Birds of Alberta 11

I have missed so many of the birding walks (and botany walks) this year, There is just one more birding walk left, this week - and I may not be able to make it - and then they come to an end till the end of August/beginning of September. I did manage to get out on the afternoon walk five days ago, on 12 June 2016, and it was very enjoyable, as was a stop at the Good Earth cafe afterwards : ) Will add our leaders' final list of species seen - thanks for a great walk Janet, Bernie and Stephen!: FFCPPSoc. Birding West end of South Glenmore Park, Calgary. 1:15-4:15 PM. Sun. June 12/16. Gusting West winds 30 - 40 Km/hr, 21 to 23C, Sunny skies. 1. Great Blue Heron - 1 2. Swainson's Hawk - 1 seen by BD pre-walk 3. Franklin's Gull - 60 4. Great Horned Owl - 2 juveniles 5. Downy Woodpecker - 4 (including pair seen at nest sight feeding young) 6. Eastern Phoebe - 2 7. Least Flycatcher - 4 heard 8. Red-eyed Vireo - 4 heard 9. American Crow - 7 10. Tree Swallow - 3 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2 including one flying into nest 12. White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 13. House Wren - 3 heard 14. American Robin - 1 15. Veery - 2 heard 16. Cedar Waxwing - 3 17. Yellow Warbler - 6 (5 heard, 1 seen) 18. Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1 heard 19. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 4 20. White-throated Sparrow - 2 heard 21. Red-winged Blackbird - 13 22. Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 23. American Goldfinch - 4 24. House Sparrow - 1 White-tailed Deer - 1 Least Chipmunk - 1 Red Squirrel - 1 Swallow-tailed Butterfly - 8 As usual on our birding walks, I take very few photos, so after this walk, I decided I would drive to a wetland in SW Calgary to check on the Red-necked Grebes. The light was harsh and I had to look into the sun and couldn't even tell if there were any babies. Obviously the wrong time of day to go there. From there, I decided to go SW of the city and check on Bluebirds, Snipe and maybe even a Great Gray Owl if I was very lucky. Only stopped at one Bluebird box and the parents were busy bringing insects to feed their babies. Every now and then, a baby would peer out of the small hole, so I know it won't be long till they fledge. An American Robin flew to the fence post next to the male Bluebird at one point, as if to ask for its photo to be taken, too. What a sight to see the two birds together - brilliant blue and bright red. Driving along one road to search for an owl, I noticed a truck pulled over in the distance. I always slow right down when I see a vehicle stopped, just in case it is a photographer taking photos of something interesting. I never want to spook a bird or animal and spoil a photographer's fun. I was so focused on the truck, looking to see if there was a driver pointing a camera, that at first I didn't notice the person standing the other side of the road OR the owl sitting on the fence! When I realized it was a friend, I pulled over, got out and took a few photos. I don't know if this was one of the two Great Grays that I had seen within the last couple of weeks. It is possible either way. Also spotted two distant Bobolinks chasing each other and then disappearing - no chance for a photo. That is, until two evenings ago! I was SO thrilled to find them (maybe 5?)! These birds are rare in Alberta and are much sought after by birders. I was unable to go and check on the Bluebirds the previous evening, as I had dropped off my car ready to be serviced the following day. I collected it in time - $1,300 later! - to go for a drive. So glad I went, as luck and timing were both on my side. The Bobolinks were on the far side of the road and I managed to get just a few distant, very poor shots before a truck came along and off they flew. I drove down the road and turned around, hoping to see them again, but they didn't reappear. I was just happy to get any kind of photo as a record of this special sighting.