Alberta 2024 - Day 7 -Banff, First Day

The resort town of Banff is arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth. Its landscapes are the stuff of postcards, and while it’s renowned for encounters with North America’s largest mammals like Grizzly and Black bears, wolves, deer, and moose, its avifauna is often overlooked. I had a fantastic time exploring the stunning locations with friends and family, all while seeking out and recording the bird species we encountered. By the end of our three-day stay, I had spotted twenty-seven species, eight of which were lifers. Here are some of the highlights.

August 21st

Our birding adventure began before dawn. As we stepped out of the house around 5 AM, a chilly breeze greeted us. My son, Jason, excitedly pointed out what he thought was the largest bat he'd ever seen. However, upon closer inspection, we realized it was an owl. Unfortunately, we couldn't definitively identify the species, though local expert Keith Miles suggested it might have been a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), a known species in the environ.
We boarded a FlixBus in downtown Calgary for the hour-and-a-half drive along the Trans-Canada Highway 1 to Banff. I had a window seat, which made for some interesting drive-by birding. One of the highlights was spotting the Whooping famous Whooping Crane standing out prominently in a nearby field. Its white plumage was a stark contrast against the green landscape, as even then was unwittingly entertaining a few birders who were parked and observing for the customarily lookout point in an adjacent road to the highway. I witnessed a fascinating encounter between a Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) and an adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at a small a small pond in one of the fields along the way.  I am still at awe at the size of the Bald Eagle as it was much larger than what is considered to be a medium to large hawk. 

White-crowned Sparrow

Two things surprised me when we eventually arrived in the town of Banff. First, it was incredibly cold, much colder than Calgary. Without a doubt, it was the coldest I have ever been. Thankfully, we took my aunt’s advice and brought heavier coats. These, along with the coats we normally wear in Calgary, offered some protection, but we still hurried to the nearest store to purchase mittens, which helped somewhat. The second surprise was how easy it was to spot my first two lifers: the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) and the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). From my first visit to Calgary, I had searched for these species, which are not considered too rare, without success. Yet here, they were extremely common. However, they were not as common as the invasive House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), whose calls and presence dominated the main street.

We spent our first day exploring the attractions in and near the town. Our visit to the world-famous Fairmont Banff Springs gave me a lifer I was not expecting: a Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus). My final lifer for the day, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula), appeared as I followed the trail along the Bow River. Over the three days, this area proved to be very productive for birding, and I visited it daily, mostly in the early mornings.  There I saw birds such as Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis), Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), both Audobon and Myrtle variance, Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) and even a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius).  

I had a very active and productive first day in the town of Banff which set the tone for the days to come. 

Trip Stats at this Point

New Species for the Day:  7 | Lifers for the Day: 5 | Total Species for this Trip: 101 | Total Lifers for this Trip: 12 | Total Lifers: 27

Bird Seen

Rufous Hummingbird, Common Yellowthroat, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Chickadee, Warbling Vireo, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco

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