Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Field Trip May 10, 2025

Bird Focus People:

Fourteen birders were out to Raven Brood Trout Station May 10, 2025 to enjoy the trails on a beautiful spring day. Welcome to Blaine and Tracy D. joining our group today!

Birding started with songs and calls from the picnic area, as we ‘scoped’ to try and identify a drab-colored sparrow preening at the top of a tall spruce. While engaged there, we could hear songs and calls from several Sparrows, a Brown-headed Cowbird, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. The wood along the spring stream was busy with drum calls from Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and we were treated to a Sharp-shinned Hawk overhead.

Climbing the upper trail added Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Siskins, Dark-eyed Juncos and a Hairy Woodpecker. As our fishers ogled the trout in the pools, a gentle clicking alerted us to a woodpecker scaling bark nearby, and soon we had our first American Three-toed Woodpecker of the year. Calls and sightings added Downy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers.

The interpretive trails were busy with Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Boreal and Black-capped Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows, and lots more Yellow-rumped Warblers. The kinglets stayed hidden in the canopy this year, but we did manage some good looks at Yellow-rumped Warblers. A gentle cooing alerted us to a lonely Mourning Dove, and we sighted him on a snag in the wetland. Evening Grosbeaks called in the canopy but stayed mostly hidden, as did the local Sandhill Cranes. A Kingfisher rattled at us from along the creek. Thirty diverse species and a great stroll in the spring!

Enjoy!

Chris Olsen

Here is the eBird report:

Raven Creek Brood Trout Station trails, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, CA
10-May-2025 9:24 AM - 1:25 PM
Protocol: Traveling, walking
4.395 kilometres
Checklist Comments: Red Deer River Naturalists, Bird Focus Group outing.
30 species
14 Participants
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 3
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) 1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula) 11
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 5
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 8
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) 5
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 3
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 4
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 3
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 5
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 10
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 1
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 1
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 5
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S236731144

Photo - American Three-toed Woodpecker