tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66408645187123807412023-11-16T04:13:00.973-08:00Fur and Feathers 5000Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-44987915658042226422013-12-21T17:33:00.000-08:002013-12-21T17:33:33.656-08:002013 Year in Review<div class="MsoNormal">
After doing the “Fur and Feathers 500” Canada big year in
2012, birding this year was focused closer to home. In that regard, it was successful
as I added six birds to my Alberta list:
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Arctic Tern, Purple Sandpiper, Piping Plover,
Whooping Crane and Parasitic Jaeger. None
of these birds got me closer to my long-term goal of 5000 birds and mammals
but, thanks to trips to Argentina and Colombia, I did make some progress. I started the year with 4058 bird and mammal
species and will finish at 4299. <o:p></o:p></div>
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January – winter birding in Alberta … what could be more fun? I did a January big day with Phil Cram, birding from Waterton to Calgary recording 44 species. With not many species around, most of which I’ve photographed many times, it is always a challenge to get a decent flight shot of the winter birds. As you can see from my Gyrfalcon photo, there is lots of room for improvement.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrCRKjpw7MH1zIXFeWmBNrIecgI2S3ywzDoyzP6uHb9MVrAhfOKGqT_436nS9ddnMLzv9-WLhHBatOvYthgMcN0FFxBAxiqh49Nx1y507a4OUA9_6GcQ4atvVsrrMpD5tHbLBLgaqeqE/s1600/Gyrfalcon+-+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrCRKjpw7MH1zIXFeWmBNrIecgI2S3ywzDoyzP6uHb9MVrAhfOKGqT_436nS9ddnMLzv9-WLhHBatOvYthgMcN0FFxBAxiqh49Nx1y507a4OUA9_6GcQ4atvVsrrMpD5tHbLBLgaqeqE/s640/Gyrfalcon+-+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyrfalcon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
February, March – seven weeks in Argentina with my wife and
two other couples. While not a birding
trip, birding opportunities did present themselves along the way. I’ve already posted pictures of most of the
highlight birds so will take this opportunity to share a few others, including
some flight shots.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Rp1UYQcEFnNBPFbc5pQ0XyqRf4e8G9X41KWoCrG7YJMGwaqcjE8vcYTbYKDIrQAc8ljWC94rR7Qs0N_otFAOmnm1JvgF9FMC2C85dNkjx8kQQjesUc-8Sy_WzbkOpa913SCQIYjw_pE/s1600/Chimango++Caracara+-+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Rp1UYQcEFnNBPFbc5pQ0XyqRf4e8G9X41KWoCrG7YJMGwaqcjE8vcYTbYKDIrQAc8ljWC94rR7Qs0N_otFAOmnm1JvgF9FMC2C85dNkjx8kQQjesUc-8Sy_WzbkOpa913SCQIYjw_pE/s640/Chimango++Caracara+-+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimanga Caracara - El Calafate </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLYiJVtq-tsXOIf20-7l8YiKHZHHusmmU7y29jwEx2zK631ViyYu6FijI7aTxTw8mlWTLZG_V3sGjSpcNlsIVSNwwmlC_qLFugg9nbVQLBEfaQgp4fCAvmRW7NGOxRTRuMyIaZPmkTy8/s1600/Dark-bellied+Cinclodes+-+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLYiJVtq-tsXOIf20-7l8YiKHZHHusmmU7y29jwEx2zK631ViyYu6FijI7aTxTw8mlWTLZG_V3sGjSpcNlsIVSNwwmlC_qLFugg9nbVQLBEfaQgp4fCAvmRW7NGOxRTRuMyIaZPmkTy8/s640/Dark-bellied+Cinclodes+-+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark-bellied Cinclodes - Ushuaia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIiP_FsVTW_S5rUvb4J-CPpPjs1nzULfiiw7RZtgsnCTnD1-DEzUejrh2y1TLf_hOAioFC0l7vhrGMx5x_YYRCeVCYpQUVsxYp6QYNTXnHsb13ayjV0DUAsotBEHRL7ljbAFD0IATSmw/s1600/Imperial+Cormorant+-+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIiP_FsVTW_S5rUvb4J-CPpPjs1nzULfiiw7RZtgsnCTnD1-DEzUejrh2y1TLf_hOAioFC0l7vhrGMx5x_YYRCeVCYpQUVsxYp6QYNTXnHsb13ayjV0DUAsotBEHRL7ljbAFD0IATSmw/s640/Imperial+Cormorant+-+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imperial Cormorant - Ushaia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwkbYRnnuLIAzPf9YdZlwD0ubCsGEDD1pwCfsE2ZFOINfSA3HYsRp9DMSq8ONgpq4x62DflhhiMJ1uzywBLThXbO0L6t5DFMypXHveX3P4qbSd-bn5-Rgf51EK9X8vCCfGpwLT0w6nkI/s1600/Magellanic+Woodpecker+-+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwkbYRnnuLIAzPf9YdZlwD0ubCsGEDD1pwCfsE2ZFOINfSA3HYsRp9DMSq8ONgpq4x62DflhhiMJ1uzywBLThXbO0L6t5DFMypXHveX3P4qbSd-bn5-Rgf51EK9X8vCCfGpwLT0w6nkI/s640/Magellanic+Woodpecker+-+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Woodpecker (female) - El Chalten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tTnPCwQtbbJusCSrHG-ypOxGuABSFexuLsnF3_xZk5jFHt6wtlozIAkhea9e1DSgGbNAYz4gl3iwQU4iPFveMCVqvoVEro7UBduAN78QQb5EVjrtpesQjmedkEJphBi-TKHa74W7Hts/s1600/Plush-crested+Jay+-+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tTnPCwQtbbJusCSrHG-ypOxGuABSFexuLsnF3_xZk5jFHt6wtlozIAkhea9e1DSgGbNAYz4gl3iwQU4iPFveMCVqvoVEro7UBduAN78QQb5EVjrtpesQjmedkEJphBi-TKHa74W7Hts/s640/Plush-crested+Jay+-+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plush-crested Jay - Iguazu Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1biBq0MwiqzTmCDyxgaI3OOyWAWpw2JtBpdfikPqcopcEYeTks3hTNV4ape1Kml2Qz2AeY_pVzr2YxOO1hHodzQ3Oop-ePAKbw8XsEz6sYtIy46SyRjy7ehy1pB0q7p-3eVXghiwHC_M/s1600/Swallow-tailed+Hummingbird+-+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1biBq0MwiqzTmCDyxgaI3OOyWAWpw2JtBpdfikPqcopcEYeTks3hTNV4ape1Kml2Qz2AeY_pVzr2YxOO1hHodzQ3Oop-ePAKbw8XsEz6sYtIy46SyRjy7ehy1pB0q7p-3eVXghiwHC_M/s640/Swallow-tailed+Hummingbird+-+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallow-tailed Hummingbird - Iguazu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spring Alberta – it was still winter when I returned to
Canada and I did a fair bit of birding as the birds straggled north. A visit by Alistair and Sveta Peterson late
in April included a delightful trip to Jasper … the scenery is fantastic but we
were a bit early to see the bears and any returning migrants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnstOQmEqgBrv9X9h0lZmP1V_o04LiPQEzf5gADoeGo0rZAta8mn9YcA6pxXuuQqa7hAYYD2gf4F0kfUApmCQcnKssog-K2uxm5teZjDZ8GOGE_1GOvqn5ZkqZCym5XrEPnFupcqyuwfQ/s1600/Ferruginous+Hawk+-+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnstOQmEqgBrv9X9h0lZmP1V_o04LiPQEzf5gADoeGo0rZAta8mn9YcA6pxXuuQqa7hAYYD2gf4F0kfUApmCQcnKssog-K2uxm5teZjDZ8GOGE_1GOvqn5ZkqZCym5XrEPnFupcqyuwfQ/s640/Ferruginous+Hawk+-+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferruginous Hawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71OGcTqjkBzZlxAPYlan0R8_KcIuWI_T4pBH2fzKEqpZF-HtMqcTWX7j50uFfDRMzpFnbwMPnkZafm_Aruoc84QgZk4D-v3mSrYoj8AAfTU7_JDf8q64arb8SlgjyAECONsnjoW6Qw4E/s1600/Northern+Goshawk+-+004.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71OGcTqjkBzZlxAPYlan0R8_KcIuWI_T4pBH2fzKEqpZF-HtMqcTWX7j50uFfDRMzpFnbwMPnkZafm_Aruoc84QgZk4D-v3mSrYoj8AAfTU7_JDf8q64arb8SlgjyAECONsnjoW6Qw4E/s400/Northern+Goshawk+-+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Goshawk (immature)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiRCXFYVSSKx-puGFsxwOHknyr6nwUMec3KyvS4tBNhr7375R2cgG2PfDG1BjxAtyJAD3YrETxNAZXSiWwWirYFcZTHIripfYhhRnlZJBHUTXg18lZ8QPwxyf6iX7r0zxtfL2DF0XanY/s1600/Pacific+Wren+-+007.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiRCXFYVSSKx-puGFsxwOHknyr6nwUMec3KyvS4tBNhr7375R2cgG2PfDG1BjxAtyJAD3YrETxNAZXSiWwWirYFcZTHIripfYhhRnlZJBHUTXg18lZ8QPwxyf6iX7r0zxtfL2DF0XanY/s320/Pacific+Wren+-+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Wren - Jasper NP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77L6INoVO9OLZhsiuhpZ9sWvH5dn6_QG7AO1VKHseHSdWBhOU3DBvrA-grEN-kDIpuhGMDwFG7KH7triFNs_4zG17nOknxJQ3QLqi8e48mn0xBrNM6GiRYvIvd9L4sD8Py5e_dvpVhZo/s1600/Common+Raven+-+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77L6INoVO9OLZhsiuhpZ9sWvH5dn6_QG7AO1VKHseHSdWBhOU3DBvrA-grEN-kDIpuhGMDwFG7KH7triFNs_4zG17nOknxJQ3QLqi8e48mn0xBrNM6GiRYvIvd9L4sD8Py5e_dvpVhZo/s640/Common+Raven+-+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Raven babies - candidates for the ugliest baby?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Early in May, Alberta’s first Purple Sandpiper was found at
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsghn-j4MK483Upg-ECE2mBxtFqFMxI1hyphenhyphenPPgRuD37pCPu1HqLpr0_qi8tUSeQiWAeDkrs8ZOcc9mhtG9I08aX4bz9lt7eolEevlBjHYRNUa_ZkZZ6ZK4cZTYFlqxdiTKGZY4netamTY/s1600/Purple+Sandpiper+-+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsghn-j4MK483Upg-ECE2mBxtFqFMxI1hyphenhyphenPPgRuD37pCPu1HqLpr0_qi8tUSeQiWAeDkrs8ZOcc9mhtG9I08aX4bz9lt7eolEevlBjHYRNUa_ZkZZ6ZK4cZTYFlqxdiTKGZY4netamTY/s640/Purple+Sandpiper+-+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Sandpiper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
June – Ray Woods and I made a one week trip to central
Alberta and Saskatchewan, focusing on the Cold Lake region. This is the place for warblers in Alberta and
