Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Walk September 24, 2026

Chris Olsen Report

Bird Focus People:

Eight hardy birders were out September 24, 2026 morning to walk the upper and perimeter trails at Riverbend. The morning started frostily, but winds were light and the day warmed to be pleasant under bright skies. Chickadees, Nuthatches and Cedar Waxwings welcomed us across Discovery Canyon. We had Ravens and American Goldfinch overhead. As we followed the ‘road-to-nowhere’ past the underpass, a flight of Trumpeter Swans vee’ed southward overhead. Shortly after, two mature Bald Eagles looped and played overhead like oversized Ravens on a spring thermal.

On the ski trails (upper), we added Ring-billed Gulls doing flyovers, and a flock of American Robins worked the ground along the trail and the Mountain Ash overhead. A female Pileated Woodpecker fed on the slope, and we had Pine Grosbeaks and Golden-crowned Kinglets in the spruce canopy. Merlin picked up Brown Creepers and Dark-eyed Juncos but we did not see them and so passed on the listing. We did add another Bald Eagle and another small flock of Cedar Waxwings. We looked carefully, but there were no Bohemians among them.

On the waters along the river, there were Mallards everywhere. Surprisingly, we saw relatively few Common Goldeneye and Canada Geese, although we did not go to the outflow. As we walked along the shoals of loafing Mallards, Lynette spotted a lone Green-winged Teal drifting by. We saw and heard Downy woodpeckers and Northern Flickers along the trails, and were endlessly harassed by begging Chickadees and Nuthatches, and now even by fat Red Squirrels scurrying underfoot.

Enjoy!

Chris

Here is the eBird report:

River Bend Golf, Red Deer, Alberta, CA
Oct 24, 2026 9:45 AM - 1:42 PM
Protocol: Traveling, walking
6.157 kilometres
Checklist Comments: Red Deer River Naturalists, Bird Focus Group outing.
22 species
8 Participants
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  73
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)  24
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  325
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  1
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  30
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  3
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  3
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  5
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  4
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  5
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  8
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  48
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  7
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  7
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  8 Two small groups seen a couple of km apart. Clear views of the yellow belly and white under-tail region by several experienced birders.
Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)  5
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S405184001