These stunning shots were sent to us by Rosanna Evans. Thanks for sharing! Click pictures for a larger view.
Taken at Carburn Park, Calgary:
Taken at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary:
Tag Archive | calgary birds
Help Us With the May Species Count!
The May Species Count is an event held on the last weekend of May each year, in which birders try to find every species of bird in the Calgary area. Over the two-day period, teams or individuals scour their assigned areas to identify every bird species they see and hear, and also note the total numbers of each species. This year the count will be on May 28 and 29.
How many Mallards?
The area covered is huge – a circle 160 kilometres in diameter centred on the Centre Street bridge in Calgary. Organizers have broken the count circle into many smaller territories, and assigned volunteers to each area. We need a lot of birders to cover all this territory!
The Count Circle. The numbers indicate the territories to which birders or teams of birders are assigned. Click on the map to enlarge it.
There are still some territories that are not covered, so if you want to contribute to a very worthwhile citizen science project, contact the co-ordinator:
Terry Poulton – May Species Count, May 28-29, 2011
phone 403-274-7393 email tpoulton@yahoo.com
Everyone is invited to participate, whether beginner or seasoned pro. You can do a whole day, a half day, or both days. Terry will try to assign you to an interesting route, and try to match new-comers with experienced birders, and drivers with riders. There are a wide variety of environments, from urban to prairie to foothills habitats. Most years, more than 200 bird species are seen in total within the circle.
This is a great opportunity to get involved in Calgary and area birding, and to see as many as one hundred species of birds in a single day. If you can identify most birds you see, you can survey an area yourself. If you are a new birder, you will be assigned to a team with other experienced birders where you can help to spot and count birds, and learn about the process.
If you are at all interested in this, please contact Terry to get more information. It’s one of the funnest birding experiences of the year, at the birdiest time of the year!
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Rare Bird Alert: May 5
Have you seen an unusual bird in Calgary? If it is a species on this Reportable_Birds list (PDF), please report it to the 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, email us at 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 Albert was recorded on May 5, 2011
APRIL 29
COMMON LOON: 4 on large slough in Lafarge Meadows in east Fish Creek PP
MAY 1
BROAD-WINGED HAWK: Matthew Sim had 1 fly over his home in Willowpark
HUDSONIAN GODWIT – 26 seen by Nimali Seneviratne and Isabel Anderson. The birds were flying over Basin One at Frank Lake
STILT SANDPIPER – several seen by NS and IA at the same location
MAY 2
BROAD-WINGED HAWK: Terry Korolyk saw one moving northward over Hwy 791 east of Chestermere Lake
COMMON LOON – 7 seen by TK at the dam at Chestermere Lake
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER – 2 males seen at the south end of Chestermere Lake by TK
VARIED THRUSH – in Phil Cram’s yard in Mount Royal
HUDSONIAN GODWIT – 11 reported by Lloyd Bennett in the Taber area
PIED-BILLED GREBE – seen by LB in Taber area
SOLITARY SANDPIPER – as above
FORSTER’S TERN – as above
COMMON TERN – as above
WHIMBREL – 11 seen by LB in a field NW of Fincastle Lake near Taber
MAY 3
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW – reported by Gary Malcolm in his yard in Calgary’s Silversprings subdivision
HARLEQUIN DUCK – 2 males still seen at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, reported by Gus Yaki and the Friends of Fish Creek Park
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN – 2, as above
MAY 4
BROAD-WINGED HAWK – Bill Wilson saw one in the trees along the upper part of the creek in Queen’s Park Cemetary in NW Calgary
VARIED THRUSH – reported by PC and Jerry Pilny on Hwy 68 west of Calgary
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER – 4, as above
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS – as above
COMMON LOON – Katrina Lybbert saw 27 on Glenmore Reservoir
The next scheduled update of the bird alert is on Mon May 9.
Bountiful Birding at Frank Lake
Last week I took the short drive out to Frank Lake, east of High River (see the directions under the “Birding Resources” tab above). I was hoping to see some of the many Short-eared Owls that are often seen there at dusk, and I had about two hours before that to scope out the lake for waterfowl and other birds. This is a very productive wetland, and I managed to see 24 species of birds, 13 of which were new ones for the year for me.
The water level is very high this year. As you can see, the path to the observation blind was flooded. There was also still quite a bit of ice on the lake, but much of Basin 1 was open.
By far the most common bird there was the Franklin’s Gull. Frank Lake is home to perhaps the largest breeding colony of these gulls in the world, with up to 55,000 pairs. They build floating nests in the cattails, and if the water levels remain this high they may not be able to breed here successfully.
There were other gulls as well. This one, which I believe is a California Gull, was having eggs for dinner.
The gull took the egg onto the roof of the blind, and although it almost rolled off at one point, he finally did manage to eat it.
I had good views of Eared Grebes and Ring-necked Ducks…
But the highlight was when a flock of four White-faced Ibises flew in. I had never seen this large, beautiful bird before. It has dark, glossy, chestnut and bronze colouration, a long decurved bill, and of course a white face.
(Click on photos to enlarge them.)
The four flew on, but a little later another flock of twelve Ibises arrived…
They landed on the island…
And virtually disappeared in the grass…
(Cinnamon Teal in the foreground.)
At dusk, I started to drive back out on the dirt access road, but I didn’t get far, since I brake for Short-eared Owls…
This owl was right next to the road, so it flew before I could get very close. However, I saw another one hunting a little farther down the road…
All in all, a great evening of birding topped off by a fine southern Alberta sunset.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Must-see birds: May
May is a great month for birds here; plenty of migrants, warming weather and leafless trees combine to make this month arguably one of the best months to see birds in the Calgary region. These factors therefore make it extremely hard to make a decision on just 5 birds to make the cut; but it had to be done, so here they are.
