2018 Summer Birding in Alberta

 

Seriously, is summer over already? Here in Calgary, flurries and sub-zero temps are already upon us and autumn continues to be a 2-week season! I am WAY behind in posting bird pics, so I’ll try and catch up with a selection of birding highlights from the spring and early summer….

Spring:

Lots of birds singing and courting including one of the first to come back, the Yellow-headed Blackbird:

and a couple of other yellow birds doing the same, such as the Yellow Warbler:

and Western Meadowlark:

as well as some of the predators that like to eat them, such as the Cooper’s Hawk:

Spring also means the northward migration of shorebirds to their breeding grounds in the arctic, one being the Semi-palmated Sandpiper:

and also this Red-necked Phalarope which I found all on its own in a mountain pond:

But there are also some shorebirds which nest locally in southern Alberta such as the Killdeer:

Spring also means the Ruffed Grouse start their courtship drumming, a scene which I very much hope to see (I’ve HEARD it many times, just can’t find the drummer!) one day:

Elsewhere in local ponds, waterfowl are in their finest plumage, such as this Red-necked Grebe:

while others, like this American Coot, are busying chasing off potential rivals:

While others, like the Double-crested Cormorant, are busy impersonating midget submarines as they paddle along looking for tasty aquatic creatures:

But once also the feverish activity of courting and nesting is over, the result is this year’s batch of young like this days’ old Spotted Sandpiper:

 

Summer for me, also means camping, usually out east on the prairie lakes where I get t some cool birds such as the Western Kingbird:

House Wren:

and the tough-but-fun-to-spot Common Nighthawk:

And, finally, when we’re camping in the foothills out west, I always look forward to hearing and seeing this cheeky and inquisitive fellow, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet: