Alberta 2024 - Week 3 -Days 15 - 14 (August 28th - September 3rd)

One of week three's Lifers Greater White-fronted Goose

Week three in Calgary unfolded with a quieter rhythm, at least from a birding perspective. Most of my outings centered around Fish Creek Provincial Park, particularly the southeastern stretches—Hull Woods, the Boat Launch, Lafarge Meadows, and, of course, multiple pilgrimages to Mallard Point in search of warblers.  It was during one of those warbler quests through Hull Woods that I finally locked eyes on a long-standing nemesis: a Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii). This bird kept alluding me during my first trip in 2019 and for most of this one but is now my first lifer of the week.  The second lifer came on a trip to Frank's Lake with John MacGillivray and Keith Miles. Rather than heading straight to the main lake by the lookout, we paused at a roadside pond, just opposite an intersection and there it was among hundreds of ducks a Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). This medium to large in size goose, brownish-gray plumage, a bright orange bill, and a bold white undertail— stood out with quiet eleganc 

The targeted bird for the locals, John and Keith, was a Great Egret (Ardea alba), which we quickly found.  An additional bonus for them was a s Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) feeding among the many Long billed ones, two birds quite common here at home but causes a stir in Alberta. It’s a reminder of how perspective shapes our appreciation, and how birding connects us across geographies.

On August 30th, while scanning the edges of Lafarge Meadows, I flushed two small birds from separate spots along the water’s edge. The second bird darted off with a strong, direct flight—warbler-like in motion, round-bodied, and short-tailed. Despite my best efforts, it remained unidentified, a mystery that still lingers. this is the one that got away.  Week three though not moving the lifer needle much was still a good week of birding. Other than the two lifers, I was able to photograph a few new species and improve the image quality of some I already had in my library.  On to week four, our last week in beautiful Calgary.

Trip Stats:  New Birds for the Trip: 12 | Lifers f: 2| Total Trip Count: 125 | Total Lifers: 26 | Trip Report

August 29: Orange-crowned Warbler, Cooper's Hawk; August 30: Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Horned Grebe; August 31: Greater White-fronted Goose, Green-winged Teal, Short-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Forster's Tern, White-faced Ibis, Great Egret.

Week 2 |Home | Week 4 

Pied-billed Grebe

American Coot

Canvasback

My 2025 Checklist (updated 09/09/2025)

My 100th bird of the year, at the end of August, was an absolute stunner—a Cuban Martin (Progne cryptoleuca), unexpectedly turning up in St. Lucy on August 26th. A mega rarity and a thrilling yearbird! But if you’ve been keeping track, you’ll notice it’s no longer listed as number 100. Why the shuffle? Earlier this year, I had logged my second lifer for 2026 as a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), only to later remove it due to the tricky ID challenge posed by the recent split from the Eurasian based, Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Anywhere else in the hemisphere, it might’ve been a straightforward call—but this is Barbados, where European vagrants have a habit of just popping up unannounced. Thankfully, thanks to the tight-knit global birding community, the sighting was eventually confirmed as a Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)—a lifer and the first-ever record for Barbados and the Americas. That reclassification bumped the Cuban Martin to #101 on the list, but it’s still a highlight of the season.
September didn’t disappoint either. A surprise Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) made an appearance, (remember what I said about Barbados and Eurasian birds) and I finally tracked down one of my long-standing nemesis birds for 2026 at the WSR, a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) marking my 104th species for the year.

With a few regulars still expected, I’m well on track to hit my goal of 115+ species for 2025. The chase continues!