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Later: thought I would add a link here, to a video about two local friends (Don and Andrew Stiles, father and son) who have spent many years building bluebird boxes and monitoring Mountain Bluebirds. Inspiring to see the dedication these two men have for the preservation of this beautiful species of bird. calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=678225&binId=1.120191... Yesterday evening, 18 June 2016, I went for a short drive SW of the city. I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots of a beautiful Wilson's Snipe, when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, I was in awe! Not sure if I've ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post before or this close (at least when zoomed in). I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days ago, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in the last two days. After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds (seen in this photo). Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' yesterday evening, However, soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home. In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays." www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Usually, when I post photos of a Wilson's Snipe, the background is clear. Yesterday evening, 18 June 2016, on a short drive SW of the city, I suddenly spotted this beautiful bird perched on a lichen-encrusted fence rail, The shrubs were right behind it and unfortunately, I ended up with a background that is somewhat blurry, and that does unpleasant things to my eyes : ) I had pulled over on the other side of the road and managed to get just three shots when a car came along in the opposite direction. The lady slowed down and asked if I was a birdwatcher. She told me that she had just passed an enormous Bald Eagle - bigger than any she had ever seen - perched on a fence post. Well, of course the Snipe flew off and I definitely wasn't expecting a Bald Eagle to still be sitting where it had been seen. I thanked the thoughtful lady and continued my drive, eventually spotting 'something' big in the distance. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was the Eagle. Expecting it to take off as soon as it saw my car, it surprised me by remaining right where it was. Wrong side of the road and with its back to me, I was in awe! Not sure if I've ever seen a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post before or this close (at least when zoomed in). I was even more grateful to have seen this majestic bird of prey when I went to check on a nearby Mountain Bluebird pair and there was nothing to be seen. I then stopped at a different pair and, though I did see the female high up on the wire, there was no activity at all. When I eventually reached a third box - where I had recently photographed the male with a beautiful moth in its beak - I saw a Tree Swallow's face peeping out of the hole. When I was there two days ago, I just knew that the babies were going to fledge any moment and I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to visit them in the last two days. After driving further to see if I could see either of the Great Gray Owls or the Bobolinks, I was out of luck with both. This made the Bald Eagle sighting more special than ever! Then, driving down a road that I don't normally drive, I spotted a 'new' pair of Mountain Bluebirds (see the third photo I posted this morning). Both Mom and Dad were kept so busy, collecting caterpillars and other insects to feed to their babies. These were definitely 'Bluebirds of Happiness' yesterday evening, Soon, the grey sky and low light finally took a toll on my camera or, should I say, my knowledge of how to use it? It was time to call it quits and head for home. "These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/id "Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military." youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q

This bird was seen yesterday, 19 June 2016, at a local park during an afternoon birding walk - in fact, the very last birding walk of the season until around the end of August. We started our walk at Bankside and ended up at Mallard point four hours later, following the path along the Bow River. Driving the park road to Bankside, we stopped to check out the Burnsmead Ponds, where the beautiful Heron in my previous photo was standing. Another photographer was already there - nice to meet you, Susan, and I enjoyed our little chat. The Sunday afternoon walks are more laid back and tend to be at a more leisurely pace, which suits me much better, so I go when I can. And we always go for coffee and a bite to eat afterwards, which I enjoy just as much (if not