Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Field Trip May 18, 2024

Ten birders joined Chirs Olsen May 18^th, 2024 for a stroll along the Alix Lake Nature Trail. The skies were clear and it was cool and blustery. Wind on the water and motion and sound in the forest made for challenging conditions, but we managed a respectable 44 species. A lot of these were first-of-the-year sightings, and notables included Long-billed Dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Franklin’s Gulls, Forster’s Terns, Double-crested Cormorants and American White Pelicans. We’re starting to see more insectivores returning, and today we added Least Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Purple Martins, House Wrens and Yellow Warblers.

Next weekend is the annual RDRN May Species Count, May 25-26, 2024. See the newsletter or website www.rdrn.ca for details and participate where and when you can! The following weekend (Jun 1, 2024) is Riverbend Upper Trails hosted by Ron Bjorge. That outing typically tallies a lot of species, so join Ron if you can. Or, if you feel like a serious drive that weekend, I’m doing the annual Vermilion Provincial Park spring count and you’re also welcome to join us there (starts 5:00 a.m. - email olsencdel@gmail.com for details if interested). 

We’ll pick up our regular schedule again on Jun 8^th, 2024 (Kuhnen Park). Don’t forget that we have two birding weekends Jun 22-23, 2024 (Ferry Point) and Medicine Lake (Jun 27-29, 2024) to finish our spring schedule.

Chris

Here is the eBird report:

Alix Lake Nature Trails, Red Deer, Alberta, CA
May 18, 2024 9:45 AM - 1:32 PM
Protocol: Traveling, walking
7.127 kilometres
Checklist Comments: Red Deer River Naturalists, Bird Focus Group outing
44 species
10 Participants
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  8
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  8
American Wigeon (Mareca americana)  6
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  10
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)  5
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  5
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)  2
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)  18
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)  16
American Coot (Fulica americana)  3
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)  4 (2 photos)
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  1
Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)  20
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)  3
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  22
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  1
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  2
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)  2
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  10
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  8
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  9
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  14
Purple Martin (Progne subis)  4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  6
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  14
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  8
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  10
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)  9
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)  1
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  9
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  85
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  2
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  4
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S175488699

📷Long-billed Dowitcher