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Cedar Waxwing

My 2019 solo birding trip to Calgary was a blast, but this year's adventure promises to be even more epic! The entire Moore Birding Team – that's me and the family – will be exploring Calgary and Banff for a month. The trip will begin on August 14th, involving nearly 10 hours of flying and a 10-hour layover at Pearson International Airport. Birdwatching will kick off in earnest the following day, the 15th. In subsequent posts, I’ll share details about my birdwatching excursions, lifers (newly spotted bird species), and adventures. I’ll mark the lifers recorded in bold on the Calgary 2024 checklist..

Birding Vacation

• Travel Day - Let the Birding Begin 
• Week 1 - August 15th - 20th 
• Week 1 Trip Report
• Banff - Day 1 - August 21st
•  - Day 2 - August 22nd
•  - Day 3 - August 23rd
• Banff Trip Report
• Week 2 - August 24th - 27th
• Week 2 Trip Report
• Week 3 - August 28th - September 3rd
• Week 3 Trip Report
• Week 4 - September 4th - 10th
•  Week 4 Trip Report
• Bonus Days - Calgary, Toronto, Grenada 11- 14th
• Bonus Days Trip Report
•  Acknowledgements
• Total Birding Checklist (lifers Bolded)

The Photo Gallery

• Bird Images
• Mammals Images 
• Landscapes Images

My goals for the trip:

• 21 New Species and Beyond: Adding 21 new lifers to my species count would bring my all-time checklist to 400 species observed! - reached as surpassed 400 world species with Brown Creeper on August 27th
• Priority Birds: 
• Common Loon (Gavia immer) - heard on August 26, Fish Creek  
• White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) - seen 27th Brown-lowery
• White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - seen in Banff on 21st
• Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) - Seen in Banff on the 21st
• Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)-seen on the 27th at Brown-lowery
• Whooping Crane (Grus Americana) - I do hope it hangs around for a few more days - seen on the 16th
• Deeper Dive into Fish Creek Park: This sprawling park holds a wealth of avian treasures, and I can't wait to delve deeper after my initial exploration in 2019.
• With the Bonus Day, including 21 plus hours in Toronto, I've added a few more targeted species that are commonly seen in there:
• Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) no such luck
• Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) I will try Calgary in the winter
• Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - sadly no

Resources

Field Guide

Digital Resources

• ebird.org: Exploring the Calgary Rare Birds Alert and Target Species sections.
• Merlin Bird ID App: Western Canada pack installed, ready to test the sound identification feature.
• Birds Calgary Blog: Their Resources section is a go-to for all things birding in Calgary.
• Nature Calgary: Another valuable resource. I hope to join their field trip to St. Patrick's Island on August 23rd!
• Alberta Parks: Advisories & Public Safety page for staying informed about trail conditions and wildlife encounters.
• D.J. McNeil, Jr. CEAP Birds YouTube Channel   - I used this channel to brush up on my warblers, flycatchers, and woodpeckers identification.

What's in My Bag 

• Canon 7D Mark II
• Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM
• Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6
• Vortex Optics Diamondback binoculars