Tag Archive | calgary bird blog

Tips on Bird Photography

Dec12

I think it is safe to say that most of us here have an interest in birdwatching. Some of us are also interested in photographing birds, documenting what we see and also enabling others to enjoy these sightings . Bird photography can be very tricky though and doesn’t always come out the way we want it to. Through trial and error as well as tips from other nature photographers, I have slowly learned different tricks of the trade and am still learning. Here is one trick that I have found helps me a lot.

Take a look at the picture above. Probably doesn’t do much for you, right? Just a killdeer photograph, nothing exciting about the shot itself. What could have been done to make this a better photograph? I have found that getting low can often drastically improve the photo. Get down at eye level with the bird, you can often create better eye contact with the bird, bringing the viewer into a connection with the photo. The Killdeer will then seem more interesting, not only because of the lower angle, but because of the  change in the depth of field of the shot.

Depth of field (also known as DOF), is the term for the amount of distance between the closest and farthest objects that appear sharp in the photograph. In the second picture above, a shallower depth of field (meaning a blurry background) makes the photo less distracting and more pleasing to the eye. In the photo pictured below, I took it one step further, instead of simply kneeling, I lay on my stomach, creating a very shallow depth of field and therefore, a picture that is more likely to catch your eye than the first photo.

Changing the depth of field is a remarkably simple technique but incredibly powerful in the way a photo comes out. By getting low, chances are you can improve your bird photography.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Dec 8

Dec9

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 Thursday December 8.

Bird Sightings:

Dec. 5

SNOW GOOSE (juvenile) Bow River, ca. 250 m. downstream from the Glenmore Bridge, Malcolm and Joan McDonald, Jerry Pilny

AMERICAN WIGEON, Bow River, mouth of Fish Creek, MJM, JP

GYRFALCON, overflight, Bow River, Glenmore Bridge, MJM, JP

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, Burnsmead, Fish Creek PP, MJM, JP

Dec. 6

PINTAIL (male), Elliston Park, E Calgary, MJM

BLUE-WINGED TEAL, Policeman’s Flats, end of Bow Riverbottom Trail, off Dunbow Rd., just SE of Calgary, MJM

REDHEAD, Elliston Park, MJM

LONG-TAILED DUCK, Bow River, Eric Harvey Bridge, Carburn Park, Brian Elder, Bob Storms

HOODED MERGANSER (3) Elliston Park, MJM

KILLDEER (3), Carburn Park, BE, BS

AMERICAN PIPIT, same, BE, BS

DARK-EYED JUNCO, Oakridge, Calgary, back yard of Margaret Brunner.

RUSTY BLACKBIRD (3), Policeman’s Flats, MJM

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Monday Dec 12.

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

Wintering blackbirds in Texas

Dec1

Winter leaps upon us in a flash. One minute, it seems, it is a very distant shape looming faintly on the horizon. Suddenly, before we know it, winter has struck, leaving us wondering where the summer went. In Texas, the same seems to happen with wintering birds. One day, only the year-round residents who call Texas home can be seen. The next day, countless wintering birds of all shapes and sizes are everywhere, confusing even the most attentive eye.

Countless blackbirds flock together during the winter

On a recent trip to Brazos Bend State Park here in Texas, about an hour southwest of Houston, we observed some spectacular flocking in action. Literally thousands upon thousands of blackbirds; Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Grackles and European Starlings congregating on some farmer’s fields. They swarmed and swirled, seemingly in perfect coordination, lifting off and landing as a unit. And yet, this is not a sight you can readily behold on these bird wintering grounds. You don’t see flocks of thousands of these species doing this in the summer, so why do they do it in the winter???

These blackbirds have quite a few reasons for doing this in the winter but these flocking habits also have numerous downsides. First of all, on the positive side, foraging is greatly improved by the large flock as opposed to a single bird or a small group. The more eyes you have working together, the easier it is to find food! More eyes can also mean more safety from would-be predators, and trust me, there are a lot of them!

This brings us to one of the downsides of wintering flocks. Predators. Lots of them. Where there is food, there are consumers, waiting to, well, consume the food. Raptors see these blackbirds as one huge buffet just waiting to be sampled. In a small farmer’s field, we counted up to 20 raptors: about 10 Caracaras, many Red-tailed Hawks, several White-tailed Hawks, a Turkey Vulture and a couple of Northern Harriers, all exploring the delightful opportunity of a full stomach all winter long. If these hawks were to stick with the group of blackbirds, they could potentially always find one or two to pick off from the pack. The more birds in a flock, the more noise and commotion they make, rendering them easily visible targets.

