Mammals of Calgary - Part 2

 Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Long-tailed Weasel 
(Mustela frenata)

White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)

American Beaver 

(Castor canadensis)

Mammals of Calgary - Part 1

Deers 

Whitetail(Odocoileus virginianus) or/and  Mule Deers (Odocoileus hemionus) - I can't tell them apart

 Squirrels 

Richardson's Ground Squirrel
(Urocitellus richardsonii)

Gray Squirrel 
(Sciurus carolinensis)

Golden-mantled Ground
Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis)

Least Chipmunk
(Neotamias minimus) 

Red Squirrel 
(Sciurus vulgaris)

Gray or Red Squirrel

Gray or Red Squirrel

Two Year Birds

Brown Pelican

As I traverse the island yesterday, Thursday March, 26, I recorded two new year birds. The first one, a rare bird, a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) at Pile Bay, St. Michael. 

Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron

Later in the afternoon while birding in the north I paid a visit to an egrets rookery at Half Acre, St. Lucy and was surprised to find seven juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). These two brought my big year count to 76 species.   
Remember to practice social distancing and for those under quarantine or on lockdown, just fine a window and emerge yourself in the beauty of creation, it can lift your spirit. Stay safe.

Big Year Update: February

The second month of the year looks a lot better than the first for both my Big Year 2020 and Photographic big Year challenges.  In the case of my Big Year, I added 10 species to finish the month at 71 bird species. The birds added were:

1. Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis)
2. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
3. Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
4. Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
5. Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)
6. Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)
7. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
8. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
9. Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias)
10. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)

For the Photographic Big Year challenge, I added 7 images to close the month off with 9 images. The month of March is normally a quiet birding month so I am not expecting any big jumps in the Big Year 2020  tally.  What that does though, is afforded me time to concentrate on gaining quality images for the Photographic Big Year list.  Let's see how that goes.

February Images

Ruddy Turnstone

Green-throated Carib

Royal Tern

American Coot

Black-whiskered Vireo

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron

Big Year Update: January

After almost a month and a half, I have finally got started on my 2020 Photographic Big Year campaign.  I had a few hiccups with the lens but I have a backup cheapo, a Canon 75-300 mm.  I have just uploaded my first two birds, 1.Grey kingbird and 2. Merlin.  Checking in on my other 2020 Big Year Challenge, this is to record 110 bird species for 2020, now stands at sixty-five species. You can see the list here.  The year is moving at lightning pace, would you believe it is mid-February already and I am behind in both challenges? But not for long stay tuned for the birds to come.

 Images from Photographic Big Year Challenge

1. Grey kingbird

2. Merlin

2020

As my year count rolled over to 0 on "My eBird" page, it signaled the start of a new year, new goals, with new challenges.  This year, 2020, will be the first full year for this blog The Enthusiastic Birder, and as was done with its sister blog Birds of Barbados, when it started in 2012/13, we will be christening it by doing a big year, two infact - a triditional Big Year and a Photographic Big Year.  With both of these challenges I will be seeking to do something I have never done before - see 110, and photograph 100 local bird species in a calendar year. You can follow my progress here or on our twitter page. I wish you all a productive and birdfull 2020. 

Calgary, Alberta - Days 16 - August 16th (Last Day)

This was the rainiest, coldest day of them all,  about 9^oC with intermittent rain.  If it was not my last day in Canada, it would have been a day I stayed indoors, but I still have birds to see and places to explore.   So it was off to Mallard Point to see what the weather brought in, and unwisely without rain protection.  I got to the public area at 7:30 AM,  checked the area opposite the shrubs across from the car park before following the trail into the woods.  As I was walking a warbler flew to a dried tree branch and started foraging.  It was a

Townsend's Warbler  (Setophaga townsendi)!  I was so excited.  My excitement grew even more when I saw four chicken-like birds foraging on the ground, two adults and two chicks. I thought I hit the jackpot and scored Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) but a closer examination said it to be Female Ring-necked Pheasants  (Phasianus colchicus).

On leaving the woods I continued to follow the trail adjacent to Diamond View SE.  I had my best looks at Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) and Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) along the path.  I also picked and ate my last Saskatoon Berries (Amelanchier alnifolia). Yummy!. By this time it was drizzling, but I continued along the path and took shelter under the Ivor Strong Bridge.  When the rain paused, I made my way back to Mallard Point. Along the way, the rain came pouring down. Needless to say, I was wet and cold when I arrived at the public area at Mallard, where I took shelter for more than an hour before heading home when the rain subsided.

Later that day I said goodbye to my friends, family, and to Calgary, a place I was reluctant to visit but has now taken a special place in my heart.  Until next time, see you Fish Creek, Burnsmead, and Mallard Point. At 12:20 AM, the morning of August 17^th, I boarded an Air Canada flight to Toronto, a 6-hour flight, then another 6 hours flying before I felt the warm 30^o C sunshine of Barbados on my face.

On my last day of birding, I added just one more bird to my tally. See the full checklist Here

Trip Tally

New Species for the Days: 1

New Lifers for the Days: 1

Total Species for the Trip: 105

Total Lifers for the Trip: 74

Townsend's Warbler 

 <---Days 14,15 | Main |

Gray Partridge

Baltimore Oriole

Spotted Sandpiper

American White Pelican

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cedar Waxwing