I think everyone would agree that it takes a lot of skill and experience to successfully show birds to a group of clients. Your guides have been doing this for a while, and over the years we've become really good at what we do, and I'm sure you experienced that on this tour. But, I have to admit, in addition to the skill and experience, it can also take a lot of persistence, and a lot of luck. I think this trip demonstrated instances of all four of these qualities being used to full advantage to find some great birds for the group.
In the skill department, there are numerous examples, if I do say so myself. But there were some standout moments among them, including Dan picking out the subtle song of the Cape May Warbler while we were driving along a gravel road! And in the same vein, we also keyed into the song of a Hammond's Flycatcher, another easily missed call, and followed up by tracking it down to its perch for some great looks. There were plenty of other birds we found this way as well: LeConte's and Nelson's sparrows, and the fantastic Mourning Warbler at Elk Island; the equally awesome Connecticut Warbler the next day; the Sprague's Pipit and Baird's Sparrow in the prairies; the Varied Thrush on the spruce-covered hillside in K-Country. Recognizing the vocalizations, understanding the bird well enough to know where it is likely to be, using the sound to locate it, and sometimes resorting to playback to draw it into view, and knowing how it will behave when it responds are all part of the skillset we've developed over the years of doing this.
As mentioned, experience is also an important factor. All of that skill comes from experience, of course, but experience comes into play in other ways as well. It doesn't take any great skill to identify a Harlequin Duck, but our experience in doing this tour in years past allows us to take you to their favored stretch of river to see them. Past experience has also taught us where the male Calliope Hummingbirds like to hang out and display, where the American Dippers like to nest, in which marsh a Virginia Rail is likely to be, where, and at what time, the Black Swifts are likely to show up. Again, experience allowed us to share these great birds, and more with you all.
As far as persistence goes, there is no better example than our search for the Great Gray Owl. We put in a lot of time driving the roads where experience has taught us they are likely to be, but I know at least a few of you were losing faith by the time we stopped for dinner. Fortunately, our persistence paid off in the end, as we ultimately came face to face with one of these stunning owls, and judging by the number of votes it got as bird of the trip, I'm glad we didn't give up! Then there's luck. You can argue that we were lucky getting the owl, and I wouldn't disagree. Every tough bird does take a degree of luck to find. The White-tailed Ptarmigans, for example, could have been far up the slope, necessitating a strenuous hike, but we were lucky that they were right near the upper tram station. And we were lucky, too, that the Cape May Warbler sang as we were passing by, and that when we stopped to find it, we also found the nest of some American Three-toed Woodpeckers! AND a pair of Evening Grosbeaks started feeding in a nearby tree. That was definitely a lucky stop!
My favorite birding moment of the tour came as a result of all four of these factors coming together, and that was our Spruce Grouse encounter. First, the bird just happened to fly across in front of my van as we were leaving a spot we'd been at for 30 minutes or more: pure luck. It was a brief, poor view, so there was definitely some skill in correctly identifying it. Persistence and experience came into play next. The bird had flown into a dense stand of trees, and was essentially gone. But past experience taught us that these birds will often fly up into a tree and sit after crossing an opening, as well as roughly how far they might go into the forest, and how high up they might sit. So instead of giving up on it and moving on, we went looking for it instead, and well, you all know how that turned out!
Going back to luck for a moment, I'd say we were lucky, too, to have been able to enjoy Jasper before the devastating forest fires that wiped out a large percentage of the townsite and huge swaths of forest, just a few weeks later. I hope you'll all spare some thought for the people who lost their homes and livelihoods to the fire. They, sadly, weren't so lucky.
Finally, I want to say that Dan and I were also lucky to not only get to lead this tour again, and visit these many beautiful places again, but to do so with a wonderful group of clients. Thanks for joining us on this trip, and we would love to see you all again someday, hopefully soon!
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) [N]
Pretty common and almost an every day bird.
TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator) [N]
Two family groups, one along Grand Valley Road, the other in the southern prairies. Once a pretty scarce species in the province, but they've made quite a comeback.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)
Only away from the mountains, with an especially large number of them at the Cindy Conservation Area (CA).
CINNAMON TEAL (Spatula cyanoptera)
We finally caught up with this uncommon species when we found a pair on Tyrell Lake in the south.
NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata) [N]
Especially numerous at the Cindy CA, but scattered pairs and small groups at other wetlands away from the mountains, including a couple of hens with ducklings along the small canal at Tyrell Lake.
GADWALL (Mareca strepera)
Like most of the waterfowl, quite common in the wetlands away from the mountains.
AMERICAN WIGEON (Mareca americana)
One of the less numerous dabbling ducks, with only about 15-20 in the various wetlands on either end of the tour.
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) [N]
The most widespread of the ducks, and the only dabbler seen throughout the mountains as well as in the prairies.
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta)
Very few, with just a couple at the Cindy CA, and a couple of pairs at Tyrell Lake.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Anas crecca)
Somehow this species was missing from our checklists, but we did see a few at Elk Island as well as a trio on the beaver ponds along the Sibbald Creek Trail.
CANVASBACK (Aythya valisineria)
A small number of distant birds at the Cindy CA, then about 20 more at Tyrell Lake.
REDHEAD (Aythya americana)
About three quarters of our total of this species came at Tyrell Lake, but we had a few scattered around other small ponds at Elk Island, Grand Valley Road, and elsewhere in the southern prairies.
