Barb Castell is a birder who lives on an acreage SW of Calgary, Alberta, near the community of Priddis. The location is in the foothills, a transition zone between the prairies to the east and the mountains to the west. It is a great place to see birds, including some …
Rob and I had a pretty quiet Christmas week, it was just nice to have so much time together as we work different shifts. We also enjoyed a bit of birding while we were off together. We may not of captured any great photos, but we made some great …
The last month has been an interesting one here in Toronto, both with the weather and the birds. Spring may of arrived in March, but “old man winter” kept hanging on, his most cruel blow coming in the form of a three day ice storm the second …
In late June I took a drive northwest of Calgary to see a pair of Sandhill Cranes that were reportedly nesting along the shore of a large pond (or small lake, if you prefer). I’d never really visited this particular area before, despite it being close to Grand Valley Road …
It was inevitable, but my shorebird stint (no pun intended) has come to an end, with this, the penultimate entry to the series. I’m going to break this down into four sections based somewhat on genetics, but also somewhat on the “easy” ones and the “hard” ones. The scare quotes …
We have all seen American Robins build their nests very close to houses, or even on them. Usually these nests are in well-protected spots, for example under the eaves of a house. Even if the nest is right by a doorway where people enter and exit, the young robins usually …
Posted by Bob Lefebvre, Calgary The last two winters have seen huge irruptions of redpolls into the Calgary area, and across much of southern Canada and the northern continental US. This doesn’t happen every year, and it has been difficult to find any Common Redpolls in some recent winters. Finding …
Posted by Bob Lefebvre – Calgary, Alberta Last summer I posted here about Lesser Slave Lake in northern Alberta as a birding destination. There are always lots of good birds there, and during our trip in July 2012 I got a few pictures around the campsite. Canada Warblers are fairly …
Guest Post by Ted Cheskey, Nature Canada Manager of Bird Conservation The Greater Sage-grouse is on the brink of extinction in Canada. This iconic prairie bird, known for its spectacular mating dance, will likely vanish if emergency measures are not put in place to protect its grassland and sagebrush habitat. Unfortunately, the Sage-grouse …
Guest post by Bob Lefebvre Next week is our annual family reunion/camping trip which we usually spend on Lesser Slave Lake in northern Alberta. The campsite, at Lily Creek in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, is a beautiful spot in the heart of the boreal forest. There is a huge …