we recorded 14 species plus a few other good birds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq4QTAstKM7zrx4pB7ynKcX8zFpCumAoKhTTF7915WE5x7HZwlhB2IXtLINK_qO39A7mrCx4bMkY0HFugb-4vCGfH-tfZS3iXLL9JIq9DI08xqa2RYrQ2_ByLluX-cFWHYsA_kYd67ak/s1600/Cape+May+Warbler+-+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq4QTAstKM7zrx4pB7ynKcX8zFpCumAoKhTTF7915WE5x7HZwlhB2IXtLINK_qO39A7mrCx4bMkY0HFugb-4vCGfH-tfZS3iXLL9JIq9DI08xqa2RYrQ2_ByLluX-cFWHYsA_kYd67ak/s640/Cape+May+Warbler+-+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape May Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdtNpTBPsxcB-peQDQNEj00Li-f7pUtP7_4xD2VmGxEJIQmCZa6HeaeimEC5_GHM8kZquOd9MLGAbIKU5YU4md9qS1KSjLgPznOCA6nDmAFO4IceveVLORFRrgH5bFaziHFT2soVAtx8/s1600/Black-backed+Woodpecker+-+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdtNpTBPsxcB-peQDQNEj00Li-f7pUtP7_4xD2VmGxEJIQmCZa6HeaeimEC5_GHM8kZquOd9MLGAbIKU5YU4md9qS1KSjLgPznOCA6nDmAFO4IceveVLORFRrgH5bFaziHFT2soVAtx8/s640/Black-backed+Woodpecker+-+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-backed Woodpecker - Meadow Lake PP, SK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mid-month, Isaac Sanchez from Texas came to the province as
part of his photographic big year. I
spent a day and a half with him and we found a number of the common species but missed a couple that I thought we would get.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotnznCoMhAk1fRt_c2RtCQyDa-1F-oh-iYdx59vZNRCRNAhSnRaMAtX3u5V4ZNEU9fYeXBq_zkT6xHJnaTs1bybvaAIhX5jcf_oEt8WRECZZTIHUAa9yc0delbQc20WVwAtBbTZlmOMU/s1600/Chestnut-collared+Longspur+-+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotnznCoMhAk1fRt_c2RtCQyDa-1F-oh-iYdx59vZNRCRNAhSnRaMAtX3u5V4ZNEU9fYeXBq_zkT6xHJnaTs1bybvaAIhX5jcf_oEt8WRECZZTIHUAa9yc0delbQc20WVwAtBbTZlmOMU/s640/Chestnut-collared+Longspur+-+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-collared Longspur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summer birding – pretty quiet but I spent some time looking
to upgrade my photos for a few species. I
finally got a picture of an American Kestrel that I'm happy with – a common bird that rarely
lets me get close enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1UpiHsF2mjngCrwKR_lXuDNog8Htt0l_CJr2c1YyZnbEVST2ze9EPcn9RxxkcxEG15XsK1vgXChHnO6yIksNAqLgoRUzdf-4GXmTyUfiKN1Y26o8ept8HjxyTkP-3CgLKoW3Wb4Lw8M/s1600/American+Kestrel+-+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1UpiHsF2mjngCrwKR_lXuDNog8Htt0l_CJr2c1YyZnbEVST2ze9EPcn9RxxkcxEG15XsK1vgXChHnO6yIksNAqLgoRUzdf-4GXmTyUfiKN1Y26o8ept8HjxyTkP-3CgLKoW3Wb4Lw8M/s640/American+Kestrel+-+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Kestrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fall birding – family events took precedence over birding but
I did chase some local rarities such as Ruff, Parasitic Jaeger, Sabine's Gull and Anna's Hummingbird. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsjZnzt3HlRprhQQg9-PyxUoBephFf27CYGdMI8iCYl-aIikuC4nm3WK0ni3pMqtvj5irjMeQpyLXtpE0y9hsfaP6Wzia9HjLYD1oG1lE2zy9sg1mEOxzuRWg97gaU_rlBSUj_UUUyio/s1600/Sabine's+Gull+-+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsjZnzt3HlRprhQQg9-PyxUoBephFf27CYGdMI8iCYl-aIikuC4nm3WK0ni3pMqtvj5irjMeQpyLXtpE0y9hsfaP6Wzia9HjLYD1oG1lE2zy9sg1mEOxzuRWg97gaU_rlBSUj_UUUyio/s640/Sabine's+Gull+-+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabine's Gull (immature) - Glenmore Reservoir, Calgary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0lBVKFsTRnmslegkJuQukzKmEDe3D_WPmyCf82SWIxN1We3x8iT9hlc7nv_xZgu-qPcI1u_QU1cs5doXt2D039wcsn7QaTLxB8GKQImdu5Mlmffw5At5xYtAuAGmk6cGtBaGdniGoXU/s1600/Anna's+Hummingbird+-+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0lBVKFsTRnmslegkJuQukzKmEDe3D_WPmyCf82SWIxN1We3x8iT9hlc7nv_xZgu-qPcI1u_QU1cs5doXt2D039wcsn7QaTLxB8GKQImdu5Mlmffw5At5xYtAuAGmk6cGtBaGdniGoXU/s640/Anna's+Hummingbird+-+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna's Hummingbird (immature male)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
November – Phil Cram and I went to Colombia on a Rockjumper “Colombia
Highlights” trip. The 2 1/2 week trip
focused on the three Andean ranges and the two valleys separating them. In the coming weeks, I will do an in-depth
post or two on this trip. We saw lots of
birds though conditions for photography were not great. Highlights for me were Andean Cock of the
Rock and numerous hummingbirds. Here are
a few of the birds we came across.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUYBASkvGGjejX9JkC4ZWsCX_H2yfUxs8RuZ7YyZfoqJBhBlHqaNzQnQedl_SZttYt4ZeOusHfHg8LcsMqg6HpdQll-PT7fij_6t7bhFZeD2j7FQJJll2onnucZifHabNvxnECZuamzY/s1600/Andean+Cock-of-the-rock+-+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUYBASkvGGjejX9JkC4ZWsCX_H2yfUxs8RuZ7YyZfoqJBhBlHqaNzQnQedl_SZttYt4ZeOusHfHg8LcsMqg6HpdQll-PT7fij_6t7bhFZeD2j7FQJJll2onnucZifHabNvxnECZuamzY/s640/Andean+Cock-of-the-rock+-+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andean Cock of the Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZOTFAYc92bg9MxyTzZeO-f5oUwxfAm3-JvGdFfU8B-IojLb6jk6ylj-e8lr1lKsTOEUiNCngk2J-g0ojHCZtf1DSSgqWKHnNf51TANFgDUw3bRmxefl4eAcEMwMB78LeMolZmZNZRMY/s1600/Bearded+Helmetcrest+-+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZOTFAYc92bg9MxyTzZeO-f5oUwxfAm3-JvGdFfU8B-IojLb6jk6ylj-e8lr1lKsTOEUiNCngk2J-g0ojHCZtf1DSSgqWKHnNf51TANFgDUw3bRmxefl4eAcEMwMB78LeMolZmZNZRMY/s640/Bearded+Helmetcrest+-+022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearded Helmetcrest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScJJSFF0EhdLEcqWg_sIn4EVZWergR4ns_Xr9bn0RsQG0aws6xB2QyniZjqJqSVqnAHq5gplevScoytPJpFIjwxvsvj6szOMC6pRfRn90inERiFZ3Z5Bjdz1z6AN_ezv9bx952X-ODmI/s1600/Blue-headed+Parrot+-+013.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScJJSFF0EhdLEcqWg_sIn4EVZWergR4ns_Xr9bn0RsQG0aws6xB2QyniZjqJqSVqnAHq5gplevScoytPJpFIjwxvsvj6szOMC6pRfRn90inERiFZ3Z5Bjdz1z6AN_ezv9bx952X-ODmI/s1600/Blue-headed+Parrot+-+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-headed Parrot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWTeg_pBE6ZseThDtb2tahLdOcZot3W-PxuOgD-aReTIxe3QSLgfs0hh3GtBxtaMsI5Ohq6gwYB6zmYk6t-j_FdAU6fChzq6B3z5hY9w9ALCSgh_uQY2fKmaW8kE9NK22hhJFluUKmDk/s1600/Chestnut-crowned+Antpitta+-+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWTeg_pBE6ZseThDtb2tahLdOcZot3W-PxuOgD-aReTIxe3QSLgfs0hh3GtBxtaMsI5Ohq6gwYB6zmYk6t-j_FdAU6fChzq6B3z5hY9w9ALCSgh_uQY2fKmaW8kE9NK22hhJFluUKmDk/s640/Chestnut-crowned+Antpitta+-+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-crowned Antpitta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyDXZs7kUr43sYsqEKsgk5pFRpcAGAfV1Vcw7ocf7CUA8FHjYxjUmqGmsKD-dV66jrPuBDw1ThATfa1upsPhPU7z0VH8BW96ktLFiT0MKJXFe0TulrMylCvuaVR5KMZsxGpZeWCGQe4E/s1600/Collared+Inca+-+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyDXZs7kUr43sYsqEKsgk5pFRpcAGAfV1Vcw7ocf7CUA8FHjYxjUmqGmsKD-dV66jrPuBDw1ThATfa1upsPhPU7z0VH8BW96ktLFiT0MKJXFe0TulrMylCvuaVR5KMZsxGpZeWCGQe4E/s640/Collared+Inca+-+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared Inca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2tG9pW2_DOLaYwdtz9mnwtZ_dYLwI6QjRkHmyPzHTwUM46yk6Jp1UMMuptiY6s5xtyPrKiUK0GIA4-1AnqEyx6LzrGV-9FZ7LXw8uOluZI1Fdu2L8x5OUrvLq7lKXEyAdJ2Xqh2AnUU/s1600/Moustached+Puffbird+-+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2tG9pW2_DOLaYwdtz9mnwtZ_dYLwI6QjRkHmyPzHTwUM46yk6Jp1UMMuptiY6s5xtyPrKiUK0GIA4-1AnqEyx6LzrGV-9FZ7LXw8uOluZI1Fdu2L8x5OUrvLq7lKXEyAdJ2Xqh2AnUU/s640/Moustached+Puffbird+-+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moustached Puffbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoywW9iNIR2soKOBob5hXsCZlc4Po0G4Ubq9LOWWCGSj5C7C6lAtrhIq3PgrRg_alGYjNIANRtTBdKxk33ri3WFNswlSQuTqtLd_GxfRx0kCu11pajhoh1784_TlkUn0TRH_QDheP3tfg/s1600/White-bellied+Woodstar+-+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoywW9iNIR2soKOBob5hXsCZlc4Po0G4Ubq9LOWWCGSj5C7C6lAtrhIq3PgrRg_alGYjNIANRtTBdKxk33ri3WFNswlSQuTqtLd_GxfRx0kCu11pajhoh1784_TlkUn0TRH_QDheP3tfg/s640/White-bellied+Woodstar+-+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-bellied Woodstar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaeTOvRefnATLO2qLoRFQrf8htPF17OJ1NuXyg-sndKtnT2HYCtdf9pOOvRzJc9q4_eLUjswC1ioFsHSb5rvW_ulheMxcPvkFP47M-TJPgB6lTm8ZReB_GcvnyPmbxYWD-5vRYeWgYk0/s1600/Yellow-vented+Woodpecker+-+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaeTOvRefnATLO2qLoRFQrf8htPF17OJ1NuXyg-sndKtnT2HYCtdf9pOOvRzJc9q4_eLUjswC1ioFsHSb5rvW_ulheMxcPvkFP47M-TJPgB6lTm8ZReB_GcvnyPmbxYWD-5vRYeWgYk0/s640/Yellow-vented+Woodpecker+-+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-vented Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
December – winter birding again! Isaac returned for a second visit, this time chasing
a revised goal of 600 species photographed.
