Dipped

With Environment Canada forecasting the return of winter this weekend, I took today off from work to take advantage of the last nice day before the snow and cold arrived. I decided a trip west to Griffith Woods Park, before the impending snow made riding difficult or impossible, made sense. It is approximately 20 kilometres across the centre of Calgary to the the park from my house, much of the ride via streets or sidewalks. Despite two weeks of above zero temperatures, side streets and pathways are still covered in ice and snow. A climatologist at the University of Calgary describes the remaining snow as 'glacial', and, after my ride today dodging snow banks, I would agree. Low cloud and fog had formed overnight, and although forecasters called for it to eventually burn off, it remained overcast the entire day, creating cold and damp conditions.

Griffith Woods Park, one Calgary's newest parks, is located along the Elbow River immediately north of the Tsuu T'ina Nation. A number of spring-fed oxbows wind through mature White Spruce forests and the park is home to a number of species rare or absent elsewhere in the city, including several birds which I hoped to see today. A network of trails wind through the park, many of them following old ranch roads or fence lines. I have been visiting Griffith Woods since I started birding and the park was still a ranch on the outskirts of the city. The area has seen massive change since my first visit and residential development now abuts the northern boundary of the park. Developers had initially planned a golf course for the ranch, but pressure from local environmental groups led to the land being protected and the creation of Griffith Woods Park in 2000.

Sights and sounds of heavy machinery greeted me as I arrived at the parking lot mid-morning after a 90 minute ride. AltaLink is replacing and upgrading a portion of the Griffith Woods transmission grid line in the park. Fortunately, construction is limited to the existing utility right-of-way and disturbance to the park is minor. Finding a place to secure my bike, I changed into some warmer clothes and headed towards the Elbow River. An American Dipper had been reported recently along this stretch of river, and one was found further upstream in mid-December. Scanning the river I failed to find the dipper, but did see several Boreal Chickadees in the nearby spruce trees. I started making my way west into the interior of the park, coming across a couple more flocks of chickadees and nuthatches.

Warm water from the numerous springs in the area help keep many of the oxbows in the park open in the winter; allowing several species that normally migrate to successfully overwinter. I slowly made my way to the edge of one oxbow hoping to find the Belted Kingfisher wintering in the park; instead, I flushed an American Dipper from the ice lining the bank. It landed a few metres downstream and soon began diving into the water hunting for prey. I watched the dipper catch and eat a couple of large aquatic beetles before it flew around a bend in the oxbow and out of sight. Walking further upstream, I soon found the kingfisher perched on a snag overhanging the oxbow. Spotting me, the kingfisher flew upstream, its call rattling through the valley. Walking along the trails, I would periodically hear flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and White-winged Crossbills calling overhead, hidden in the fog. Watching a flock of chickadees at the west end of the park, I spotted a raptor flying in the distance. Trees hindered the view, but I was able to get a quick look before it disappeared - a gray-morph Gyrfalcon!

It was now after a lunch and I was getting hungry. Though I had brought a lunch, I was feeling chilled and wanted something hot to eat and a chance to warm up. I walked over to the local strip mall and saw that a new coffee shop, Javino, had just opened. I ordered a bowl of their Thai chicken soup and a coffee; the food was excellent and I will definitely stop again the next time I visit Griffith Woods. After finishing the soup and reading the newspaper I was ready to head back to the park. The afternoon was quieter compared to the morning and I had little to show for another two hours of walking other than the odd chickadee flock. I headed back to the bike and prepared to make the ride back home. Biking towards Mount Royal University I noticed that it had recently snowed, just enough to hide the icy patches and ruts on the paths. Closer to home it started snowing again and when I reached the Bow River it was coming down hard enough that I had to dig out by front bike light. The last stretch was particularly bad, with whiteout conditions and slick roads, but I made it home safely just as the streetlights were turning on.