Bald Eagle in the Badlands of Alberta

I will add our leader's report from yesterday's trip to the Badlands of Alberta. Three of us travelled from Calgary to Drumheller very early yesterday morning, where we met up with two people from Drumheller. It was the annual Audubon Horseshoe Canyon Christmas Bird Count and our group of 5 people covered Territory #7 of the count circle, which included a walk along the river. Later in the day, from 2:00 pm till 4:00 pm, we also covered an extra, different area, Territory #4. This adult Bald Eagle was seen against a clear blue sky on the top of a distant hill, not too far form the Museum, where we had stopped to eat our lunch - plus delicious Sweet Potato fries bought at the Museum : ) On our second territory, we saw one male Snowy Owl that was just a tiny white speck in the distance. Later, on the drive back to Calgary in fading light, we passed a Snowy Owl sitting on a power pole, but we didn't stop, especially as it was not on our territory.

I had left home at 5:45 am to allow plenty of time to get to our meeting place, and I arrived back home at the end of the day around 6:30 pm. I had ended up not going to bed at all the previous night! When I saw that I would need to get up in two hours or so time, I knew that it would be most likely that I would sleep right through my two alarm clocks and kitchen timer and miss the Count. Needless to say, I was very tired by the time I got home, but so happy that I had the chance to be out in such a fascinating landscape for a day. I didn't take a lot of photos, as I knew it was a birding day, not a photography day, though Phil had told me to say if I wanted to stop for a photo : ) Unfortunately, at two of the best locations, the owners were not home, so we didn't walk around their yards where there were so many things to photograph : (

"Horseshoe Canyon CBC, Territory #7, N of Red Deer River, including Royal Tyrrell Museum. 0830-1230, Wed. 23 Dec.2015. Sunny, light west wind, -22 to -15°C. Early morning light fog. Red Deer River 99.99% frozen. 6cm snow on ground.

Bald Eagle-1 ad.
Rock Pigeon-4
Eurasian Collared-Dove-3
Downy Woodpecker-1
Northern Flicker-1
Horned Lark?-1, heard flying over by Phil Quinn.
Blue Jay-2
Black-billed Magpie-37
Common Raven-2
Black-capped Chickadee-22. ALSO ONE HEARD SINGING "SPRING'S HERE."
White-breasted Nuthatch-1
Bohemian Waxwing-270
Pine Grosbeak-10
House Finch-12
White-winged Crossbill-5
Common Redpoll-303
PINE SISKIN-65
House Sparrow-13

Coyote-1
Mule Deer- 4

Total party kms by car: 65 ; Total party kms on foot: 3.
Total party hours by car: 4 ; Total party hours on foot: 1.

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Horseshoe Canyon CBC, Territory #4. Eastern pie-shaped Section. 1400-1600, Wed. 23 Dec.2015. Sunny, North wind-10kph. -17°C.

Northern Goshawk-1
Rock Pigeon-19
Snowy Owl-1 m.
Black-billed Magpie-13
Common Raven-3
Common Redpoll-258
House Sparrow-16

Mule Deer-5

Total party kms by car: 56 ; Total party kms on foot: 0.
Total party hours by car: 2 ; Total party hours on foot: 0"

A most enjoyable day, as I knew it would be! Thanks for taking over most of the driving, Phil, getting us safely there and back.