Jack Rabbit turning from white to brown

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all Mothers and Mother figures (Grandmother, Step-Mother, Mothers-in-law, Guardians and so on). In Canada, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. Of course, each and every day should be Mother's Day : )

Hope everyone is enjoying the new Flickr layout, lol! What a mess! Hope they get this all sorted out - and quickly.

On 2 May 2015, I was out on a full-day birding trip that took us south of the city. I will add the report written by the leader of the outing, Terry Korolyk. Thanks so much for another great day out, Terry, and for your detailed account of the day!

"The morning started out cool, overcast, and, windy with the temperature 3 degrees centigrade when I awoke in the morning. Nine participants showed up for the trip at the Glennfield Parking Area in east Fish Creek PP. Our first stop at Sheriff King slough in the southwest corner of the Highways 2A and 22X junction was probably helped by the weather as probably close to 200 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were an amazing sight as they foraged on the water, being forced to stay there overnight. Amongst the other waterfowl here, highlights were 1 male Barrow's Goldeneye and 1 male Greater Scaup.

From there, we travelled through the Pine Creek valley to Highway 2A, moving southward then turning off on Highway 552 and going to the Dewinton area. We stopped at a very convenient Great Horned Owl's nest as we drove east on the road going past the Calgary Gun Club. The nest was in an Aspen almost hanging right above the road! One of the adults, a gray phase bird, was clearly visible, but, we could only barely make out that there were downy young in the nest.

On the southern edge of Dewinton, I observed 3 COMMON GRACKLES, but a more thorough look revealed probably about 15 GRACKLES and almost as many Brewer's Blackbirds. These birds were almost a complete surprise.

From here, there was a bit of a mixup and part of the group got separated. After meeting later, we talked about how we attempted to find each other, but kept missing each other. Amazingly, at the end of the day, we all ended back in Glennfield at the same time!

We all checked sloughs in the Dewinton area. The Field Trip found 2 Least Sandpipers, 15 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 2 Greater Yellowlegs at a slough south of Dewinton, then proceeded westward through the hills enjoying looks at all the returning Spring birds. Cinnamon Teal were very common in the area. We enjoyed a combined flock of 200 of Yellow-headed and Red-winged Blackbirds foraging in a field by a marsh.

Pushing on further westward, a Great Blue Heron flushed from a creek as we drove past on 1119 Drive, then as we stopped at a large slough further westward, we stopped to photograph a pair of Red-necked Grebes building a nest. A small, brown, stubby-tailed bird flushed from the shoreline. I attempted to find it; got a quick look at it, and am almost sure it was a PACIFIC or WINTER WREN!

We turned south on 160 St where at a quiet marsh at the bottom of the road, we saw Horned Grebes and Canvasbacks. A Red-tailed Hawk that burst suddenly from out of the trees appeared somewhat buffy, possibly being a CALURUS subspecies light phase Red-tailed Hawk.

From off Highway 22 south of Turner Valley, we took a road through the foothills past a large marsh which had large numbers of Canada Geese and Ring-necked Ducks. In Aspens beside the marsh, it was lovely to see and hear our first returning male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS of the season. Careful searching uncovered a White-crowned Sparrow and at least 1 CHIPPING SPARROW. Just past the marsh, we found our final highlights of the day, separate lone male EVENING GROSBEAKS at treetops on each side of the road.

Birds found by the lost? group( or, were we the lost group?) included a lone SANDHILL CRANE near the marsh at Highway 799 and 338 Avenue, and more Greater Scaup in this general area. They also found a couple of White-crowned Sparrows near Third Lake 2 kms. south of Highway 552 on 224 Street.

Terry Korolyk"

After getting back to our meeting place in the city, I thought I would call in at another part of Fish Creek Park to see if there was any activity from the Great Horned Owls. Very little was happening in the few minutes I was there, but I was lucky enough to see this White-tailed Jack Rabbit. It was eating the grass and was in no hurry to leave - until a family walked right between me and it. Needless to say, their small child wanted to catch it - and off it went.

"The white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii), also known as the prairie hare and the white jack, is a species of hare found in western North America. Like all hares and rabbits, it is a member of the family Leporidae of order Lagomorpha. It is a solitary individual except where several males court a female in the breeding season. Litters of four to five young are born in a form, a shallow depression in the ground, hidden among vegetation." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_jackrabbit