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Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)

CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) [N]

Fittingly seen every day of the trip, though it was a leader-only bird one day.

TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator)

A pair were spotted on the back of a roadside pond as we started along the detour forced on us by the road closure due to the forest fires in Edson. Later we had a trio of birds in another roadside pond on our swing through the prairies east of Cardston.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)

One of the most numerous dabblers in the Edmonton region, but then the sightings dried up until our final afternoon's visit to Ralph Klein Park in Calgary.

CINNAMON TEAL (Spatula cyanoptera)

With more prairie potholes having water than they did this time last year, ducks were spread out a bit more than they were in 2022, so I think we were a bit lucky to find a single one of these uncommon teal on our best duck pond along near Milk River. Lucky, too, that that one was a handsome drake!

NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata) [N]

Small numbers scattered throughout the various wetlands to the east of the mountains, including a female with 7 ducklings on one pond in the southern prairies.

GADWALL (Mareca strepera)

Never in large numbers, but most of the wetlands away from the mountains had a few of these drab ducks.

AMERICAN WIGEON (Mareca americana)

Less numerous than most of the other dabbler species, and we saw only a few in the Elk Island area, then a handful more near Milk River.

MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) [N]

The most numerous duck, with sightings daily, except for our two days in Jasper NP. We saw a few broods, too, including on Buller Pond in the Kananaskis.

NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta)

Nearly all of our sightings came from a single roadside pond in the south, though we did have a lone bird in the Chipman area marshes as well.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Anas crecca)

Small numbers in many of the non-mountain wetlands.

CANVASBACK (Aythya valisineria)

One pair on our best waterfowl pond in the Milk River area.

REDHEAD (Aythya americana)

Small numbers of these handsome ducks were at marshes at Elk Island and Chipman in the north, with a few also on the Milk River waterfowl pond, and at Ralph Klein Park.

RING-NECKED DUCK (Aythya collaris)

This species shows a preference for beaver ponds, thus they were most numerous in Elk Island where the beaver population seems quite robust. Also seen on a few beaver ponds in the mountains like Jasper's Cottonwood Slough, Sibbald Meadows Pond in K-country, and Maskinonge Marsh in Waterton.

LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis)

The most numerous diving duck, with especially large numbers on Astotin Lake in Elk Island NP, and pairs on many potholes and sloughs pretty much everywhere else.

HARLEQUIN DUCK (Histrionicus histrionicus)

Missing in action at our usual reliable sites in Jasper, and it looked like we might just miss these striking ducks until Dan found out about a sighting the previous day on upper Kananaskis Lake. We struck out at the first viewpoint we stopped at, but as we drove in to the second spot, we saw a trio of Harlies, two males and a female, in the lake just below the parking area. Karen was especially happy with the views of these birds, which are the best-looking ducks in the world in my view!

BUFFLEHEAD (Bucephala albeola)

Small numbers in Elk Island NP, a couple of females on one of the ponds along Sibbald Creek Road, and a bunch of the big waterfowl Lake at Milk River.

COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula)

Quite common at Elk Island, though we mostly saw females. A few males were scoped far out on Astotin Lake, but not seen by all. We also had a few on the pond near Milk River. A couple of females on Buller Pond in the Kananaskis also appeared to be this species, though female goldeneyes can be tricky to identify and we couldn't rule out Barrow's.

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (Bucephala islandica)

When we left the mountains behind without a definite Barrow's on our lists, your guides were both convinced we'd missed our chance. So it was a big surprise when the first ducks Dan got his bins on at the large pond near Milk River was a pair of them! I'd stopped further along and wasn't aware of what Dan's gang was looking at due to our comms being down, but fortunately we refound the birds when we went around to the other side of the lake and wound up with some excellent scope views of the drake. Doreen was particularly pleased, and picked these ducks as her birds of the trip.

HOODED MERGANSER (Lophodytes cucullatus)

A lone female that flew past at Ralph Klein Park on our final afternoon was one of our final new species of the tour.

COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser)

A trio of drakes were lounging on the shore of the Maligne River where it exits Maligne Lake, a few more were on Upper Kananaskis Lake, and a female flew up the river below Cameron Falls in Waterton.

RUDDY DUCK (Oxyura jamaicensis)

Nice looks at a pair on one of the beaver ponds at Elk Island, but the birds at Ralph Klein put on a better show. One male there was displaying enthusiastically to a nearby female (or perhaps to us, as he swam towards us and displayed while she was nowhere in sight!) I'd seen the bill dipping display and accompanying calling before, but had never noted the short bursts of running flight along the surface of the water as being part of the display before.

Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)

RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus)

A hen slunk through the roadside wildflowers as we headed out early one morning in Waterton.

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN (Lagopus leucura)

Nice spotting by Jeff to pick out a cryptic male on the slope below after several of us (me included, I'm afraid) had walked on by. We had a great show as it flew up to the top of the ridge, then flew down towards us a couple of minutes later, landing below us once again then walking back towards us, practically begging to be photographed. We happily obliged, and I'm really looking forward to the pictures! Both Pat and Mike picked this as their top bird of the trip.

GRAY PARTRIDGE (Perdix perdix) [I]

Can be tough to find at this time of year, but we spotted a pair in a stubble field in the southern prairies and had some nice looks as they froze in place, relying on their cryptic plumage to keep them hidden.

