Alberta Trip August 2026

A Bald Eagle @ Fish Creek Provincial Park in August 2024

This August I’ll be returning to Alberta, a journey I’ve been eagerly anticipating. It’s a chance to reconnect with family, rekindle friendships, and immerse myself once more in the sweeping prairie vistas—and, of course, the birds. Calgary remains one of my favorite places on earth, with Fish Creek Provincial Park playing a central role in that affection. This will be my third visit, following trips in 2019 and 2024, during which I recorded 154 species, 102 of them lifers.

I’ll be based in Calgary for just under four weeks, with a brief detour to Edmonton. To prepare, I’ve already subscribed to the eBird rare bird alerts, with a daily update, and begun mapping routes by bus and train to hotspots like Carburn Park and the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. It will be great also to see my friends and birding pals John and Keith. This year carries extra significance: I’m aiming to reach 300 species in a calendar year for the first time, so every sighting matters, so as the weeks turn to days, I will also subscribe to ebird's Need Alert. Yet there are a few special birds I hope to encounter. Knowing this may be my last Canadian trip for a while, I intend to savor every moment—whether it’s watching birds, photographing wildlife, or capturing the beauty of insects, flowers, and landscapes.

Head over to our "Birding Abroad" to follow my progress on the trip's home page, from preparation to trip conclusion.