            _____________________________________________________________________

94.  Black Swift - Cypseloides niger

Key: Rare birds; Barbados Purple lifer; W.I Lifers; World Lifer  * Rare for the time of year

_________________________________________________________________

104.Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
103.Upland Sandpiper - Bartramia longicauda
102.Eurasian Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia
101.Cuban Martin - Progne cryptoleuca
100.Bridled Tern - Onychoprion anaethetus
99.  White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis
98.  Red Knot - Calidris canutus
97.  Sandwich Tern - Thalasseus sandvicensis
96.  Willet - Tringa semipalmata
95.  Hen Harrier - Circus cyaneus (171;220;416)
94.  Black Swift - Cypseloides niger
93.  Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii
92.  Common Swift - Apus apus
91.  Least Tern - Sternula antillarum
90.  Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
89.  Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri
88.  Bobolink - Dolichonyx oryzivorus* (seen in May)
87.  Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos* (seen in May)
86.  American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus
85.  Striated Heron - Butorides striata
84.  Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus 
83.  White-tailed Hawk - Geranoaetus albicaudatus
82.  Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
81.  Cliff Swallow - Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
80.  Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus
79.  Pacific Golden-Plover - Pluvialis fulva
78.  Fork-tailed Flycatcher - Tyrannus savana
77.  Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus
76.  Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
75.  Black-throated Blue Warbler - Setophaga caerulescens (170;219;415)
74.  Northern Parula - Setophaga americana
73.  Pearly-eyed Thrasher - Margarops fuscatus
72.  Brown Booby  - Sula leucogaster
71.  Laughing Gull - Leucophaeus atricilla
70.  American Wigeon - Mareca americana  
69.  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - Nyctanassa violacea
68.  Prothonotary Warbler - Protonotaria citrea
67.  White-crowned Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala
66.  Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias 
65.  Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax 
64.  Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus
63.  Masked Duck - Nomonyx dominicus 
62.  Gadwall - Mareca strepera 
61.  Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus
60.  Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca 
59.  Northern Pintail - Anas acuta 
58.  Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica 
57.  Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus
56.  Northern Waterthrush - Parkesia noveboracensis
55.  Orange-winged Parrot - Amazona amazonica
54.  Little Blue Heron - Egretta caerulea
53.  Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica
52.  Eared Dove - Zenaida auriculata
51.  Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
50.  Yellow Warbler - Setophaga petechia
49.  Shiny Cowbird - Molothrus bonariensis
48.  Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri
47.  Black-whiskered Vireo - Vireo altiloquus
46.  Caribbean Elaenia - Elaenia martinica
45.  Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus
44.  Osprey - Pandion haliaetus
43.  Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
42.  Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria
41.  Wilson's Snipe - Gallinago delicata
40.  Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens
39.  Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
38.  Grassland Yellow-Finch - Sicalis luteola
37.  Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
36.  Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps
35.  Common Ground Dove - Columbina passerina
34.  Caribbean Martin - Progne dominicensis
33.  Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla
32.  Black-bellied Plover - Pluvialis squatarola
31.  Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
30.  Pacific Golden-Plover - Pluvialis fulva
29.  Gray Kingbird - Tyrannus dominicensis
28.  Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
27.  Great Egret - Ardea alba
26.  Green Heron - Butorides virescens
25.  Snowy Egret - Egretta thula
24.  Tricolored Heron - Egretta tricolor
23.  Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca
22.  Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius
21.  Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
20.  American Coot - Fulica americana
19.  Sora- Porzana carolina 
18.  Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
17.  Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
16.  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - Dendrocygna autumnalis
15.  Sanderling - Calidris alba
14.  Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
13.  Royal Tern - Thalasseus Maximus
12.  Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus
11.  Black-faced Grassquit - Melanospiza bicolor
10.  Barbados Bullfinch - Loxigilla barbadensis
9.    Bananaquit - Coereba flaveola
8.    Carib Grackle - Quiscalus lugubris
7.    Common Gallinule - Gallinula galeata
6.    Antillean Crested Hummingbird - Orthorhyncus cristatus
5.    Green-throated Carib - Eulampis holosericeus
4.    Zenaida Dove - Zenaida aurita
3.    Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres
2.    Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
1.    Scaly-naped Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa

Global Big Day 2025 A Fantastic Day of Birding (Part 1)

Global Big Day 2025 was a fantastic experience birding with the family! It was wonderful to reunite The Moore Birders, our family birding team, for the first time since COVID. We were all eager to see as many birds as possible on World Migratory Bird Day, May 10th.

