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| 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.
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| Pied-billed Grebe |
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| American Coot |
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Canvasback
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