A Southern Alberta Birding Photo Album – Summer 2019

As usual, late spring and summer have been pretty busy family-wise, but I’ve still managed to get out for some early morning/after-work birding trips and walks and with migration having hit its peak these trips have been quite fruitful.

An overnight trip down to Waterton in early May yielded quite a number of Sandhill Cranes, but most of them were quite wary and quick to head off in the other direction, although I didn’t manage to get the odd shot here and there:

This trip also enabled me to stop in at Frank Lake on the way to and from Waterton and I was pleased to see a number of different species enjoying this great wetland area such as Franklin’s Gulls:

and California Gulls:

As well as a number of American Avocets chasing tiny insects on the lake’s surface:

And a few pairs of Black-necked Stilts:

Other sloughs south of Calgary also held abundant numbers of the usual suspects, such as the Yellow-headed Blackbird:

Canada Geese:

Gadwall:

Redhead:

and Northern Shoveller:

 

On later visits to the parks and woodlands around Calgary I was able to see a number of woodland birds including a ‘lifer’, this Hammond’s Flycatcher:

This bird would perch low on reeds at the edge of the stream, then hawk for insects on or near the surface of the water:

In fact, this flycatcher seemed to be deliberately wetting it’s belly and tail feathers while it hawked…maybe this is how they bathe??

 

Other flycatchers also made an appearance, such as this Western Wood Peewee:

And the first hatchlings of the year also began to show up, namely these fluffy Mallard ducklings:

Song Sparrows were still merrily singing away:

Although they would be abruptly silenced whenever the resident Cooper’s Hawks made an appearance:

The start of the show on these trips however would have to be my first Yellow Warblers of the year which simply glowed in their vivid yellow breeding plumage:

 

I was lucky enough to have a free Sunday morning that coincided with perfect cloud-free and wind-free conditions and I was delighted to find some cooperative wetland birds to photograph including a personal favourite, the Horned Grebe:

Some more American Avocets:

Including one pair that appeared to be very much in love:

A pair of striking Wilson’s Phalarope’s was a very nice bonus:

In late May on our first family camping trip of the season, I was happy to capture some of Dinosaur Provincial Park’s ‘specialty’ resident birds including the Spotted Towhee:

Rock Wren:

Lark Sparrow:

As well as the ever-beautiful Western Meadow Lark:

And pair of Brewer’s Blackbirds:

as well as a curious Swainson’s Thrush:

Two complete, but very welcome, surprises were a migrating Harris’s Sparrow in breeding plumage (I’ve only ever seen them in the fall until this point):

And a similarly breeding plumaged male Blackpoll Warbler:

When it comes to migration, you truly never know exactly what birds will turn up where!

A little later, in June, I went visiting the ponds again and enjoyed the antics of a pair of drake Ruddy Ducks as they tried to impress a lone female with their ‘bubbly’ courtship display:

My last June outings were in Kananaskis Country, with the most notable finds being a pair of singing Alder Flycatchers at Lower Kananaskis Lake:

And a gorgeous singing MacGillivray’s Warbler at Bow Valley Provincial Park:

A pair of hungry young Pine Siskins still begging their parents for food was another highlight as well:

Finally, a long hike in early July to see wildflowers in the foothills south-west of Calgary yielded a nice pair of Townsend’s Solitaires:

and a lovelyRose-breasted Grosbeak – a real treat as I have rarely seen this striking bird!: