Tag Archive | Nature Presentation

Birds & Beers Delayed Until March 11

Feb2

We have had to postpone the return of Birds & Beers once again, to Friday March 11. The programme remains the same:

Covid Protocols will be in place, but anyone who has a vaccine passport is welcome. If anything changes between now and then, I will post an update.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Friday March 11, 2022, 6:00-9:00 pm

We will be meeting in the smaller back rooms since the ballroom is not available. There will ba a very small charge to attend since we now have to pay for the rooms. Food and drinks are available at a reasonable cost.

Long-billed Curlew
Long-billed Curlew. Photo by Bob and Dianne Leonhardt.

The meeting begins at 6 pm. You may come early if you want to eat before most of the people arrive. At about 7 pm, a special presentation by Bob and Dianne Leonhardt will begin.

A Visit to Grasslands National Park

Grasslands National Park in South-western Saskatchewan is Canada’s only national park dedicated to the presentation and protection of the Prairie Grasslands Natural Region. It is one of North America’s best parcels of mixed grass prairie habitat. In late May of 2021 we visited the Park to explore and experience the beautiful scenery, birds and other wildlife of the region. We encountered about 100 species of birds, some of which we will show you in this presentation. Bob and Dianne Leonhardt

The Return of Birds & Beers

Jan18

Depending on how things go with Covid, we plan to finally resume the Birds & Beers social events in February! Covid Protocols will be in place, but anyone who has a vaccine passport is welcome. If anything changes between now and then, I will post an update.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Friday February 11, 2022, 6:00-9:00 pm

We will be meeting in the smaller back rooms since the ballroom is not available. There will ba a very small charge to attend since we now have to pay for the rooms. Food and drinks are available at a reasonable cost.

Long-billed Curlew
Long-billed Curlew. Photo by Bob and Dianne Leonhardt.

The meeting begins at 6 pm. You may come early if you want to eat before most of the people arrive. At about 7 pm, a special presentation by Bob and Dianne Leonhardt will begin.

A Visit to Grasslands National Park

Grasslands National Park in South-western Saskatchewan is Canada’s only national park dedicated to the presentation and protection of the Prairie Grasslands Natural Region. It is one of North America’s best parcels of mixed grass prairie habitat. In late May of 2021 we visited the Park to explore and experience the beautiful scenery, birds and other wildlife of the region. We encountered about 100 species of birds, some of which we will show you in this presentation. Bob and Dianne Leonhardt

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we can meet in February!

Nature Calgary Bird Study Group – Lyn Hancock

Sep7

Posted By Bob Lefebvre

The 2021-2022 Bird Study Group Speaker Series begins on Wednesday September 8th with a special presentation by Lyn Hancock, honouring Gus Yaki. This will be a virtual presentation using Zoom, and you have to be a Nature Calgary member to link to it.

(Nature Calgary memberships are available on their website here. If you already are a member, you should have received an email with the Zoom invitation.)

Almost forty years ago, Lyn Hancock took part in a 30,000-mile trip around North America led by Gus Yaki, the renowned naturalist who passed away just over a year ago. Gus lived in Calgary for the last twenty-seven years of his life, and he was an inspiration to many local birders.

Gus Yaki
Gus Yaki. Photo by Dan Arndt.

The trip in 1983 followed the route taken by Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher thirty years prior, in 1953. Lyn documented the trip in her book Looking For the Wild.

Looking For the Wild

From Nature Calgary:

Lyn’s special interest was the exciting climax of the trip on the remote Pribilof Islands in Alaska where she had close encounters with fur seals, murres and puffins, species she had raised as orphans in British Columbia in the 1960s and led to her interest in wildlife.

Lyn is the author of 20 books about her experiences with wildlife including THERE’S A SEAL IN MY SLEEPING BAG, LOVE AFFAIR WITH A COUGAR, TABASCO THE SAUCY RACCOON and THE RING: MEMORIES OF A METIS GRANDMOTHER, the pioneer love story of Sam Livingston and Jane Howse, the first settlers in Calgary.

The meeting begins at 7:30 pm and the Zoom link will open at 7:15.

Details of future Bird Study Group meetings and other Nature Calgary events and field trips can be found here.

