Tag Archive | calgary birds

The Elbow River Bird Survey

Oct31
 
When I began to bird seriously, I found that the fastest way to learn was to go on field trips offered by Nature Calgary (also known as the Calgary Field Naturalists’ Society).  The best way to see a lot of bird species and learn to identify them is to go out in the company of experienced birders.
 
One of my favourite field trips is the Elbow River Bird Survey.  This is a walk along the Elbow from Stanley Park to the Glenmore Dam.  It has been led on the first day of each month for over fifteen years by Gus Yaki and his wife, Aileen Pelzer.  The walk starts shortly after dawn and takes about three and a half hours.
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Wood Ducks perched beside the river, March 1, 2008.

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A Common Merganser on the River near Stanley Park, November 1, 2009.

Gus is a lifelong naturalist and is very informative about birds, plants, and other natural history.  He keeps track of all the bird and mammal species seen, and the numbers of each.  He is gathering valuable data on the changes in bird populations along the river.

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Gus Yaki (pointing) leading a walk on the Elbow River pathway, November 1, 2009.

The walk is mostly flat and easy, with one small hill between Sandy Beach and the Glenmore dam.  There are a variety of habitats on the walk.  You can see waterfowl on the river and the reservoir, songbirds in the parks and along the tree-lined urban streets and backyards, woodpeckers in the stand of old poplars in Riverdale Park, and the occasional raptor almost anywhere.  In recent years Gus has been posting the list of species seen each month on the Albertabird Listserv.  You always see something interesting.
Goshawk - Elbow River trimmed

This Northern Goshawk had just knocked a Common Goldeneye down onto the ice on the river. It flew off without pursuing the attack. February 1, 2009.

Like all of Nature Calgary’s field trips, this walk is free and open to everyone.  You do not have to be a member of Nature Calgary to participate.  If you plan to attend, since this is a one-way walk, call Gus and Aileen ahead of time, so they can arrange to carpool us back to the starting point.  The starting time changes throughout the year so check the field trip list on the Nature Calgary website or on the Calgary Rare Bird Alert (RBA) on Albertabird.
 
The next survey is Saturday, May 1, 2010.  Meet in the parking lot at Stanley Park on 42 Avenue SW,  just west of Macleod Trail at 7:00 am.  If you would like to join us, call Gus or Aileen at 403-243-2248.
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The Elbow River with the Glenmore Dam in the Backgound.

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The Elbow River between Glenmore Dam and Sandy Beach.

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Downstream from Sandy Beach.

Some Recent Results of the Elbow River Bird Survey:   

Wednesday March 31, 2010 (for April), Partly cloudy, calm,
0-8C. Ice at Reservoir Dam still frozen.

1.. Canada Goose-16
2.. Mallard-20
3.. Common Merganser-2
4.. Ring-billed Gull-12
5.. Rock Pigeon-6
6.. Downy Woodpecker-8
7.. Northern Flicker-6
8.. Blue Jay-1
9.. Black-billed Magpie-16
10.. American Crow-4
11.. Common Raven-8
12.. Black-capped Chickadee-12
13.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
14.. American Robin-36
15.. European Starling-6
16.. House Finch-10
17.. Pine Siskin-1
18.. House Sparrow-6
Eastern Gray Squirrel-2

Monday March 1, 2010, 8:00-12:30. Sunny, calm, -4 to 9C.

  1. Canada Goose-140
  2. Wood Duck-1 pr.
  3. Mallard-60
  4. Common Goldeneye-1 m.
  5. Common Merganser-4
  6. Merlin-1 carrying prey.
  7. Rock Pigeon-5
  8. Great Horned Owl-2
  9. Downy Woodpecker-8
  10. Hairy Woodpecker-5
  11. Northern Flicker-6+
  12. Blue Jay-1+ heard.
  13. Black-billed Magpier-30
  14. Common Raven-3
  15. Black-capped Chickadee-22
  16. Red-breasted Nuthatch-5
  17. White-breasted Nuthatch-3
  18. Brown Creeper-2
  19. European Starling-5
  20. House Finch-6+
  21. Pine Siskin-2+
  22. House Sparrow-16

Eastern Gray Squirrel-6

 

Monday, February 1, 2010, 0815-1145. Sunny, Calm, -6 to -2C. 
 