1. Horned Grebe
The Horned Grebe is a small, attractive grebe, a family of aquatic birds seldom seen on land or in flight. The Horned Grebe has a chestnut neck and flanks while its black head is topped with contrasting golden horns. A beautiful bird, the Horned Grebe qualifies easily for the month of May. The Horned Grebe does not breed in Calgary but as it passes through, up to mid-May, you can try to see one at Elliston Park or the Glenmore Reservoir.
2. Black-necked Stilt
A large shorebird that is an erratic and local breeder here in southern Alberta, the Black-necked Stilt has very contrasting colors; black upper parts, white underparts and very long, geranium-red legs. Its long, slender bill is always probing for food as its sharp eyes scan for both food and danger. This Stilt can be seen in wet pastures and on the grassy shorelines of shallow water, especially where there are plenty of mudflats. The stilt was virtually unknown in Alberta until 1994, but now, you can try to find it at places like Shepard Slough, Chestermere Lake and Weed Lake, Chestermere and Weed Lake being outside of the city.
Image courtesy Wikipedia
3. Western Tanager
The male Western Tanager is a very striking bird, easily making it on our list, with a bright red head, black wings, back and tail and his canary yellow neck, rump and underparts. The Western Tanager eats insects and fruits and feeds among bushes and trees, also hawking insects from the air occasionally. The tanager’s main habitat are boreal and montane forests; often being found in coniferous and mixed wood areas. The Tanager does come through Calgary on migration; I had one in my mountain ash in May of 2009. The best places to see this amazing bird are the north end of Weaselhead and the west end of Fish Creek Provincial Park.
4. American Avocet
A handsome and showy shorebird that can often be seen foraging in shallow water or on the barren mud flats along the edges of lakes. A light cinnamon color adorns the Avocet’s head and neck in the breeding season with the rest of its plumage being black and white. These birds start converging in large flocks in central Alberta usually in early May and can be seen best at locations like Shepard Slough and Frank Lake.
5. Yellow Warbler
The male Yellow Warbler is a brilliant yellow with olive-green wings and reddish breast streaks. This is a common bird and has a wide distribution throughout the province, thanks to its ability to nest in a large variety of areas. The female is similarly colored, but is more green above and drabber below. The male, despite his bright colors, is surprisingly well camouflaged and is best seen when the trees still lack their leaves. The Yellow Warbler arrives in Mid-May and is found in river valleys and wooded urban areas; Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is a good place to find this warbler.
See if you can find all 5 birds for the month of may; and then let us know about it!!!
25 Must-see birds of the Calgary region: Spring and summer
The Calgary region is home to many great birds during the spring and summer that entice many a birder to their habitat in the hopes of finding them. This leads us to a difficult decision that will be debated by many; which birds qualify for the 25 must-see?
As noted in the May/June 2011 issue of Wild Bird magazine, most of the birds that would qualify for a top 25 list have at least one of the following criteria: beauty, charisma, being a rarity and the habitat in which they can be found (spectacular, limited, etc.). We will have 5 of the must-see birds a month, appearing on the blog the month that is best to see them.
Try to get out there and see if you can find the 5 birds for each month and then tell us about your trips!!! Find out which birds made the cut for the month of May on Sunday.
Posted by Matthew Sim
Photo Feathers: Common Goldeneye
Recently, I visited Southland Park in Southeast Calgary where I found this male Common Goldeneye drinking water on the Bow River, providing for some neat shots. The Common Goldeneye is a diving duck with a mostly white body, topped with a head that can be a visible green sheen when seen in the right light.
The white oval in between the male Common Goldeneye’s beak and his eye distinguishes him from the similar Barrow’s Goldeneye; which has a white crescent.
The first step is to lower his head into the water.
And lower…
He then tosses his head back so that the water runs down his throat.
He then swallows, repeating this method until he has quenched his thirst. This is how most birds drink.
Posted by Matthew Sim
Movie Monday: Shelter From the Storm
After the mild weather of the past few days, I hope we have finally seen the last of the snow, and I think European Starlings feel the same. The birds in this video seemed to be sheltering or seeking warmth on the stepping-stones on our lawn, which were warm enough to melt the snow. They were feeding on fallen crab apples from the previous summer.
Seeing them hunkered down in those round depressions kind of reminded me of the nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence” about the four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie…
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Backyard Birds: Common Grackle
The Common Grackle can be a handsome bird when seen from a short distance. Covering its head, neck and upper breast is a purple iridescence that can amaze viewers in the right light. The rest of its feathers, including its long, wedge-shaped tail, are glossed in a bronze-green sheen. But this beauty can be lost on many; a result of the combination of the grackle’s lack of table manners (and all other manners), its voice that sounds like “an un-oiled wheelbarrow” and the invasion of both lawn and feeders by large flocks of these noisy birds.
Canada’s largest blackbird is both noisy and cocky, and is a resourceful forager. The grackle’s main summer diet consists of insects, small invertebrates and occasionally the eggs and nestlings of other birds. In winter, it will eat waste, grains, seeds, fruit and garbage. They will follow plows to catch invertebrates, pick leeches off the legs of turtles and steal worms from robins, among other techniques to get fast food. The grackle breeds in many different sites but it favours damp, open woodlands, the shores of lakes and streams and wet meadows. Be on the lookout for Grackles as they return to Alberta in April; they are almost here.
The young grackle is even noisier than the adult.
Note the long, wedge-shaped and keeled tail of this grackle.
Posted by Matthew Sim
Photo Feathers: Feeding Flickers
Posted by Bob Lefebvre