Some shots from in and around Calgary. Taken June 14 and June 20 in Fish Creek Park and Bridlewood wetlands by Tony LePrieur.
Great Blue Heron with lunch (sucker?)
Cedar Waxwing
Ring-necked Pheasant
Tennessee Warbler
American Wigeon pair
Eastern Kingbird
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Franklin’s Gull
Spotted Sandpiper
Red-necked Grebe with young, on nest.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
If you find yourself in the Bebo Grove area of Fish Creek Provincial Park (perhaps looking for the Northern Pygmy-Owls) you might come across this unusual little male Red-breasted Nuthatch. It has been in the same area of Bebo Grove, just southeast of the parking lot, for at least three years. At first glance it can be mistaken for a White-breasted Nuthatch because there is so much white on the face.
Leucistic Red-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
This bird is leucistic, lacking some of the coloured pigments that normal birds have. It is usually accompanied by a female, and will readily come to your hand. It actually seems to be the most aggressive bird of the local nuthatches and chickadees.
Photo by Wayne Walker.
Photo by Wayne Walker.
It’s always an interesting bird to see, and very reliable, so have a look for it.
Posted by Bob Lefebvre
Fish Creek Park is a great place to find woodpeckers. In the winter, there are up to six species that can be found there: Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Black-backed Woodpecker. Flickers are migratory but there are always some around in the winter here. Downy, Hairy, and Pileated are resident species. Three-toed and Black-backed are generally only seen here in the winter, and not every winter. This winter they have both been seen in Fish Creek Park, and in fact it appears that there are at least six Three-toes and three Black-backed in the park, which is an unusually high number for them.
Over the past couple of months Tony Leprieur has managed to get photos of all six of these species inside Fish Creek Park. All photos by Tony Leprieur.
Pileated Woodpecker:
Northern Flicker:
Downy Woodpecker:
Hairy Woodpecker:
American Three-toed Woodpecker:
Black-backed Woodpecker:
Tony LePrieur photographed a nice variety of wildlife in the park on October 5.
Pileated Woodpecker.
Greater Yellowlegs.
American Three-toed Woodpecker (male).
Boreal Chickadee.
White-breasted Nuthatch.
Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Red-breasted Nuthatch.
American Robin (immature).
Downy Woodpecker.
Muskrat.
White-tailed Deer.
Despite (or possibly because of) the snow and cold weather on Saturday, Tony LePrieur got some great shots of spring birds in Carburn Park and Fish Creek Park in SE Calgary, and some resident birds and mammals as well.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle), Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
Franklin’s Gulls, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
American Robin, male, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
Resident White-tailed Deer, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
Common Loon, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
A resident bird in Fish Creek Park, male Ring-necked Pheasant, April 26, 2014
Ring-necked Pheasant, male, Fish Creek Park, April 26, 2014
Osprey with nesting material, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014
Tony returned to Carburn Park in the better weather on Sunday and got another shot of a Common Loon on the pond there.
Common Loon, Carburn Park, April 27, 2014
Tony LePrieur saw some new birds for the year in Fish Creek Park on April 5, 2014, as well as some favourite residents.
Northern Shoveler, male.
European Starling.
Red-winged Blackbird, male. This bird is arriving right on time, but all the ponds there were still mostly frozen over on this date.Â
Golden-crowned Kinglet, male. Likely a winter bird that will soon move on.
Blue Jay, a year-round resident species.
Snowshoe Hare. Transitioning to summer colours far faster than the surroundings are!
Muskrat.
Finally, some close-ups of one of the resident Great Horned Owls. Check the talons in the third photo.
Spring is here and the new migrants are showing up daily, but here is another look at some of the winter birds seen in Fish Creek Park and the Weaselhead Nature Area in Calgary. All photographs by Tony LePrieur.
The photos below were taken in Fish Creek Park on February 17, 2014.
Great Gray Owl, Bebo Grove.
Boreal Chickadee.
Black-capped Chickadee.
Golden-crowned Kinglet.
These shots of the Three-toed Woodpecker in Bebo Grove were taken on February 23, 2014.
The remaining photos below were taken on February 23, 2014 in the Weaselhead.
Great Horned Owl.
Boreal Chickadee.
American Tree Sparrow.
Dark-eyed Junco.
Golden-crowned Kinglet.
House Finch.
Tony LePrieur photographed these birds in Fish Creek Park on December 15, 2013.
Bohemian Waxwings:
Golden-crowned Kinglet:
Boreal Chickadee:
Tony LePrieur found this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, and other birds, in Fish Creek Park on December 8.
American Three-toed Woodpecker (male)
Boreal Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker (female)
Downy Woodpecker (male)
All of the photos below were taken by Tony LePrieur in Fish Creek Park on November 3, 9, and 11.