more!) than the walk itself. Hard to believe that we ended up seeing 50 bird species! The absolute highlight was when Jeff H. heard, then spotted, a Grasshopper Sparrow. A very clever sighting! I have never seen one and, until recently, had never even heard of such a Sparrow. It couldn't have been much more difficult to see, as it only popped up from the grass and bushes two or three times for a split second, before disappearing again. Eventually, it flew to the plant seen in my next photo, and I was finally able to see it. I think this might just have been the fastest reaction with my camera that has ever happened and somehow the lens luckily focused on the bird rather than just on the leaves in front. Just enough detail to confirm the ID. Thanks so much, Jeff, for finding this great bird for us! Yesterday evening, I got an e-mail from Terry Korolyk, who has spent so many years finding, recording and reporting not only all his own bird sightings, but those of so many other people. So much work and such valuable data. He wrote the following to me: "You guys got a good one. Haven't seen a Grasshopper Sparrow report around Calgary for quite some time now. We used to occasionally get one reported east of the City. Some places in the south part of the Province used to be good for them with probably the nearest site being north of Taber. Not many reports from down there in recent years, but, I don't think anybody's gone down there looking for them." I did a quick check on ebird last night and found the following most recent sightings from Calgary and surroundings. Of course, there could have been a few unreported sightings in addition to these: 1987 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary at the Irricana Sloughs 1988 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary in Weaselhead 1988 - 6 reported by Nature Calgary at the Irricana Sloughs 1994 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary at Frank Lake "A furtive bird of open grasslands, the Grasshopper Sparrow takes its name not only from its diet, but also from its insect-like song. It is found during the breeding season across much of the eastern United States and Great Plains, nesting and feeding mostly on the ground." From AllABoutBirds, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Grasshopper_Sparrow/id "FFCPPSoc. Birding Burnsmead Ponds, Bankside to Mallard Point, FCPP, Calgary. 1:15 - 5:15 PM. Sunday, June 19/16. Our Group of Seven enjoyed a sunny, warm (20 to 24C), afternoon with only light westerly winds. 1. Pied-billed Grebe - 1 2. Double-crested Cormorant - 4 3. Great Blue Heron - 2 4. Canada Goose 6 (2 adults,4 goslings) 5. Mallard - 28 6. Gadwall - 5 7. American Wigeon - 7 8. Northern Shoveler - 2 9. Blue-winged Teal - 6 10. Common Goldeneye - 3 11. Common Merganser - 6 12. Cooper's Hawk - 1 13. Red-tailed Hawk - 1 14. Swainson's Hawk - 1 15. Osprey - 1 16. Merlin - 1 17. Ring-necked Pheasant - 3 18. American Coot - 7 (2 adult, 5 young) 19. Spotted Sandpiper - 8 20. Franklin's Gull - 275 21. Ring-billed Gull - 2 22. California Gull - 1 23. Rock (Feral) Pigeon - 3 24. Northern Flicker - 5 25. Downy Woodpecker - 3 26. Western Wood Pewee - 1 heard 27. Least Flycatcher - 2 28. Eastern Kingbird - 2 29. Warbling Vireo - 1 heard 30. Black-billed Magpie - 3 31. American Crow - 4 32. Common Raven - 5 33. Tree Swallow - 30 34. Bank Swallow - 20 35. House Wren - 5 36. American Robin - 32 37. Cedar Waxwing - 6 38. European Starling - 3 39. Yellow Warbler - 6 40. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 5 41. Savannah Sparrow - 48 42. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW - 1 found by Jeff H. Photo'd by Anne E. 43. Song Sparrow - 3 44. Lincoln's Sparrow - 1 45. Baltimore Oriole - 1 46. Red-winged Blackbird - 53 47. Yellow-headed Blackbird - 5 48. Common Grackle - 5 49. Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 50. House Sparrow - 8 Muskrat - 1 White-tailed Deer - 1 Swallowtail Butterfly -1 Leaders: Bernie Diebolt, Janet Gill"