RING-NECKED DUCK (Aythya collaris)
These handsome ducks prefer beaver ponds for nesting on, and we saw them on a bunch of such ponds at Elk Island, and others such as Cottonwood Slough, Beta Lake, and the Sibbald Creek ponds, with a single bird on a prairie pothole in the south.
LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis)
Numerous away from the mountains, with almost every roadside pond, no matter how small, having at least one pair.
HARLEQUIN DUCK (Histrionicus histrionicus)
Always nice to see this striking species, probably my favorite species of duck. We had a couple of males and a female along the river at Maligne Lake in Jasper, and weren't expecting to see any more. But a surprise pair sitting on boulders in the Cameron River at Waterton was a highlight of our evening drive there.
BUFFLEHEAD (Bucephala albeola)
A few birds at Elk Island and Beta Lake, and about 20 of them at Tyrell Lake.
COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula)
A few birds on our day east of Edmonton, as well as around Beta Lake as we traveled west, a bunch on Maligne Lake, and a single male with a couple of Barrow's Goldeneye on the small lake at the campsite we stopped in at along the Spray Lakes Road.
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (Bucephala islandica)
A female with ducklings on Cottonwood Slough, then a pair along the Spray Lakes Road, including a handsome male still in breeding dress.
HOODED MERGANSER (Lophodytes cucullatus)
Our only ones were a pair on Tyrell Lake, though perhaps not seen by everyone.
COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser)
Just a pair on Maligne Lake, a couple along the Spray Lakes Road, and 4 drakes on Cameron Lake.
RUDDY DUCK (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Small numbers of these charming ducks were seen on our day east of Edmonton as well as on Tyrell Lake.
RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus)
One was heard drumming as we birded the road to Tawayik Lake at Elk Island, and a handful of us saw a bird run out on the trail ahead of us at Waterton's Red Rock Canyon.
WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN (Lagopus leucura)
If you're only going to find one species at the top of the Whistlers Mountain tram, this is the one you want! We hadn't gotten very far up the trail when I noticed these birds on the other side of the ridge, where a young woman with brightly-colored leggings made a useful starting point for giving directions. We wound up spending a fair bit of time with these birds, that were pretty nonplussed by the crowds of hikers walking past. We even had to stop one guy who was almost going to tromp on the male as he hadn't noticed it thanks to its cryptic coloration. This was Mary's choice as bird of the trip.
SPRUCE GROUSE (FRANKLIN'S) (Canachites canadensis franklinii)
Though we spend a fair bit of time in this species' habitat, we had yet to see it on this tour, so it was an exciting moment when a female flew low across the road in front of my van as we were leaving a picnic area in the Kananaskis. Dan's van was already ahead out of sight, and comms were down, so we just stopped and tried to locate the bird, knowing Dan would come back eventually. The bird had entered a dense spruce stand, so I walked in and scanned the trees, eventually spotting the bird perched about 20' up, sitting quietly, and I brought everyone into see. At about that time, Dan and his group arrived, and we got all of them into position as well, when Dan spotted some movement a bit further in, the male! A bit of playback got him fired up, and he flew in close, giving excellent looks, with his fiery red combs fully engorged. A real highlight moment on the tour, and both Gene and I chose it as the bird of the trip. Note that the form found in this part of the range is franklinii, which lacks the rufous tips to the tail feathers.
GRAY PARTRIDGE (Perdix perdix) [I]
Not an easy time of year to find these common but cryptic birds, but we managed some quick views of a single and then a pair along the drive through the southern prairies.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (Phasianus colchicus) [I]
Excellent views of a pair along the edge of an agricultural field on our way in to Dinosaur PP.
RED-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps grisegena) [N]
Pretty common in the Edmonton region, with great views of nesting birds at Elk Island NP.
EARED GREBE (Podiceps nigricollis)
Where we found them (Astotin Lake, Cindy CA, Tyrell Lake), they were generally pretty numerous. Memorable was a pair at Cindy CA that seemed like they were intrigued by us, as they just kept swimming closer and closer to where we stood on the road. All in exceptionally beautiful light!
WESTERN GREBE (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
A couple of birds each on Astotin Lake and Wabamun Lake, and a couple of pairs on Tyrell Lake.
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]
All feral birds, but there were the cliff-nesting birds along the Milk River and at Dinosaur PP that at least act like wild ones.
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) [I]
The town of Milk River is a good place to find this fairly recent arrival, and we eventually tracked down a handful as we drove up and down the town's streets and avenues.
MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)
It always surprises me how uncommon this species is here, though we did have small numbers away from the mountains in the Water Valley region and in the southern prairies.
BLACK SWIFT (Cypseloides niger)
A very scarce and local species in the province, but we once again had a successful evening at the Maligne Canyon overlook, where a trio of birds made a pass overhead on their way into the canyon to roost.
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus calliope)
Brief views at a female feeding in scrub along the edge of Medicine Lake in Jasper, then much more satisfying looks at a couple of males teed up and doing display flights at our spot in the grasslands at Waterton. We then found another male doing the same thing in a clearing at the edge of the Cameron Lake parking area.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus rufus)
The usual good show at the feeders at our picnic lunch spot at Highwood House, then a few birds in and around Waterton.
VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola)
Super views of a responsive bird in the marshes along the Sibbald Creek Trail.
SORA (Porzana carolina)
This is a very common species in Alberta's marshes, and we heard their whinnying calls a lot when in appropriate habitat. Like all rails, they can be furtive, but they are usually not too hard to see at this time of year, and we had fantastic looks at a few birds, including a very cooperative one at Cindy CA.
AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana) [N]
Fair numbers in the area east of Edmonton included some orange-headed chicks on a pond at Elk Island. Elsewhere seen only at Tyrell Lake, where they were numerous.
YELLOW RAIL (Coturnicops noveboracensis) [*]
One was heard ticking in a marshy area east of Elk Island, but we had no luck trying to see it.
SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis)
Gorgeous looks at several birds in a stubble field near Beta Lake, their plumage heavily stained a rusty color from preening with muddy beaks. We also had a single bird in the Water Valley area, and a pair on our final morning at Waterton, as we were eating our picnic breakfast before heading into the prairies.
BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus mexicanus)
This was a rarity in the province back when I used to live here, but they are now reasonably common in some areas. We had about 15-20 at the Cindy CA.
AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)
About 40 of these elegant shorebirds were at the Cindy CA, with a similar number seen on our long drive through the southern prairies.
KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)
Surprisingly small numbers in the Edmonton region and at a few ponds in the southern prairies.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW (Numenius americanus)
A single bird flew past, calling, as we birded at Tyrell Lake, and we were never able to refind it.
MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa)
Several of these at scattered wetlands away from the mountains, the best being one perched on a roadside fencepost on our way to Dinosaur PP.
WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata)
A few birds doing their winnowing display flight at several marshes away from the mountains.
WILSON'S PHALAROPE (Phalaropus tricolor)
Fall migration was already beginning, evidenced by the huge gathering of these phalaropes (~1000 birds!) at a large alkaline lake in the southern prairies. Smaller numbers were in the Edmonton region, and about 100 or so on Tyrell Lake.
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus lobatus)
More compelling evidence of fall migration was a handful of these tundra breeders mixed in with the Wilson's Phalaropes. A couple on the pond with the 1000 WIPH were a bit tough to pick out, but we had some excellent scope views of one or two of the 8-10 on Tyrell Lake.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)
One of the few shorebirds that breeds in the mountains as well as to the east. We had a few birds most days, including at Maligne Lake in Jasper and Cameron Lake in Waterton.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER (Tringa solitaria)
Single birds were recorded (mainly by voice) at Elk Island, Wabamun Lake, and Cottonwood Slough, and we finally got good looks at a pair with three chicks on a marsh along the Sibbald Creek Trail.
GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca)
A couple of birds at Beta Lake were our only ones for the trip.
WILLET (Tringa semipalmata)
A few birds each at Cindy CA and at several of the southern prairie potholes.
LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes)
A few birds at Cindy CA and a quartet on the shores of Wabamun Lake, with a single on a small slough near Brooks.
BONAPARTE'S GULL (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
Nice looks at a trio of these foraging over Beta Lake.
FRANKLIN'S GULL (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
Probably the most numerous bird seen on the day east of Edmonton, with hundreds of them flying overhead pretty much everywhere we stopped. Then we didn't see them again until our final couple of days in the prairies.
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)
Generally the common white-headed gull in most areas, especially around Edmonton. Not usually in the mountains, though.
CALIFORNIA GULL (Larus californicus)
These took over as the common white-headed gull in the southern prairies.
BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger)
Pretty numerous at a number of sites east of Edmonton, with smaller numbers at a few wetlands in the south.
FORSTER'S TERN (Sterna forsteri)
Several at Wabamun Lake and in Elk Island, including one repeatedly diving for fish in a roadside beaver pond at Astotin Lake, giving excellent views at close range.
COMMON LOON (Gavia immer) [N]
We always get a few nice looks at these stunning birds, and they are not uncommon. We had several fun encounters this trip, with perhaps the most memorable being the pair with a couple of youngsters riding on their backs at Jasper's Leach Lake.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)
A few birds at various larger lakes in the Edmonton region, as well as in the south.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
Mainly seen around Elk Island, where we had wonderful views of up to 20 soaring overhead in the beautiful blue sky. Small numbers were also in the south.
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)
Never numerous, but we had a few sightings at Elk Island NP and a few at other non-montane wetlands.
TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
Quite a local species in the province, and not one we usually expect to see, but a few folks in my van saw a trio roosting on a tower as we got back to the highway west of Edmonton, and Dan and some of the folks in his van saw single bird in the town of Brooks. Perhaps they're starting to expand their range in Alberta?
OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus) [N]
Active nests were at Wabamun Lake, and Medicine Lake in Jasper, with some good scope views of the birds perched on their bulky stick nests.
GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos)
A couple of birds in the south, with one perched on the ground towards the end of our morning on the way to Milk River giving good views, then another perhaps even better looks at another the following day in the Tide Lake region near Brooks.
NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus hudsonius) [N]
One handsome male coursing over the road and the marsh in the area east of Elk Island, then several during our drive along the Milk River, including a pair doing a mid-flight food exchange, with the female dropping to the ground (a nest?) immediately after.
BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) [N]
Scattered records throughout the trip, with some especially good scope views of a pair on a long-used nest at Medicine Lake.
BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus) [N]
Elk Island NP is really the only spot for this species on the tour, and that's where we found our only ones, nesting near Astotin Lake.
SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsoni)
Quite common in the southern prairies, though it felt like we saw fewer than usual this year.
RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
Unlike the above species, this Buteo generally shuns the open grasslands, though we did see one towards the western end of route 501. Towards the mountains and in the more heavily treed areas around Edmonton, they were seen more regularly.