1.. Canada Goose-190
2.. Mallard-160
3.. Common Goldeneye-2
4.. Common Merganser-2
5.. Bald Eagle-1 ad.
6.. Rock Pigeon-4
7.. Downy Woodpecker-4
8.. Hairy Woodpecker-1
9.. Northern Flicker-2
10.. Black-billed Magpie-45
11.. Common Raven-9
12.. Black-capped Chickadee-62, counted by Tony T.
13.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-1
14.. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
15.. European Starling-8
16.. Bohemian Waxwing-350
17.. House Finch-6
18.. House Sparrow-24
Eastern Gray Squirrel-4
  

Saturday January 3, 2010: 8:30-12noon, Sunny, calm, -12C. 7 participants

1.. Canada Goose-450
2.. Mallard 500
3.. Common Goldeneye-8
4.. Common Merganser-2
5.. Downy Woodpecker-7
6.. Hairy Woodpecker-2
7.. Black-billed Magpie-60
8.. Common Raven-14
9.. Black-capped Chickadee-32
10.. Red-breasted Nuthatch-7
11.. White-breasted Nuthatch-1
12.. Bohemian Waxwing-200
13.. House Finch-1
14.. Common Redpoll?-5
15.. House Sparrow-35
a.. Eastern Gray Squirrel-7
b.. White-tailed Jackrabbit-tracks.
c.. Coyote tracks

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Birding the Irrigation Canal

Oct30

Inspired by Pat’s recent post about birding the irrigation canal in Calgary, I headed down last week to check it out.  I started at the bridge on Gosling Way by the Inglewood Golf Course in southeast Calgary and headed south.  I often bird this area in the summer, but I’ve never been there in the fall after the water flow is stopped in September.  Trout Unlimited did their annual Fish rescue near the Max Bell arena on September 30.  They remove a lot of the larger fish, which would die in the winter, but there are many small fish left  in the canal.  There is still quite a bit of standing water, and some mudflats and exposed mats of vegetation.

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The Canal near the Inglewood Golf Course

On the canal I saw several Mallards and Ring-billed Gulls, one Blue-winged Teal, one Common Goldeneye, and six Greater Yellowlegs.  The yellowlegs would occasionally catch small fish.  Also hunting in the water was a  juvenile Great Blue Heron.  A man who walks there every day told me that the heron had been there daily for about three weeks.  He also saw a lone swan there about two weeks previously – the only one he has ever seen in the canal.  I’m not sure if there was enough water now for a swan to be able to take off.
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Juvenile Great Blue Heron

There was one Merlin in the trees on the west side of the canal, which took a run at a squirrel and then chased off a harassing magpie.  Bald Eagles nest on the golf course and have overwintered here for the past few years, but I didn’t see them that day.  As I walked south (still only about 100 metres from the bridge), I came across a group of eight Common Mergansers and two groups of Hooded Mergansers, twelve in all, including five adult males.

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Hooded Mergansers, conveniently demonstrating 3 different positions of their crests.

On the way back, some new birds had arrived.  There were three Long-billed Dowitchers feeding in the canal (very late migrants), and then a group of six Rusty Blackbirds on the mudflats.  These birds are not very common, and these were the first ones I’ve ever seen.

I returned to the canal on the weekend to get some photos and see what was new.  Most of the same bird species were there, plus one male Redhead.

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Redhead (right) with female Hooded Merganser.

I also walked north from the bridge to the source of the canal north of the Max Bell arena.  There were Mallards, Ring-billed Gulls, Canada Geese, and a muskrat building a lodge in the middle of the canal.  I’m not sure how he’ll make out when it gets colder – he’ll probably have to move to the open water on the river.

Muskrat Still 1 auto adj

Muskrat at lodge.

The canal is a great place for fall birds, and seems to get some late migrants.  Lately it has been freezing over at night, and there are birds there only on warm afternoons.

The canal stretches east for many miles, so there is a lot to explore.  It is also a good location to do Non-Motorized Transport birding, since there is a paved pathway running alongside it.  In the summer I have ridden my bike all the way to Lake Chestermere (25 kms) and back, birding all the way.

