Tag Archive | Friends of Fish Creek

Spring Birding in South Glenmore Park and the Weaselhead

Apr13

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

April marks the beginning of the spring session of the Friends of Fish Creek birding courses.  For this three-month session, Dan Arndt and I decided to lead a group at 7:30 a.m. on Sundays.  This might seem a little early to be going out in April, but by May and June the sun will be high before we get under way, and we hope to see and hear more birds than we would later in the day.

Dan is away for the first two weeks, so I will be reporting on what we saw, with photos provided by two of the course participants, Glenn Alexon and Paul Turbitt.

The first outing, on Easter Sunday, was in North Glenmore Park and the Weaselhead.  We spent about an hour checking the west end of Glenmore Reservoir first.  It is still almost completely frozen, with only a few small areas open in the west end, but there were some waterfowl there, notably some impressive Trumpeter Swans.

 Trumpeter Swans landing on the water.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Common Mergansers:  female (left) and male (right).  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Canada Goose taking off.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Then we headed down in to the Weaselhead.  A highlight there was a Townsend’s Solitaire singing from the top of a very tall spruce.

Townsend’s Solitaire.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Male Downy Woodpecker.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Female Downy Woodpecker.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Black-capped Chickadee.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

These chickadees expect to be fed.  Photo by Paul Turbitt.

Northern Flicker.  Photo by Paul Turbitt.

Northern Flicker.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

There were quite a few Red Squirrels around, and a couple of Least Chipmunks were also seen.

Red Squirrel.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

We saw three Red-tailed Hawks overhead, including this dark Harlan’s Hawk.

Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk.  Photo by Paul Turbitt.

We had hoped to see Pine Grosbeaks and American Tree Sparrows at the feeders.  There were none around when we first went through, but on our last stop on the way back we found a pair of each.

Pine Grosbeak.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Pine Grosbeak.  Photo by Paul Turbitt.

Pine Grosbeak.  Photo by Paul Turbitt.

American Tree Sparrow feeding on the ground.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

Back up by the parking lot, an early Richardson’s Ground Squirrel was the last species of the day.

Richardson’s Ground Squirrel.  Photo by Glenn Alexon.

In all, we saw 28 bird species and four mammals.  The eight groups who went to this area during the first week of the course collectively saw 48 bird species and six mammal species.  The Weaselhead is a great place for spring birding!

To see more of Glenn Alexon’s photos, go to his Flickr page.

To read about one of the Saturday morning course outings, go to David Pugh’s blog.

Spring Birding Course 2012

Mar3

The Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society is once again offering a spring birding course which will run for twelve weeks, from April until late June.  The course consists of weekly field trips to many parks and natural areas within Calgary.  There are sessions offered on almost every day of the week.

For more information or to register, email chris@friendsoffishcreek.org or phone 403-238-3841.

Winter Birding Course

Nov17

The best way to learn the birds of Calgary is to get out with other birders and explore the natural areas of the city.  Once again, The Friends of Fish Creek Park Society is offering birding courses starting in January 2012 and running through the end of April.  For more information or to register, email chris@friendsoffishcreek.org or phone 403-238-3841.

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

Fish Creek Park Birding

Sep28

I had a very slow birding summer, with a knee problem that kept me out of the field and off my bike for three months.  But now my knee is better and I am back birding with Gus Yaki and the Friends of Fish Creek Society.  I went out twice with this group to the Hull’s Wood/Sikome/Lafarge Meadows area in mid-September.  Here are some pictures from those trips (click on the pictures to enlarge them).

Two Double-crested Cormorants, and on the right, an Osprey, silhouetted against the rising sun.

A cormorant dries its wings.

Double-crested Cormorant, this time with the light on the right side of the bird.

The Osprey perched in a tree.

Red-tailed Hawk in flight.

Northern Flickers.

Greater Yellowlegs, in one of the ponds by highway 22X.

We found a single Wood Duck (centre) hanging out with the Mallards.

Great Blue Heron on its usual rock.

Juvenile Bald Eagle.

This Cedar Waxwing was picking insects out of a spider web high in a tree.

American Kestrel.

Killdeer on the pond.

Killdeer on the river.

Common Raven calling near where they nested in Lafarge Meadows.

Finally, there is this bird, which we found sitting on a path that runs from the Sikome boat launch parking lot to the river.  I’ll tell its story next week.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Local gems: Fish Creek

May27

Most of us take Fish Creek Provincial Park for granted. We are, however, extremely lucky to have such a gem of a park in our city. One of the largest urban parks in the world at 13.48 square kilometers (5.2 square miles), Fish Creek has over 80 kilometers of trails, 30 of which are paved and encompasses three natural regions; grasslands, parkland and foothills forest.

The Glennfield area of Fish Creek is one of the many different sections of this amazing park.

The Bow river cuts through Fish Creek attracting fishermen, rafters and birds, lots of birds. Fish Creek is a haven for birds in a busy and bustling city, leading birds to flock here; more than 200 species of birds have been recorded here. Stretching through southern Calgary, Fish Creek also provides an easily accessible hotspot for birders.

There are many different sections of Fish Creek, some of the more well-known being Votier’s Flats, Mallard Point and Sikome Lake (a recreational lake that thousands of Calgarians visit each summer).

Canada Geese are common throughout Fish Creek.

 The Tree Swallow’s blue-green upper parts separate it from other species of Swallow.