This beautiful Great Blue Heron was further away than it looks from my photo, but usually I see them flying way overhead or the distant side of a large pond. So, it was great to see one a little bit closer. This bird was seen yesterday, 19 June 2016, at a local pond during an afternoon birding walk - in fact, the very last birding walk of the season until around the end of August. We started our walk at Bankside and ended up at Mallard point four hours later, following the path along the Bow River. Driving the park road to Bankside, we stopped to check out the Burnsmead Ponds, where this beautiful Heron was standing. Another photographer was already there - nice to meet you, Susan, and I enjoyed our little chat. The Sunday afternoon walks are more laid back and tend to be at a more leisurely pace, which suits me much better, so I go when I can. Hard to believe that we ended up seeing 50 bird species! The absolute highlight was when Jeff H. heard, then spotted, a Grasshopper Sparrow. A very clever sighting! I have never seen one and, until recently, had never even heard of such a Sparrow. It couldn't have been much more difficult to see, as it only popped up from the grass and bushes two or three times for a split second, before disappearing again. Eventually, it flew to the plant seen in my next photo, and I was finally able to see it. I think this might just have been the fastest reaction with my camera that has ever happened and somehow the lens luckily focused on the bird rather than just on the leaves in front. Just enough detail to confirm the ID. Thanks so much, Jeff, for finding this great bird for us! Yesterday evening, I got an e-mail from Terry Korolyk, who has spent so many years finding, recording and reporting not only all his own sightings, but those of so many other people. So much work and such valuable data. He wrote the following to me: "You guys got a good one. Haven't seen a Grasshopper Sparrow report around Calgary for quite some time now. We used to occasionally get one reported east of the City. Some places in the south part of the Province used to be good for them with probably the nearest site being north of Taber. Not many reports from down there in recent years, but, I don't think anybody's gone down there looking for them." I did a quick check on ebird last night and found the following most recent sightings from Calgary and surroundings. Of course, there could have been a few unreported sightings in addition to these: 1987 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary at the Irricana Sloughs 1988 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary in Weaselhead 1988 - 6 reported by Nature Calgary at the Irricana Sloughs 1994 - 1 reported by Nature Calgary at Frank Lake FFCPPSoc. Birding Burnsmead Ponds, Bankside to Mallard Point, FCPP, Calgary. 1:15 - 5:15 PM. Sunday, June 19/16. Our Group of Seven enjoyed a sunny, warm (20 to 24C), afternoon with only light westerly winds. 1. Pied-billed Grebe - 1 2. Double-crested Cormorant - 4 3. Great Blue Heron - 2 4. Canada Goose 6 (2 adults,4 goslings) 5. Mallard - 28 6. Gadwall - 5 7. American Wigeon - 7 8. Northern Shoveler - 2 9. Blue-winged Teal - 6 10. Common Goldeneye - 3 11. Common Merganser - 6 12. Cooper's Hawk - 1 13. Red-tailed Hawk - 1 14. Swainson's Hawk - 1 15. Osprey - 1 16. Merlin - 1 17. Ring-necked Pheasant - 3 18. American Coot - 7 (2 adult, 5 young) 19. Spotted Sandpiper - 8 20. Franklin's Gull - 275 21. Ring-billed Gull - 2 22. California Gull - 1 23. Rock (Feral) Pigeon - 3 24. Northern Flicker - 5 25. Downy Woodpecker - 3 26. Western Wood Pewee - 1 heard 27. Least Flycatcher - 2 28. Eastern Kingbird - 2 29. Warbling Vireo - 1 heard 30. Black-billed Magpie - 3 31. American Crow - 4 32. Common Raven - 5 33. Tree Swallow - 30 34. Bank Swallow - 20 35. House Wren - 5 36. American Robin - 32 37. Cedar Waxwing - 6 38. European Starling - 3 39. Yellow Warbler - 6 40. Clay-coloured Sparrow - 5 41. Savannah Sparrow - 48 42. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW - 1 found by Jeff H. Photo'd by Anne E. 43. Song Sparrow - 3 44. Lincoln's Sparrow - 1 45. Baltimore Oriole - 1 46. Red-winged Blackbird - 53 47. Yellow-headed Blackbird - 5 48. Common Grackle - 5 49. Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 50. House Sparrow - 8 Muskrat - 1 White-tailed Deer - 1 Swallowtail Butterfly -1 Leaders: Bernie Diebolt, Janet Gill

