Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Walk April 4, 2026

Chris Olsen Report

Bird Focus People:

Seven birders were out on a bright Saturday morning April 4, 2026 to walk the Wishart trail through the Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary. Our first stretch out along the boardwalk to the viewing structure was a bit of a shock. The ‘lake’ is virtually dry and mostly a frozen mud flat. A few Canada Geese pairs were visible along the edges, but as Ron observed coyotes and other predators could simply walk out to any nest built on the beaver lodges. Grim for the geese and aquatic mammals!

Notwithstanding the forecast, our weather was warmer than expected and we never saw the threatened rain or wind. We did see large numbers of Bohemian Waxwings and the ever-present chickadees and nuthatches were joined in song by small flocks of American Robins, Pine Siskins, Dark-eyed Juncos and House Finches. At the east lake overlook a Cooper’s Hawk treated us with a classic accipiter fly-by!

There’s lots of porcupine activity along the upper trails, with bark-stripped elderberry and scattered broken withes  (a tough, flexible branch of an osier or other willow, used for tying, binding, or basketry) all along. Drayten soon started a collection of quills from along the trail - travel evidence more persistent than snow tracks!

We finished back near the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and as we reviewed the bird list, pairs of Pileated, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, arrived to forage on the aging box elders and feeders - a nice finish to the morning!

A last reminder with respect to the Sharp-tailed Grouse Watch booked for April 25^th, 2026. For the first time that booking is not full. Many of our group have attended more than once in the past and so we’ll likely give that outing a rest for a couple of years.

P.S.: ice cleats were still very helpful on the Wishart Trail, and are highly recommended for the steep and shaded portions of the McKenzie-to-River Bend walk next weekend April 11, 2026.

Here is an unusual species pairing photo (this past week) from my feeders.

Enjoy!

Chris

Here is the eBird report:

Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, Red Deer CA-AB 52.28497, -113.79440, Red Deer, Alberta, CA
Apr 4, 2026 10:04 AM - 12:58 PM
Protocol: Traveling, walking
3.643 kilometres
Checklist Comments: Red Deer River Naturalists, Bird Focus Group outing.
20 species
7 Participants
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  14
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  2
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  2
Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus)  2
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  3
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  3
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  6
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)  8
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  11
Common Raven (Corvus corax)  3
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  19
Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus)  2
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  3
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  7
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  17
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)  80
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  4
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  5
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)  5
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S316970906