Nature Calgary has many field trips to various parts of Fish Creek, see if you can attend one; you may find a very good bird.

Sat June 4, 8:30am: Birding Hull’s Wood FCPP, turn left off Bow Bottom Tr SE shortly after entering the park. Meet West end of parking lot. Leader, Howard Heffler, 403-284-2961.

Sun June 5, 8am: Birding Marshall Springs to Votier’s Flats area, FCPP. Meet at Marshall Springs parking lot on the south side of FCPP, just East of Sanderson Ridge condos, on North side of Fish Creek Blvd. Leader, Grant Brydle, 403-270-4957.

For more information on Fish Creek Park and to volunteer as well as participate in many activities, visit the Friends of Fish Creek at

http://friendsoffishcreek.org

Cinnamon Teal may be seen in Fish Creek.

Posted by Matthew Sim

Never a Dull Moment: Mallard Point

Apr11

On Saturday, upon finally having good weather after a long winter, the Friends of Fish Creek Park group went to Mallard Point to see what could be found on the river.  There were seventeen people on the outing, which meant lots of pairs of eyes on the lookout for birds.  We saw many of the usual species, but even so, one never tires of the quirks of bird behavior.

Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole…

… and emerging with a beak full of sawdust.

Male Common Goldeneye declaring his love…

…and then a pair of Goldeneyes demonstrating how diving ducks have to run on takeoff.

Male Ring-necked Pheasant chasing the female all over the island.

And for some reason it always seems odd to see Canada Geese up in the trees:

 

They can’t be thinking of nesting on the picnic table, can they?

We were also lucky enough to see some returning migrants:

Franklin’s Gulls.  The one on the right has a pinkish breast colour.

But the highlight was a rare bird sighting, a male Red-breasted Merganser.  These are only seen in southern Alberta on migration, and not very frequently within the city.  This was a life bird for about ten of us, and even Gus Yaki, the trip leader, said he had not seen one in Calgary for about five years.

 

 

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Here’s Looking at You-Whoo!

Mar28

As 2011 began, the Northern Saw-whet Owl was right at the top of my list of Birds I Must See.  I had heard them singing in the spring before in both the Weaselhead area and in Bowness, but I had never seen one.  They are very small, about eight inches (20 cm) high, and active at night.  They spend the daytime roosting in tree cavities or dense conifers.  So although they are quite common, they are rarely seen.

…….

On Saturday, March 19, the Friends of Fish Creek Park Society outing was at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, where we were looking for returning gulls and waterfowl.  Before starting, the leader, Gus Yaki, mentioned that a Northern Saw-whet Owl had been reported a few days previously at the sanctuary.  We would look for this little bird near the end of our walk, in the row of spruce trees that run north from Walker House. 

…….

However, as we turned north by the lagoon, I noticed a pair of Black-capped Chickadees that seemed quite agitated.  Two of us hung back to investigate as the rest of the group went ahead.  After a couple of minutes a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches arrived, and then a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and another pair of chickadees.  All the birds were noisy, flicking their tails, and making short sweeping flights into the tree.  I have seen birds behave like this before – they are trying to drive away a predator.  Still, despite circling the tree a couple of times, I could see nothing.  Finally, from a spot right under the tree branches, I found the owl:

Then he found me back:

……

…….

These owls sit still when confronted, and this one barely moved, except for batting his eyes, as you can see in the video.

…….

Good Birding!

Bob Lefebvre

In Search of the Three-toed Woodpecker

Mar21
There are two species of three-toed woodpeckers that can be seen in Calgary.  They are the American Three-toed Woodpecker and the Black-backed Woodpecker.  Both of these woodpeckers are residents of the boreal forest.  They can occasionally be seen here during the winter months in the west end of the city, where the forest creeps in.  I, however, have never seen a Black-backed Woodpecker anywhere, and I’ve only seen American Three-toed Woodpeckers outside of Calgary.  But last week, with the expert guidance of Gus Yaki during an outing with the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society (FFCPPS), I was finally rewarded with close-up views of the American Three-toed Woodpecker. 

Last Saturday’s FFCPPS outing was to Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Park, where we searched a stand of spruce south of bridge #5.  An American Three-toed Woodpecker has been seen occasionally in this area all winter.

Bebo Grove, Fish Creek Park.  Access the parking lot from 24 Street SW in Woodbine.

There are many dying spruce trees in this area because of the high water levels.  When a spruce dies, wood-boring beetles move in, which in turn provide a food source for the woodpecker.  The birds chip off chunks of the bark to get at the larvae.  Listen for the soft tapping of the woodpecker, and look for trees which have the reddish-coloured wood under the bark exposed.  The bark chips will be scattered at the foot of the tree.

The tree on the right has had the bark chipped off by a woodpecker,
exposing the reddish wood below.

Bark chips on the snow under this tree show that a woodpecker has been feeding here recently.

We quickly found the bird, a male, working on a dying spruce.  (Males have a yellow patch on the top of their head).  These birds are not timid around people, so we were able to get quite close to watch it worry the bark.

 Hammering at the bark – wood bits flying!

 Prying up a bark chip.

“Maybe if I go at it from this angle…”

This bird will probably move out of the city to breed before too long, so if you want to see it this season, you’ll have to get out there soon.  Meanwhile, I’ll be in Griffith Woods Park looking for the elusive Black-backed Woodpecker. 

Good birding!

Bob Lefebvre

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