Bright-eyed little cutie

The forecast was for a rainy, gloomy day yesterday, 28 April 2016. Wanting to keep the next few days free just in case I get time to drive somewhere outside the city, I decided that I would go on yesterday's walk anyway. Thanks, Flickr automated tags, for deciding this was my pet cat : )

We started the birding walk from the Sailing Club and headed west towards Weaselhead. We followed the rough path along the edge of the Glenmore Reservoir and then returned to our cars along the main paved path. We saw a reasonable number of bird species, but everything was too far away for photos, except for a little Pine Siskin who was busy gathering nesting material in the forest. Also, this Red Squirrel was enjoying his cone seed snack too much to immediately run away out of sight.

Will add the final species list compiled by our leaders:

"FFCPPSoc. Spring Birding, S Glenmore Pk, 24 St SE, Calgary, 0915-1200, Thursday, 28Apr2016. Overcast, SE wind 15kph, 4 8°C. Combined results of two groups.

Canada Goose-2
Gadwall-2
American Wigeon-2
Mallard-40
Green-winged Teal-2
Northern Shoveler-6
Lesser Scaup-10
Ring-necked Duck-5
Bufflehead-6
Common Goldeneye-60
Common Merganser-4
COMMON LOON-2
HORNED GREBE-8
WESTERN GREBE-2
Red-tailed Hawk-1
Swainsons Hawk- 1
BONAPARTES GULL-1
FRANKLINS GULL-100
Downy Wodpecker-1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-1
Blue Jay-1
Black-billed Magpie-5
American Crow-15
Common Raven-2, on nest
TREE SWALLOW-6000+
Northern Rough-winged Swallow-1
Black-capped Chickadee-18
Red-breasted Nuthatch-3
White-breasted Nuthatch-1 heard
YELLOW-RUMPED (Myrtle) WARBLER-3
SAVANNAH SPARROW-1
Red-winged Blackbird-1
House Finch-1
Red Crossbill-11
White-winged Crossbill-4
Pine Siskin-20

Red Squirrel-8
Least Chipmunk-2
Muskrat-1
Snow-shoe Hare-1"