Well, hello, SUMMER! It has felt like summer here for so many weeks already, but now summer has really arrived today, 20 June 2016. It was the annual May Species Count on the weekend of 28 and 29 May 2016. My group's Saturday Count was down in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Votier's Flats and Shaw's Meadow. On the Sunday, our usual small group (six of us in two cars) covered an area SW of the city - which happens to be one of my favourite and most visited areas. We had a great day, stopping at a few wetlands and calling in at Barb Castell's acreage where she usually has amazing birds to show us. Several special species were missing, but we were delighted to watch a teeny Ruby-throated Hummingbird. We were also happy to see seven Rose-breasted Grosbeaks elsewhere during the day. We stopped at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park and ate our picnic lunches and then did a short walk to look for Calypso Orchids. I took too long to try (in vain) and get a sharp photo of a little group of fungi, that I missed the orchids, but that's OK, as I have seen them plenty of times before. After the Count came to an end, I drove a few of the back roads again, taking a few more shots of the Wilson's Snipe - a favourite of mine - and this beautiful Tree Swallow. “Handsome aerialists with deep-blue iridescent backs and clean white fronts, Tree Swallows are a familiar sight in summer fields and wetlands across northern North America. They chase after flying insects with acrobatic twists and turns, their steely blue-green feathers flashing in the sunlight. Tree Swallows nest in tree cavities; they also readily take up residence in nest boxes. This habit has allowed scientists to study their breeding biology in detail, and makes them a great addition to many a homeowner’s yard or field.” From AllABout Birds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/id I will add the final list from our leader, Gus Y - 70 bird species seen, wow! "The count goes May 28-29: Calgary birders have been out in force every May since 1979, contributing to a broad census of the constantly changing patterns of bird distributions in North America. Last year (2015) we found 212 species. The count circle is the same as previous years, extending from Olds to Nanton, and from Exshaw to Standard, and includes a variety of environments." From NatureCalgary. "May species count, Terr. #22, Priddis Area: Plummers Rd, from Hwy 22 to #762, SW of Calgary, 0730-1530, Sun. 29May2016. 58 km. Mostly sunny, becoming overcast at noon, S wind, becoming gusty, 10 -20 kph. 13-18°C. Canada Goose-45 Gadwall-2 American Wigeon-6 Mallard-29. Blue-winged Teal-16 Cinnamon Teal-8 Northern Shoveler-3 Green-winged Teal-4 Redhead-6 Ring-necked Duck-12 Lesser Scaup-29 Bufflehead-5 Hooded Merganser-1 f. Ruddy Duck-11 Ring-necked Pheasant-3 Great Blue Heron-1 Swainson’s Hawk-2 Red-tailed Hawk-6 American Kestrel-2 Sora-6 American Coot-10 Killdeer-5 Spotted Sandpiper-8 Wilson’s Snipe-10 Wilson’s Phalarope-4 Black Tern-22 Mourning Dove-1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird-1 Red-naped Sapsucker-1 Black-backed Woodpecker-2 Northern Flicker-3 Western Wood-Pewee-5 Least Flycatcher-6 Easterm Phoebe-1 Easterm Kingbird-1 Gray Jay-2 Clark’s Nutcracker-1 Black-billed Magpie-6 American Crow-4 Common Raven-5 Tree Swallow-86 Cliff Swallow-6 Barn Swallow-2 Black-capped Chickadee-3 Mountain Chickadee-1 Boreal Chickadee-2 Red-breasted Nuthatch-2 House Wren-9 Mountain Bluebird-29 American Robin-13 Gray Catbird-2 European Starling-8 Tennessee Warbler-11 Yellow Warbler-6 Cape May Warbler-1 Chipping Sparrow-8 Clay-coloured Sparrow-13 Savannah Sparrow-4 Song Sparrow-1 Lincoln’s Sparrow-4 White-throated Sparrow-1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak-7 Black-headed Grosbeak-1, or hybrid. Red-winged Blackbird-178 Western Meadowlark-2 Yellow-headed Blackbird-2 Brewer’s Blackbird-7 Brown-headed Cowbird-6 Baltimore Oriole-4 American Goldfinch-5 Richardson’s Ground Squirrel-11 Muskrat-1 Mule Deer-1 White-tailed Deer-4 Boreal Chorus Frog-10+ Green Comma Butterfly-2 Western White-1 Tiger Swallowtail-2 Gus Yaki"

