Calgary, Alberta - Days 12 & 13 - August 12-13th (Mallard Point)

My last 4 days of birding in Calgary were spent mostly at Fish Creek – Mallard Point in search of migrating Warblers.  In those few days, I recorded 59 species,  6 were first for the trip and lifers. I also added a few more species from  Burnsmead.

The 12^th Day 12 –Overcast and raining 

I took the bus to the stop at WB Canyon Meadows Drive and made my first entry to Mallard Point around 7 am,  using the Canyon Meadows trail to the public area.  As I walked the trail, I was greeted with my usual morning serenading by Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia),  but when I  was crossing over from the paved trail to the bike trail, an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), my second for the trip but first at Fish Creek, flew into a tree just across the river.  When I reached the public area, I was drawn to some shrubbery that was teeming with activity. Warblers such as Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronate), Tennessee Warblers (Leiothlypis peregrine), and a Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis), also House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and a few sparrows were busy looking for food.  Another Waterthrush I saw was in an area with stagnant water, and it was in that area I saw my first Mallard Point lifer, an Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla). I saw 25 species of birds on my first day at Mallard Point.

From Mallard Point I crossed over the river, using the footbridge, to the wooded area at Douglasbank Park. My plan was to follow the trail on that side of the river to the bridge at Burnsmead, but my trek was curtailed by rain and I returned to Mallard Point for shelter, before heading home after the rain. I visited my favorite ponds at Burnsmead on my way home and was rewarded with a lifer. I was finally able to separate Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  from Gadwall (Mareca strepera) thanks to a small patch of white on the wing which gave me a Gadwall. 

Day 13, August 13^th

I started about 7 AM and made my first stop by the shrubbery just opposite the car park at Mallard Point. Like the day before it was teeming with activity. From there I followed the path through the woods and saw my first bird of interest but was unable to identify it. This bird was yellow and had a reddish wash over its face. It was later identified as a Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), thanks to the help of a Nature Calgary birder. My second lifer of the day, Wilson's Warblers (Cardellina pusilla), was seen in an area not far from the footbridge. It became a daily sighting in this very area. I saw 26 species at Mallard Point that day, two of which were new to the trip.

For the two days, I recorded 52 species, of which 4 were lifers.

Trip Tally

New Species for the Days: 4

New Lifers for the Days: 4

Total Species for the Trip: 101

Total Lifers for the Trip: 70  

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Tennessee Warbler

Swainson's Hawk