It’s Feed The Birds Day

Oct24

siskins oct 24The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the UK has proclaimed October 24 as Feed The Birds Day. It serves as a reminder of all the things we can do to help the birds through the coming winter.

We’re good at providing fast food for birds in our feeders, and this is certainly a life-saver in the cold snow-covered conditions. But what about ‘slow food?‘ There are many things you can do in your garden and yard to provide food for all wildlife.

  • Plant native plants such as Saskatoons,  juniper and other species that provide berries in the winter for birds such as Bohemian Waxwings. I had a crowd of about 50 waxwings zoom in on my tree last winter, stripping it of berries in a matter of minutes. White Spruce trees also provide cones for Red-breasted Nuthatches and crossbills, and shelter from the wind.
  • Make a brush or log pile. I have a huge Northwest Poplar tree in my yard, and during any windstorm we lose a fair number of branches of all sizes. Instead of throwing them out, or chopping them up for mulch, we stack them in a pile in the back of the yard. The birds use it as a sanctuary and often take shelter there in inclement weather throughout the year. A log pile is an even better idea, as it will provide solid shelter for a variety of small creatures over the winter, and if left alone, will become a host to mosses, fungi and lichens to decorate your yard.
  • Provide an insect home. We do not get rid of our leaves in the fall – we treasure them! Our garden is covered with about 8 inches of leaves, which are then covered with burlap to keep them from blowing away. This not only keeps the moisture in the ground, but also provides homes for thousands of ladybugs and other overwintering insects. In late spring, we cautiously remove them, first making sure the ladybugs have awakened and flown away.

These are just a few ideas for helping the birds along this winter. If you have other suggestions, please leave us a comment below!

Feed The Birds Day in Calgary this year was accompanied by rain, sleet and snow in the morning. I made sure all my ‘fast food’ feeders were full, and was rewarded by a yard full of Pine Siskins. These little seed eaters were everywhere, at every feeder. I don’t believe I’ve ever had that many in the yard at one time! These birds are year round visitors in Calgary, so they served as an additional reminder to remember the birds in the coming frigid months!

Pat Bumstead

 

Birding Canal

Oct18

You just never know where you’re going to find birds.

One warm October afternoon, I decided to walk the dog along the irrigation canal. During the summer, this canal is full, as water is channelled from the Bow River to agricultural fields east of the city. It is drained each fall. At this location (Ogden Road & 50 Ave SE), it is bordered by trees on one side, and parallels the Bow River.

Fall irrigation canal

Fall irrigation canal

Once the canal is drained, you can see floating mats of vegetation left behind, that look like they should be full of bird goodies.

Floating mat of vegetation, and a ring-billed gull

Ring-billed Gull checking it out.

Walking down the bike path that borders the canal, I was delighted to see some very late fall migrants poking around in the mud.

Juvenile great blue heron

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

Lesser yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Also checking out the canal were a Solitary Sandpiper, two Killdeer and numerous Mallards. Overhead, there were Rock Doves, Canada Geese, Common Goldeneyes, European Starlings, and another late migrant, a Red-tailed Hawk. Not a bad count for someone who wasn’t birding!

Grackles Galore!

Sep21

This message was received on the Albertabird message board, and worthy of a blog mention!  (To visit Albertabird, go here:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Albertabird/ )

On September 19 at about 07:30 I saw a flock of slightly over 600 Common Grackles in an urban park – Crescent Heights park. I had never seen such a large flock before. They were feeding on the ground, eating acorns from oak trees, and feeding on the seeds left in pine cones, in other words, they ate almost anything they could find. The colours on them were brilliant – dark blues and purples. Quite a sight. Several early strollers also stopped to watch them.

H Vanderpol

Early Bird Prize

Sep14

Preparations are well under way for the Birds Calgary 2010 Event!

We would like to announce we will be awarding an “early bird” prize to one lucky participant. The winner will be selected by a random draw
from among everyone who is registered by midnight of October 31, 2009.

Birds Calgary 2010 is a friendly competition, free and open to all.

Participants keep a list of the bird species they see within the city in 2010, and submit their results quarterly. There are many different categories and some special competitions. The complete rules can be seen on the Nature Calgary website.

