Solitary Solitaire

Sounds of spring were evident when I stepped outside this morning. An American Robin was singing in a neighbours yard, several crows called overhead, and a Northern Flicker was drumming on a telephone pole. I was headed to Sandy Beach where a Townsend's Solitaire had been reported a few days ago. Located along the Elbow River immediately downstream of the Glenmore Dam and Water Treatment Plant, the park has extensive stands of Balsam Poplar and White Spruce. On the thirty minute ride to the park I was delighted to find that much of the snow and ice that plagued the pathways had melted. Arriving mid-morning, I quickly got out my birding gear and headed towards the river. Nearing the bank, I pulled out my iPod and briefly played a recording of the Townsend's Solitaire call and song. Almost immediately a solitaire flew into a nearby poplar, perching only a few feet above me. I got great looks at the bird as it alternated between singing and feeding on dogwood berries, before eventually flushing when a fisherman approached. A brief walk around the park, prior to returning to the bike, turned up several American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos.

Below Sea Level

I just returned from two weeks in southern California. My parents are renting a house near Palms Springs and graciously invited me to stay with them. With cheap flights and a strong Canadian dollar, it was an offer I could not refuse. While not strictly a birding trip, I was still able get out most days and visit some of the surrounding hot spots, including the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree National Park. The deserts were alive in colour from the various wildflowers benefiting from the heavy winter rains courtesy of El Niño. Fortunately, I managed to avoid most of the rain and was able to enjoy the sun and warm temperatures for a brief few days before returning home.

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.