The night before, we held a team meeting to strategize. We assigned tasks to ensure smooth transitions between locations and to guarantee we identified and accurately recorded every bird on our list in our eBird trip report (www.ebird.org). Our plan was to start early, hitting our first birding spot by 5:15 AM, with a highly anticipated visit to a special location scheduled for 6:00 AM. The excitement was palpable!

05:00

The house is quiet, with everyone asleep! What a way to start the day. We were up and moving by 5:15 AM, with my wife preparing breakfast and lunch for us to take along. I decided to head to our first stop, the pond at SBRC, just a short five-minute drive away. My target birds were the Black-crowned Nightheron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and the rare Striated Heron (Butorides striata). While getting ready to leave home, I managed to log my first six species of the day, all common birds found around the house. I then drove to the SBRC Pond at Mangrove, St. Thomas, where I added four more species, including one of my targets - the Black-crowned Night Heron. I saw six of them, of various ages, in the water lettuce-filled pond, but there was no sign of the Striated Heron. By the time we were all on the road, we had already tallied ten species! Unfortunately, we were now running late for our 6:00 AM appointment, so I called ahead to apologize. Due to our late start and the appointment, we decided to skip two other locations.

The New Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary 

The Famous Egrets Island at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Our appointment was at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, thanks to the management allowing me and my team to do the first World Migratory Bird Day count at this Important Birding Area (IBA), RAMSAR site, the first time in nearly twenty years.  I was given a tour while it was being worked on, and was excited to see it close to completion and preparing for it grand opening on May 30th.  While we were excited, we didn't forget our task, even though it was difficult keeping everyone from being distracted by all the purposeful distractions that would tantalize while educating the guests to this iconic facility. Our main targets were the less common of the two nightherons on the island - the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), and the Orange-winged Parrot (Amazona amazonica), both were seen. We spent about one and a half hours at Graeme Hall and added fifteen species. The reopening of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary will be a welcome occasion for locals and visitors alike and will have something for all. I will post on our sister blog,  Bird of Barbados, on a later date, but a special thanks to Mr. Da Silva and Mr. Graham Cumberbatch. 

South Coast

Whimbrel @ Chancery Lane - Year-bird

After leaving GHNS, we made a series of stops along the south coast: Oistins, Silver Rock, Inch Marlow, and finally Chancery Lane. This route added another nine species to our tally, including my first of two "year birds," a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), which we spotted during our stop at Chancery Lane in Christ Church. Unfortunately, we missed a few species that were on our list, namely the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) at Oistins, and the Sanderling (Calidris alba) at Inch Marlow. Following our stop at Chancery Lane, we headed inland to several private locations in and around the parish of St. Philip.

In and Around St. Philip

Black-necked Stilt at a wetland in St. Philip

Our first stop was Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR), which was surprisingly dry. However, I was pleased to find over fifty Zenaida Doves (Zenaida aurita) feeding in one of the dry areas. Even better, we spotted a single Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) among them, adding another species to our day's count. After leaving WSR, we stopped at two private locations, where we added a few more species, including the rare Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). By this point, we were well past our scheduled breakfast time, so we opted for brunch instead.

At this break, we had reached a total of 43 species (see the full list here). In Part Two, we'll begin our journey north.