Yesterday, 20 June 2016, I was thrilled to bits to see two male Bobolinks and a female (seen in this photo). This time, I had driven backwards and forwards along the road where I had seen them a few days ago, with no luck. I gave up and, instead, spent some time photographing a beautiful pair of Mountain Bluebirds. After a while, I told myself it was time to leave the Bluebirds in peace and go and see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. I had literally climbed back into my car and pulled forward maybe six feet, when a bird flew to a fence post. It looked bigger than a Savannah Sparrow, so I was curious. Turned out to be a male Bobolink, who gave me the chance for a few quick shots before flying away. Unfortunately, the sun was not in a good direction. Time to go and photograph a Tree Swallow, female Red-winged Blackbird and a Snipe and then I returned to the pair of Bluebirds. This time, they had two brief visitors - a Brown-headed Cowbird and a tiny Savannah Sparrow, who insisted on trying to perch on the same fence post as the male Bluebird. It was kind of cute to see the two together. After a while, I decided it really was time to head for home. While crossing the road to my car, I spotted a bird perched on top of a tree way down the road and discovered it was a Bobolink again. It spent a bit of time flying around with another male and a female, eventually flying to a fence post. I had never seen a female before, but recognized it from various photos I had seen online. Females are a lot smaller than the males and very different colouring. Three quick photos and it was gone. One of the males stayed on a fence post for a little while, but I was looking into the sun and the light was horrible. All three birds took off across the field and stayed down in the grass and I knew this would be a good time to tear myself away and head happily for home. Normally, I don't get out this often, but I know that it won't be long before all the birds I saw today will have migrated. Also, this was the first day of summer, so I really wanted to spend a few hours outdoors. "Perched on a grass stem or displaying in flight over a field, breeding male Bobolinks are striking. No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts (some have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards). Added to this are the male’s rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song. As summer ends he molts into a buff and brown female-like plumage. Though they’re still fairly common in grasslands, Bobolink numbers are declining." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bobolink/id "The Bobolink inhabits Canada's grassland and agricultural areas from the interior of British Columbia to the east coast. Relative to 1970 levels, this species has shown a large decrease across most of its range, with the exception of the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region where populations have changed little. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed the Bobolink as Threatened in 2010 (COSEWIC 2010d). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada." www.ec.gc.ca/soc-sbc/oiseau-bird-eng.aspx?sY=2014&sL=...

On 14 May 2016, I went on a morning walk with birding friends. We met at the Boat Launch in Fish Creek Park and walked in the Sikome and Lafarge Meadows areas. This included checking on the usual Great Horned Owl family - all four members were way up high in the trees, more or less hidden from view. This Clay-colored Sparrow stayed long enough to get a quick shot. On the return walk, I happened to be walking at the back of the group. I heard a bird that caught my attention and when I stopped to look, I found a beautiful little White-crowned Sparrow sitting deep within the low branches of a coniferous tree. "The Clay-colored Sparrow’s buzzy song is a signature sound of the vast shrublands of the northern prairie and Great Plains. Though they’re not brightly colored, their pale tones and overall clean, crisp markings help set them apart from other sparrows—especially useful on their wintering grounds, where they often flock with other species. These active birds tend to forage within the branches of shrubs or on the ground beneath cover. Though still very numerous, their numbers have slowly declined over the past 40 years." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Clay-colored_Sparrow/id After this walk, I drove a short distance to see a different family of Great Horned Owls, presumably the same pair of adults that we had seen last year, nesting near the Bow Valley Ranch. Amazingly, this pair had four - yes, four! - owlets this time. Somewhat better views than of the first family, at least for the short time I was there. Bird list from the leader of our morning walk, Melanie S.: Fish Creek PP--Boat Launch, Calgary, Alberta, CA 14-May-2016 9:00 AM - 12:10 PM Protocol: Traveling 3.5 kilometer(s) Comments: 10 to 15 deg C. Sunny. Nature Calgary field trip, leader Melanie Seneviratne. 