It was pretty cold for his visit with temps hitting -38 C one
morning. We persevered and he managed to
get 8 of his targets including this Northern Shrike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgZQvxyjW3aGcr1rYj9HVUnUJ6tzwWOjBNC9DXJri6EQTGEMftvN_KxdjF9g_qEqOzciItfl786x96c5MY4qyNv2kVMA05_p6JRcJHBqh0Xg0mYNurZ7bU8J6TBJMwp0CJ4nERqarLtc/s1600/Northern+Shrike+-+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgZQvxyjW3aGcr1rYj9HVUnUJ6tzwWOjBNC9DXJri6EQTGEMftvN_KxdjF9g_qEqOzciItfl786x96c5MY4qyNv2kVMA05_p6JRcJHBqh0Xg0mYNurZ7bU8J6TBJMwp0CJ4nERqarLtc/s640/Northern+Shrike+-+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Shrike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, shortly after he left, a few more of his other targets
appeared in the area including Northern Hawk Owl, Gyrfalcon and Long-eared Owl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe00a-NpXhu5clQUX5lDmL_QksbXDfO6z_TIDpeEHY7ZwoVruS30ItvgGd9PEB_aUBCa2fhtVhtfCwie9w_bni0-wPpBF10IyvqOcrIav7yiT5sMtyISyHnJWVNdJQ0tKU6MHlU0p_BA/s1600/Long-eared+Owl+-+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe00a-NpXhu5clQUX5lDmL_QksbXDfO6z_TIDpeEHY7ZwoVruS30ItvgGd9PEB_aUBCa2fhtVhtfCwie9w_bni0-wPpBF10IyvqOcrIav7yiT5sMtyISyHnJWVNdJQ0tKU6MHlU0p_BA/s640/Long-eared+Owl+-+014.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-eared Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking ahead to 2014, I should be doing posts from southern
California and Ontario with perhaps one from Texas. I plan to do one international trip in the
fall to somewhere in the southern hemisphere so hopefully will surpass 4500
species and 4000 birds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope you all enjoy the Christmas season and have a very
birdy new year!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brian<o:p></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-31303925296184583092013-07-23T20:44:00.000-07:002013-07-23T20:44:03.972-07:00Bringing Up Baby
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t usually bird very much in July but this year poor
weather in May and June and some family travels left many holes in my year list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In the past three weeks </span>I have made day trips to Water Valley, Banff,
Waterton and some local sloughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While the birding is definitely better in June there are
still lots of interesting birds to be seen in the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Juvenile birds – particularly the water birds
– are easy to spot and sometimes come in quite different plumages than their
parents.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESFn8kZzTbdtfVpAQajzHR_2SC1bEPVWbhPme6HfgmTuZoe8liPdBAmrMr1JaNQ6Cd0JeHgplSUcvEAYbzOO10aGd-KZEhlFJyflizznZR57CS-hPPX_UAw04lUjKipOrm_pNpFy7Yew/s1600/Pied-billed+Grebe+juvenile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESFn8kZzTbdtfVpAQajzHR_2SC1bEPVWbhPme6HfgmTuZoe8liPdBAmrMr1JaNQ6Cd0JeHgplSUcvEAYbzOO10aGd-KZEhlFJyflizznZR57CS-hPPX_UAw04lUjKipOrm_pNpFy7Yew/s640/Pied-billed+Grebe+juvenile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied-Billed Grebe juvenile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPuZ8f-n88EtJItl28YgJM6j9X7Bg_bz7grWsyyf39ChrygAhPiJq3uOYpg_dD3Dn7j9ao67DQBWIlAj1FIoHYpiGAvMyWBR6e-WnJ2hZ4xMRbvQ_ofp1kYoVWjbaLpRgsVZzptu0Ets/s1600/Pied-billed+Grebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPuZ8f-n88EtJItl28YgJM6j9X7Bg_bz7grWsyyf39ChrygAhPiJq3uOYpg_dD3Dn7j9ao67DQBWIlAj1FIoHYpiGAvMyWBR6e-WnJ2hZ4xMRbvQ_ofp1kYoVWjbaLpRgsVZzptu0Ets/s640/Pied-billed+Grebe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied-Billed Grebe adult</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This Pied-Billed Grebe juvenile got separated from its
parents and the adult could be heard calling for its young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually the two were reunited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same slough east of Calgary, this
American Coot had three lovely chicks following it around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxFd3qDNxc8WSU8b0dH944YIvd-CP7zi3oeikd1nsg1QeMI1xTpY0tTx4BsTFGu6lFZ7-orsFSr_SLI0MzJOneeD8vOa2aTIl4II42eINMRM0VwmPLqxi-uNRnabHQi8z77nsc9XP6EQ/s1600/American+Coot+with+young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxFd3qDNxc8WSU8b0dH944YIvd-CP7zi3oeikd1nsg1QeMI1xTpY0tTx4BsTFGu6lFZ7-orsFSr_SLI0MzJOneeD8vOa2aTIl4II42eINMRM0VwmPLqxi-uNRnabHQi8z77nsc9XP6EQ/s640/American+Coot+with+young.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Coot with three young</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eared Grebes (Black-necked Grebes to my European friends)
have a strategy to keep the young one nearby – the juvenile rides on the back
of the adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty soon the young bird
is too big and has to swim on its own. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKov0bMoFNthaQ5idKPeXDPmV2JBa62WZ5DI4vYcc6jEOXttTYtPIIzWvZPjXQXwqcCiGN5J7U12Zq0ZxYttUJjBn3daN66QZXOoL2iHZAZO5bAWw9EAI5h8LMJTyWMkpA_LBZK11nfhk/s1600/Eared+Grebe+with+young+on+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKov0bMoFNthaQ5idKPeXDPmV2JBa62WZ5DI4vYcc6jEOXttTYtPIIzWvZPjXQXwqcCiGN5J7U12Zq0ZxYttUJjBn3daN66QZXOoL2iHZAZO5bAWw9EAI5h8LMJTyWMkpA_LBZK11nfhk/s640/Eared+Grebe+with+young+on+back.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eared Grebe with young on back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3Dbwj1O8-4vuQUoG99xv98F7AXdQySyFynWuuwtOAgBiTvdMStM_lryPokp32C2GYQRhp91z_tJJua9x_NSA0zSBJKNXLzzHy2S1Y4drlnjcHn1VTFQ8IOF-G1IcZOkbAG1-WqUoQaY/s1600/Eared+Grebe+with+young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3Dbwj1O8-4vuQUoG99xv98F7AXdQySyFynWuuwtOAgBiTvdMStM_lryPokp32C2GYQRhp91z_tJJua9x_NSA0zSBJKNXLzzHy2S1Y4drlnjcHn1VTFQ8IOF-G1IcZOkbAG1-WqUoQaY/s640/Eared+Grebe+with+young.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eared Grebe with young</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes the young do look like one of the parents as
evidenced by this female Ruddy Duck and six ducklings.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBh7k_bmqoR69yHsOV_mg6fabZXALU9T8BdKgpvTgTuI_qk-7ADLwWfIC7S_WcPSmfH5_FrXPXi2K-mx1sY1htnQiXseSZTLI0TB9lAZHnGULOaG3V6Sjfjnz0Ml3JfNJ11iw0mTwKRo/s1600/Ruddy+Duck+with+young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBh7k_bmqoR69yHsOV_mg6fabZXALU9T8BdKgpvTgTuI_qk-7ADLwWfIC7S_WcPSmfH5_FrXPXi2K-mx1sY1htnQiXseSZTLI0TB9lAZHnGULOaG3V6Sjfjnz0Ml3JfNJ11iw0mTwKRo/s640/Ruddy+Duck+with+young.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruddy Duck female with ducklings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It always amazes me how fast the young grow and that they
can be larger than their parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
two young dippers in Waterton created quite a racket anytime the parent came
near.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice how much smaller the adult
(in the water) looks.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRW03zx4nCNjS5IoskhwsRYThT5OvC9zkU5MkWKpl6OD9ZZyixUQC0mENtKt4I-CWHScB4H78Yyv1y9OtgMN65DdiIR0u7Y-UrSZQUO0UTBk6fb73wtGM0Kal9uqSgDSjcurrnA2bjSc/s1600/American+Dipper+juveniles+pestering+a+parent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRW03zx4nCNjS5IoskhwsRYThT5OvC9zkU5MkWKpl6OD9ZZyixUQC0mENtKt4I-CWHScB4H78Yyv1y9OtgMN65DdiIR0u7Y-UrSZQUO0UTBk6fb73wtGM0Kal9uqSgDSjcurrnA2bjSc/s640/American+Dipper+juveniles+pestering+a+parent.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Dipper juveniles pestering their parent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feeding the young seems to be a full-time job (at least for
one parent).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a couple of birds
carrying food back to their young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
young tern then went for a short flight after being fed.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoVYl_MpGypCe5YANGUQo73qqgVlEBQkxI-mi31GjMkdj9w8xDdtIJ4E5LFkSC2ilMvWHhE0rJSQaLVfO6Qo7ODVfg0fSVExO5GqO0puG1voO74wvLBow0HPM2cyDRZdjufvynUzPtKw/s1600/Cliff+Swallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoVYl_MpGypCe5YANGUQo73qqgVlEBQkxI-mi31GjMkdj9w8xDdtIJ4E5LFkSC2ilMvWHhE0rJSQaLVfO6Qo7ODVfg0fSVExO5GqO0puG1voO74wvLBow0HPM2cyDRZdjufvynUzPtKw/s640/Cliff+Swallow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff Swallow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhGsoTx2-4MUdUOYZz-wT30_7CuUSiHU20NyLK3VSDsSgsBwOoAU4HshJIKHcFEEuBAL9urBEkq2L39L_nr2HCAV8YBIt4lMlQmhrJfSboxGmtJda11DEUsYMkZDjqH9Ca5qtaB0kYo4/s1600/Black+Tern+carrying+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhGsoTx2-4MUdUOYZz-wT30_7CuUSiHU20NyLK3VSDsSgsBwOoAU4HshJIKHcFEEuBAL9urBEkq2L39L_nr2HCAV8YBIt4lMlQmhrJfSboxGmtJda11DEUsYMkZDjqH9Ca5qtaB0kYo4/s640/Black+Tern+carrying+food.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Tern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAIX6conYDWpgOqupJM7cvxXNAvpHI8T1Ev_SghSJlKaf1mG4PF2JAZr3uV8XftBvNDdzKD_ZVilWquIoOxBCGxiUmUj527SzpToKcxsLq3OlBxL3KBofvU5Xcfy1_gW6Jg3ioR6sDPo/s1600/Black+Tern+feeding+young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAIX6conYDWpgOqupJM7cvxXNAvpHI8T1Ev_SghSJlKaf1mG4PF2JAZr3uV8XftBvNDdzKD_ZVilWquIoOxBCGxiUmUj527SzpToKcxsLq3OlBxL3KBofvU5Xcfy1_gW6Jg3ioR6sDPo/s640/Black+Tern+feeding+young.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Tern feeding young</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrr1QVYiZ577Tj6FSWL8uGuxILPxF4Gua-Qywd-SsThhMjEsepxqUfye8zlswSV21NONyO8ueJ5JMXRaHpgnyN7Wyxq5nnkp6ks_8tN7bHARxHTg58TR2iB07JBc9OMHzJ0HQ1lkwZCw/s1600/Black+Tern+juvenile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrr1QVYiZ577Tj6FSWL8uGuxILPxF4Gua-Qywd-SsThhMjEsepxqUfye8zlswSV21NONyO8ueJ5JMXRaHpgnyN7Wyxq5nnkp6ks_8tN7bHARxHTg58TR2iB07JBc9OMHzJ0HQ1lkwZCw/s640/Black+Tern+juvenile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Tern juvenile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There comes a time when the young have to fend for
themselves though they will often chase the parent around begging to be
fed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This young male Yellow-headed
Blackbird is now independent whether he likes it or not.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmAiXQvJxox0_CC_t8I16cWf75px-YX4SYxqKffrJrl1HIZB7H-3QPTQLcBCQn-blzJMaExMYHdXyDOpaak-9tXx6WwtquxmRdYRJodVNdtEDgAtkDJ4mPLgWzP80RQLgF-bspB2lOLo/s1600/Yellow-headed+Blackbird+juvenile+male.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmAiXQvJxox0_CC_t8I16cWf75px-YX4SYxqKffrJrl1HIZB7H-3QPTQLcBCQn-blzJMaExMYHdXyDOpaak-9tXx6WwtquxmRdYRJodVNdtEDgAtkDJ4mPLgWzP80RQLgF-bspB2lOLo/s640/Yellow-headed+Blackbird+juvenile+male.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-headed Blackbird juvenile male</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Surprisingly, there was still a reasonable amount of song
activity … perhaps the males were hoping to start a second brood or perhaps
they were still looking for their first love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lazuli Bunting in Waterton and Tennessee Warbler in Water Valley were
two species still singing.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXsUjSusoB2Y3UWiVEwucJ02h4o9Q2kqFGXi7vfRmFcU5c44uJIi3_IEqd2amzA1sN21QZYiirp9mS-nP8uQ77o3HRDF1OvFy_JEL1_-RXN3fwBy9oWiJh6tHWx33jQc2ApxX-Sw8luQ/s1600/Lazuli+Bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXsUjSusoB2Y3UWiVEwucJ02h4o9Q2kqFGXi7vfRmFcU5c44uJIi3_IEqd2amzA1sN21QZYiirp9mS-nP8uQ77o3HRDF1OvFy_JEL1_-RXN3fwBy9oWiJh6tHWx33jQc2ApxX-Sw8luQ/s640/Lazuli+Bunting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazuli Bunting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt-dsb5Of9MRaVKqEJPukoEHDN0FyJ0fIvEXGxvUZf62PB8pLcpOllMJ5yt5VkA_gdLkIsOW7HCqncFa8FFTZKKsKtlBQLOBLaE-sVqMyMerRUUbiF7YbDOtR4OAuyxRx6vxVobYavPU/s1600/Tennessee+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt-dsb5Of9MRaVKqEJPukoEHDN0FyJ0fIvEXGxvUZf62PB8pLcpOllMJ5yt5VkA_gdLkIsOW7HCqncFa8FFTZKKsKtlBQLOBLaE-sVqMyMerRUUbiF7YbDOtR4OAuyxRx6vxVobYavPU/s640/Tennessee+Warbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tennessee Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite the parenting theme to this blog, I could resist
including a photo of a dark-phased Swainson’s Hawk (perhaps it was looking for