RING-NECKED PHEASANT (Phasianus colchicus) [I]

Our lone sighting was a male in the ditch along the road in to Dinosaur Provincial Park. As Dan mentioned, about 6000 pheasants are released annually for pheasant hunting season, though a self-sustaining pheasant population has been in Alberta for more than a century.

Podicipedidae (Grebes)

HORNED GREBE (Podiceps auritus) [N]

Only seen in Elk Island NP, where we found a pair constructing a nest on one of the roadside beaver ponds.

RED-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps grisegena) [N]

Quite common in Elk Island NP, with several pairs nesting in the wetland along the boardwalk (which was crawling with school kids when we were there). We also saw a few birds at Ralph Klein Park, where they also are breeding.

EARED GREBE (Podiceps nigricollis)

A handful of birds on the large waterfowl pond near Milk River were the only ones for the trip.

Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)

ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]

The ones nesting on the cliffs along the Milk River are about as close to the real thing (ie wild type) as you can find in North America.

MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)

Aside from a pair along the Sibbald Creek Road, all of our sightings came from the southern prairie areas.

Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)

COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor)

A single bird flying over the Milk River waterfowl pond hawking insects in broad daylight was a bit of a surprise. Our only other one was acting more typical of a nighthawk at midday, blending in perfectly with the rock it was sleeping on at Dinosaur PP.

Apodidae (Swifts)

BLACK SWIFT (Cypseloides niger)

It was still very light when a trio of these flew by our viewpoint over the Maligne Canyon on our second evening in Jasper. These were quickly followed by another pair flying directly overhead. And then came the elk incident...

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus calliope)

Waterton's infamous winds seemed to have defeated us in our quest for Alberta's smallest bird, but Dan insisted we give it one final try on our way out of the park, and boy did that pay off! We managed to find 3 males perched on bare branches in a shrubby clearing, and had brilliant scope views of these great little birds.

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus rufus)

The common hummingbird species in Alberta's mountain areas. We had our first visiting the feeders at Highwood House as we picnicked there, then several more at our usually reliable Calliope site in Waterton. Their presence there might be another reason why we couldn't find any Calliopes there.

Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)

VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)

A couple were calling in a marsh along Sibbald Creek Road, and we managed to lure the female out with playback by placing the speaker in the shorter grasses at the edge of the marsh. It worked like a charm, as not only did she come into view, but she actually sat on the speaker for a short while (I'd already stopped the playback at that point) before disappearing back into the dense grasses. Nice show!

SORA (Porzana carolina)

These were also calling along Sibbald Creek Road, but we'd already had some nice looks at one earlier in the tour at the Big Lake Interpretive Trail on the drizzly morning we left Edmonton. You gotta love the maniacal laughing calls of these birds!

AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana) [N]

Not as numerous as one might expect, but we still had a few birds at Elk Island (including an adult with a single chick) as well as at Big Lake and Ralph Klein park.

Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus mexicanus)

Doreen and Karen saw one from the van as we traveled the TransCanada highway from Brooks back to Calgary.

AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)

Seen only at the large waterfowl lake near Milk River, but we had some exceptional close views of the ~10 birds that we saw there.

Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)

KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus) [N]

Though we didn't see them daily, we certainly could have, as these familiar birds are pretty much everywhere. We even found a nest next to the very low pond along the Sibbald Creek Road.

Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)

LONG-BILLED CURLEW (Numenius americanus)

During our drive from Cardston to Milk River, no sooner did I suggest folks keep an eye out for these birds, then a pair flew by at eye level along the road. We quickly stopped and got out to find not just one pair, but 10 adults plus two gangly chicks, which might be the first I'd ever seen. I think the parents were a bit perturbed by the other adults, as there seemed to be a lot of chasing and vocalizing going on.

MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa)

A couple of birds at the Milk River waterfowl lake showed fairly well, but not as well as the ones we found sleeping on a roadside fencepost the next morning on the drive in to Dinosaur PP!

WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)

Speaking of sitting on fenceposts, we had a number of these doing the same in several of the marshy areas we visited.

WILSON'S PHALAROPE (Phalaropus tricolor)

One in the Chipman area marshes our first day flew off before we could get most folks on it, but we caught up with several in the southern prairies, including some colorful females, then flushed a male from a well-hidden nest with 4 eggs at Ralph Klein Park.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)

Singles at several spots in Elk Island NP, at one of the ponds along Sibbald Creek Road, and along the Waterton River.

SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Tringa solitaria)

Our lone sighting was at one of the ponds along Sibbald Creek Road, which seems to be a reliable site for these birds. The pond also had a nearby Spotted Sandpiper giving us the chance to compare the two somewhat similar species.

WILLET (Tringa semipalmata)

A lone bird in the Chipman area then about a dozen at the Milk River duck lake.

Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

FRANKLIN'S GULL (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Though not in the mountains, we saw loads of these daily away from the mountains, and it was the most numerous gull for the trip.

RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)

At pretty much all the same places as the above, but in much smaller numbers.

CALIFORNIA GULL (Larus californicus)

Our first was just outside of the A & W where we stopped for lunch on our way to Jasper. Small numbers were seen after that, including our only gull in the mountains at Waterton's Maskinonge Marsh.

BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger)

A pair flew over the trail at Big Lake, and some of us saw another pair as we ate our picnic breakfast at Maskinonge.

COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)

We found one pair foraging over a roadside pond in the southern prairies.

FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)

A few birds flying out over Wabamun Lake were our only ones.

Gaviidae (Loons)

COMMON LOON (Gavia immer)

Almost daily, except for one day in Waterton and the final day in the prairies. We had several nice encounters, with our first being of a bird yodeling bird that flew over as we birded a roadside pond at Elk Island.

Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)

Mostly seen as flyovers, with a few in Elk Island and a handful more on the last couple of days in the prairies.

Pelecanidae (Pelicans)

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Only on the non-montane days on either end of the tour, and mostly seen as small squadrons soaring gracefully overhead.

Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)

GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)

Just a few birds at scattered wetlands.

Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)

WHITE-FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi)

About half a dozen birds in the rain at Ralph Klein Park, our final species for the trip.

Cathartidae (New World Vultures)

TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)

An uncommon and rather local species in the province, so both your guides were really surprised to see not one, but two birds breeze past in the stiff winds over the marshes at Chipman!

Pandionidae (Osprey)

OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus) [N]

In ones or twos almost daily, including at least a couple of occupied nests on the platforms at Wabamun, and in a tree at Medicine Lake.

Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)

GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos)

Folks in Dan's van got to see one on the ground in the Milk River region, but by the time I'd gotten turned around and back, it was soaring high overhear.So it was nice to get another perched on a dirt mound along the road near Suffield, and to get some nice scope studies of it there.

NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus hudsonius)

A couple in the marshes around Chipman, and one seen from the vans on our way from Brooks to Calgary on the final day.

COOPER'S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii)

One flew over the road in hot pursuit of a Red-tailed Hawk in the Water Valley area.

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (Accipiter gentilis) [*]

We head one calling from a dense conifer stand upslope from the road at Medicine Lake, but that was it.

BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) [N]

Mainly in the mountains, with especially great views of a pair on a long-used nest at Medicine Lake. We also had one in the southern prairies, sitting on a fencepost while ducking the attacks of a dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk.

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus)

A couple at Astotin Lake in Elk Island were missed by some, but another flew directly over our picnic lunch spot later that day allowing everyone to catch up.

SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsoni)

Our Ebird count is pretty low, but that's mostly because so many of our sightings were during the van rides when we weren't keeping lists. This is by far the most numerous Buteo in the open grasslands of Alberta.

RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)

Prefers more forested country than the above, and we saw most of ours in the mountains, including what appeared to be light morph Harlan's type perched fearlessly nearby along the Bear's Hump trail in Waterton.

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (Buteo regalis) [N]

Thanks to first place rankings from Karen, Tony, and Vito, the majestic hawk took top honors as bird of the trip. We had lots of great looks including at least 10 or 11 chicks in 3 different nests between Cardston and Milk River, with a parent delivering a freshly caught ground squirrel to the youngsters in one of them.

Strigidae (Owls)

BURROWING OWL (Athene cunicularia)

A declining species in the province, and nest sites are usually pretty closely-guarded secrets, but Dan knew locations for a couple in the southeast. We struck out at the first one, but as we approached the second one, we spotted an owl perched on a fencepost along the road where it sat long enough for all to get a great look before it flew off towards the burrow.

Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon) [*]

We heard one on our morning jaunt to Cottonwood Slough in Jasper, but never did see it.

Picidae (Woodpeckers)

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)

A handful of birds in Elk island, where it should be the only one present. A sapsucker along the Sibbald Creek Trail had some features of this species, but was likely a hybrid between the two sapsuckers, as many of them there are.

RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) [N]

The Waterton area seems to have mainly this species. In fact, there are no EBird records for Yellow-bellied, and only a few for hybrids. The ones we saw looked like good Red-naped, including a pair busily feeding young at a nest at Haybarn.

LEWIS'S WOODPECKER (Melanerpes lewis) [N]

This has long been one of my most-wanted species for the province, so I was thrilled to learn that there was an easily accessible nesting pair at Waterton NP. Then, on the day of my arrival in Calgary, a huge rainstorm in Waterton caused numerous land slips, leading officials to close virtually all of the park other than the townsite, and there was fear the nest tree could have been lost in the storm. Luckily, things began to reopen just before we arrived, and we went immediately to the nest site, and were delighted to find that the tree had survived, and the birds were busy foraging and delivering food to the nestlings inside. This was both your guides' favorite bird of the trip.

AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (Picoides dorsalis) [*]

I saw a woodpecker dart over the path on our early morning walk at Cottonwood Slough, and soon after we heard the calls and drumming of this bird, though it remained out of sight.

DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens)

Woodpeckers generally get very quiet and inconspicuous during breeding season, and this was obviously the case with this usually very common species, as the only ones we saw were on our first day at Elk Island NP.

HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus)

Similar to the above, and our only one was on the day at Elk Island.

PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)

Just one seen, a good flyover in the Kananaskis.

NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus) [N]

None on the first two days, then in small numbers daily afterwards, including birds attending a nest at Waterton. Many, maybe most, of the ones we saw were hybrids between the yellow-shafted and red-shafted types.

Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)

AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)

Folks in Dan's van saw one near the entrance to Haybarn Picnic Area in Waterton, and we all had one the following day near my former hometown of Vauxhall.

PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus)

One made a low pass over the marsh at Big Lake on our rainy morning there.

Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (Contopus cooperi)

The Sibbald Creek Trail is a reliable spot for this large pewee, and we had great views of one perched on a treetop near the road, and heard a few more.

WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus sordidulus) [N]

Seen only at Elk Island NP and Dinosaur PP, with others heard along the Sibbald Creek Trail. The bird at Dinosaur was making flycatching sallies out over the road then returning to its nest in a cottonwood in the campground.

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax flaviventris)

Pretty local on this tour route, but the usual birds (3 this year) around the Whistlers parking lot were cooperative and showed nicely as we waited for our flight to the mountaintop.

ALDER FLYCATCHER (Empidonax alnorum)

Present in several of the marshes in Elk Island (where we had super scope views of a singing bird) plus Jasper's Cottonwood Slough and marshes along the Sibbald Creek Trail. At the latter two sites we were able to hear them singing alongside several Willow Flycatchers allowing folks to compare the similar, but distinctive, songs.

WILLOW FLYCATCHER (Empidonax traillii)

Most common along the Sibbald Creek Trail, where we also had excellent scope studies of some singing birds.

LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)

Heard often, usually in stands of trembling aspen, but I think the only one we saw was along the trail through the forest at the scout camp in Waterton.

DUSKY FLYCATCHER (Empidonax oberholseri)

Excellent close looks at a singing bird along the Blakiston Falls Trail at Red Rock Canyon.

PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER (Empidonax difficilis)

For the past 30+ years, birders have been struggling to tell this species apart (or just giving up) from the virtually similar Cordilleran Flycatcher. Thankfully this is now a non-issue as the two forms are being reunited as Western Flycatcher. We saw one perched above one of the ponds along Sibbald Creek Road and had another at Red Rock Canyon.

EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe) [N]

As is often the case, a pair were attending a nest on one of the buildings at the Tawayik Lake picnic area at Elk Island NP.

WESTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus verticalis)

Much more local in the province than the next species, and we had a few birds only over the last couple of days in the southeast, including a catch up bird at the Suffield gas station for those that had only had poor views at Del Bonita the previous day.

EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Quite common and widespread. First seen at Elk Island NP where a pair had a nest just above the water at one of the roadside beaver ponds.

Vireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)

CASSIN'S VIREO (Vireo cassinii)

I heard one singing as we drive down the road after our excursion up on Whistlers, so we stopped to try and find it, and after a bit of hide and seek as it continued to sing while staying out of sight, we finally connected with some super looks at what is a rather local species in the province.

BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius) [*]

One was singing along the parkway at Elk Island during a persistent rain, but was unfortunately silent when we came back once the weather had cleared.

WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)

Quite common by voice in aspen-dominated parkland along the foot of the Rockies (we also saw a few). I suspect we would have heard a few more at Waterton if it hadn't been so bloody windy!

RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)

Lots were singing at Elk Island NP despite the steady rain, though the only sighting was of a bird singing from a bare branch atop a roadside tree along the highway west of Edmonton, before the detour forced upon us by the road closure.

Laniidae (Shrikes)

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianus)

A few sightings of this handsome bird on our swing through the southern prairies, though there were fewer than usual this trip.

Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)

CANADA JAY (Perisoreus canadensis) [N]

Two sightings only, a trio at the Maligne Lake parking lot, then 5 or 6 birds along the Sibbald Creek Trail. In both cases, these were family groups with dark gray colored juveniles.

BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE (Pica hudsonia)

Ubiquitous, with at least a few birds seen every day of the trip.

CLARK'S NUTCRACKER (Nucifraga columbiana)

Very few this year, perhaps due to the poor weather in part? One was seen flying across the lower slopes above Medicine Lake in Jasper, another the following day somewhere around the Columbia Icefields.

AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Seen daily in fair numbers.

COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax)

Seen daily, with roughly double the number of crows seen, though a large percentage of them came from the landfill in Jasper. Memorable was a very cheeky bird perched on the back of a pickup truck in the Athabasca Falls parking lot.

Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice)

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (Poecile atricapillus)

Though this is the most common and widespread chickadee in the province, you wouldn't have known it from this tour! Our only records were one seen by Vito at Elk Island, and another heard at Wabamun Lake. Evidently the birds were keeping a low profile during nesting season!

MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE (Poecile gambeli)

Seen by some along the road to the Whistlers, then good views of a cooperative roadside pair along the Sibbald Creek Trail.

BOREAL CHICKADEE (Poecile hudsonicus)

We did well for these unobtrusive chickadees, which I consider to be the toughest of the three possible species on this tour. We had some nice looks at one at Cottonwood Slough, then a couple more later the same day at Athabasca Falls. Then the following day we had another pair that joined a mob of birds flocking to our pygmy-owl imitations in the Water Valley area.

Alaudidae (Larks)

HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris)

Quite numerous in the southern prairies, where we had lots of great looks at these lovely birds.

Hirundinidae (Swallows)

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Four or five flew over the Athabasca River and landed on the steep banks above at the Goats and Glaciers stop in Jasper.

PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis)

A somewhat local species in the province, and not a bird I was really expecting, but we had several birds turn up in the Chipman area at around the same time as the two surprise Turkey Vultures suddenly appeared in front of us.

TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor)

Very few in the mountains proper, but numerous along the eastern flank of the Rockies as well as the parkland regions around Edmonton.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW (Tachycineta thalassina)

A stop in Jasper townsite netted us our first good views of these lovely swallows. There were plenty of them around Lake Louise as well, and small numbers in the badlands at Dinosaur PP, where we enjoyed perhaps our best views as several flew low over the small creek we were birding along.

BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia)

Fairly scarce on the tour route, and we saw our only one at Whiskey Gap in the southern prairies.

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)

Though we saw this common species daily, we really didn't enter many on our Ebird lists, likely as many of our sightings came as we drove from place to place and weren't keeping an active list.

CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) [N]

Missed on the first day east of Edmonton, but recorded daily thereafter. Especially abundant in the southern prairies, where huge nesting colonies were found under many bridges, and there are even a couple of colonies on natural cliffs along the Milk River.

Regulidae (Kinglets)

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)

Small numbers in Jasper and the Kananaskis.

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)

Only recorded in Jasper, where most were heard only (and perhaps leader-only), though Dan did manage to show everyone a bird at the Whistlers parking lot as I stood in line to sort out our tickets.

Sittidae (Nuthatches)

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis)

Just a few birds scattered around various areas of Jasper NP, and a single seen by some at Waterton.

Certhiidae (Treecreepers)

BROWN CREEPER (Certhia americana)

Doreen spotted our lone bird after we'd already gotten back in the vans after a short walk at a site along the Sibbald Creek Road, and we managed to get everyone a look before it moved off into the forest.

Troglodytidae (Wrens)

ROCK WREN (Salpinctes obsoletus)

The first was quite a surprise to me, as we found it singing on a slope above the Sibbald Creek Trail, where I certainly wasn't expecting to find this species. The rest of our sightings came at the more expected locale of Dinosaur PP, where they were quite common and offered plenty of good views.

HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)

Other than our two days in Jasper, we heard or saw this familiar bird daily.

SEDGE WREN (Cistothorus stellaris) [*]

Heard at a couple of sites east of Edmonton, but we couldn't draw them into the open.

MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)

Quite vocal and active at Big Lake, where we saw a half dozen or more.

Cinclidae (Dippers)

AMERICAN DIPPER (Cinclus mexicanus) [N]

Reliable sites in Jasper didn't come through for us, and we were unable to find any at formerly good spots in the Kananaskis either. Luckily, though, we managed to find several pairs at Waterton, with a nesting pair at Cameron Falls, and two more pairs (almost certainly nesting as well) at Red Rock Canyon and at Blakiston Falls. These are always amazing birds to watch, and they were a favorite of Jeff's, who placed them in first on his top 3 bird list.

Sturnidae (Starlings)

EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]

Seen daily, mainly in built up areas.

Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)

GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)

Only seen away from the mountains, with a couple at Elk Island, and one at Dinosaur PP. The closest we had this species to the mountains was a bird in the aspen parkland habitat at the Haybarn in Waterton.

Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD (Sialia currucoides) [N]

This lovely bird is more a species of shrubby, open grassland regions along the eastern foot of the Rockies, rather than a true montane species, though we did see a lone bird at Jasper's Medicine Lake. Several were seen at the nest boxes along the bluebird trail on Sibbald Creek Road, and a pair was at the Bear's Hump Trail at Waterton. Finally, as we were leaving Dinosaur PP, I saw an interesting bird drop into the grass along the roadside, and when I stopped next to the spot, an entire family of bluebirds flew up to the nearby barbed wire fence.

TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE (Myadestes townsendi)

As we headed up the Whistlers in the crowded gondola, a couple of us were able to see a solitaire on the slope directly below our path, though it was impossible to get everyone on it. Fortunately, we found another along the Sibbald Creek Trail, where we were able to get everyone an excellent look at it.

VARIED THRUSH (Ixoreus naevius)

While standing in line waiting for the Whistlers ticket booth to open, I spotted a singing bird perched in a dead tree well up the mountainside, and got the bird in the scope. Unfortunately, I had the scope set up next to the chain marking the ticket line, and one of our group members (who will remain anonymous) got tangled up with the chain ad the scope, and in the time it took to get things set up again, the bird moved on. We tried pretty hard to spot a couple of other singing birds on the slopes above the Sibbald Creek Road, but were unsuccessful.

VEERY (Catharus fuscescens) [*]

A heard only bird, singing from a dense patch of willows at the Haybarn, was our only record.

SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)

The common Catharus thrush in the mountains here, and we saw or heard them daily throughout the mountain parks.

AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius)

Pretty much everywhere. A widespread and familiar species here.

Bombycillidae (Waxwings)

CEDAR WAXWING (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Quite common, especially so at Elk Island, with fewer records in the mountains proper than in the surrounding aspen parkland habitat.

Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]

We managed to miss these on the full day in Waterton, but otherwise had a few birds daily, mainly in built up areas.

Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)

AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus rubescens)

One on the rocky slope above the upper gondola station at Whistlers gave an all-too-brief view before disappearing down the mountainside.

SPRAGUE'S PIPIT (Anthus spragueii)

Several were heard performing their endless aerial displays in the Rolling Hills region, and we managed to get eyes on one bird that wasn't much more than a black speck in the sky. But that speck sounded exactly like a Sprague's Pipit, so I guess that counts!

Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)

PINE GROSBEAK (Pinicola enucleator)

A female was seen from the lower gondola station at Whistlers, then we had fantastic views of a trio feeding in the gravel parking lot at the Black Prince trailhead in Kananaskis, and another trio (2 males and a female) perched atop low spruce trees across from the Rock Glacier.

GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH (Leucosticte tephrocotis)

Like the American Pipit, a lone one of these birds made a very brief flyby as we searched for ptarmigan on Whistlers.

PURPLE FINCH (Haemorhous purpureus)

Two or three females were in the trees around the loading platform at the Whistlers gondola.

CASSIN'S FINCH (Haemorhous cassinii)

I didn't even realize these were birds when I first saw them on the road ahead of us as we drove from Canmore to the Kananaskis, and we were almost on top of them before they flew up off the road. A couple of us had excellent looks at the male just before they took off, but we were unable to find them again once we stopped. Later the same day, many of us saw another one, a lone female, at the Lewis Woodpecker stake out at Waterton.

WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (Loxia leucoptera)

We had a few sightings of this one, with nice looks at a quartet from the bridge over the Maligne River in Jasper, and half a dozen along the Spray Lakes Road in the Kananaskis.

PINE SISKIN (Spinus pinus)

It seemed like every stop from Jasper through to the Kananaskis had a few of these around, and we had numerous good views of them.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis)

Not a montane species, and all of our sightings were on the days spent outside the mountains at the beginning and end of the tour.

Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)

CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (Calcarius ornatus)

These gorgeous birds are still relatively common in natural grassland habitats of the south, and we saw plenty of them over our final two days in the prairies.

THICK-BILLED LONGSPUR (Rhynchophanes mccownii)

Unlike the above species, this shortgrass specialist has been declining in the province, and we had to make a special effort to find them in the southeastern corner of the province. That effort paid off, though, as we had some fine views of 3 or 4 birds along a quiet dirt track, including a male that perched briefly on the fence beside my van.

Passerellidae (New World Sparrows)

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)

Initially frustrating for folks in the lead vehicle, as these birds kept flushing up from the road edge after they'd passed, but perched up beautifully on the fence for the folks in the trailing van to enjoy. We ultimately got everyone a good view though, only to find them far more numerous and much easier to see in the Rolling Hills region.

CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)

A common species, seen or heard pretty much daily until we left the mountains.

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Spizella pallida)

Another common sparrow species, seen and heard regularly in the aspen parkland regions at Elk island and along the eastern foot of the Rockies, as well as in the prairies.

LARK SPARROW (Chondestes grammacus)

Rather local on the tour route, but these striking large sparrows are pretty numerous at Dinosaur PP where we had no trouble seeing several.

FOX SPARROW (SLATE-COLORED) (Passerella iliaca schistacea)

Our lone one was in a scrub willow-dominated area near the Athabasca Glacier. Luckily that one sat atop a small spruce and sang repeatedly so we were all able to get great scope views.

DARK-EYED JUNCO (SLATE-COLORED) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis)

Though a lot of the juncos we saw probably couldn't be accurately assigned to subspecies, the ones we saw at Maligne Lake were clearly this familiar type.

DARK-EYED JUNCO (OREGON) (Junco hyemalis oreganus)

The family of juncos we saw along the Athabasca Falls trail looked good for this western form. Many others we saw in Jasper and the Kananaskis were not identified to subspecies, but at least some of these were likely the intermediate-looking subspecies cismontanus.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (ORIANTHA) (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha)

This dark-lored subspecies was fairly common from Jasper to the Kananaskis.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (GAMBEL'S) (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)

The birds we saw around Waterton NP belonged to this pale-lored subspecies.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Primarily recorded at Elk island NP, but we saw and heard a few in Jasper NP as well.

VESPER SPARROW (Pooecetes gramineus)

A single bird in the grassland area along the road to Waterton's Haybarn picnic site was the only one in the mountain parks, but these sparrows were seen in good numbers across the southern prairies once we left the mountains behind.

LECONTE'S SPARROW (Ammospiza leconteii)

These colorful small sparrows are pretty common in rank grasslands in the Edmonton region, and we had some fabulous views at Elk island and Big Lake in particular.

NELSON'S SPARROW (Ammospiza nelsoni)

We heard a few in the marshes east of Elk Island, but struggled to get good views as they seemed reluctant to perch up in the strong winds we were experiencing. We had far better luck in the rain the following day at Big Lake. We still had to put some effort in, but eventually had some fantastic studies of several of these beautiful birds.

SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)

Only a couple were recorded within the mountain parks (and only in the grassland areas at the eastern foot of the mountains), but away from the mountains, this was one of the most abundant sparrows encountered.

BAIRD'S SPARROW (Centronyx bairdii)

The wind was making it difficult for us to find this local grassland sparrow, and we missed on our first attempt in the Rolling Hills region. And we came pretty close to missing it on the second attempt, as well, but, at pretty much our very last opportunity, we managed to conjure up a couple for some incredible views!

SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)

Nearly all of our sightings (save for one at Big Lake) came from our first day at Elk Island NP.

LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)

I think folks are often surprised at how common this species is here in Alberta. We saw quite a number of them from Elk Island through to the Kananaskis region, with especially good numbers along the Sibbald Creek Trail.

SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)

We had a half a dozen or more on our first day in the field at Elk Island, with just one other record of a singing bird at Cottonwood Slough in Jasper.

SPOTTED TOWHEE (Pipilo maculatus) [N]

Fantastic views of a couple of cooperative birds along the creek at Dinosaur PP. Evidently they were feeding young as there was some food carrying going on.

Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)

I love these blackbirds, and seeing them always brings back fond memories of my formative years birding in southern Alberta. Though they often share marsh habitats with their Red-winged cousins, this species tends to nest over deeper water, and so is generally absent from smaller, shallower marshes that Red-wings thrive in. Our sightings all came from larger marshes--east of Elk Island, Big Lake, and Ralph Klein Park in Calgary.

BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

Some meandering on country roads east of Elk Island rewarded us with nice views of a couple of males of these very local birds, which are not really a species we expect to get on this tour.

WESTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella neglecta)

Aside from a handful of birds east of Edmonton on our first day, all of our many sightings came from the southern prairies, where these cheerful birds are still delightfully common.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula)

Not a montane species at all, and our only one in the mountain parks was a single bird along the Waterton River at Haybarn picnic area. Our only other sightings were a couple of birds at Elk island, and a single at Dinosaur PP.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Pretty much everywhere, and we saw good numbers throughout the trip.

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)

Never as numerous as the above species, but there were still lots of these around and we saw them daily. Perhaps the most memorable were the ones on the bison at Elk Island, given the close connection they had with bison prior to the arrival of cattle across the prairies.

BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus) [N]

Few in the mountain parks, though only in the open country along the eastern boundaries. Most numerous out in the prairies, where we saw plenty, including excellent close studies of a pair gathering nesting material next to where we stopped to view the Ferruginous Hawk nest along the Milk River.

COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)

By no means common, but not as local as they once were, and we saw a handful at a number of sites, though only well to the east of the Rockies.

Parulidae (New World Warblers)

OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapilla) [*]

Several were heard at Elk Island, the only place we recorded them on the tour.

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis)

Heard regularly from Jasper down to Waterton, but we had just a couple of sightings, a singing bird that showed well at Cottonwood Slough, then brief views of another along the Waterton River at the Haybarn picnic area.

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia) [N]

Plenty were singing at Elk island, but I believe we only saw one, a male singing with a beak full of food at Astotin Lake.

TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)

Never numerous, but we heard a few pretty much daily from Elk Island and right through the mountain regions.

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (Leiothlypis celata)

For the second year in a row we had just a single one of these warblers, which i seem to remember as being more numerous on earlier iterations of this tour 10+ years ago. At least the one we saw along the road below the Whistlers showed nicely.

MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER (Geothlypis tolmiei)

It's a good thing we had a nice encounter with a singing male along the Sibbald Creek Trail as it was the only one we saw. High winds and closure of the road to Cameron Lake (along which this species was common last year) killed our chances of finding any at Waterton this year.

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)

One of the most numerous warblers on this trip, and they were present in suitable marshy habitat throughout.

AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla) [*]

Heard only at Elk Island and along the road below Whistlers.

CAPE MAY WARBLER (Setophaga tigrina)

Prior to about 2009, this was a pretty poorly known species in the Calgary region, with just a few spring/summer records. I saw my first one on that year's tour, then another on the 2010 tour. It appears that this is an overlooked breeder along the eastern foot of the mountains, and we had another on this trip, a bird that showed beautifully as it responded to our pygmy-owl calls in the Water Valley area.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Setophaga magnolia)

An unexpected surprise on the road below Whistlers, and possibly my first for Alberta, or at least I don't recall seeing this species in the province before. Ours were with a small mixed group of birds that also included the Cassin's Vireo.

YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia) [N]

Most numerous at Elk island, but also quite common along the eastern foot of the mountains. We saw plenty, including a bird on a nest that Tony found at Waterton's Haybarn.

BLACKPOLL WARBLER (Setophaga striata)

Super looks at a singing male at Jasper's Cottonwood Slough.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (MYRTLE) (Setophaga coronata coronata)

Of the birds that we were able to identify to subspecies, the majority appeared to be Myrtle, particularly the ones at Elk Island and Jasper.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (AUDUBON'S) (Setophaga coronata auduboni)

The only sighting of what appeared to be a pure Audubon's was of a lovely male at Jasper. This form is the more likely one in the southern montane regions of the province, though all our records south of Jasper were heard-only.

TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Setophaga townsendi)

Excellent looks at a singing male at the Whistlers parking lot. The bird was singing an atypical song that is incredibly similar to the song of Black-throated Green Warbler, a song I've heard birds doing in Alberta previously. We also heard a couple along the Sibbald Creek Trail.

WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)

Fewer than expected, but we had singles on several days in Jasper and along the Sibbald Creek Trail.

Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)

WESTERN TANAGER (Piranga ludoviciana)

It was looking like we were going to miss this beauty, but on our last full day in the mountains, we tracked down a stunning male in the burnt over forest along the Blakiston Falls Trail for some spectacular looks. Then, surprisingly, we also saw another male near the Lewis's Woodpecker nest along the Bear's Hump Trail!

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

The gale-force winds at Waterton were making it tough to find any birds at all, but we kept at it, and eventually had super close views of a handsome male in the aspen parkland habitat near the scout camp.

LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amoena)

Last year we were surprised to discover that the forest fires which ravaged Waterton Lakes NP back in 2017 had apparently led to a huge increase in this species, which used to be a bit challenging to find here. The burnt over habitat seems to be to their liking, and we saw them easily again this year, with several males singing and showing beautifully on the Bear's Hump Trail and a bunch also heard along the Red Rock Parkway. Nice to know there were some positive consequences from the devastating fires.