Note: the books below have all been spoken for. Thanks for your interest. – Bob

If you live in Calgary and would like a copy of Lyn Hancock’s book Looking For the Wild, I have four copies to give away. They are all signed by Gus, and one is also signed by Lyn. I will give them to the first four people who respond and who agree to make a donation to either The Nature Conservancy of Canada or Birds Canada in whatever amount they wish. (These were two organizations that Gus supported.) The books are used, and one is a former library copy, but they are in good shape. Just email me at birdscalgary[at]gmail.com and we can make arrangements to get the book to you.

Birds & Beers, March 5, 2020

Feb24

We were unable to get our usual late-February date for Birds & Beers, so we will be meeting next on Thursday March 5th.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Thursday March 5, 2020, 6:00-9:00 pm.

Dan Edwards will be presenting “Birds of the Great Ocean Walk,” a birding-oriented travelogue of his trip hiking the Great Ocean Walk in southern Australia last October. The presentation will begin at about 7:15 pm.

Kookaburra
Kookaburra. Photo by Daniel Edwards.

Everyone is welcome to attend Birds & Beers, and there is no charge. We will meet in the big ballroom at the Legion. Food and drinks are available at reasonable prices, and children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Come early if you want to avoid the lineup at the kitchen.

Birds & Beers, January 23, 2020

Jan18

The next Birds & Birds social get-together will be held this Thursday, January 23, 2020. Gavin McKinnon will give a presentation, featuring photographs like the one below, on his Big Year in 2019. Gavin’s goal was to record over 300 species in Alberta in the calendar year.

Evening Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak, photographed in 2019 by Gavin McKinnon.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Thursday January 23, 2020, 6:00-9:00 pm

Everyone is welcome to attend Birds & Beers, and there is no charge. We will meet in the big ballroom at the Legion. Food and drinks are available at reasonable prices, and children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Come early if you want to avoid the lineup at the kitchen. The presentation will begin at about 7:15 so if you can’t make it at six pm, come later.

See you there!

Birds & Beers, November 27, 2019

Nov20

The next Birds & Birds social get-together will be held on Wednesday November 27, from 6 to 9 pm, at the usual location:

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW.

Wednesday November 27, 2019, 6:00-9:00 pm

Note that this is a Wednesday, not our our usual Thursday.

We are very pleased to have Chip Scialfa do a presentation at this meeting. He will speak on “Birding With Uncertainty: Psychology and Errors in Decision-Making.”

Chip Scialfa
Chip Scialfa

Avid birders are keen to add to their lists and often this means identifying birds that are uncommon and easily confused with other species. What are some of the psychological errors that we make when birding under uncertainty and how can they be minimized or avoided? Chip Scialfa, an experimental psychologist and keen birder, will talk about these issues in what will likely be a “mind-bending” presentation.

Chip is a very animated and entertaining speaker, so this promises to be a fun and informative talk. Some of you may have attended a version of this presentation at Nature Calgary’s Bird Study Group a few years ago, but Chip has modified and updated the talk considerably.

As usual, everyone is welcome to attend and there is no charge. We will meet in the big ballroom at the Legion. Food and drinks are available at reasonable prices, and children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Come early if you want to avoid the lineup at the kitchen. The presentation will begin at about 7:15 so if you can’t make it at six pm, come later.

A few local photographers will have calendars with their bird and nature photos available for sale for the Christmas season, so bring cash! These usually sell for $20 for a full-size calendar.

See you there!

Birds & Beers, June 27, 2019

Jun20

The next Birds & Beers event in Calgary is on Thursday June 27, at the Horton Road Legion, from 6 to 9 pm. We will be in the big auditorium and will have a special presentation: “Birding and Botany on the Southern Alberta Walk with Gus Yaki” by Marshall Netherwood.

Pronghorn
Pronghorn, a typical southern Alberta prairie species. Photo by Bob Lefebvre

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW

Thursday June 27, 2019, 6:00-9:00 pm

In 2017 Gus Yaki led a walking group across Southern Alberta from the Saskatchewan border to Waterton Park. Marshall Netherwood has prepared a presentation on some of the birds and plants he saw and photographed on this trip.

