Three out of four ain't bad

Yesterday, 26 July 2015, 22 of us drove out to Marsland Basin, E of Calgary. Part of this beautiful wetland belongs to our friend, Lyn, and her partner - they have a house and yard that overlooks the wetland. This was the second time that I had visited the area, the first being on 28 June 2015. Each time, we have to sign a small guestbook. Also, everyone who can, is asked to please submit a list of species seen to eBird. The birds on the water are very distant, so you need binoculars (which I don't have) and even better, a spotting scope. Really, they are too far away for photos, though I can get a distant shot with my point-and-shoot camera set at 48x zoom and then cropped. Like last time, I took a long look over the lake and then wandered round Lyn's property, this time finding a mushroom or two, a beautiful moth, a Thistle or two, their two donkeys, a House Wren, an Eastern Kingbird, a Mourning Dove, and a family of Western Kingbirds (that were just about impossible to see as they flitted in amongst the high branches.

The highlight of the visit for many of us was seeing a very, very distant family of American Badgers that were in a neighbour's field (so, private land), digging for prey (probably the nearby Richardson's Ground Squirrels). There are four family members, though some of us only saw three. I think I have only ever seen a Badger three times before in 37 years, the last one being on 11 June 2012, on one of Don Stiles' annual Mountain Bluebird outings. This photo was taken: Focal Length (35mm format) - 1200 mm.

The General Status of the American Badger in Alberta is Sensitive. More detailed Status is "Data Deficient" - not enough current information to determine its status.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger

A report from 2002:

esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at-...

After our visit to the Marsland Basin, friends Dorothy and Stephen drove two of us back to Calgary again, travelling the roads slowly so that we could see a number of perched Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark with mouth full of insects to feed to her babies. Thanks so much, Stephen, for the safe ride there and back. As always, hugely appreciated!

I will add the list of 53 bird species seen, compiled by our leader, Bob Lefebvre, mainly to jog my own memory. Thanks so much, Bob for arranging this visit for us!

Canada Goose 29
Gadwall 11
American Wigeon 1
Mallard 25
Blue-winged Teal 60
Cinnamon Teal 6
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 2
Bufflehead 1
Common Goldeneye 1
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck 2
Eared Grebe 3
Double-crested Cormorant 1
White-faced Ibis 16
Swainson's Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Black-necked Stilt 8
American Avocet 15
Killdeer 35
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 12
Willet 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 30
Marbled Godwit 1
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 5
Long-billed Dowitcher 80
Wilson's Phalarope 55
Bonaparte's Gull 40
Franklin's Gull 60
Ring-billed Gull 30
Forster's Tern 1
Mourning Dove 3
Northern Flicker 4
Western Kingbird 10
Eastern Kingbird 8
Black-billed Magpie 2
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 1
House Wren 5
American Robin 5
European Starling 40
Cedar Waxwing 1
Common Yellowthroat 3 One male feeding a recently fledged Brown-headed Cowbird.
Yellow Warbler 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 45
Yellow-headed Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Two juveniles. One being fed by a male Common Yellowthroat.
House Sparrow 80

Muskrat -1
Richardson's Ground Squirrel - 100+
American Badger - 4
Coyote - 4

View this checklist online at ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24392576

Bob Lefebvre