food to feed its young?). The white undertail coverts are the quickest way to differentiate this bird from the Red-tailed Hawk - our other common hawk.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTOn0SAGbzMTY8P5WEIC8WykMXYRp6WBli-mIfZ2zbLcahyyuu8sEDnEUvIvfzCj_YzAwtrWNZYCqYgTB0MKiji8NhpLnheiQnzj6WaykVZmPOskW799-5KnCZt1a5opbUIqzMUjQ28I/s1600/Swainson's+Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTOn0SAGbzMTY8P5WEIC8WykMXYRp6WBli-mIfZ2zbLcahyyuu8sEDnEUvIvfzCj_YzAwtrWNZYCqYgTB0MKiji8NhpLnheiQnzj6WaykVZmPOskW799-5KnCZt1a5opbUIqzMUjQ28I/s640/Swainson's+Hawk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swainson's Hawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope these photos encourage you to get out and do some birding this summer.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-49618655035317198672013-07-06T18:32:00.000-07:002013-07-06T18:32:00.446-07:00Focus on breeding birds
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the beginning of June, most of Alberta’s migrants have
reached their breeding grounds, either here or further north though there are
still a few laggards such as Yellow-bellied Flycatcher which take their time
getting here and some shorebirds (such as the Sanderling below) which aren’t in any hurry to reach the Arctic.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7byqb95z7A0wt-nPJUaaO4a_6yP0IFem1HazmqPPuQQTtL3IOBw2d4X_vsh-I7GALt_PnNv5HImkuGXBgvxD8aOzPfPFV2GBNW0PLqWPWC8CEiayT7vktZbSnum9XBDsmxKEjVOQFjw/s1600/Sanderling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7byqb95z7A0wt-nPJUaaO4a_6yP0IFem1HazmqPPuQQTtL3IOBw2d4X_vsh-I7GALt_PnNv5HImkuGXBgvxD8aOzPfPFV2GBNW0PLqWPWC8CEiayT7vktZbSnum9XBDsmxKEjVOQFjw/s640/Sanderling.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanderling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Cold Lake/Meadow Lake trip – June 2-5</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><br /></strong>Ray Woods and I made a quick trip to Cold Lake early in June to look for some of the boreal forest birds that aren’t as common around Calgary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way, we visited Charlotte, aka “the prairie birder”, in Vermilion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We birded with her near her farm and saw some good birds including a Common Nighthawk which was a lifer for her … always nice to get a lifer in your front yard (it’s been many years since I’ve had the pleasure).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ-lzaQ18T9nBjMhwoeTV6uB9zvyeG8HaTN_KfKzMtkys2chMoHeIm-wwcmOc7E3eo8fHGCIR7VjIDIe2WOsBCCGuLKV1lfn6DmW93ZAeGEGcmUs9owWm2pYc67wvEf6W_NvfA06pE5s/s1600/Ray,+Charlotte,+Brian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ-lzaQ18T9nBjMhwoeTV6uB9zvyeG8HaTN_KfKzMtkys2chMoHeIm-wwcmOc7E3eo8fHGCIR7VjIDIe2WOsBCCGuLKV1lfn6DmW93ZAeGEGcmUs9owWm2pYc67wvEf6W_NvfA06pE5s/s640/Ray,+Charlotte,+Brian.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray, Charlotte and me (notice Charlotte's "I just got a lifer look"?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr14swkH5LCLSExZ905c-FWjjBTZ-FFAJDQYS4cXL0wqZMTiSVfOq9keeUWRBara2j9xoYmzj97dj2VJFYLjiuAvD8MwxurQUuhcA8LtJrhoKsTQ72WUfc_aYSuYFU2BykUtsujaPrRE/s1600/Common+Nighthawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCr14swkH5LCLSExZ905c-FWjjBTZ-FFAJDQYS4cXL0wqZMTiSVfOq9keeUWRBara2j9xoYmzj97dj2VJFYLjiuAvD8MwxurQUuhcA8LtJrhoKsTQ72WUfc_aYSuYFU2BykUtsujaPrRE/s640/Common+Nighthawk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte's first Common Nighthawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We made one more stop before reaching Cold Lake – Kehiwin Lake –
to look for Great Crested Flycatcher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
luck with the flycatcher but we did get some nice views of Philadelphia Vireo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMitWdV-MHIvGE0KAzc1QUVkqI-Nc60wG_9XCZUt6bOOsWxPxhPU5KGfP23No9T_DwuF0E4Qffc24IcORtJn6ijVE3A_8tEWosbzPSFmD0RF6i514mvBWM_JEFVPyyol0rtgccf8TXr7o/s1600/Philadephia+Vireo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMitWdV-MHIvGE0KAzc1QUVkqI-Nc60wG_9XCZUt6bOOsWxPxhPU5KGfP23No9T_DwuF0E4Qffc24IcORtJn6ijVE3A_8tEWosbzPSFmD0RF6i514mvBWM_JEFVPyyol0rtgccf8TXr7o/s640/Philadephia+Vireo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philadelphia Vireo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monday morning, we birded Cold Lake Provincial Park focusing
on warblers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had some success finding
Canada, Blackburnian and Magnolia Warblers and a few others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later that morning we enjoyed seeing Sedge
Wrens near the Saskatchewan border.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzyTP6lSQO1EvzD0CnXO_qfg1LOL4TKJBK0EgP2qGOWY7O6v8r6cpfPpixQpAWlfLKsmwg6oh3a0OlixGmgihlN6davNC9dtGZVSxPDtaof6himlISQkp4wYFJeb8CWsTvxkyFblivIY/s1600/Canada+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzyTP6lSQO1EvzD0CnXO_qfg1LOL4TKJBK0EgP2qGOWY7O6v8r6cpfPpixQpAWlfLKsmwg6oh3a0OlixGmgihlN6davNC9dtGZVSxPDtaof6himlISQkp4wYFJeb8CWsTvxkyFblivIY/s640/Canada+Warbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canada Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiHuRuAOfNVktMffHMvwVEw7f7M9NQVa25JVWh3GlnIJIKqqNRvPkDVOnBYqyx-ZwjJ_tQiELDHJTrQmBEPe4eRq4vyaZkrBkaOuRu2uurJ55BpmN22sxq3Pyt9OXeDZbYOsx1NT9T60/s1600/Blackburnian+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiHuRuAOfNVktMffHMvwVEw7f7M9NQVa25JVWh3GlnIJIKqqNRvPkDVOnBYqyx-ZwjJ_tQiELDHJTrQmBEPe4eRq4vyaZkrBkaOuRu2uurJ55BpmN22sxq3Pyt9OXeDZbYOsx1NT9T60/s640/Blackburnian+Warbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackburnian Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRTadT3ZU7SKGCtZq3BmW4igxgiYDRbP-_U-jFNdzE75RjNqGZL_2AhLbmMUURHsFb_mCTbnYA1wEUbBfgB4ebhzm6KTJ8j8ohdKwhpQPPo7riQXo9rFDmZ_QLG_lD3bJXErYf6ZJy-0/s1600/Sedge+Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRTadT3ZU7SKGCtZq3BmW4igxgiYDRbP-_U-jFNdzE75RjNqGZL_2AhLbmMUURHsFb_mCTbnYA1wEUbBfgB4ebhzm6KTJ8j8ohdKwhpQPPo7riQXo9rFDmZ_QLG_lD3bJXErYf6ZJy-0/s640/Sedge+Wren.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sedge Wren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Primrose Lake road to the west of Cold Lake is another
good birding spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We traveled it twice –
once in the afternoon and again the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us a while but we eventually found
most of the expected birds with highlights being Cape May and Connecticut
Warblers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also of interest was a nesting
pair of Ospreys which took to the air when we walked by.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafTk05ckFzRmN0phCEdoCG-S3r0HlXGKsJd8sLCySg9kbMd2IH5usKtYGiBIE2lUSn2Ui-q95JH50pYw4WRCZJRBdqzh4uY_aFEqxy6BRx_6Lz4usRFnM3I5zgR22slFcEbzRgfjwuLE/s1600/Cold+Lake+habitat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafTk05ckFzRmN0phCEdoCG-S3r0HlXGKsJd8sLCySg9kbMd2IH5usKtYGiBIE2lUSn2Ui-q95JH50pYw4WRCZJRBdqzh4uY_aFEqxy6BRx_6Lz4usRFnM3I5zgR22slFcEbzRgfjwuLE/s640/Cold+Lake+habitat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical habitat northwest of Cold Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p_S4ZwdzQwhVfiWP3KFkpYzIdZOcMU5xYKDpWVSayg7JOaLCsFGpoDxSPoJweZWQh83R4SbOokRO8NZLdFW9F6PUEFeHSK4XUjEwei_M0KVCzJWEOaLcsxYJTroL6BQIZjXVKquIfJg/s1600/Osprey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p_S4ZwdzQwhVfiWP3KFkpYzIdZOcMU5xYKDpWVSayg7JOaLCsFGpoDxSPoJweZWQh83R4SbOokRO8NZLdFW9F6PUEFeHSK4XUjEwei_M0KVCzJWEOaLcsxYJTroL6BQIZjXVKquIfJg/s640/Osprey.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osprey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That afternoon, we returned to the park to look for a couple
of birds we missed the first time round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chestnut-sided Warblers proved easy once we looked in the right place
(thanks to info from Bob Storms) but Mourning and Bay-breasted Warblers still
eluded us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxARX1F8Bu5ibuN67iPTd-2jyAgeQ_U063Z9SwZYt7IpfBwCJ9PLDsLHUSJYXA-r0F8QnMCrPwbPF5oYAHx0Q8OoivsSVFkrepBsxffewG-EaskDOBKQAMv_DZbskvGiJpGK_yHViSbiI/s1600/Chestnut-sided+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxARX1F8Bu5ibuN67iPTd-2jyAgeQ_U063Z9SwZYt7IpfBwCJ9PLDsLHUSJYXA-r0F8QnMCrPwbPF5oYAHx0Q8OoivsSVFkrepBsxffewG-EaskDOBKQAMv_DZbskvGiJpGK_yHViSbiI/s640/Chestnut-sided+Warbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-sided Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Across the border in Saskatchewan (SK), Meadow Lake
Provincial Park looked like a good place to build up our Saskatchewan list so
we spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning in the area before heading
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did record a number of new SK
birds but found that the birding wasn’t as good as on the Alberta side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the way home, we stopped at a site where Ray had seen
Piping Plovers many years ago and found one running along the shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebctiiG4Dw9lGHKwbYKTcycZqTsSDRX_425s1y8aQPVzUBeB_J3vsc90KZbn6YUT06TAn33Fz1sLpHhvBW-wIMVIVZXX8B0fdH7w_CcshO08rRIE3hgVMZpocLPSv44n6RBdx5vOfCTg/s1600/Piping+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebctiiG4Dw9lGHKwbYKTcycZqTsSDRX_425s1y8aQPVzUBeB_J3vsc90KZbn6YUT06TAn33Fz1sLpHhvBW-wIMVIVZXX8B0fdH7w_CcshO08rRIE3hgVMZpocLPSv44n6RBdx5vOfCTg/s640/Piping+Plover.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piping Plover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Piping Plover breeding sites are treated much differently in
Alberta than on the east coast of Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here in Alberta, the sites are not publicized (participants in plover
viewing field trips are sworn to secrecy) and visiting the sites is discouraged;
last year on les Iles de la Madelaine, a breeding site on a beach was demarcated
with a rope fence about 15m square (I’m sure the unleashed dogs paid close
attention to the ropes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me
that an approach somewhere between these extremes would be more appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Day trips from Calgary – June 10 & 12</strong></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><sup>th</sup></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><sup></sup><br /></strong></span>Isaac Sanchez is doing a photographic North America birding big year and I volunteered to show him some of our local birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, Isaac, Bob Storms and I birded the Brooks area (a 2 hour drive to the east).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had mixed success finding about ½ of Isaac’s target birds with the highlight being close looks at a Sprague’s Pipit (usually just a speck in the sky).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another highlight for me was an American Badger that Bob spotted … if you followed last year’s blog, you’ll remember the difficulty we had finding this species.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLqaKUTAyjiTWiR-NwFT1yG_zuM_mCShtTCJrGPh-mBldaq9h2uaYTP84UyxPtyDZpT2klagdB7WH0HrlQY62HUhDdFDxm7SkmAHky5rIeYvzhIQWHMbmBNsQ_rb4V9qC2F1PGmEw8EM/s1600/Sprague's+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLqaKUTAyjiTWiR-NwFT1yG_zuM_mCShtTCJrGPh-mBldaq9h2uaYTP84UyxPtyDZpT2klagdB7WH0HrlQY62HUhDdFDxm7SkmAHky5rIeYvzhIQWHMbmBNsQ_rb4V9qC2F1PGmEw8EM/s640/Sprague's+Pipit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sprague's Pipit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMK9TrMG7sJEtGumucirFhscempYfmuyaky6kGRLGGJaQJ4nY0rK4qn0fjPHdIzrXpviDbHVbuop3T24PHv2nKJ7bUK1opAnlaqYx03B3dU-r96fr9_6IcUca1pW0jpqAxR66NEN6pQk/s1600/American+Badger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMK9TrMG7sJEtGumucirFhscempYfmuyaky6kGRLGGJaQJ4nY0rK4qn0fjPHdIzrXpviDbHVbuop3T24PHv2nKJ7bUK1opAnlaqYx03B3dU-r96fr9_6IcUca1pW0jpqAxR66NEN6pQk/s640/American+Badger.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Badger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isaac’s targets included some common species such as
Franklin’s Gull and Black Tern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
always nice to have some easy targets and also to practise flight shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of days later, I met up with Isaac
