Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Walk April 13, 2024

Sixteen birders were out April 13, 2024 for a beautiful spring stroll along the Wishart trail in the Gaetz Lakes Migratory Bird Sanctuary. There is still some ice in shaded portions, but the trails are generally good. Welcome to Dee joining the group for the first time! There were lots of other people on the trails this morning, and so we saw little on the ground, but the birding was pretty good in the canopy and above. 

Notables for this morning were first-of-the-year Red-winged Blackbirds, all males for now, loudly proclaiming their place in the cattails. We saw Dark-eyed Juncos near the start, and a boldly streaked under and rufous above ‘Sparrow’ (Fox sparrow?) that I’m hopeful can be confirmed from one of Deb’s photos. There were three Bald Eagles and numerous Gulls soaring above.

News from the group and my own travels is that there are larger numbers of Swans, Snow Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese in the area. Mountain Bluebirds are on the nest box lines, and I’m pretty sure I saw a Northern Harrier on the road yesterday. 

Chris

Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, Red Deer CA-AB 52.28494, -113.79417, Red Deer, Alberta, CA
13-Apr-2024 9:54 AM - 12:55 PM
Protocol: Traveling, walking
4.897 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Red Deer River Naturalists, Bird Focus Group outing
21 species
16 Participants
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  11
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  13
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  6
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  10
California Gull (Larus californicus)  2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  3
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  5
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  3
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  4
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  5
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  3
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  16
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  6
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  2
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  6
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  16
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  7
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  4
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S168471057