Large concentrations of any living thing invariably bring with them two other depreciating factors; disease and competition. Avian diseases can be spread very quickly in such large flocks and may sometimes ravage a great portion of the local species. More birds might find better food sources but if there isn’t enough to go around, there simply isn’t enough. Weaker, slower and sick birds often will be the first to go hungry as they cannot compete with the healthier individuals.

It was definitely a neat sight to behold, especially when a raptor would plunge into the center of the throng, sending up explosions of blackbirds. One of the White-tailed Hawks that we spotted, an immature, had a very full crop (a muscular pouch near the throat used to store food), showing us that it had been eating well recently.

In the end, the advantages of these congregations greatly outweigh the disadvantages and it is a bewildering sight that will continue to captivate many a fortunate observer.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Update from Texas

Nov30

Not really about Calgary birding, I thought I might try to squeeze in an occasional post about my experiences down south. Let me tell you, if you haven’t yet experienced Texas birding, you are most definitely missing out.

My family and I moved down to Texas back in August and were greeted by sweltering heat; temperatures regularly exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Since then, the temperatures have decreased considerably to a much more comfortable (and bearable) temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius, give or take a few degrees. This mild winter draws many species of avian visitors from up north and we have seen quite a few winter residents.

In my neighborhood, we regularly see Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Loggerhead Shrikes, White-winged Doves, Red-shouldered Hawks, Northern Cardinals, Field Sparrows and both Turkey and Black Vultures.

The neighborhood heron has allowed me to crawl close to get some photos

Since we have been down here, we have made several trips out to local hotspots. Our first trip, in September, was out to Galveston, where we saw some typical species of the Gulf Coast including Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, Snowy Egret, Boat-tailed Grackle, Neotropic Cormorant, Royal Tern, Caspian Tern and Tricolored Heron. We also observed Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone and Magnificent Frigatebird.

A Royal Tern in winter plumage soaring over the Texas Gulf coast

Several other trips out to local parks since then have given us more year-round and winter birds including the likes of Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, White Ibis, Cave Swallow, many species of sparrow and both species of Kinglet.

A trip to Brazos Bend State Park gave us the amazing sight of thousands of blackbirds, Crested Caracaras, Vermilion Flycatcher, both species of Whistling Duck and Roseate Spoonbill.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Our latest trip, to Anahuac NWR, yielded incredible flocks of  Snow Goose, Ross’ Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose all passing by low overhead; we counted thousands of geese! The refuge also had  Anhinga and Harris’ Hawk calling it home.

We have greatly enjoyed Texas birding so far and are looking forward to an exciting spring migration!

Posted by Matthew Sim

More On Weasels

Nov16
On Saturday the Friends of Fish Creek birders were walking on the path just outside the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary when we noticed another weasel – this time a Long-tailed Weasel – already in its white winter coat with a black tip on the tail.  These weasels are about eighteen inches long (45 cm), and about half of that length is the tail.  They are considerably bigger than their relatives, the Least Weasels, which are only about six inches (15 cm) long (see my recent post about Least Weasels here).

Long-tailed Weasel checking us out. Photo by Dan Arndt.

The weasel was aware of us, and it would duck behind bushes or into long grass to try to keep out of sight, while keeping an eye on us.

Photo by Wayne Walker

Photo by Wayne Walker

Occasionally he would run, then stop…

Photo by Wayne Walker

Photo by Wayne Walker

…and have another look at us…

Photo by Wayne Walker

There were many Richardson’s Ground Squirrel holes there, and it looked like he was checking the holes for a meal…

Photo by Wayne Walker

One last run and stop…

Photo by Wayne Walker

Photo by Wayne Walker

…then he disappeared through the fence and we didn’t see him again.

See more of Dan Arndt’s photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ubermoogle/ 

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Birds of Elliston Lake

Nov11

A little-known gem in the city is Elliston Lake, a stormwater pond at the east end of 17th Avenue SE.   It is the second-largest body of water (after Glenmore Reservoir) in Calgary.  At times it can harbour an impressive array of waterfowl, as well as some interesting mammals. (Click on pictures to enlarge them.)

Photo by Dan Arndt

When the Friends of Fish Creek group went there last Saturday, the lake was mostly frozen over, but there were still several thousand waterfowl on the few open areas.  (The northeast corner of the lake usually has some open water all winter.)