and his wife in the Water Valley area (40 minutes northwest of Calgary) and we
found a few more of his targets including Great Gray Owl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TDIWfFFfJHDH1v46P6RURtfzXDLecx0LfRK9StRzoYVXE_7mgOsGgIsEiWE-akHI1JvQpXYgYJtYl5g7A-OsVy6zqD1ZnHg9UHRILoWxmfi1JvNp6sm8u-n9KVorvGmX63RmJ4LHshw/s1600/Franklin's+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TDIWfFFfJHDH1v46P6RURtfzXDLecx0LfRK9StRzoYVXE_7mgOsGgIsEiWE-akHI1JvQpXYgYJtYl5g7A-OsVy6zqD1ZnHg9UHRILoWxmfi1JvNp6sm8u-n9KVorvGmX63RmJ4LHshw/s640/Franklin's+Gull.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franklin's Gull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A grasslands day trip
– July 2<br />
</b>The 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> half of June was busy with a trip to B.C. to visit
family and getting some carpet installed (a lot more work than my wife and I
anticipated).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The birds are usually
starting to quiet down by the beginning of July but Ray Woods and I wanted to
get out birding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reports of a
Black-billed Cuckoo in the Finnegan area (about 1 ½ hours to the east of
Calgary) was our incentive and we set off early on July 2. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We didn’t find the cuckoo but did find a number of new year birds
including Lark Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Burrowing Owl and Grasshopper
Sparrow.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18GvSb1jwehVnLxnfT5XbDOYeQGZaRAjbxE-LlCPRWE_en0ni5BrOoqBP03I10Hnh1KfCbL2sE-DYLPWoxkCe0bn7KE9h0N-e3Nau1le-qNzzydXuW9gPphC5U3ctlWQIaozCOB1GtG0/s1600/Burrowing+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18GvSb1jwehVnLxnfT5XbDOYeQGZaRAjbxE-LlCPRWE_en0ni5BrOoqBP03I10Hnh1KfCbL2sE-DYLPWoxkCe0bn7KE9h0N-e3Nau1le-qNzzydXuW9gPphC5U3ctlWQIaozCOB1GtG0/s640/Burrowing+Owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The long drive back featured a couple on pleasant
distractions – roadside Upland Sandpipers and a young Mule Deer buck with
velvety antlers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JkFmz0YFwDGgSC_3trzBIX9p194EpiEZws992HlibQ3PdTNF32AW7R5NRaLV1o7X7aol2UY-UJbBb_Uk7J97sk7hKc6JkBQwMHYMrcp2juoJ2LyKJqjUYlxr3LMNqLZS4Tyh6o5dBNY/s1600/Upland+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JkFmz0YFwDGgSC_3trzBIX9p194EpiEZws992HlibQ3PdTNF32AW7R5NRaLV1o7X7aol2UY-UJbBb_Uk7J97sk7hKc6JkBQwMHYMrcp2juoJ2LyKJqjUYlxr3LMNqLZS4Tyh6o5dBNY/s640/Upland+Sandpiper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upland Sandpiper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__cPUq2-8Ywfe12gUCEWcPeWNGe6Ha6MGhyPg0CZ0tU0noHNVWjro0vBDerGkyBz8yumvEVe4fnAwC-n1OMzVsR6hLt9owRjGmMlHLnIZz_BDRmSwJSLk3Yp-OnIRIa_zIw2vWjvBDzQ/s1600/Mule+Deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__cPUq2-8Ywfe12gUCEWcPeWNGe6Ha6MGhyPg0CZ0tU0noHNVWjro0vBDerGkyBz8yumvEVe4fnAwC-n1OMzVsR6hLt9owRjGmMlHLnIZz_BDRmSwJSLk3Yp-OnIRIa_zIw2vWjvBDzQ/s640/Mule+Deer.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mule Deer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A brief note on the
recent southern Alberta floods<br />
</b>Barb and I live in one of the highest parts of Calgary so were not affected
by the terrible floods that hit Calgary and surrounding areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mike Mulligan (one of the Fur & Feathers
500 birders) lives near the Bow River but fortunately his home didn’t suffer any water
damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you may have seen on the
news, many others weren’t quite so fortunate … I can only imagine the grief the
flooding caused (though thankfully with very little loss of life) and hope that
everyone can get their lives back to normal as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also hope that the governments and
communities can start taking steps to ensure that this disaster is not
repeated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bird life and bird habitat
was also impacted by the flooding but birders are reporting that the birds are showing as
much resiliency as the human population.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next up? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
</b>July and the first couple of weeks in August are usually pretty quiet but
the shorebirds should be returning and there is plenty of water around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will also be making a trip to B.C. –
primarily for golf but there is always a chance of a new mammal or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good birding and mammaling,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-86559080466802342672013-05-30T10:26:00.001-07:002013-05-30T10:26:28.406-07:00Alberta in the merry month of May
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a seven week hiatus, I return to the world of
blogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in Alberta, May really
marks the beginning of spring and the return of the migratory birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, we try to urge the birds northward
before they are ready and then, in the blink of an eye, migration is over.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The month began with a visit from my friends, Alistair and
Sveta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alistair is a photographer who is
becoming a birder and I had hoped to show him many new birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had seen the movie “The Big Year” and
their only target bird was a Great Gray Owl and I’m happy to report that we saw
two of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We birded in the Calgary region for a few days and it seemed
like I was forever saying “normally there the birds should be back” or “there
will be lots of birds here in a couple of weeks”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did find a few interesting birds such as
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch and had a Moose wander across the road.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4630_vt5wodHh9VJGY5HyNRxBih3Xn4ODEAlEVOmGkr2gyzxopAAIWucqmqFatBvqBjbZcZQJLyE6llif6eZr6QXBYhK7-9sJumDnbhHMe9Pn88ysWeI6K0nedgjOEcQS0aGeHbB2y3s/s1600/Yellow-bellied+Sapsucker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4630_vt5wodHh9VJGY5HyNRxBih3Xn4ODEAlEVOmGkr2gyzxopAAIWucqmqFatBvqBjbZcZQJLyE6llif6eZr6QXBYhK7-9sJumDnbhHMe9Pn88ysWeI6K0nedgjOEcQS0aGeHbB2y3s/s640/Yellow-bellied+Sapsucker.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-bellied Sapsucker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKz1ewUXLuS0RkmM1H3AgbOu1mUe8KvZsn92RKDy-bFwotn8_zDCkh5R7N4CoEXNcWq7T8URXJhqg4bEIA00bFVNNucUs4mLsqqEzTuq0hmXBdM56kdlOWFWFCgrNn0kuo6StJlUQYeQ/s1600/American+Three-toed+Woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKz1ewUXLuS0RkmM1H3AgbOu1mUe8KvZsn92RKDy-bFwotn8_zDCkh5R7N4CoEXNcWq7T8URXJhqg4bEIA00bFVNNucUs4mLsqqEzTuq0hmXBdM56kdlOWFWFCgrNn0kuo6StJlUQYeQ/s640/American+Three-toed+Woodpecker.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Three-toed Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnSuLxs3KFw_V6PMAcchmGMLWbs6B6nBYA_uN6DZ9lxUExIMPJ0YW__0ntaZCZcPdD0qbhyPknNRZOVjYLlhMf2iBK7ETe16gQp39ViUBVYbm1Ceu_hihjzQSZ27uBVUqiakxdr2s8ao/s1600/Gray-crowned+Rosy-Finch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnSuLxs3KFw_V6PMAcchmGMLWbs6B6nBYA_uN6DZ9lxUExIMPJ0YW__0ntaZCZcPdD0qbhyPknNRZOVjYLlhMf2iBK7ETe16gQp39ViUBVYbm1Ceu_hihjzQSZ27uBVUqiakxdr2s8ao/s640/Gray-crowned+Rosy-Finch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2OX3OdOoa-c7ObRbtFwlr2pHCx5SVdnaRLpr73vMA7Q0HxIrquDV3I7JkNier0qfVdCAZiBf38hYKrOvzZhvw-dIHW3WFIeSy6-VsTLo3riL4nyuR_G8-Rc7CuJkTXD__yIgWtMYdoI/s1600/Moose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2OX3OdOoa-c7ObRbtFwlr2pHCx5SVdnaRLpr73vMA7Q0HxIrquDV3I7JkNier0qfVdCAZiBf38hYKrOvzZhvw-dIHW3WFIeSy6-VsTLo3riL4nyuR_G8-Rc7CuJkTXD__yIgWtMYdoI/s640/Moose.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weekend of May 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> & 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>, my
wife and I drove our guests up to Jasper National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t expect to see many birds (and we
didn’t) but had high expectations of seeing many interesting mammals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Normally there should be …” but mammals were
few and far between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did see a
distant Mountain Goat but no bears – there bears were just coming out of
hibernation and there were only scattered reports of sightings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
However, t</span>he wonderful scenery kept us captivated and no one was too disappointed
with the lack of wildlife. At the roadside viewpoints, we also enjoyed close views of inquisitive Common Ravens and Clark's Nutcrackers.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTfsYK0gL6lfUXgkuhjeE7xOibkaRc9iB9HU5PpWjcaKiV99et6yHpZ3EnTBdXmb0jcbt1wrCPkAqtp7dNdfnOvzPOWZa89rYepKTnNg79hjPPXs-dCVD2dwu8QuHVKyaHJspYtNNoDU/s1600/Mountain+Goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTfsYK0gL6lfUXgkuhjeE7xOibkaRc9iB9HU5PpWjcaKiV99et6yHpZ3EnTBdXmb0jcbt1wrCPkAqtp7dNdfnOvzPOWZa89rYepKTnNg79hjPPXs-dCVD2dwu8QuHVKyaHJspYtNNoDU/s640/Mountain+Goat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Goat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbHFKvRNyeae2-AkKZ5azGTCbteHa56qPmrFiVcsiU4o3ZMSBWKIkBOqzwO6ZE02EZPl9pYddKDV2ei9AD_IJLoisqsbfTGr2vGih-94eJ7JmhlCYxfaK9LwFlToNHttpBbtOEbF7rXo/s1600/Whistler's+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbHFKvRNyeae2-AkKZ5azGTCbteHa56qPmrFiVcsiU4o3ZMSBWKIkBOqzwO6ZE02EZPl9pYddKDV2ei9AD_IJLoisqsbfTGr2vGih-94eJ7JmhlCYxfaK9LwFlToNHttpBbtOEbF7rXo/s640/Whistler's+Mountain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atop Whistlers Mountain near Jasper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1H031LAk-y3AwWoXTKv4u1xm_1j35jGsdV51XqH-8tuUjeEdiONRDtzVttM1RQt53WhJgTb89CkNFXn5Utzl6UBGGMMcOk9z-ANeh5hyeuzZK0qb6zYuQP1k1wCjyzIkjqBOMPpEbqs/s1600/Banff-Jasper+Highway+views.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1H031LAk-y3AwWoXTKv4u1xm_1j35jGsdV51XqH-8tuUjeEdiONRDtzVttM1RQt53WhJgTb89CkNFXn5Utzl6UBGGMMcOk9z-ANeh5hyeuzZK0qb6zYuQP1k1wCjyzIkjqBOMPpEbqs/s640/Banff-Jasper+Highway+views.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical scenery along the Banff-Jasper Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgCFwEAW8q3zkPQ7Oy6wwi1mxboIHThSP3rejcmyOANcpxVzD8z2IN8fo5HqJ9-XB3P_WbqXZbHQxio9sFMS4Snqdi4GRk_JtbtL9dke2rmA0H1LIF2aSb_tQddur5TbpK4gd86Zpwr0/s1600/Common+Raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgCFwEAW8q3zkPQ7Oy6wwi1mxboIHThSP3rejcmyOANcpxVzD8z2IN8fo5HqJ9-XB3P_WbqXZbHQxio9sFMS4Snqdi4GRk_JtbtL9dke2rmA0H1LIF2aSb_tQddur5TbpK4gd86Zpwr0/s640/Common+Raven.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Raven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuoarouvgZDYkDJoZG6AKtj8KILjTaGPdHxxY2KalG0bZGcVGrj4SUaUdvwVYeSQkgt1gkesNega8i1Qv5VMr95Nmjb6IS-Q1d4PBguDUyWcA_mSnmwMRhe937ijZq6QMmp5pX4nJ6xo/s1600/Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuoarouvgZDYkDJoZG6AKtj8KILjTaGPdHxxY2KalG0bZGcVGrj4SUaUdvwVYeSQkgt1gkesNega8i1Qv5VMr95Nmjb6IS-Q1d4PBguDUyWcA_mSnmwMRhe937ijZq6QMmp5pX4nJ6xo/s640/Clark's+Nutcracker.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark's Nutcracker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can view Alistair's photos of his trip to Alberta at: <a href="http://alistair.zenfolio.com/recent.html">http://alistair.zenfolio.com/recent.html</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second week in May usually marks the beginning of the
shorebird migration and I had ideas of doing a blog just on shorebirds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Purple Sandpiper was found – an Alberta
first record - by Eddie Matoud and it stayed around long enough for most local
birders to see it.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x8N57oYIODjRt2oikQr9tLbvGd8i83SWKEeuqwLV1s7mcxu8lULX21NvodgfsoqFfnsEN5JQUSagPNeh6Cy4cW1s1j3VgYa9oHEjsmxVb0gsjf_6aHGpUqLUx3KsiDdBFauXwMv9jpA/s1600/Purple+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x8N57oYIODjRt2oikQr9tLbvGd8i83SWKEeuqwLV1s7mcxu8lULX21NvodgfsoqFfnsEN5JQUSagPNeh6Cy4cW1s1j3VgYa9oHEjsmxVb0gsjf_6aHGpUqLUx3KsiDdBFauXwMv9jpA/s640/Purple+Sandpiper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Sandpiper in early morning light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was lots of suitable habitat for the shorebirds and we