46 species (+1 other taxa) Canada Goose 24 Gadwall 8 American Wigeon 10 Mallard 22 Blue-winged Teal 4 Northern Shoveler 1 Canvasback 1 Redhead 7 Lesser Scaup 6 Common Goldeneye 2 Common Merganser 2 Pied-billed Grebe 1 Double-crested Cormorant 4 American White Pelican 5 Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 4 Northern Goshawk 1 Flew over car park as we were leaving. Swainson's Hawk 4 American Coot 4 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Wilson's Snipe 1 Franklin's Gull 3 California Gull 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2 Great Horned Owl 4 2 adult 2 juveniles Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Black-billed Magpie 2 American Crow 2 Common Raven 5 Tree Swallow 250 Barn Swallow 1 Cliff Swallow 20 Black-capped Chickadee 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 American Robin 12 European Starling 10 Clay-colored Sparrow 2 White-crowned Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 1 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Yellow-headed Blackbird 6 Brewer's Blackbird 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 5

Yesterday, 20 June 2016, I was thrilled to bits to see two male Bobolinks and a female (see the third photo posted this morning). This time, I had driven backwards and forwards along the road where I had seen them a few days ago, with no luck. I gave up and, instead, spent some time photographing a beautiful pair of Mountain Bluebirds. After a while, I told myself it was time to leave the Bluebirds in peace and go and see if there was any sign of a Bobolink. I had literally climbed back into my car and pulled forward maybe six feet, when a bird flew to a fence post. It looked bigger than a Savannah Sparrow, so I was curious. Turned out to be a male Bobolink, who gave me the chance for a few quick shots before flying away. Unfortunately, the sun was not in a good direction. Time to go and photograph a Tree Swallow, female Red-winged Blackbird and a Snipe and then I returned to the pair of Bluebirds. This time, they had two brief visitors - a Brown-headed Cowbird and a tiny Savannah Sparrow, who insisted on trying to perch on the same fence post as the male Bluebird. It was kind of cute to see the two together. After a while, I decided it really was time to head for home. While crossing the road to my car, I spotted a bird perched on top of a tree way down the road and discovered it was a Bobolink again. It spent a bit of time flying around with another male and a female, eventually flying to a fence post. I had never seen a female before, but recognized it from various photos I had seen online. Females are a lot smaller than the males and very different colouring. Three quick photos and it was gone. One of the males stayed on a fence post for a little while, but I was looking into the sun and the light was horrible, as you can see in this photo. All three birds took off across the field and stayed down in the grass and I knew this would be a good time to tear myself away and head happily for home. Normally, I don't get out this often, but I know that it won't be long before all the birds I saw today will have migrated. Also, this was the first day of summer, so I really wanted to spend a few hours outdoors. "Perched on a grass stem or displaying in flight over a field, breeding male Bobolinks are striking. No other North American bird has a white back and black underparts (some have described this look as wearing a tuxedo backwards). Added to this are the male’s rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bubbling, virtuosic song. As summer ends he molts into a buff and brown female-like plumage. Though they’re still fairly common in grasslands, Bobolink numbers are declining." From AllAboutBirds. www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bobolink/id "The Bobolink inhabits Canada's grassland and agricultural areas from the interior of British Columbia to the east coast. Relative to 1970 levels, this species has shown a large decrease across most of its range, with the exception of the Prairie Potholes Bird Conservation Region where populations have changed little. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assessed the Bobolink as Threatened in 2010 (COSEWIC 2010d). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada." www.ec.gc.ca/soc-sbc/oiseau-bird-eng.aspx?sY=2014&sL=...