The Enthusiastic Birder: Alberta 2024 - Week 4 -Days 23 - 29 (September 4th

Palm Warbler, one of my three lifers during the week

My final week in Alberta was nothing short of spectacular. Each morning from September 6th to the 10th, I followed a familiar routine: starting at Fish Creek – Burnmead, winding my way down to Sikome Lake, and then looping back. By the end of the week, I had added eleven more species to my 2024 trip list. Even better, four of those were new records for my Canada list—and three were lifers.

The lifers were especially memorable:

Evening Grosbeak (Hesperiphona vespertina)
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)

There were standout moments beyond the lifers too. One morning, a Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) landed on my hand, curious and searching for food. That close encounter was pure magic, a beautiful moment but also a reminder of why it is encouraged not to feed wild birds, animal in general, it desensitizes the animal and causes to associate humans with handouts, which can be dangerous for the animal and the human. (getting off my soapbox) Hull Woods itself was a warbler haven, and as you might know, warblers are my favorite family of birds—so every flutter in the branches was of interest to me even it turned out to be a ubiquitous Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata).

Pileated Woodpecker feeding

At Sikome Lake, I had one of the trip’s true highlights: a prolonged encounter with a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). For more than ten minutes, I watched it hammer into a tree, then use its astonishingly long tongue to probe deep into the wood for insects. It was raw, powerful, and mesmerizing—a perfect display of this species unique feed technique.

Not every target bird showed itself, though. I had hoped to reconnect with the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), a star bird of the area that I first saw in Calgary back in 2019. Reports placed it between Sikome and the Boat Launch, but despite my efforts, it remained elusive. That’s birding for you—sometimes the chase is as memorable as the find.

Swamp Sparrow, a lifier

My Alberta farewell was filled with lifers, rare encounters, and unforgettable moments. Even without the owl, the week was deeply rewarding and only strengthened my love for Calgary and Fish Creek Provincial Park. It has truly become one of my favorite places on earth, and I know I’ll return again.

But the adventure didn’t end there. Thanks to Air Canada, I was gifted a few unexpected bonus days of birding—not just back in Calgary, but also in Toronto and Grenada. Those surprise outings added a whole new layer - both positive and negative - to the journey, and I’ll share all the birding details in my next post.

Trip Stats: New Birds for the Trip: 10 | Lifers: 3| Total Trip Count: 144 | Total Lifers: 28 | Trip Report

September 04: Red-eyed Vireo, Lincoln's Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler; September 06: Ring-necked Pheasant, Gadwall; September 07: Palm Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker; September 08: Red-tailed Hawk; September 09: Solitary Sandpiper; September 10: Evening Grosbeak, Swamp Sparrow.