FERRUGINOUS HAWK (Buteo regalis) [N]
These magnificent large Buteos have been making a comeback, in part thanks to the construction of nesting platforms, which they seem to take to quite readily. We saw several nests on such platforms, as well as one on a large oil tank at Tide Lake. But there were also a couple on natural cliffside nests, including our first birds at a long-used nest above the Milk River, where we enjoyed excellent scope views of the youngsters in their Swainson's Hawk-like plumage, and watched one of the adults successfully pluck an unwary ground-squirrel from the nearby colony and drop it off for the kids.
BURROWING OWL (Athene cunicularia) [N]
A scarce bird in the province these days, and the few nest sites are heavily monitored and their locations kept under wraps. But Dan knew of one nest site, and we set the scope up on the spot, which was a long way from our position. After a bit of a wait, one bird popped out of the burrow, and sat out for us to see, even sitting atop the camera for a bit. Even in the scope it was not always easy to see, but we got there eventually.
GREAT GRAY OWL (Strix nebulosa)
Dan and I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to go looking for this owl after striking out on the previous year's trip. But after some discussion, we revised our game plan a bit and figured we could eat dinner out in the search area and continue looking afterward, when the owls would be more likely out hunting. I know a few folks had lost faith when we didn't find one prior to dinner, but it took only a few minutes after we left town to come across one sitting on a roadside fencepost. We stayed a respectful distance away, but after several minutes, the owl decided to change perches, flying in our direction and landing on the closest post to where we stood, giving us an incredible show! Given that 60% of the group picked this as their bird of the trip (Susan, Eric, Doug, Glenda, Rick, and Paula), I think we made the right decision!
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus varius)
A few heard birds at Elk Island, then nice looks at a male drumming on a roadside power pole west of Edmonton the next day.
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)
Replaces the above species from the Kananaskis area southward, though hybrids are regularly seen in the Kananaskis region at least. We had our first, a male, gathering food along the Sibbald Creek Trail, where Dan witnessed it go to a nearby American Three-toed Woodpecker nest and feed the noisy youngster inside, causing some initial confusion as to who the nest actually belonged to. We saw a few more at Waterton, where perhaps pure birds are a little more likely.
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (Picoides dorsalis) [N]
This species can be pretty hit or miss on this tour, but it was a definite hit this year, as we found them easily, and relatively often. Our first was a nicely seen male at the lower tram station at Whistlers, followed by another male that afternoon at Maligne Lake. A few days later we found this species at two sites along the Sibbald Creek Trail, including the nest mentioned above, which had a pair of adults in attendance (in addition to the confused sapsucker). The chick, almost ready to fledge, was incredibly noisy and persistent, gobbling up everything the parents delivered with out so much as a nanosecond pause in its incessant squawking.
HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus)
This can be a tricky time of year for woodpeckers, as they become downright sneaky and silent when they're nesting. We still managed a few of these, almost all at Elk Island, but with one also along the Sibbald Creek Trail, but amazingly missed the usually common Downy Woodpecker altogether!
PILEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus pileatus)
It's always nice to see this large woodpecker, and we had a few nice sightings, starting with a couple our first day at Elk Island NP.
NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus)
Widespread, though most of our records came from Waterton NP and Dinosaur PP. Though the red-shafted form is the predominate type through most of this region, both yellow and red-shafted occur, and hybrids are commonly seen in the province.
AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)
Small numbers, mainly seen perched on roadside wires as we drove, but with a pair also at Red Rock Canyon.
MERLIN (Falco columbarius)
One flew past as we waited for swifts at the Maligne Canyon overlook, and we had great views of a calling bird perched above the parking area at Athabasca Falls. It very likely had a nest nearby.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (Contopus cooperi)
After missing these birds at a usually reliable spot in the Kananaskis, we were pleased to find a cooperative pair calling and sitting up on treetops at Cameron Lake.
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus sordidulus)
Mostly just heard, though we did see one or two at the Haybarn area and Red Rock Canyon in Waterton.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax flaviventris)
As usual, our only one was at the parking lot at the Whistlers tram, where it eventually showed very well.
ALDER FLYCATCHER (Empidonax alnorum)
Not uncommon in suitable marshes throughout, with nice looks at calling birds at Elk Island, Cottonwood Slough, and elsewhere.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER (Empidonax traillii)
Especially common in the marshes along Sibbald Creek Trail, where it is possible to hear both this and Alder Flycatcher calling at the same sites.
LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)
Common in parkland habitat at Elk Island, as well as the eastern parts of Waterton NP.
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER (Empidonax hammondii)
We don't get this one every year, so it was a bit of a surprise to find them at two different places this year, and both were spots I'd not seen them previously. Our first was a singing bird at Cottonwood Slough, where it was initially elusive, but we eventually tracked it to its song perch high atop a spruce tree. A few days later we were surprised to hear another along the Sibbald Creek Trail, where we again got some good scope views as it sang.
DUSKY FLYCATCHER (Empidonax oberholseri)
It took some time, but we finally managed to track one of these down at Red Rock Canyon, giving us a sweep of the Empids in the province.
EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe) [N]
Only at Elk Island NP, where we had a pair nesting on one of the buildings at Tawayik Lake, and another at Astotin Lake.
SAY'S PHOEBE (Sayornis saya)
Eric spotted one perched on an old barn along the highway near Del Bonita, but I think a few folks failed to get on it before it vanished. We had one more sighting at the viewpoint over Dinosaur PP, and I believe the rest of the group caught up, though that bird also didn't stick around for long.
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus)
Restricted to Elk Island NP on this tour route, and easily missed on the trip, but we had a very vocal, cooperative pair at Astotin Lake this year, giving great views right behind the main rest room building there.
WESTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus verticalis)
Much more restricted to the southern prairie region than the next species, and all of our sightings came on the day we made our big sweep through the Milk River region.
EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Much more wide-ranging than the Western Kingbird, and we saw these on all but just a couple of days.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius)
Not a bird we've had often on this tour, but we had good looks at a pair along a secondary road as we birded our way from Edmonton to Jasper.
WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)
Widespread and at least heard on most days. Both eastern and western types (with differing songs) occur in the province, and we heard both.
RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)
Loads of these were heard, and a few seen at Elk Island NP and elsewhere in the Edmonton area.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianus)
Not uncommon in the southern prairie regions, but we didn't do too well with shrikes this trip, getting just one in the Milk River region, with some folks seeing another the following day in the Brooks area.
CANADA JAY (Perisoreus canadensis)
Several family groups, with solidly dark gray fledglings, were seen, starting with a group of 4 west of Edmonton, where we saw our Blue-headed Vireos, as well as another 4 at the Maligne Lake parking lot that were hopping around on, and amidst, some of the vehicles.
BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata) [*]
Heard a couple of times in the Edmonton region, though I'm not sure anyone actually saw one.
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE (Pica hudsonia)
Less numerous in the mountains than the regions to the east, but we still saw these birds every day of the trip.
CLARK'S NUTCRACKER (Nucifraga columbiana)
Very few this year, but we did find a couple along the Icefields Parkway which seemed like they'd be our only ones of the trip. But we had what was to be our most unexpected sighting of the trip a few days later along the Milk River. We had stopped to scan for Prairie Falcons at one of the river crossings when I saw an unusual looking bird fly into the top of a tall conifer at a nearby farmhouse. When i realized what it was, I told everyone to quickly turn around and check out the bird without telling them what I'd seen. There are very few records of this species anywhere east of the Rockies in Alberta, let alone so far from them!
AMERICAN CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Fairly common and seen daily.
COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax)
Common and seen daily, outnumbering the crows by roughly 2:1.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (Poecile atricapillus)
Though by far the most numerous and widespread of the chickadees in the province, this species can be surprisingly elusive in the breeding season and we essentially missed it last year! We fared better with them this trip, though, seeing a couple in the Edmonton region and another in Jasper.
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE (Poecile gambeli)
Nice views of at least 3 birds along the Sibbald Creek Trail, though these were the only ones for the trip.
BOREAL CHICKADEE (Poecile hudsonicus)
By a small margin, this was the most numerous chickadee of the tour, and we tallied them on 4 different days, with nice looks at our first west of Edmonton, and others at Cottonwood Slough, Sibbald Crrek Road, and along the Spray Lakes Road.
HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris)
Numerous in the southern prairies, with plenty of good looks.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
Never numerous, and we had just one pair along the Sibbald Creek Trail and a single bird at Dinosaur PP.
PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis)
It was great to see pretty good numbers of this declining species wheeling overhead among all the Franklin's Gulls and Black Terns at Astotin Lake, and we estimated there to be 30-40 of them, which is way more than we usually get, if we get them at all.
TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) [N]
Common and recorded in numbers most days, though decidedly local in Jasper, where we only had them at Cottonwood Slough.
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW (Tachycineta thalassina)
A few of these pretty swallows were foraging around our hotel in Waterton, but they were most numerous and best seen, at Dinosaur PP.
BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia)
About 20 birds over Beta Lake were the only ones for the tour.
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)
A lot more numerous than our few Ebird records suggest, probably as we saw many of them during our drives when we weren't actually generating a list.
CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) [N]
The most abundant swallow, thanks mainly to the presence of a couple of huge nesting colonies at Del Bonita (under a bridge) and along the Milk River (bridge and real cliff nesters.) Our first were seen nicely flying below the bridge at Maligne Lake.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)
Quite common in the mountains, and we heard them at least every day we spent in the Rockies.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa)
We had just a few sightings of this tiny bird, but that first one at the Whistlers parking lot, getting all excited with its gold crest fully erected, was an amazing sight to behold, and Joan picked that feisty little guy as her favorite bird of the trip.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis) [N]
Most of our records were heard only, but we did have a pair attending a nest hole at the Maligne Canyon viewpoint.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta carolinensis) [*]
Heard only at our picnic lunch stop in Edson.
ROCK WREN (Salpinctes obsoletus)
Okay scope views of our first one along the Milk River (same place as the out of place nutcracker), then much better views of a close perched bird at the overlook at Dinosaur PP, followed by several others as we explored the park further.
HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon)
We heard these birds on a number of days, but I think the only one we saw was near Del Bonita on our big swing through the prairies.
PACIFIC WREN (Troglodytes pacificus)
It'd been several years since we'd been able to access Cameron Lake in Waterton, ever since the big forest fire back in 2017, so it was good to find that at least one small patch of conifers had survived the fire relatively unscathed. And that is where we found our only pair of this species, which was once a bit more widespread in the park.
MARSH WREN (Cistothorus palustris)
Super looks at a very territorial bird singing from atop a shrub near then entrance to Waterton Lakes NP.
AMERICAN DIPPER (Cinclus mexicanus)
Thank goodness for the reliable nesting birds at Cameron Falls, as the one we found there was the only one for the trip.
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]
Far too common for my liking, but missed a few days in the mountains.
GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis)
Not a montane bird, but not uncommon in the prairie and parkland regions, including along the eastern edge of Waterton, where we saw a couple at the Haybarn. Others were west of Edmonton and along the Milk River.
BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufum)
Pretty much only at Dinosaur PP on this tour route, and that's where we saw our only pair at the foot of the coulees in the overflow camping area.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD (Sialia currucoides) [N]
Despite the name, this species is more a bird of the grasslands at the foot of the Rockies than a true mountain bird. We had them several days, with some nice views along the eastern end of the Sibbald Creek Trail, and a bunch along Grand Valley Road, both areas that have Bluebird Trails with plenty of nest boxes.
VARIED THRUSH (Ixoreus naevius)
The ringing call is quite ventriloquial, making the birds quite tough to track down, but we persisted searching for a singing bird on a spruce-covered hillside along the Sibbald Creek Trail, and were rewarded with excellent scope views of this beauty!
VEERY (Catharus fuscescens) [*]
Heard only in the willow thicket's along the Waterton River at the Haybarn.
SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus)
A common voice in the mountains, and we heard them regularly, and had several good looks as well.
AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius)
A common, everyday bird.
CEDAR WAXWING (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Seen in small numbers most days of the trip, in a variety of wooded habitats.
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]
Mainly in urban areas.
SPRAGUE'S PIPIT (Anthus spragueii)
Our only one was one of the final birds of the trip. We heard it performing its flight display high overhead in open grasslands south of Brooks, and tried a little playback, though it appeared to have no effect. We turned our attention to other things, then suddenly noticed it sitting on the dirt road right behind our vans, where it stayed pretty much right up until we left, giving us incredible views! Dan picked this as his favorite bird of the trip, understandable, as you don't often see them this well.
EVENING GROSBEAK (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
New birds were coming in bunches along a section of the Sibbald Creek Trail, a pair of these lovely grosbeaks being among several species vying for our attention during a random stop along the road. Another trio was less successful getting our attention, perched, as they were, above the Great Gray Owl!
PINE GROSBEAK (Pinicola enucleator)
A female, or young male, perhaps, was quite confiding at a stop along the Spray Lakes Road. It seemed rather interested in us, or at least not afraid, and I really think it would have landed on someone's head if no one had flinched when it flew close!
HOUSE FINCH (Haemorhous mexicanus)
A relative newcomer to the province, as part of a natural expansion, rather than an introduction, House Finches are pretty much an urban bird here, and our only ones were seen as we cruised the streets of Milk River looking for collared-doves.
PURPLE FINCH (Haemorhous purpureus)
Excellent looks at several along a productive side road west of Edmonton.
PINE SISKIN (Spinus pinus)
Pine Siskins were pretty much everywhere this year, including some unexpected ones in a couple of spots out in the prairies!
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis)
Not a montane species, though they were pretty common in the parkland just beyond.
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (Calcarius ornatus)
These dapper birds are always a treat to see, and we had great encounters with a bunch of them in the southern prairies, starting with a cooperative male on a roadside fence-line in the Del Bonita area.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)
Our spot that had so many of these last year produced none at all this year, but luckily, our backup spot near Brooks came through, barely. We managed decent looks at a single bird, but that's all we needed!
CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)
This was a common, daily species right through until we left the mountains.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Spizella pallida)
These common and widespread birds seemed a little less numerous than usual, but we still recorded them nearly every day, and had plenty of good sightings.
LARK SPARROW (Chondestes grammacus)
As usual, only seen at Dinosaur PP, and we did get a couple of nice ones, but they were a bit tougher than they usually are here.
FOX SPARROW (SLATE-COLORED) (Passerella iliaca schistacea)
Great looks at a couple of singing birds in the scrubby willow near the Athabasca Icefields, though the Timberline Brewer's Sparrows that used to be regular here no longer seem to frequent this area, sadly. We also heard these sparrows up around Cameron lake in Waterton.
DARK-EYED JUNCO (SLATE-COLORED) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis)
Both Slate-colored and Oregon types occur in Alberta, though many of the birds we encountered appeared to be of the cismontanus subspecies, which looks intermediate to the other two types. We did also see some clean Slate-colored types, but weren't able to nail a definite Oregon type, which would have been most likely in Waterton.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
Pretty small numbers this year, but generally a pretty common species throughout the mountain parks.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Heard daily over the first five days of the trip, and we finally saw one at a small marsh in the Water Valley region.
VESPER SPARROW (Pooecetes gramineus)
We sure saw a lot of these while searching for other grassland sparrows and longspurs in the southern prairies!
LECONTE'S SPARROW (Ammospiza leconteii)
These lovely, secretive sparrows are not uncommon in the Edmonton region, though there were fewer than usual this year. But we had fine views of a cooperative one at Elk Island NP, then saw another during a short visit to Big Hill Springs PP.
NELSON'S SPARROW (Ammospiza nelsoni)
Fantastic looks at this gorgeous little sparrow at Elk Island NP, at a spot I'd seen them regularly in the past, but missed in all my recent visits, so I was pleased to see one back again!
SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis)
Numerous in pretty much any grassland area outside of the mountains.
BAIRD'S SPARROW (Centronyx bairdii)
Our failed Grasshopper Sparrow search near Taber did turn up a couple of these uncommon sparrows instead. We heard a couple of singing birds quite far out into the field, and eventually managed to draw one close enough to get a scope view, which was fortunate, as they were even more difficult at our usual spot, where we ended up only hearing them.
SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia)
Quite widespread and seen most days, though there were never very many around.
LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)
These should have been everywhere other than the prairies, but they were less vocal and less noticeable than they often are. We still saw quite a few, with some nice views west of Edmonton and along the Sibbald Creek Trail.
