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. 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.
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, 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.
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
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.
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, 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
The first Birds & Beers event of the new year will be on Thursday, January 24. Bob and Dianne Leonhardt will do a presentation about their recent trip, called “Twenty-five Days in Peru.”
Vermillion Flycatcher in Lima, Peru.
Birds & Beers is a social gathering which is open to everyone. Come and visit with your fellow birders and have something to eat and drink, and then stay for the presentation afterwards. We start at 6 pm and you can drop in anytime after that. The presentation will start after 7 pm. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.
Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285
9202 Horton Road SW
Thursday January 24, 2019, 6:00-9:00 pm
We will be meeting in the large auditorium, to the right after you go in the main entrance of the Legion.
The schedule for upcoming Birds & Beers meetings has been set. All meetings will be at the Horton Road Legion.
White-winged Crossbill, Weaselhead, February 7, 2016. Photo by Tony LePrieur.
Nature Calgary Field Trips: Various dates and times. See this page. Some trips require registering in advance.
Wednesday December 5, 7:30 pm. Cardel Theatre. Nature Calgary Bird Study Group presentation.“Getting Down” with Calgary Area Birds. A tour of Calgary area birds as seen through the lens of amateur nature photographer Tony LePrieur. Tony’s photos have featured prominently on Birds Calgary for several years; come and see how he gets his great photos. Free for Nature Calgary members (bring your card) and $5 for non-members, payable at the door.
Friday December 14 to Saturday January 5. The 119th Christmas Bird Count season. There are several counts on various dates in the Calgary area during this time period. See the Bird Studies Canada site to find a count near you and get the contact information.
Sunday December 16. Calgary Christmas Bird Count. Count birds in the field or at your feeders. Contact Phil Cram (field) at crampj[at]telusplanet.net and Barb Coote (feeders) at barbcoote[at]gmail.com to participate.
Tuesday January 1, 8:30 am to noon. Annual Fish Creek Provincial Park half-day bird count. Contact Jim Washbrook at jwashbrook[at]prairiesky.ab.ca if you would like to join one of the teams.
Birds & Beers on Thursday November 29 will feature a talk and slide presentation by Joan and Wayne Walker about their recent trip to Africa.
Secretary Bird with Springbok. Photo by Wayne Walker.
Birds & Beers is a social gathering which is open to everyone. Come and visit with your fellow birders and have something to eat and drink, and then stay for the presentation afterwards. We start at 6 pm and you can drop in anytime after that. The presentation will start after about 7:15. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.
Royal Canadian Legion, Centennial Calgary Branch #285
9202 Horton Road SW
Thursday November 29, 2018, 6:00-9:00 pm
This is the last Birds & Beers of this year, and we will resume in late January (the dates are not yet confirmed). It has become a tradition that at the last B&B before Christmas, we invite some local photographers who have bird or wildlife calendars featuring their photos to bring them to the event. These calendars will be for sale so bring some extra cash or cheques! Wildlife calendars make great Christmas gifts.