 The north half of Elliston Lake, looking west.

From 17th Avenue SE, turn south on 60th Street to access the parking lot.

The action actually started before we even got to the parking lot – a Merlin was feeding on a Rock Pigeon on the roadway.  I got a poor shot through the car windshield.

There was quite a bit of traffic, so it abandoned the pigeon and landed on a nearby pole.

Photo by Dan Arndt

A few minutes later we saw the Merlin attack a flock of pigeons above 17th Avenue.

Almost as soon as we started the circuit of the lake, someone spotted a Red Fox out on the ice.

Later, we saw the fox check the shoreline for disabled waterfowl, but it came up empty.

Photo by Dan Arndt

The birds didn’t seem to mind the fox much; they just moved away from the shore.

A close inspection of the masses of Canada Geese and Mallards turned up some interesting birds:

Northern Shoveller (rear centre)

The next picture highlights the size difference between a Green-winged Teal and a Mallard, and shows off the brilliant colour in the teal’s speculum.

Photo by Dan Arndt

A juvenile Barrow’s Goldeneye (below, rear) is identified by having a steeper forehead and shorter bill than the Common Goldeneyes.

Many of the Canada Geese on the lake belonged to one of the small, short-necked subspecies, but there was one goose in among them that was smaller yet – only slightly bigger than a Mallard.  At first I thought it might be a Cackling Goose, but those are Mallard-sized and have a very stubby bill.  This goose (lower centre) is just a very small subspecies of Canada Goose.  Compare it to the Mallards just behind it.

Here is a Gadwall (rear):

There were a few Ring-necked Ducks:

Below are two Ring-necked Ducks (right foreground) with Lesser Scaup:

This Lesser Scaup landed on the ice and tried to walk back to the open water, but slipped…

…so he just gave up and sat down.

We also saw some Common Redpolls feeding on birch seeds:

Photo by Dan Arndt

Photo by Dan Arndt

Two Rough-legged Hawks flew over, the second one chased by a Common Raven:

Photo by Dan Arndt

Near the end of our tour, some Canada Geese walked out on the ice, then flew off…

To see more of Dan Arndt’s photos, check his Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ubermoogle/

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

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

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: Oct 31

Nov1

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 Monday October 31.

October 27
— TRUMPETER SWAN (500), SE corner of Frank Lake, Don and Joyce Moore

October 28
— HARLEQUIN DUCK, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Mike Potter

October 29
— TUNDRA SWAN (240), Eagle Lake, SE of Strathmore, Andrew Slater

— TRUMPETER SWAN (500-800), SE corner of Frank Lake, Ian Halladay and Cedric Hitchon

— GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (25), Eagle Lake, SE of Strathmore, AS

— SNOW GOOSE (1,500), Twp Rd 232 near the intersection with RR 245, AS

— HARLEQUIN DUCK, Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Dean Derrett and CFNS group

— GREATER SCAUP, Eagle Lake, SE of Strathmore, AS

— BARROW’S GOLDENEYE (20), Eagle Lake, SE of Strathmore, AS

— SAY’S PHOEBE, probable late-fall record date for Alberta, Frank Lake, IH and CH

— RUSTY BLACKBIRD with a flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds, at a feedlot on Twp Rd 240 east of Hwy 817, AS

October 30

— TUNDRA SWAN (300), including one near-Bewick’s Swan, Chestermere Lake, Terry Korolyk

— TRUMPETER SWAN (200) Shepard slough, TK

— SURF SCOTER, SE corner of Glenmore Reservoir, Ian Maton and Keith Sharkey

— OSPREY, very late migrant, Griffith’s Woods, SW Calgary, Steve Kaspar

— GREATER YELLOWLEGS (8) Weed Lake on Hwy 560 at Langdon, TK

— KILLDEER, N end of Chestermere Lake, TK

— THAYER’S GULL, N. end of Chestermere Lake, TK

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday November 3.

BIRD STUDY GROUP:

Bird Study Group meets 1st Wednesday of the month, Room 211,
BioSciences Building, U of C.  November 2: Digital bird photography with Brian Elder.

Sunday Showcase: Common Raven

Oct30

More stupendous shots from Rob English, who commented that you rarely see photos of these guys. These shots were taken in Yellowstone National Park in September of this year. As a huge fan of all members of the Corvid family and someone totally in love with ravens, I sincerely thank Rob for these photos. What a handsome bird!! Click to enlarge.

Posted by Pat Bumstead, total raven fan