SWAMP SPARROW (Melospiza georgiana)
Not as common out here as they are in the east, but they occur at a handful of sites we visit in the Edmonton region, as well as at Jasper's Cottonwood Slough, and we saw them well in both areas.
SPOTTED TOWHEE (Pipilo maculatus)
On this tour route, pretty much only likely at Dinosaur PP, where we had nice looks at a few in the willows along the creek in the valley bottom.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
Their preference for deeper water marshes makes these striking birds a bit more local than the wide-ranging Red-winged Blackbird, but they can be numerous in the marshes they favor. We saw most of ours in the marshes east of Edmonton on the first day, with just a handful at Tyrell Lake on the back end of the tour.
BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
Quite a local species in the province, and we're never sure where, or even if, we're going to find one. This year we had them at 2 spots, first a couple of males east of Elk Island NP, then a singing male at Whiskey Gap, where I don't think I'd had them before.
WESTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella neglecta) [N]
We didn't get these birds until the end of the trip, but they were happily quite numerous in the southern prairies, where we saw plenty of them gathering food to feed their hungry nestlings.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Icterus galbula) [*]
Absent from most of this tour route, and easily missed, which we almost did, save for one we heard calling at Beta Lake.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Nearly everywhere, though much less numerous in the mountains, and we actually managed to miss them on one day around Jasper.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)
While not as numerous as the Red-winged Blackbird, these birds might be even more widespread, and we saw a few at least every day of the tour.
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
Not an uncommon bird in the southern prairies, where we saw most of ours, though there were a few birds seen in the Edmonton region and near Water Valley as well.
COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)
These birds seemed to have increased somewhat since a decade or two ago. We used to only run into them around Lake Wabamun, and that area still produced most of the ones we saw, though there were also a small number east of Edmonton and in the southern prairies.
OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapilla)
Fantastic views of a bird singing in a stand of trees along a secondary road west of Edmonton.
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis)
A regular breeder in the province, and we heard and saw these at suitable marshes at several spots, including Cottonwood Slough, the Sibbald Creek marshes, and at Cameron Lake in Waterton.
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia)
Only recorded at Elk Island, where we had super looks at a singing male.
TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)
Quite a common breeding species, and they were certainly vocal, as we heard them from west of Edmonton through to Waterton. We also managed several excellent looks.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (Leiothlypis celata)
We never seem to get more than a couple of these warblers, which breed throughout the mountains. This year we had good looks at one in the parking lot at Whistlers.
CONNECTICUT WARBLER (Oporornis agilis)
A much-wanted species for many, but we really need some luck as we basically have just one shot at finding this species as we head west to Jasper. Unlike the previous year, we were blessed with great weather this year, and warblers were singing heartily, including a couple of these, and we wound up with incredible looks at this often difficult bird!
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER (Geothlypis tolmiei)
This is one of the species that seems to have benefitted from the massive forest fires at Waterton several years ago, and they seem to be easier to find now then they were a few years back. We had several excellent looks at these birds, mainly along the road up to Cameron Lake.
MOURNING WARBLER (Geothlypis philadelphia)
Much like the Connecticut Warbler, this species can be really hard to find once they've stopped singing for the season, which often happens as soon as the females are on nests. But our tour is just early enough to catch these birds before that happens, and we had great looks at one on territory at Elk Island NP, much to Andy's delight, as this was her top bird of the trip! Several others were heard west of Edmonton the following day.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)
We saw a few at Elk Island NP the first day, then heard them at pretty much every suitable marsh we hit through the rest of the trip.
AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla) [*]
Heard several times over the first three days, but we never did lay eyes on one.
CAPE MAY WARBLER (Setophaga tigrina)
Whether they were just overlooked in the past, or they've expanded their breeding range southward in the province, this handsome warbler now appears to be a fairly regular breeder in small numbers at the foot of the mountains south to the Calgary area. We managed to find a lone male thanks to Dan picking out it's thin song as we drove along the Sibbald Creek trail, and we all wound up with excellent looks.
YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia)
Just about an every day bird, though we missed it one of our days in Jasper.
BLACKPOLL WARBLER (Setophaga striata)
We've been lucky with this one at a couple of spots in Jasper, where they seem to be scarce breeders. This year our lone one was a fine singing male at at Cottonwood Slough.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (MYRTLE) (Setophaga coronata coronata)
In the Edmonton region and around Jasper, Myrtle types seem to be the most common form, and all the ones we saw over the first few days of the tour were Myrtles, though Audubon's, and even hybrids, can occur as well.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (AUDUBON'S) (Setophaga coronata auduboni)
Once we get to Kananaskis and Waterton, the yellow-throated Audubon's form seems to be the more regular, and the birds we saw along Sibbald Creek Trail and in Waterton all were of this type.
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Setophaga townsendi)
A couple of nice encounters with this western specialty, first at the Whistlers parking lot, then again at Red Rock Canyon. Interestingly, the birds here in Alberta sing a song that sounds almost exactly like that of Black-throated Green Warbler.
WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)
These warblers regularly breed high in the mountains, and we ran across a few at several of the highest elevation sites we hit.
WESTERN TANAGER (Piranga ludoviciana) [N]
These brightly-colored tanagers are always a joy to see, and we hit the motherlode in Waterton, seeing close to a dozen on our full day in the park, including a pair visiting a nest over the trail at Cameron Lake.
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
The grosbeaks are another example of closely-related species (or subspecies) pairs that meet in the province (sapsuckers, flickers, Cassin's and Blue-headed vireos, Myrtle and Audubon's warblers, are some of the others). This species breeds mainly to the north of the next one's range, and our only ones were a couple of nice singing males at Elk Island NP.