Everyone is welcome to attend Birds & Beers. As is usual when we have presentations, these begin after 7 pm. So come at 6 pm (or earlier since the kitchen will be busy), order a meal and have a drink, visit with your fellow birders, and then stay for the presentation. If you can’t make it early drop in later for the show.

Great Big Nature

Jun18

Note: You have to RSVP by June 19 to attend.

This Thursday there will be an exclusive sneak peek screening of the Great Big Nature project. Brian Keating and Bryan Smith, executive producer of MiMedia, invite you to learn more about their latest project. The video series will be launched later this year, but you have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the unique storylines and segments during a special viewing fundraiser.
Great Big Nature

Come out to hear Brian Keating talk about this exciting new project, and help to get it off the ground. They have a fund-matching opportunity up to $50K, until July 20th, therefore people can double their impact by donating now!

The fundraiser is Thursday June 20, 2019

Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Place: La Cité Des Rocheuses (Community Centre and Theatre)
Address: 4800 Richard Rd SW, Calgary, AB

Light appetizers and drinks will be served.
Please RSVP by June 19th to j_bode[at]ducks.ca

Tom Hince Seminar at the Wild Bird Store

May24

This weekend the renowned birder Tom Hince will be giving seminars at the Wild Bird Store in Calgary on the subject of the world-famous birding hotspot, Point Pelee, Ontario. This is a place that many local birders have visited for its amazing variety of migrating birds, and that the rest of us would love to visit some day.

Tom Hince

The Friday seminar is now full but you can still get tickets for Saturday by phoning the number above or dropping in to the store.

Here are the FAQ’s about this presentation:

What Will I Learn From This Seminar?

For avid birders, a trip to Point Pelee should be a must do on your list! In “The Park That Birds and Birders Built” seminar, Tom will discuss Point Pelee Park, its importance and why you should visit the park. He will also let the audience know how to prepare and plan for a visit to the park.

Besides Point Pelee, What Else Will I Learn From This Seminar?

Besides Point Pelee, Tom will talk about his birding experiences around the world including birding in the Cold Lake area. As Tom has spent a lot of time in this area, he will discuss his Cold Lake birding experiences. This will also include a discussion on finding warblers and other eastern songbirds in the area.

Will There Be Time To Ask Questions?

Yes, of course! During and at the end of the seminar Tom will take audience questions. Tom Hince is an ornithologist and professional birding guide. He has traveled various areas of the world looking for and studying a great number of birds. If you have a birding question that’s been bugging you, make sure you ask it at the seminar!

Will Refreshments and Snacks be Served at the Seminar?

Yes both refreshments and snacks will be served at the seminar! In addition, The Wild Bird Store has secured some great door prizes for both seminar days. We will have ballots and a draw box set up before you enter the seminar room so make sure you enter!

I Understand Tom Hince Has A Book. Will There Be Copies Available for Tom to Sign?

Yes. We will have a limited number of Tom Hince’s “A Birder’s Guide To Point Pelee” available for sale at the seminar. He will sign books after the seminar.

Call now to book your spot at this event!

Birds & Beers, May 30, 2019: Ecuador

May23

The next Birds & Beers meeting in Calgary will be on Thursday May 30. In addition to good food, good drinks, and good conversation, there will be a presentation by Gavin McKinnon on his trip to Ecuador and the birds he saw and photographed there.

Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
Plate-billed Mountain Toucan
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Birds & Beers is a casual social get-together where birders can relax and visit. Everyone is welcome, including children if accompanied by an adult.

Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch#285,

9202 Horton Road SW

Thursday May 30, 2019, 6:00-9:00 pm

You can come earlier than 6 pm if you want to avoid the rush at the kitchen. We meet in the big ballroom, and the presentation will begin around 7:15 to 7:30. You are also welcome to arrive just for the presentation.

Here are a couple more photos that Gavin took in Ecuador. There will be plenty more at Birds & Beers!

Golden-naped Tanager
Golden-naped Tanager
Collared Aracari
Collared Aracari

The following Birds & Beers event will be on Thursday June 27, at the same time and place. There will be a presentation by Marshall Netherwood on “Birding and Botany on the Southern Alberta Walk with Gus Yaki.” The fall Birds & Beers schedule will resume in August. Details to follow.