Crossbills in the Willow

Three Red Crossbills were photographed at the beginning of January from the Willow Park district in southeast Calgary by a teenage participant in the Birds Calgary 2010 competition. The most recent sighting was of five crossbills, including at least one male, observed yesterday afternoon. This species is the scarcer of the crossbills in the Calgary region, and is very rarely reported within the city, so I decided to make an attempt to locate them today. Fortunately, Willow Park is only a short distance from my house - I even briefly considered walking instead of biking. The community was developed in the 1960s, during one of Calgary’s many booms. Saplings planted by new homeowners five decades ago have now grown and matured, attracting numerous species of wildlife. Securing my bike at the nearby public library, I walked over to where the crossbills were last reported, hearing a distant flock White-winged Crossbills along the way.

Walking around the neighbourhood, I noted that several of the Blue and White Spruce had significant cone crops, a positive sign when looking for crossbills. Numerous species were seen and heard while walking the maze of streets and alleys, including large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Siskins, and Common Redpolls. I heard distant crossbills several times, but they would be gone by the time I made it to where they were calling from. After almost three hours of walking I was becoming tired and frustrated. I was slowly making my way back to the bike when I spotted a crossbill calling from atop a tall spruce. Getting my binoculars on the bird, I quickly realized I was watching a female Red Crossbill! Several other crossbills were calling and singing from surrounding trees, the majority were White-winged Crossbills, but there were at least two additional Red Crossbills. A magpie flew into a nearby poplar to investigate the noise and commotion, scattering the crossbills. Famished and cold, I quickly headed over to Southcentre Mall to warm up and get something to eat, before heading home.

Duck Waddle 5

With a weekend forecast calling again for fog and cool temperatures, Environment Canada is starting to sound like a broken record. Despite the fog and ice pellets this morning, I decided to brave the elements and bike south along the regional pathway to LaFarge Meadows in Fish Creek PP. I wanted to bird along the Bow River between Highway 22X and Highway 2, the only section of river south of the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary that I had not yet covered this year. Visibility along the river was hampered by heavy fog and I saw little on the 40 minute ride; I stopped briefly at Mallard Point but failed to find the Snow Geese. A strengthening wind, combined with high humidity, created a nasty wind chill, so I was happy that I had decided to pack my heavier winter pants this morning.

Walking south along the river, I noted the silhouette of a Great Horned Owl in a grove of poplars along the bank. His mate is probably already on a nest nearby, incubating eggs. Making my way to the river, a female Hooded Merganser was found feeding on the opposite bank. This species has been scarce this winter and it was the first for my BIGBY. Further along the pathway, I spotted a  raptor flying west over the Blue Devil Golf Course. Quickly getting my binoculars on the bird, I was able to pick out the dark axilliaries of a Prairie Falcon before it disappeared into the fog. The family of Trumpeter Swans I found in early January had moved further downstream, and I relocated them near the Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Seeing the Highway 2 bridge, which demarcates the city limits, in the distance, I chose to turn around and head back. Nearing where I had locked my bike, two American Tree Sparrows flew up into a dogwood next to the path, likely part of the flock wintering in the area.

Weaseled

Weaselhead Flats encompasses the valley and delta of the Elbow River before it enters at the west end of the Glenmore Reservoir in the southwest part of the city. The reservoir and delta were formed in 1933 with the completion of the Glenmore Dam across the Elbow River valley. The area is named after Chief Weaselhead who held authority over the Tsuu T'ina people of the river valley at the time of early European contact. During the First and Second World Wars, the Weaselhead area was used as training facility for soldiers from the nearby Currie Barracks. Evidence of this use, such as foxholes, are scattered throughout the park. Vegetation ranges from emergent aquatic plants through willows, Aspen and Balsam Poplar to mature White Spruce forest. These diverse habitats provide some of the finest birding in the Calgary area, with over 250 species having occurred in the park.

Friday started cold and frosty. Skies had cleared overnight, allowing the thermometre to fall to -15°C by morning. Environment Canada was forecasting a high of zero later in the day, so I decided to wait until mid-morning before making the 30 minute ride to the park. The temperature had already risen to -5°C by the time I arrived shortly before eleven, and I did not even need to wear my toque or heavy mitts. An extensive network of trails wind through Weaselhead Flats, and it is easy to get lost in the park, even if you are carrying a map like I did today! Four hours were spent exploring the park, enjoying the solitude and peacefulness. Birding was also quiet, with only the usual menagerie of resident and wintering species seen. A small flock of Pine Grosbeaks was the only new species added to my BIGBY.