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
Generally only in the extreme south of the province. We had nice, but brief looks at a singing male in the Haybarn area, and heard another at Cameron Lake.
LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amoena)
This is another species that seems to have benefitted from Waterton's recent forest fires, and they're much easier to find and see now than they used to be, which is a good thing. We had several in the park, with unbeatable looks at a singing male by the roadside on our way up to Cameron Lake.
PIKA (Ochotona princeps)
Always fun to see. We had one of these "rock rabbits" at the upper tram station on Whistlers, then another close one at a regular spot at the Rock Glacier in Kananaskis.
SNOWSHOE HARE (Lepus americanus)
A couple along the Spray Lakes Road.
LEAST CHIPMUNK (Tamias minimus)
It seems odd, but I think we only saw one of these, the most common and widespread of the chipmunks here, along the Icefields Parkway.
YELLOW-PINE CHIPMUNK (Tamias amoenus)
A lone chipmunk at the Rock Glacier appeared to be this species, which is very similar to the Least, but a little more brightly-colored.
RED-TAILED CHIPMUNK (Tamias ruficaudus)
We were birding around the parking lot at Cameron Lake when I heard someone calling my name. I looked over to see a couple of friends of mine from Ontario that were excitedly beckoning us over to see one of these very local chipmunks munching on a tissue beneath the garbage can! This is pretty much the only place in the province to see this species, and my friends were there specifically to try and find one of these chipmunks.
HOARY MARMOT (Marmota caligata)
Three were seen along the Sibbald Creek Trail, with one pair being quite fearless, approaching the group quite closely after initially running off.
COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL (Urocitellus columbiana)
The common ground squirrel through the mountains.
RICHARDSON'S GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus richardsonii)
This species is abundant in the prairies, where they are the perfect thing for Ferruginous Hawks to feed their hungry nestlings.
THIRTEEN-LINED GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)
One of these small, beautifully-marked squirrels was a big surprise at a viewpoint as we approached Waterton. It popped up in the grasses very close to the group, and seemed pretty unconcerned with us ogling it from a few feet away. This is a pretty local and uncommon species in the province, and I think it may have been my first ever in Alberta!
GOLDEN-MANTLED GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus lateralis)
We saw just a couple of these chipmunk-like ground squirrels at the top of Whistlers.
RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
The common tree squirrel in the province, though we missed them on more days than I would have expected.
BEAVER (Castor canadensis)
One was seen by the folks in Dan's van as we drove down to Waterton.
MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)
A few in the marshes around Elk Island NP, including a pair with some very small babies.
RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes)
A couple of pups right beside our vehicles shortly after our Great Gray Owl, and an adult with a couple of pups at a den site uphill from the start of the road to Cameron Lake.
COYOTE (Canis latrans)
Only about half a dozen this year, mainly in the prairies.
BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus)
One each at Jasper, Kananaskis, and Waterton was lower than our usual count on this trip.
BROWN (INCL. GRIZZLY) BEAR (Ursus arctos)
One crossed the highway ahead of us just as we were approaching Jasper townsite the first time. After that, we were close to several, but the rangers both in Jasper and Kananaskis were using paintball type guns to "haze" the grizzlies and keep them away from public areas, and we happened across areas where bears had just been hazed several times.
AMERICAN PINE MARTEN (Martes americana)
Dan saw one dart across the road at Maligne Lake while the rest of us were distracted by Harlequin Ducks. And the following day, folks in his van saw another run across ahead of the vehicle as we drove towards the Icefields Parkway.
FISHER (Martes pennanti)
I've never seen this weasel species, so I was a bit disappointed when I learned that some in Dan's vehicle saw one cross the road in front of them in Elk Island NP. Adding insult to injury, later that morning I spoke with a local woman who showed me a video she'd just taken of a mother with two kits crossing the road in front of her car.
AMERICAN BADGER (Taxidea taxus)
Folks in my van spotted one of these burly weasels digging up a ground squirrel burrow next to a prairie pothole along the Milk River. Unfortunately, those in Dan's van were trying to figure out what we were looking at, and we were in a dead zone so our comms weren't working, so they never saw it.
ELK (Cervus canadensis)
Plenty of these were around, including some beautiful, full-antlered bucks.
MULE DEER (Odocoileus hemionus)
Numerous in the south, where they outnumber the next species.
WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)
These deer seem to have expanded in the province since I lived here, and we saw them throughout the trip, including in some areas where there used to only be Mulies.
PRONGHORN (Antilocapra americana)
Quite a few on our last two days in the prairies, including a couple of does with young fawns.
AMERICAN BISON (Bison bison)
Though Elk Island NP s entirely fenced in, the bison here are free-ranging within this huge park, so essentially wild animals. We saw both Plains Bison (in the part of the park we entered) and Wood Bison, (in the section with no visitor access south of the highway).
MOUNTAIN GOAT (Oreamnos americanus)
We did well with these this trip, spotting our first above the highway not long after we'd entered Jasper NP, then seeing a group of 4 on a slope above the Rock Glacier in Kananaskis, and another 4 the next day on the ridge above Cameron Lake.
BIGHORN SHEEP (Ovis canadensis)
Not as many as some years, with most of them coming on our first day in Jasper, including some ewes with kids along the highway, and a group of adult males lounging on rocks above a roadside pullout. A couple of these rams had impressive, full curls, which we saw in use when a couple of them did a little sparring and head-butting.
Totals for the tour: 189 bird taxa and 27 mammal taxa