One objective of this competition is to encourage new birders and young people to participate. We hope to increase the number of people involved in birding and nature study in Calgary, with the long-term goal of strengthening the voice of the conservation movement in Alberta.

We are offering prizes as incentives, and if we can get a large number of registrants, we will be in a stronger position to solicit local companies for prizes and sponsorship. With that in mind we would like everyone to register as soon as possible, and to encourage others to do so.

Obliging Owl

Sep12

Thank you to Dale Palmer for your email. He and his father were at Nose Hill Park last week, and snapped these photos of a Great Horned Owl. These big birds are not usually so obliging – they’re usually tucked away inside the branches, and require more than one look to see them. Great timing!

Great horned owl, Nose Hill Park

GHO nose hill park

If you have pictures of birds in Calgary you would like to share, please email them to us at birdscount@shaw.ca and we’ll be happy to post them on the blog. Feel free to brag about your photos!

Pat Bumstead

Hawk Identification

Aug29

This beauty was visiting the Farmer’s Market in SE Calgary today. Anyone want to take a shot at identification? Leave us a comment below with your best guess!

Hawk aug09

Posted by Pat Bumstead

Bird Study Group Meetings

Aug27

The next meeting of the Nature Calgary Bird Study Group will be held on Wednesday September 2 in Room 211 of the Biosciences Building of the University of Calgary. Doors are open at 7:00 PM and the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM.

The presenters for the evening will be Brooke Clibbon and Eric Tull, who are showing Brooke’s new video “Birding the Galapagos”.

Please bring your coffee mug, as coffee, tea and cookies will be available for a nominal fee.

Everyone Welcome

The Bird Study Group meets indoors on the first Wednesday of each month from September through May. Our goal is to encourage birding in the Calgary area and beyond by helping local birders develop their knowledge and skills. Our members are active local birders of all skill levels who are keen to share their knowledge and experiences. Please see the Bird Study Group website http://birdcomp.fanweb.ca/ for information on the group, its field trips and its other activities.

Would You Like To Give A Presentation?

We are always looking for speakers. It might be a full presentation, or a short presentation given in conjunction with another shorter presentation. If you would like to be a speaker, or if you would like to suggest as a speaker, please email tull@ucalgary.ab or leave a comment below.

Eric Tull

Black-crowned Night-herons

Aug27
Black-crowned night heron

Black-crowned night heron

Most birders in Calgary have seen Great Blue Herons along the city waterways or flying overhead as the birds come and go from their communal roosts.  But many people are not aware that you can also see their smaller relative, the Black-crowned Night-heron, within the city limits.

These birds are not very common in this area.  During the past five May Species Counts, between 6 and 21 Night-herons were counted, and that is within an 80 kilometre radius of the city centre.  In the 2009 count, only 13 birds were seen, all of them in the prairie area and none within the city limits.

There may well be many more birds around than these numbers indicate, since Night-herons, as their name suggests,  are mostly active at night.  During the day they roost in trees, bushes, or reeds and can be difficult to see, despite standing about 64 cm (two feet) high.

These birds have an almost worldwide distribution and in this part of their range they are migratory.  They arrive in the Calgary area during the second week of April.

The best place I know to see Black-crowned Night-herons within the city of Calgary is at a pond near Country Hills Boulevard and Deerfoot Trail in the Northeast.  The pond lies in the southwest corner of that intersection.  There is a gravel road (15 Street NE) that runs just west of the pond.  You can park there and see the herons from the road, or walk down.  I don’t recommend going near the pond until at least mid-July since American Avocets nest there and get quite agitated if you approach.  We don’t want to scare them off.

I don’t know if the Night-herons breed near this pond.  The earliest I have seen them there is the last week of  June, so I suspect that they breed elsewhere and come to feed after the breeding season is over.

In 2008 I saw as many as seven birds there at once, including two juveniles.  This year I have only seen adults.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron

Juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron

Black-crowned Night-Herons have also been reported at the ponds near Airport Trail (96 Avenue) on the west side of Deerfoot Trail, which is about one kilometre south of the Country Hills Boulevard location.  But it is very difficult to access that area safely.  The best you can do is pull on to the shoulder of Deerfoot Trail to have a look.

If you know of any other reliable locations for these birds within the city limits, please post a comment.