Images from GBD2025

Images From Global Big Day 2025

Zenaida Dove

Hybrid Little/Snowy Egret

Little Egret

Peeps - L - Western Sandpiper, R- Semipalmated Sandpiper

Another Hybrid at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Black-necked Stilt

Western Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egrets at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Black-whiskered Vireo

Orange-winged Parrot

Green Heron keeping a watchful eye on a Common Gallinule 

Green Heron

Nonbird - Green Monkey in Red Mangrove

Egret Island @ Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary

Whimbrel

Great Blue Heron

Snowy Egret @ Silver Rock

Almost Ready for the Global Big Day 2025

The countdown to Global Big Day 2025 is almost over, and I'm nearly ready to go! This incredible worldwide event brings together bird lovers everywhere to observe and document species in a single day. Organized by eBird, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it not only celebrates birds but also contributes to conservation efforts and valuable research on bird populations.

It’s going to be a special family day, with the Moore Birders heading out together for the adventure. As the team leader for our local group, Bajan Birders & Friends, I’m also thrilled that, for the fourth year in a row, we’ll be participating in BirdsCaribbean's annual Global Big Day fundraiser.

The rare White-tailed Hawk will be one of the difficult birds to locate tomorrow during GBD2025

While I’m simply excited to be outdoors birding with my family and raising awareness for birds in our region, I’ve set a few personal goals for the day. First, I want to beat my personal best of 52 species, recorded during Global Big Day 2017—an unforgettable day of birding!
Second, I aim to wrap up the event with a year tally of over 90 species, which would be my highest total following a Global Big Year. At 88 species so far, I’m closer than I’ve ever been at this point in the year, and there are still a few species on the island I have yet to spot.

Third, I hope to conduct the first-ever Global Big Day count at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary—the last remaining original red mangrove swamp. The sanctuary is due to reopen later this month after nearly two decades of closure, and I’m currently seeking permission to document birds there for GBD2025. If granted, it would mark the first such record for this Important Bird Area (IBA).

With scouting nearly complete, the schedule is being adjusted and fine-tuned. Tonight, the Moore Birders will hold our final team meeting, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll kick things off tomorrow, May 10th, Global Big Day 2025, at 5 a.m. with our first checklist. What will our first bird be? Keep your eyes on this space.

Happy birding, everyone!

2024 Year Review

Audouin's Gull, a new species for Barbados in 2024

As my ebird checklist rolled over to zero signaling the start of another year, I could not help but reminisce on an exciting year of birding and bird photography. I saw 220 species of birds in three countries, a new personal record for birds seen in one year. Thirty-four lifers, most of which were recorded on a trip to Canada in August -September, and a new species for the island, an Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii), my seventh such finding.

It was one of those banner years for birding in Barbados! Not only did we witness an impressive 122 species recorded, but we also saw a significant increase in the number of birders actively exploring the island, most of whom were visitors.

  Personally, I observed 109 species, adding 7 exciting lifers to my list, including several rare and even mega-rare sightings. Sharing the knowledge I acquired on my birding journey with others has been a gratifying part of my passion.  Last year, I had the privilege of leading three enjoyable field trips: one with ecology students at the University of the West Indies and two with students from McGill University. Additionally, I had the honor of working with a group of young biologists as they conducted a brief study on the Eurasian Collared Dove. I was incredibly impressed with their insightful presentations of their findings.

Common Loon

My trip to Canada was a resounding success! I finally crossed the Common Loon (Gavia immer) off of my bucketlist of must-see birds and, a long-awaited addition to my life list. While I narrowly missed another bucketlist bird a Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis), I was rewarded with another magnificent member of the crane family Whooping Crane (Grus americana).

The return journey home from Canada took an unexpected turn when Air Canada rerouted us through Grenada, providing an impromptu four-hour stopover. I seized the opportunity to do some quick birding at the airport and was delighted to add a Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis) to my life list.

Here is a breakdown of my 2024 static: 

• Total Species seen in 2024: 220 species
• Total Lifers: 34 species
• Canada: 145 species      Lifers: 28 species
• Barbados: 109 species   Lifers: 7 species   Local Lifers : 1
• Grenada:  7 species       Lifer: 1 species

My Goals  2025

With several local birders embarking on a big year, I considered joining in and even started. However, my first chase to register a yearbird reminded me why I decided against it—birding becomes more about ticking boxes than truly enjoying the birds. So, no big year for me, but I will support those who are participating.  This year, I want to focus more on my photography. Although I have said this at the start of the past two to three years, I really mean it this year. Additionally, I hope to continue sharing my knowledge with others and to be a mentor for new birders and guides trained by Birds Caribbean last year.  While no overseas trips are planned at the moment (though anything is possible!), I'm excited to see what the year brings. 

My goal for 2025 is simple: 

• Prioritize photography: Capture stunning images of the birds I encounter. keep an eye on this IG space
• Expand my life list: Add at least 3 new species to my list.
• Share my passion: Continue to share my knowledge and experience with fellow birders.
• Embrace the journey: Focus on enjoying the process of birding and appreciating each encounter.

I hope you continue to follow this blog and its sister blog, The Birds of Barbados. Here's to a wonderful and bird-filled 2025 for all of us!

2024 Lifers

Life #393 - Swainson's Thrush

Key: Barbados - Bar; Canada - Can; Grenada - Gre; West Indies -WI; World - Wor.

34.  Nashville Warbler - Leiothlypis ruficapilla (Bar: 169; WI: 218; Wor :414)
33.  Western House-Martin - Delichon urbicum (Bar:167; WI: 216; Wor: 413)
32.  Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica (Bar:166; WI: 215; Wor: 412)
31.  Yellow-bellied Seedeater - Sporophila nigricollis (Gre: 30; WI: 214 Wor: 411)
30.  Swamp Sparrow - Melospiza georgiana (Can:155; Wor: 410)
29.  Evening Grosbeak - Coccothraustes vespertinus (Can:154; Wor: 409)
28.  Palm Warbler - Setophaga palmarum (Can:153; Wor: 408)
27.  Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons (Can:147; Wor: 407)
26.  Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii  (Can:145; Wor: 406)
25.  White-throated Sparrow - Zonotrichia albicollis (Can:144; Wor: 405)
24.  Red Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra  (Can:143; Wor: 404)
23.  Brown Creeper - Certhia americana (Can:142; Wor: 403)
22.  Boreal Chickadee - Poecile hudsonicus (Can:141; Wor: 402)
21.  American Three-toed Woodpecker - Picoides dorsalis (Can:140; Wor: 401)
20.  Mountain Bluebird - Sialia currucoides (Can:139; Wor: 400)
19. Common Loon - Gavia immer (Can:138; Wor: 399) 
18. Canada Jay - Perisoreus canadensis (Can:136; Wor: 398) 
17. Steller's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri (Can:135; Wor: 397) 
16. Swainson's Thrush - Catharus ustulatus  (Can:134; Wor: 396) 
15. Clark's Nutcracker - Nucifraga columbiana (Can:133; Wor: 395) 
14. Rufous Hummingbird - Selasphorus rufus (Can:132; Wor: 394) 
13. Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Corthylio calendula (Can:130; Wor: 393) 
12. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys (Can:129; Wor: 392) 
11. Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis (Can:128; Wor: 391) 
10. Canada Warbler - Cardellina canadensis  (Can:125; Wor: 390) 
9.   Western Meadowlark - Sturnella neglecta (Can:124; Wor: 389)
8.   Western Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis (Can:123; Wor: 388)
7.   Nelson's Sparrow - Ammospiza nelsoni (Can:122; Wor: 387)
6.   Northern Harrier - Circus hudsonius (Can:121; Wor: 386)
5.   Baird's Sandpiper - Calidris bairdii (Can:116; Wor: 385)
4.   Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa (Can:113; Wor: 384)
3.   Whooping Crane - Grus americana (Can: 108; Wor: 383)
2.   Audouin's Gull - Ichthyaetus audouinii (Bar:165;WI: 213; Wor: 382)
1.   White-tailed Hawk - Geranoaetus albicaudatus (Bar:164;WI: 212; Wor: 381)