Rob English photographed this American Mink in April 2012 along the Bow River in Fish Creek Park, between the boat ramp and the highway 22X bridge.
Tag Archive | birds calgary blog
Wednesday Wings: More Snowies!
Snowy Owls photographed north of Strathmore in early January by Rob English.
Sunday Showcase: Female Rufous Hummingbird
Photos taken by Rob English near Highwood House, SW of Calgary, in June 2012.
Here are a couple of shots of a male Rufous Hummingbird taken at the same time, to show the difference. Â For more of Rob’s photos of a male Rufous, see this post.
Furry Friday: Weasel & Pika
Rob English took these photos in mid-June 2012 near the Highwood Pass. Â He was looking for American Pikas, but so was this Long-tailed Weasel.
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Wednesday Wings: Golden Eagle & Snowy Owls
Mitchell Kranz spotted this juvenile Golden Eagle on January 20 near Lake McGregor, northeast of Vulcan.
The same day, he also saw no less than 15 Snowy Owls between there and Blackie.
You can see more of Mitchell’s photos here.
Wednesday Wings: Crossbills
These photos were taken by Tim Hopwood over the past two weeks in various locations within the city of Calgary. The first four photos show Red Crossbills (which seem to be more abundant than usual in the city this winter), and the rest are White-winged Crossbills.
To see more of Tim’s photos, see his blog, Tim J. Hopwood Images.
Fur & Feathers Wrap-Up
I’m sure many of you have followed the Fur & Feathers 500 blog. Four Calgary bird watchers (and mammal watchers) did a bird and mammal Big Year in 2012, trying to see as many species as they could within Canada. They were successful in reaching their goals of seeing 500 combined species as a team, and of visiting each Territory and Province in Canada.
Brian Elder has summarized their efforts in two excellent posts, which highlight some of the most interesting species they saw, and which feature their great photographs too.
A Look Back at the Birds of our Big Year
A Look Back at the Mammals of our Big Year
Now that the Big Year is over, Brian has launched a new blog to document his efforts to reach a life list of 5000 bird and mammal species worldwide. Follow him at:
At Birds Calgary we will be following this with great interest, and we wish him luck!
A walk in the Weaselhead
Posted by Matthew Sim
While currently back in Houston, Texas, I spent a very enjoyable 2 weeks in Calgary over Christmas. Despite the cold (!), I got out a couple times, including an afternoon walk in the Weaselhead Natural area, taking photos of the local bird life as I walked.
A couple of Ravens announced their presence with distinctive loud croaks; as well as some more unfamiliar vocalizations.
Redpolls were abundant at the feeders
Common Redpoll
Waxwings ended up stealing the show though through sheer numbers
A small fraction of the waxwings.
It was quite a nice walk and good to see so many waxwings.
Wednesday Wings: Northern Hawk-Owl Chick
Rob English was lucky enough to get these photos of a Northern Hawk-Owl chick in May 2012. Â This was from the pair that nested just off Grand Valley Road, NW of Cochrane. Â Rob says that to his knowledge, this was the first day out of the nest for this fledgling, and it was very busy exploring its environment!
Bird Studies Group Meeting Tonight
Just a reminder that the Bird Studies Group of Nature Calgary will be meeting tonight, Wednesday January 9 (instead of the first Wednesday of the month). The presentation will consist of the results of various Christmas Bird Counts held in the Calgary region. Â Phil Cram will present the results of the Calgary Count.
The meeting is at 7:30 pm in Room 211 of the Biological Sciences Building at the U of C. Doors open at 7:00. Â See this page for a map and more information.