had a brief but decent migration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, for an acceptable photo, the birds need to be close enough and in the right
light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rarer species such as
White-rumped Sandpiper weren’t so cooperative but some of the common species
such as Stilt Sandpiper and Marbled Godwit were more obliging.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqusB2g3ZGkb1ELAo1uDKrDSPuhuj913tFI7TiWI1VqE_HunuOdoMKDw_AQGTbI6YTyD72pnY01S3LjJEgwu34yfn3oQ4k1BwhRNGRu_qPG8dBpcEIZxx55ihy4qRQo-Z6AqWpVw7XB4/s1600/Stilt+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqusB2g3ZGkb1ELAo1uDKrDSPuhuj913tFI7TiWI1VqE_HunuOdoMKDw_AQGTbI6YTyD72pnY01S3LjJEgwu34yfn3oQ4k1BwhRNGRu_qPG8dBpcEIZxx55ihy4qRQo-Z6AqWpVw7XB4/s640/Stilt+Sandpiper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stilt Sandpiper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV8Cep5h0NQx3gKVST9c61qPokGLcrSRtzvh3zKvG4hyphenhyphenokYRC9wPQMoFbDdq_3uddaFqMQ8-ngrmD-QzPz6jp5Z07RVSv2fIhh287BO9TqF5uKG26y6wpqjPHd2L-ES7e1jYG0SugQq0/s1600/Marbled+Godwit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV8Cep5h0NQx3gKVST9c61qPokGLcrSRtzvh3zKvG4hyphenhyphenokYRC9wPQMoFbDdq_3uddaFqMQ8-ngrmD-QzPz6jp5Z07RVSv2fIhh287BO9TqF5uKG26y6wpqjPHd2L-ES7e1jYG0SugQq0/s640/Marbled+Godwit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marbled Godwit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">About a week ago, the weather turned nasty – cold, wet and
windy – but that’s not enough to keep one at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While searching unsuccessfully for a vagrant
Tri-colored Heron that had been seen a couple of days earlier, I came across
these Cliff Swallows huddled together.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtfj2EFOsV6ozHURlW9UVfnQ-K6k6CPcUP2ffvCuxVSYvuW6pAYD5MrjPmpAh1-AA5kVO1lH0mPgYNxS0RmOBx2LKeSAJmGqDNQVqSxkx3s6LBXvJHgvKAvu7GO8Wom5EP8NJGavk3W4/s1600/Cliff+Swallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtfj2EFOsV6ozHURlW9UVfnQ-K6k6CPcUP2ffvCuxVSYvuW6pAYD5MrjPmpAh1-AA5kVO1lH0mPgYNxS0RmOBx2LKeSAJmGqDNQVqSxkx3s6LBXvJHgvKAvu7GO8Wom5EP8NJGavk3W4/s640/Cliff+Swallows.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff Swallows trying to stay warm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last weekend in May is the date for Alberta’s annual May
Species Count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray Woods and I were
assigned an area in the far northwest of the Calgary area region (a 50 mile
radius circle centered in central Calgary), an area we had done a few times
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Saturday, the weather was
still pretty bad as evidenced by this soggy Great Horned Owl.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG-K-r44Ao_ktHFdDCcslbc18aixRwQTGoBMGuHN56G_qfbJQ0MgQu5WoVNs2ghMx9hZ_1y-44hbWjMAMNvU8YBg36erfsmK2YaGeqg4Mw6cWPs49Ywigw5WzkGhX5KPe7dlJL2GtVp0/s1600/Great+Horned+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieG-K-r44Ao_ktHFdDCcslbc18aixRwQTGoBMGuHN56G_qfbJQ0MgQu5WoVNs2ghMx9hZ_1y-44hbWjMAMNvU8YBg36erfsmK2YaGeqg4Mw6cWPs49Ywigw5WzkGhX5KPe7dlJL2GtVp0/s640/Great+Horned+Owl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Horned Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over the two day count period, we had 102 species which is a
little below normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only real
highlight was an Arctic Tern (a new Alberta bird for me) but it was so distant
that we only confirmed identification afterwards by studying our photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, it is always nice to see a breeding
plumaged Sandhill Crane.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2TP8sh_jaNFRXV2jKNT9M2e3WyY604VJxG-aJXqrnJy63tjCN3aHu6xATi0QHmTWGqnp-GSTsp5vb8MsxHRZBBaYZtXxUoP21XsmwRmfozqml6iLW3Log9jx4xfs5ninKLSuxsttqt8/s1600/Sandhill+Crane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2TP8sh_jaNFRXV2jKNT9M2e3WyY604VJxG-aJXqrnJy63tjCN3aHu6xATi0QHmTWGqnp-GSTsp5vb8MsxHRZBBaYZtXxUoP21XsmwRmfozqml6iLW3Log9jx4xfs5ninKLSuxsttqt8/s640/Sandhill+Crane.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandhill Crane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With May coming to a close, Phil Cram and I tried to re-find
the Arctic Tern last Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No luck
but we did enjoy nice views of some returning summer residents such as Le Conte’s
Sparrow and Western Tanager.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH17kQwdLHANCtOLM34tR5Kw6S4qtAIBlRpVn_ewZWGwgZu7HzbLuCU2mSsB5Y8hVIMRGi_z6pfwt6bEZXfSfetKrZjNo_SaXUX4ZVlbm1dN0_myrQIa12uonl0OFLKLdG_cWawV1kjHA/s1600/Le+Conte's+Sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH17kQwdLHANCtOLM34tR5Kw6S4qtAIBlRpVn_ewZWGwgZu7HzbLuCU2mSsB5Y8hVIMRGi_z6pfwt6bEZXfSfetKrZjNo_SaXUX4ZVlbm1dN0_myrQIa12uonl0OFLKLdG_cWawV1kjHA/s640/Le+Conte's+Sparrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Conte's Sparrow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DtI-psSWHoaYDtplqOS4o9bCM_ywzRB9vqPrwztHm7LGK18Yq_5EFvivqJGZg6swWz60xQh8TiOnrlRQatjEMfpjE0aVBpsoq5ipgLm6cMCIm7oDWaoGj5bPlP9PhDWjG-I10Nhr4WE/s1600/Western+Tanager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DtI-psSWHoaYDtplqOS4o9bCM_ywzRB9vqPrwztHm7LGK18Yq_5EFvivqJGZg6swWz60xQh8TiOnrlRQatjEMfpjE0aVBpsoq5ipgLm6cMCIm7oDWaoGj5bPlP9PhDWjG-I10Nhr4WE/s640/Western+Tanager.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Tanager</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">June will be a busy month with trips to the Cold Lake area
for birding and to B.C. to visit friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With all of the inclement weather in recent weeks, I made
good progress compiling my world mammal list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My total is 300 mammals which, combined with 3826 birds, puts me at 4126
fur & feathers … only 874 to go!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good birding,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-74413970832532892542013-04-10T14:02:00.001-07:002013-04-10T14:02:34.647-07:00Northward Bound ... Why???
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three weeks ago I was northward bound, leaving the southern
hemisphere and leapfrogging millions of migrating birds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent 7 delightful weeks in Argentina (and
a couple of days in Chile) and had great weather for most of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived back in Canada for the first day of
spring and had high hopes that the migrants wouldn’t be too far behind …
HAH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I should know, in Calgary the spring calendar
and spring weather aren’t coordinated - emphatically reinforced by the wintry conditions
for the past three weeks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still, one mustn’t be deterred by the weather so I have been
birding a few times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first was a
visit to the Water Valley area to the northwest where there was a decent mix of
resident birds [Great Gray Owl], winter residents [Northern Shrike,
Rough-legged Hawk] and migrants [American Tree Sparrow].</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dgVrzCyaf0iBsseWUzfETvyhjMGx-6ZxZz4q2A3gXlyNHNOX062klCrBgGe1ympcOL4F3uKFIJLYx7QKc_v2M01C0h8wUzsg9qGsrzawzo-kY71EJe-dCsCZxofVffdtZuqG6_julao/s1600/IMG_2405-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dgVrzCyaf0iBsseWUzfETvyhjMGx-6ZxZz4q2A3gXlyNHNOX062klCrBgGe1ympcOL4F3uKFIJLYx7QKc_v2M01C0h8wUzsg9qGsrzawzo-kY71EJe-dCsCZxofVffdtZuqG6_julao/s640/IMG_2405-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Gray Owl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My next two trips were to the south:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray Woods and I had a nice daytrip to Waterton and, a couple of days later, I went as far as Claresholm with Phil Cram and Mike Mulligan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around Calgary, lakes are still covered by ice but we found some open water to the south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw many species of ducks crowding any available open water but nothing unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richardson’s Ground Squirrels were now appearing in the fields and this brought the return of Ferruginous Hawks.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6r31yTqwNxVR0KbctZPt28X7eL2iODZvQ8YAv40o5C-D_wyCjiUEwijc7cvyb8hs6cWXA2TsUqk98UV9YfCqu5IQA66LwB0mm6Du34eKcX0MOazzhutIN0WC_GpKNNBejRh7RcDCRDmo/s1600/IMG_2460-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6r31yTqwNxVR0KbctZPt28X7eL2iODZvQ8YAv40o5C-D_wyCjiUEwijc7cvyb8hs6cWXA2TsUqk98UV9YfCqu5IQA66LwB0mm6Du34eKcX0MOazzhutIN0WC_GpKNNBejRh7RcDCRDmo/s640/IMG_2460-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferruginous Hawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9rW4YdCp-q7kUNIaUPULmuqOgcPU-tZqEZJwmzaCD9CbacKr0Uu57ArMIWX1HhnFrNyiAli3sgpQDmEcvYQ_ppXz5Y3DNQWvBL-A2tYtg_qyP_fCUc3izVIQQmm9AanpLTrt9xaImHg/s1600/IMG_2455-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9rW4YdCp-q7kUNIaUPULmuqOgcPU-tZqEZJwmzaCD9CbacKr0Uu57ArMIWX1HhnFrNyiAli3sgpQDmEcvYQ_ppXz5Y3DNQWvBL-A2tYtg_qyP_fCUc3izVIQQmm9AanpLTrt9xaImHg/s640/IMG_2455-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferruginous Hawk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before the last storm hit, I drove east looking to
photograph some ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all were
very skittish when I approached on foot so the only decent shots I got were
taken from my vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also enjoyed
observing different mannerisms of the ducks such as their take-off
methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As shown below, the Northern
Pintail explodes upwards from the water whereas the Common Goldeneye runs along
the water (or ice) before taking flight.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpJp7-P5zP5cH_W1aHU8t0SQ6K3Lyn8WiKOf0TjwXOi0ZsRNDyKqDeY7Oqif4xxAYdAsvd2GgEoWwBUhJoqDwRbGGcvv4E5Niid5yl2ndvBFxuhWMXkuU2ZqPuhJEllFb22rJMUk6vSo/s1600/IMG_2659-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpJp7-P5zP5cH_W1aHU8t0SQ6K3Lyn8WiKOf0TjwXOi0ZsRNDyKqDeY7Oqif4xxAYdAsvd2GgEoWwBUhJoqDwRbGGcvv4E5Niid5yl2ndvBFxuhWMXkuU2ZqPuhJEllFb22rJMUk6vSo/s640/IMG_2659-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Pintail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4nnMvG96d-3qEt1AcABA_Wg3HOkewSDE1E1BNJcS5KiEarPbr5CfNnOSDrQ8uMvQtxHy5BDshMvi2hL_93nJtYXC7Vrm3-WJ5wsDzHdaXMIEtavlyaq7q7IpHuLzExhnxjw3O6MERHE/s1600/IMG_2622-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4nnMvG96d-3qEt1AcABA_Wg3HOkewSDE1E1BNJcS5KiEarPbr5CfNnOSDrQ8uMvQtxHy5BDshMvi2hL_93nJtYXC7Vrm3-WJ5wsDzHdaXMIEtavlyaq7q7IpHuLzExhnxjw3O6MERHE/s640/IMG_2622-Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Goldeneye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During last year’s big year, we went birding regardless of
the weather; this year I find that I am much more selective with my
outings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly, the big year blog
had to be written otherwise we would fall too far behind; this year, my blogs
have been sporadic with little focus on my distant end target of 5000
species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While waiting for the birds to
come back, I am hoping to make some progress compiling my mammal list so I will
at least know how far I have to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good birding,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-90967085962971592302013-03-14T17:47:00.000-07:002013-03-14T17:47:00.965-07:00Road Trip: Salta to Mendoza
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the last part of our Argentina trip, Barb and I and our
friends Fran and Alan rented a car in Salta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our other friends Joan and Mike left us in Iguazu and are now back in
Victoria enjoying the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salta is