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MAMMALS

PIKA (Ochotona princeps)

Jeff spotted one among the boulders at the upper station at Whistlers, a first for me here I believe. For those that didn't get a good view there, several more at the Rock Glacier were super cooperative, scurrying around among the boulders, and even pausing in the open to utter a sharp "peek" just a few feet away from where we stood.

NUTTALL'S (MOUNTAIN) COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus nuttalli)

Just one along the road into Dinosaur PP, when we stopped for the pheasant.

SNOWSHOE HARE (Lepus americanus)

Singles were seen by some at both Elk Island and on the way to Jasper the following day, but only by the folks in Dan's van, I believe.

LEAST CHIPMUNK (Tamias minimus)

The commonly seen chipmunk in most of the province. We saw them at Jasper and in the Kananaskis.

YELLOW-PINE CHIPMUNK (Tamias amoenus)

You may recall some question about the identification of a group of 4 chipmunks seen along the Sibbald Creek Trail. Well, after consulting his photos, Dan is of the opinion that they were Yellow-pine Chipmunks, which are a bit more brightly-colored and with more contrasting facial striping than the very similar Least Chipmunk.

HOARY MARMOT (Marmota caligata)

I saw one standing on a boulder at the top of Whistlers (which gets its name from these whistling critters), but it ducked out of sight before I could draw attention to it. Luckily we found a much more cooperative one feeding on the road along the Sibbald Creek Trail.

COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL (Urocitellus columbiana)

The common montane ground squirrel. It was probably a bit too cold in Jasper for them, and we missed them there, but saw them regularly in the Kananaskis and around Waterton townsite.

RICHARDSON'S GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus richardsonii)

The common prairie ground squirrel. We saw them first during our picnic lunch at Cochrane, where one youngster enjoyed the veggie scraps from our lunch. We then saw large numbers over the last couple of days in the southern prairies.

GOLDEN-MANTLED GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus lateralis)

Quite common at high elevations in the mountains, though we saw relatively few this trip, with just a couple on Whistlers and one the following day on the drive across the Icefields Parkway.

RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Numerous in the coniferous forests throughout the mountains, and we saw or heard these most days before leaving the mountains behind.

BEAVER (Castor canadensis)

Common at Elk island NP, where they were re-introduced in the early 1940's and now number several hundred colonies with 5-7 individuals each. Our only sightings came from the park, where we saw three, including a pretty small youngster.

MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)

A single in one of the beaver ponds at Elk Island.

RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes)

Nice looks at one at Cameron Falls, where it was upsetting the local magpies.

COYOTE (Canis latrans)

A common mammal in the province, and we saw a grand total of 18 of them, with half of that total seen on a single day in the Kananaskis/Cochrane/Water Valley region.

BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus)

The sighting of a small bear on our first day at Elk Island was a surprise, as I had never seen one there before. We saw six more individuals in the mountains, including a pair, one black, one brown, feeding close to the road at Waterton.

BROWN (INCL. GRIZZLY) BEAR (Ursus arctos)

We were on our way up to Maligne Lake and had just crossed the bridge at the start of the road when we spotted what appeared to be a brown Black Bear, so we quickly pulled over for a look. No sooner had we pulled over than we spotted two small cubs running towards the bear, which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a small female Grizzly! We had incredibly close views of them as they foraged right next to the vehicles, then sauntered across behind my van to cross the road. Later the same day we saw the same bears further along the road, getting some amazing views again, but also witnessing some idiotic human behavior as a bunch of people got out of their cars and were moving towards the bears to take pictures. Luckily the bears ignored them, but it could easily have gone bad.

AMERICAN BADGER (Taxidea taxus)

These amazing animals are not uncommon in the prairies, but they're by no means a guaranteed sighting, so we got incredibly lucky with singles on both days in the southern prairies. Vito spotted both animals, and we had fantastic looks at both of them, one in the Milk River region, the other near Suffield.

ELK (Cervus canadensis)

Surprisingly few over all, with just 3 at Elk Island (where we ironically rarely see them), and a handful at Jasper (including an uncomfortably close encounter with an agitated doe at the swift spot) and near Cochrane.

MULE DEER (Odocoileus hemionus)

Very common, particularly in the south.

WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)

These have increased a lot since my days of living in the province, though overall we saw more Mulies this trip.

MOOSE (Alces alces)

Funnily, our only ones were a couple seen along the Athabasca Parkway near the icefields, a stretch of road where Dan said he'd never seen Moose before!

PRONGHORN (Antilocapra americana)

These handsome beasts are still quite common in the prairies, and we saw quite a few over our last 2 days in the south.

AMERICAN BISON (Bison bison)

Only seen at Elk Island, where there are populations of both the Plains and Wood subspecies kept in separate regions of the park. We saw both types, but Wood Bison were only seen from the main highway that cuts the park in two.

MOUNTAIN GOAT (Oreamnos americanus)

Jeff was especially motivated to find some goats, and after a lot of scanning of mountaintops, he was finally successful in spotting a couple on a rocky ridge high above the Spray lakes Road in the Kananaskis.

BIGHORN SHEEP (Ovis canadensis)

A couple of ewes, along with a couple of very young kids, entertained us as they bounded up and down the rocky slope in between bouts of grazing near the cold spring in Jasper. Others were seen in the Kananaskis, where we had some pretty good sized rams with nearly full curls.

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Totals for the tour: 189 bird taxa and 25 mammal taxa