I’m sitting here at my computer in Alberta, listening to the occasional squawks of a bald eagle sitting on a nest in British Columbia, with American robins and frogs in the background. You gotta love the internet! Hancock Wildlife Federation has set up a live streaming video of a bald …
Even though this video is not a Canadian bird species, it is an incredible view of a Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus sitting on a nest with five fledglings. Truly outstanding, and not a view we’re usually allowed to see!
It’s been a very white spring here in the west. As loathe as I am to admit it, it’s now the second day of April, and no matter which window I look out of, I see snow. Piles of snow. Sigh. Fortunately, up and down the foothills, birdwatchers are reporting …
To many birdwatchers, owls are the ultimate challenge. Absolute masters at blending into their environment, combined with the fact that many species are nocturnal, owl sightings are always a treat. Two experienced birdwatchers in northern Alberta may have just set a record for that treat. Leaving Edmonton at 7:00 am, …
The provincial government of British Columbia recently announced a law prohibiting the ownership of exotic animals as pets. While their intent is to prevent injuries to people is laudable, their actual list of prohibited animals is laughable. The list, not surprisingly, is heavily geared towards mammals (tigers, lions) and reptiles …
Growing up in northern Alberta, I distinctly remember flocks of whooping cranes passing over our house. It was a normal as the sun setting. Little did we know what the future held for these huge, whooping birds. The whooping crane was designated as an Endangered Species in Canada in 1978. …
Funny how the little things are often the most important. Have a look at this website from the National Wildlife Federation, listing 5 Animals Mankind Needs to Survive.
What would you think is the most common bird in Canada? If you guessed Canada goose, you would at least be in the correct family! According to Environment Canada, our snow goose population now stands at over 4.5 million breeding birds, and has tripled over the past 20 years. While …
Happy Spring! Today is officially the first day of spring, and in many parts of the country, it’s been a long time coming. Just after dawn this morning, I was levitated out of my bed by a very loud bird noise in the back yard. At the very least it …
Well I’m a happy camper today. Bird watching yesterday gave me my first look at returning gulls. Granted, they were too high for me to make a species identification, but they were definitely gulls. And right on schedule. As I live next to the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, I’ve …