located in the northwest corner of Argentina where the culture there is more
akin to that of Bolivia and Peru than to the other places we have visited on
our trip.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgjmJz6fJmxayOR7RLixvyBFd5PAJ3Jx8EKb4eZv8R1JqKnEyuSR9YoZxlLB9b9dD7ssm0n9dZjHhuJeUEsLYV6ac9pQHsGbBQyvut_sbnu53np2rghKFQh4BV83mFrbPOKEpc0rwwuo/s1600/Road+trip+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgjmJz6fJmxayOR7RLixvyBFd5PAJ3Jx8EKb4eZv8R1JqKnEyuSR9YoZxlLB9b9dD7ssm0n9dZjHhuJeUEsLYV6ac9pQHsGbBQyvut_sbnu53np2rghKFQh4BV83mFrbPOKEpc0rwwuo/s640/Road+trip+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We picked up the car on Friday, March 8 and went exploring
north of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove 3 ½ hours on a
very winding road which had one birding highlight – a roadside lake with a few
species including an Andean Gull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
destination was Purnamarca - a touristy little town with lots of handicrafts
imported from Peru as well as nice views of some colorful hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the others enjoyed a leisurely lunch, I
went in search of birds and was pleased to find a Blue-capped Puffleg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch, we continued to the small town
of Tilarca where there are some pre-Inca ruins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I took a quick look at the ruins but was distracted by the birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A female Red-tailed Comet (it would have been
nice to see the male with its long tail) landed nearby and there were a couple
of Chiguanco Thrushes in the bushes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcWfR9SEaxZCYKzg0U11yQSXQvLWk8ZQe7ImtQV4dy2zPg_S7JNDU9vRxnQbJ-VjNmMwUq6JZ9lBXTx2M0daohwvW1GfWDE2cAk8Qe9Xr1af6o02she6RwK14LRpGh0VS2FWXJKtBLTE/s1600/Chiguanco+Thrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcWfR9SEaxZCYKzg0U11yQSXQvLWk8ZQe7ImtQV4dy2zPg_S7JNDU9vRxnQbJ-VjNmMwUq6JZ9lBXTx2M0daohwvW1GfWDE2cAk8Qe9Xr1af6o02she6RwK14LRpGh0VS2FWXJKtBLTE/s640/Chiguanco+Thrush.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiguanco Thrush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday, we just had a short drive of 200 km to El
Cafayete but had the misfortune to be behind a group of 200+ cyclists for about
half an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally we got passed the cyclists
and there were to be no birding stops until we were far ahead of them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenic highlight of the trip was the
Quebreda de las Conchas – a 25 km stretch of highway that passed through a red
rock canyon.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFhBNqb4941S5-Rv9rNrl4bm10UoYsfUPW4BVxoZbX9hNuFsIdaqTrXyXfIgwGiVM0gWBJyAUd2SQH2cuZLTUqfHhGY1a-rsEXXcQnUnwPN7i74-QYytgWcgR3dL5VbSK5xpMlwMXlxU/s1600/Quebrada+de+las+Conchas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFhBNqb4941S5-Rv9rNrl4bm10UoYsfUPW4BVxoZbX9hNuFsIdaqTrXyXfIgwGiVM0gWBJyAUd2SQH2cuZLTUqfHhGY1a-rsEXXcQnUnwPN7i74-QYytgWcgR3dL5VbSK5xpMlwMXlxU/s640/Quebrada+de+las+Conchas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quebrada de las Conchas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day, we drove from El Cafayete to Catamarca with a
stop at the Quilmes ruins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way to
the ruins, we saw hundreds of Burrowing Parrots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wandered through the ruins looking
for birds and did find a couple of interesting species – Golden-billed Saltator
(which I had had a glimpse of in Buenos Aires) and White-fronted Woodpecker.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SvCDFiKn-C4Ry5_QTC6PFN0mCym5Gd4XZ9Cv6cZLuC2o8DKM_37SIkuvWhXQY1WHcqL7PqiSzoNl4VtBGeH-Lmczp_zZeDLBdvzqlOnnEpXcUmYfgbAhmIN-LMHsvLECG5DvM6p12ec/s1600/Burrowing+Parrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SvCDFiKn-C4Ry5_QTC6PFN0mCym5Gd4XZ9Cv6cZLuC2o8DKM_37SIkuvWhXQY1WHcqL7PqiSzoNl4VtBGeH-Lmczp_zZeDLBdvzqlOnnEpXcUmYfgbAhmIN-LMHsvLECG5DvM6p12ec/s640/Burrowing+Parrots.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Parrots (this photo taken in Talampaya; at Quilmes Ruins, parrots had dark bellies)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDAanT-P0wMVw-ZfItr_PGjDHReBBWmepCgkg4hoELjnJg9hZ_bgePfri_h5ZWIXsjbl_GhzNMOtdpBITrTgmPUnKJn8pCJ066iyOpleD8aL-oMTayXYNI9V2wMM1QD53lm-bg2yQCyc/s1600/Quilmes+Ruins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDAanT-P0wMVw-ZfItr_PGjDHReBBWmepCgkg4hoELjnJg9hZ_bgePfri_h5ZWIXsjbl_GhzNMOtdpBITrTgmPUnKJn8pCJ066iyOpleD8aL-oMTayXYNI9V2wMM1QD53lm-bg2yQCyc/s640/Quilmes+Ruins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilmes Ruins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD9UdmG62mKLwJSJxl1p4YBy6_pzqEsoXvVfSy0UXm7oVbKb0_HA-jjF37Zo0vtbVYjYc8zXjWuv_GV6x-0KUdat6FO_eWpa_o7cGJ7ufCdXYff29q7csZkY8HYxCmz7apCAuyqZFipk/s1600/Golden-billed+Saltator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkD9UdmG62mKLwJSJxl1p4YBy6_pzqEsoXvVfSy0UXm7oVbKb0_HA-jjF37Zo0vtbVYjYc8zXjWuv_GV6x-0KUdat6FO_eWpa_o7cGJ7ufCdXYff29q7csZkY8HYxCmz7apCAuyqZFipk/s640/Golden-billed+Saltator.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-billed Saltator</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our final stop was at Villa Union where we spent a couple of
days exploring Talampaya National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We didn’t know much about the park beforehand so we were pleasantly
surprised with the scenery that we saw on a couple of guided tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As hunting is not allowed in the park, we
also saw many Patagonian Maras (a strange looking rodent somewhat like a hare),
Gray Foxes and Guanacos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also
quite a few Lesser Rheas; otherwise birds were scarce but I did see a couple of
new finches.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PTKyMZw5KBa2hJFzXVLAGwFGcks8jcWZQg-HE1vslU1fZ22x_QtPQn97nNO6ZvbgfTdHlQxLxxk55VWyHJL5S1sbtYhZAXd8nmQPbY-AUGkqtvPePHaScvisGKOk-vZuOV7lY85Zdx4/s1600/Talampaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PTKyMZw5KBa2hJFzXVLAGwFGcks8jcWZQg-HE1vslU1fZ22x_QtPQn97nNO6ZvbgfTdHlQxLxxk55VWyHJL5S1sbtYhZAXd8nmQPbY-AUGkqtvPePHaScvisGKOk-vZuOV7lY85Zdx4/s640/Talampaya.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canyon in Talampaya National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvneCObM2uxmUpZW8nn6yG4_ZIxf3G3lhESCKVJN_Oie2gMKhZ2rTKin4OZDqZcnfB7tcTa1C0DixR_-fYuXxqCt6a_fPLhD8SpHxChONZ7TDnyyS12ZCtrgAaV266iGZffKfjbWCA3U/s1600/Guanaco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvneCObM2uxmUpZW8nn6yG4_ZIxf3G3lhESCKVJN_Oie2gMKhZ2rTKin4OZDqZcnfB7tcTa1C0DixR_-fYuXxqCt6a_fPLhD8SpHxChONZ7TDnyyS12ZCtrgAaV266iGZffKfjbWCA3U/s640/Guanaco.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guanaco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxHg7cq_pEsjCN_AdULAWI3laKEnjsWvCsAafnNHsPmovKpAs3R2kA0hwCF3a2XiS8BdWKpaS9vH5yYjFqB-kPwCCFrf3UbAcJInjhb8JWKdbpVx3KOEL0J1l0osXRY3Bh2pUwxkL0s0/s1600/Patagonian+Mara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxHg7cq_pEsjCN_AdULAWI3laKEnjsWvCsAafnNHsPmovKpAs3R2kA0hwCF3a2XiS8BdWKpaS9vH5yYjFqB-kPwCCFrf3UbAcJInjhb8JWKdbpVx3KOEL0J1l0osXRY3Bh2pUwxkL0s0/s640/Patagonian+Mara.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patagonian Mara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XM_gnYVHnklFryq5rUh51lLOvvlRKmkLCYKJ9u4-OxqhzqSClds68Y_r2Mx8tbxj0H1Kj5kO3_MjmVxgXEv5c06238_2OttgWjXSwk-dnnirEVIhHZNMnHpjmYydoo24QxqrLtX6iu8/s1600/Lesser+Rhea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XM_gnYVHnklFryq5rUh51lLOvvlRKmkLCYKJ9u4-OxqhzqSClds68Y_r2Mx8tbxj0H1Kj5kO3_MjmVxgXEv5c06238_2OttgWjXSwk-dnnirEVIhHZNMnHpjmYydoo24QxqrLtX6iu8/s640/Lesser+Rhea.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesser Rhea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ7yoaHKcHbJZLAfti-jg2vTrQ2Ph-5-CSJIbNleta43W0R-y8c9lxCGaUu6kCy2PKEk5Jb6h3ip-J07frEJH-JOkpHuXFgocmK7fORrG9SRYm5MiQtuJ30_nbWCdiKijj_Qs_-CfohI/s1600/Rainbow+Canyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ7yoaHKcHbJZLAfti-jg2vTrQ2Ph-5-CSJIbNleta43W0R-y8c9lxCGaUu6kCy2PKEk5Jb6h3ip-J07frEJH-JOkpHuXFgocmK7fORrG9SRYm5MiQtuJ30_nbWCdiKijj_Qs_-CfohI/s640/Rainbow+Canyon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Canyon in Talampay National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The drive to Mendoza was through desert with very few birds –
occasional vultures and caracas were the only birds to be seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Mendoza, we have been concentrating on the
wine though I did see a Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle on this morning’s city
tour.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The northwest section of Argentina has great birding
potential but, as was the case for most of the trip, birding was just a side
benefit of sightseeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all, I had 15
lifers on this portion and about 65 for the overall trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have enjoyed our travels in Argentina – it
has many interesting sights and a good infrastructure for travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one were to concentrate on birds and
perhaps hire a guide or two, I’m sure that you could easily see over 300
species in a 2-3 week trip to this large and diverse country.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-33517620034432050192013-03-09T17:56:00.000-08:002013-03-09T17:56:56.710-08:00Iguazu
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Iguazu Falls are not the highest, widest or most voluminous
falls in the world but they are certainly among the most spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Situated in a jungle on the border between
Argentina and Brazil, the falls have many different sections as they span the
river.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpNM2I_qiS-1vbVqF-CXC_3plT3e0bGBZZyDpLZe1zV9UY1lLn24HmisZFKZlpJHgUTsLdG2mgCmVr33kOsVYp_QT7Bd0KcbkEKk3i9N7iQP0ohtZVA-H2cPuRI6qqvkys-EoIKq4CKg/s1600/Iguazu+panorama2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpNM2I_qiS-1vbVqF-CXC_3plT3e0bGBZZyDpLZe1zV9UY1lLn24HmisZFKZlpJHgUTsLdG2mgCmVr33kOsVYp_QT7Bd0KcbkEKk3i9N7iQP0ohtZVA-H2cPuRI6qqvkys-EoIKq4CKg/s640/Iguazu+panorama2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Devil's Throat section of the falls
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This area of Argentina boasts a bird list of over 500
species so I had hoped to find a few new ones despite having birded southeast
Brazil a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Tuesday,
March 5 we awoke to thunderstorms and were worried that our day of sightseeing
might be a little soggy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we
arrived at the park at 8 a.m. the skies had cleared and we had a wonderful
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toco Toucans greeted us at the
entrance and we saw a few more species on the walk out to Devil’s Throat
including a Black-necked Guan and a Rufescent Tiger-Heron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were supposed to do an “Ecological” tour
by boat above the falls but the water levels were too low.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUeIFsQpVuXwMBLroAhV-Lus1g8U9lruTpu1Wb_zdEZ-TgDIJg5f8-A7xbiJVQEyVo2mjHCfBvYtBpVIyhtP-Ec7yUk39kS8PFNV1upCJ9y2Ss0s9u7nIEOAEl-TMxr16D-3IVKwLC84/s1600/Black-fronted+Guan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUeIFsQpVuXwMBLroAhV-Lus1g8U9lruTpu1Wb_zdEZ-TgDIJg5f8-A7xbiJVQEyVo2mjHCfBvYtBpVIyhtP-Ec7yUk39kS8PFNV1upCJ9y2Ss0s9u7nIEOAEl-TMxr16D-3IVKwLC84/s640/Black-fronted+Guan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Black-fronted Guan</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-5ZCeNTuevHYZVHdMi-1ERu2LRVRgdLn3Hol3ivmZkWUwcTL_N5fmYiYaphJF-HE9uDkPDrdMxMLFCJi9wRc0V_HelR0vwvpZQQ6fsT4VLHfL6BVkV1wwFR6brGfyQ7r-eQ_2lCgT1k/s1600/Rufescent+Tiger-Heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-5ZCeNTuevHYZVHdMi-1ERu2LRVRgdLn3Hol3ivmZkWUwcTL_N5fmYiYaphJF-HE9uDkPDrdMxMLFCJi9wRc0V_HelR0vwvpZQQ6fsT4VLHfL6BVkV1wwFR6brGfyQ7r-eQ_2lCgT1k/s640/Rufescent+Tiger-Heron.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufescent Tiger-Heron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birding in the park was much quieter than I had expected
