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Sunday Showcase: Spring Arrivals

Despite (or possibly because of) the snow and cold weather on Saturday, Tony LePrieur got some great shots of spring birds in Carburn Park and Fish Creek Park in SE Calgary, and some resident birds and mammals as well.

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Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle), Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

Sunday warbler

Sunday warbler 2

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Franklin’s Gulls, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

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American Robin, male, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

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Resident White-tailed Deer, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

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Common Loon, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

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A resident bird in Fish Creek Park, male Ring-necked Pheasant, April 26, 2014

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Ring-necked Pheasant, male, Fish Creek Park, April 26, 2014

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Osprey with nesting material, Carburn Park, April 26, 2014

Tony returned to Carburn Park in the better weather on Sunday and got another shot of a Common Loon on the pond there.

Common Loon Sunday

Common Loon, Carburn Park, April 27, 2014

Eagles, Owls and Others

The photos below were taken by Josh OBrien. He uses a Nikon D600+Sigma 150-500mm. To see more of his photos, check his Facebook page here.

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Great Horned Owls

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Great Horned Owls

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Juvenile Bald Eagles

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Juvenile Bald Eagle

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Juvenile Bald Eagle stretching

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Great Gray Owl

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Great Gray Owl

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American Robin

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Downy Woodpecker

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Common Raven

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Great Horned Owl

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Great Horned Owl

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Juvenile Bald Eagle

Spring Arrivals at Fish Creek Park

Tony LePrieur saw some new birds for the year in Fish Creek Park on April 5, 2014, as well as some favourite residents.

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Northern Shoveler, male.

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European Starling.

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Red-winged Blackbird, male. This bird is arriving right on time, but all the ponds there were still mostly frozen over on this date. 

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Golden-crowned Kinglet, male. Likely a winter bird that will soon move on.

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Blue Jay, a year-round resident species.

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Snowshoe Hare. Transitioning to summer colours far faster than the surroundings are!

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Muskrat.

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Finally, some close-ups of one of the resident Great Horned Owls. Check the talons in the third photo.

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Sunday Showcase: Superb Owl Sunday!

Posted by Dan Arndt

Have a safe and happy Superb Owl Sunday, folks. Here are some of the superb owls that live in and around our amazing city.

Long-eared Owl North Calgary, 2013

Long-eared Owl
North Calgary, 2013

Great Gray Owl Grand Valley Road March 2013

Great Gray Owl
Grand Valley Road
March 2013

Short-eared Owl Frank Lake March 2013

Short-eared Owl
Frank Lake
March 2013

Northern Hawk Owl November 2012 Exshaw

Northern Hawk Owl
November 2012
Exshaw

Northern Saw-whet Owl Carburn Park January 2012

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Carburn Park
January 2012

Northern Pygmy Owl Winchell Lake July 2013

Northern Pygmy Owl
Winchell Lake
July 2013

Burrowing Owl west of Brooks August 2012

Burrowing Owl
west of Brooks
August 2012

Barred Owl South Glenmore Park March 2012

Barred Owl
South Glenmore Park
March 2012

Great Horned Owl north of Blackie February 1, 2014

Great Horned Owl
north of Blackie
February 1, 2014

Snowy Owl north of Blackie February 1, 2014

Snowy Owl
north of Blackie
February 1, 2014

 

Sunday Showcase: Goshawk Feeding

Karen and Roger Bolton had the unusual experience of seeing a Northern Goshawk eat a Blue Jay in their yard in Glamorgan, SW Calgary, on December 7, 2013. These powerful raptors are scarce in winter in the Calgary area. They feed on game birds like pheasants and partridge; rabbits, and rodents, as well as songbirds. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

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Sunday Showcase: Northern Saw-Whet Owl

Posted by Dan Arndt

Earlier this year, we were informed of what appeared to be a female Northern Saw-whet Owl sitting on a nest in a Edworthy Park. To make sure the owl successfully nested and fledged its young, we kept the location pretty quiet, and both Bob Lefebvre and myself visited the nest a few times just to check in on her and make sure she was still there. The area where the nest was located was a fairly low-traffic area, so we suspected chances were very good that she would successfully fledge a full nest of owlets. As the weeks progressed, things seemed to be going quite well, until one day she was simply gone. Here are a few photos of her checking me out as I checked her out:

female Northern Saw-whet Owl giving me the evil eye May 2013

female Northern Saw-whet Owl giving me the evil eye
May 2013

female Northern Saw-whet Owl checking me out from inside the nest May 2013

female Northern Saw-whet Owl checking me out from inside the nest
May 2013

Nobody's home. Go away. May 2013

Nobody’s home. Go away.
May 2013

I see you seeing me! May 2013

I see you seeing me!
May 2013

Sunday Showcase: Three-toed Woodpecker

Tony LePrieur found this male American Three-toed Woodpecker, and other birds, in Fish Creek Park on December 8.

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American Three-toed Woodpecker (male)

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Boreal Chickadee

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Black-capped Chickadee

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White-breasted Nuthatch

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Red-breasted Nuthatch

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Downy Woodpecker (female)

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Downy Woodpecker (male)