreal Forest: Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, by Ceiridwen Robbins. Information here.

Tuesday February 28, 7 pm. U of C Events: Kananaskis Conservation Officers, Guardians of Alberta Parks, by Donna Schley. Information here.

Tuesday February 28. Last day of the winter birding season (December through February). For this year’s Alberta Winter Bird List, see this page.

 

Calendar – January 2017

Monday January 9. Beginning of the 12-week Winter session of the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society birding course. Information and registration on this page.

Wednesday January 11, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group Speaker Series: Christmas Bird Count Results. Phil Cram and others will present the results of local Christmas Bird Counts in the Calgary region. Information here.

Tuesday January 17, 7:30 pm. Nature Calgary Speaker Series: The Nature of Our Unseen Universe by Wesley Ernst. Information here.

Friday January 20, 6 pm. Birds & Beers. A social get-together for birders. Information here.

Wednesday January 25, Friends of Fish Creek Annual General Meeting (members only). Registration and information here.

Thursday January 26, 7 pm. Fish Creek Speaker Series: Growing Up In Alberta’s Eastern Parks, by Alison Cole. Information Here.

If you know of any upcoming local talks or events of interest to birders, please email us.

Event – Nature Calgary Speaker Series

Nature Calgary Speaker Series, Tuesday November 15, 7:30 pm.

Cardel Theatre, 180 Quarry Park Blvd. SE

Chris Fisher will speak on “The Wildlife of Great Explorers.” Learn about the travels of the great explorers of Alberta and some of the birds, plants, and mammals named for them.

Franklin's Gull Pentax K-5 + Sigma 150-500@500mm 1/1600sec., ƒ/8.0, ISO 400

Franklin’s Gull, named for Sir John Franklin. Photo by Dan Arndt, Carburn Park, April 2015.

See the complete description of the talk, and directions to the location, on the Nature Calgary website.

Free parking. Please bring a donation for the Food Bank.