with only Plush-crested Jays and Great Kiskadees making any noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mammals were also scarce except for Brazilian
Cavi and tame Coatis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there
were many different species of butterfly as well as some huge orbweaver
spiders.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2IXYkjXxITMEG4zCnHBKPvVjIzvrqWMDjyisy8DDM7KqRNN2lGzb4eZ4RGgunDxRMnCZtabwwaW-Rxgi2J09bGeXxHs_V4PvxpyQ6OQiTi0HFxBAz5nknqstLqtAhR5G4Dyow6D4gm4/s1600/Butterflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2IXYkjXxITMEG4zCnHBKPvVjIzvrqWMDjyisy8DDM7KqRNN2lGzb4eZ4RGgunDxRMnCZtabwwaW-Rxgi2J09bGeXxHs_V4PvxpyQ6OQiTi0HFxBAz5nknqstLqtAhR5G4Dyow6D4gm4/s640/Butterflies.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterfies of Iguazu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCW-CG7GWEbAjgmbgg34VDixu8S62xdulUdKUTJ2FRuJMsp1pyKYQWTLIAHQz2-tFFE7EOegbYOc0gXiCMnx9w2YszJ2CUgaHm4MGiH1OGghT-oj44fJXBSrZmk5TTesPAVG8VrOTlDI/s1600/Orbweaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCW-CG7GWEbAjgmbgg34VDixu8S62xdulUdKUTJ2FRuJMsp1pyKYQWTLIAHQz2-tFFE7EOegbYOc0gXiCMnx9w2YszJ2CUgaHm4MGiH1OGghT-oj44fJXBSrZmk5TTesPAVG8VrOTlDI/s640/Orbweaver.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colourful orbweaver spider</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After lunch, we took a boat tour to the base of the
falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were warned that we would get
wet so we wore our bathing suits on the boat and it’s a good thing that we
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boat went to within a few feet
of the base of the falls and we got soaked!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMNNYHzk9vZViI4VuN6TulxKfquhZTfwbVOMWL2WYhnVsFtjyzHSq3Yf8IXLtfoSr4ZrkRkLhSTOze1QG6l9m1M63tMoUyugeLKkR9zZ2OdnOpr0KPkpT4Op5fI3DWNzxE40grAnbHOw/s1600/Iguazu+Falls+as+seen+from+the+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMNNYHzk9vZViI4VuN6TulxKfquhZTfwbVOMWL2WYhnVsFtjyzHSq3Yf8IXLtfoSr4ZrkRkLhSTOze1QG6l9m1M63tMoUyugeLKkR9zZ2OdnOpr0KPkpT4Op5fI3DWNzxE40grAnbHOw/s640/Iguazu+Falls+as+seen+from+the+water.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A section of the falls as seen from the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We finished off the day with a drink at the Sheraton (the
only hotel within the park) and shared a view of the falls with a Plush-crested
Jay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Capuchin Monkeys could also be seen
sitting on the balcony railings of the hotel.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Qbl14D39xU-eZE8TiRmlDj8KXmJGxuBs_dPvfcUS3aS9fpd-owYraYsPvejdcax-YufyA31W50FGQGJCgDebRnqnIxC9s3r3fo5cBLj8W5TyfXzvMLFUrtSKCh5BlVL9BcBjDZX1qS8/s1600/Plush-crested+Jay+on+railing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Qbl14D39xU-eZE8TiRmlDj8KXmJGxuBs_dPvfcUS3aS9fpd-owYraYsPvejdcax-YufyA31W50FGQGJCgDebRnqnIxC9s3r3fo5cBLj8W5TyfXzvMLFUrtSKCh5BlVL9BcBjDZX1qS8/s640/Plush-crested+Jay+on+railing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plush-crested Jay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barb and I decided to stay in town the second day and
enjoyed a lazy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early in the morning
I walked out to the river where I found a few species, most notably for me some
Variable Orioles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After breakfast, Barb
and I visited “El Jardin de los Picaflores” – Hummingbird Garden - where we could
see 8 species of hummingbirds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to
take flight photos of the hummers but they were too fast for me that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that didn’t stop me from trying and
after about 400 photos I managed a couple of decent shots.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqY-nNAH8bSHThKpCQqYoaIOc0ixrhnK-WiuwPxm4rioGP4q1qXkU1_YEznts1kc-n6IjT7BvZ37_ME4nEvwgfz-yOicVO4DUecUadP5_uSNR7LJSumF15JUbxok_VSp8yBRUhms-kbU/s1600/Black-throated+Mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqY-nNAH8bSHThKpCQqYoaIOc0ixrhnK-WiuwPxm4rioGP4q1qXkU1_YEznts1kc-n6IjT7BvZ37_ME4nEvwgfz-yOicVO4DUecUadP5_uSNR7LJSumF15JUbxok_VSp8yBRUhms-kbU/s640/Black-throated+Mango.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-throated Mango</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_epDZhcI6krtI5N_UIcnKTmPXzVq2jRtRP98nY1bFUc_aK4Cpah1XGTSQ1OOcUcKGLasQKQWfJKggeoNpkLo10B-LOBYbgTuwGoWSWjJMAKC5zOwtQOce0ySyVUTFrCMnvBHyLdJPWFk/s1600/Swallow-tailed+Hummingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_epDZhcI6krtI5N_UIcnKTmPXzVq2jRtRP98nY1bFUc_aK4Cpah1XGTSQ1OOcUcKGLasQKQWfJKggeoNpkLo10B-LOBYbgTuwGoWSWjJMAKC5zOwtQOce0ySyVUTFrCMnvBHyLdJPWFk/s640/Swallow-tailed+Hummingbird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallow-tailed Hummingbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLAd-ytJJVOihjZR1t9F-jCR3j4lbBhDkNhgKlFvIp8VJWQejNEqxDeq35n5393_iNtEe3K21mZ2qGIImYXgSF8Q-qZSG889c4QIT7UjuP1J7PBfPnVGOGwkekBQwlVlHUpULA_snk-E/s1600/Variable+Emerald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLAd-ytJJVOihjZR1t9F-jCR3j4lbBhDkNhgKlFvIp8VJWQejNEqxDeq35n5393_iNtEe3K21mZ2qGIImYXgSF8Q-qZSG889c4QIT7UjuP1J7PBfPnVGOGwkekBQwlVlHUpULA_snk-E/s640/Variable+Emerald.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Versicolored Emerald</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although I saw as many or more species in Iquazu as in our
previous stops, I only had one life bird – Variable Oriole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iguazu is a great spot for birds but early
morning thundershowers, not knowing the calls and a focus on sightseeing all
contributed to my lack of success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, the falls were tremendous and well worth a visit regardless of
the birds.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-4356732527181104542013-03-06T17:38:00.000-08:002013-03-06T17:38:09.656-08:00El Parque Nacional Los Glaciares - Argentina
Los <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Glaciares National Park in Argentina is situated in the
Patagonia region on the border with Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, the border is not clearly demarcated at the north end of the
park (check out Google maps) due to an unresolved border dispute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow cap in the park and in the adjoining
park in Chile is the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> largest repository of fresh water in the
world (after Antarctica and Greenland) and has many glaciers that can be seen
easily by tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The glaciers, along
with the hiking trails in the park were the reason we came – not the birds
(which is a good thing because there weren’t many!).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On<span lang="ES-AR" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"> Tuesday
Feb. 26, we flew from Ushuaia to El Calafete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our itinerary was to view some glaciers near El Calafate and then travel
a bit further north to do some hiking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> The checklists suggested that Magellanic Plover and Gray-breasted Seedsnipe were a possibility but my realistic targets were
Magellanic Woodpecker and Andean Condor. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OcvQfIeqsloVTMWyBAqteQrOgDiTbQnpotyn-kSnCs7K58dUbYTeP91D4yUiCBgmfA1pNpfezpb06WlBjYHMnVGe_ttR3zOF5YboHmpVN4MZBTwOdZa426Ewd96Davmg-IIZOJcFYb8/s1600/_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OcvQfIeqsloVTMWyBAqteQrOgDiTbQnpotyn-kSnCs7K58dUbYTeP91D4yUiCBgmfA1pNpfezpb06WlBjYHMnVGe_ttR3zOF5YboHmpVN4MZBTwOdZa426Ewd96Davmg-IIZOJcFYb8/s640/_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reserva Municipal - Laguna Nimez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="ES-AR" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon
arriving at our hotel in El Calafate, I was delighted to discover that there
was a reserve just 800 m from the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With nothing scheduled for the afternoon, Barb and I walked down to the
reserve – Laguna Nimez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out to
be a great place with a small lagoon bordering Lago Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first birds we saw were Black-faced Ibis.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63Ql6OThJ_geUxVJILAENlcidEZbOufANBZ59PER1PRCz03j1bNoA9JEMewpn9pkzkWKWP-uXrL5apEnG8Z9TJWJnEgObzDmbBEMFGsIlhzOwKdtKEcqvTvaT9M5BeMtj0ltQfPtzBf0/s1600/Black-faced+Ibis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63Ql6OThJ_geUxVJILAENlcidEZbOufANBZ59PER1PRCz03j1bNoA9JEMewpn9pkzkWKWP-uXrL5apEnG8Z9TJWJnEgObzDmbBEMFGsIlhzOwKdtKEcqvTvaT9M5BeMtj0ltQfPtzBf0/s640/Black-faced+Ibis.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-faced Ibis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="ES-AR" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Continuing around the perimeter of the lagoon, we soon encountered Patagonia Mockingbird, Long-tailed Meadowlark and Chiloe Wigeon.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYaNQqVoQLQObHbtv33o-KS7VKCS_7YET9kpSSkLlTWs6VLVIoK6LNLiHTScXK6O-ddPDwFAwPfT3teo63XmJ2LSFXRLjQ_VtitUR-xfZhslr4vDxfeZTObUx3SIYT3RE33U05RJd2uI/s1600/Long-tailed+Meadowlark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYaNQqVoQLQObHbtv33o-KS7VKCS_7YET9kpSSkLlTWs6VLVIoK6LNLiHTScXK6O-ddPDwFAwPfT3teo63XmJ2LSFXRLjQ_VtitUR-xfZhslr4vDxfeZTObUx3SIYT3RE33U05RJd2uI/s640/Long-tailed+Meadowlark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Meadowlark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reserve had higher water levels than normal and some of
the trails and all of the shorebird habitat was under water (so little hope of the Magellanic Plover and seedsnipe).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we enjoyed the walk around the lagoon
and, for me, the highlight was a Plumbeous Rail hiding in the reeds – its
metallic-looking bill was spectacular!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQ58ZQV9kbaHkQ2G7S30ppHhkYLGnwKq4ZNooaq4tgXMlNTxHj05F33xDJzXTl_4brPJVvYjzxu7rV77qFe6ZqwEANDCJFwL9iJXOUK68bnCr3vjCLkFqOWiGrXw4E_BgXH4hKsMgidQ/s1600/Plumbeous+Rail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQ58ZQV9kbaHkQ2G7S30ppHhkYLGnwKq4ZNooaq4tgXMlNTxHj05F33xDJzXTl_4brPJVvYjzxu7rV77qFe6ZqwEANDCJFwL9iJXOUK68bnCr3vjCLkFqOWiGrXw4E_BgXH4hKsMgidQ/s640/Plumbeous+Rail.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Plumbeous Rail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We took a bus tour to the national park to view the Perito
Moreno Glacier – in the park we took a boat to within 250 m of the glacier’s
edge and then spent the afternoon on a ridge opposite the glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The views were incredible; the birding was
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I did get two lifers – a distant
view of 2 Chilean Flickers and a fly-by of a Magellanic Woodpecker.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoadyQOj5pMpGpieIzK-_XXPE5nh-RMK2fLiqWvT4Gzs4uTcB0_T308cyi5ahH6YkjCgOHnPeeRRiOsrV18HmVCkyWL75xeSPhCnL84_lnKv816WBxwUGrMI74HnjD34J_iv8Twr_3sNc/s1600/Perito+Moreno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoadyQOj5pMpGpieIzK-_XXPE5nh-RMK2fLiqWvT4Gzs4uTcB0_T308cyi5ahH6YkjCgOHnPeeRRiOsrV18HmVCkyWL75xeSPhCnL84_lnKv816WBxwUGrMI74HnjD34J_iv8Twr_3sNc/s640/Perito+Moreno.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perito Moreno Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day, we visited two other glaciers by boat – the Upsala
and Spegazzini glaciers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, the views
were fantastic and the birding non-existent –7 hours on the boat and I did not
see a single bird!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu_3gUsNBd8LwW30ImnyhE_2IUks-ZPfK3T59HEs-7xPhmBWfiD-5WqhpLpqOk7PTHgcKaFm1-sybwPyGDB4k4ObThj3-Tie6b0LC1IXNb6D7O5sYZF4oSQ1s7IowfvTdRrGXhJysC18/s1600/_-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu_3gUsNBd8LwW30ImnyhE_2IUks-ZPfK3T59HEs-7xPhmBWfiD-5WqhpLpqOk7PTHgcKaFm1-sybwPyGDB4k4ObThj3-Tie6b0LC1IXNb6D7O5sYZF4oSQ1s7IowfvTdRrGXhJysC18/s640/_-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spegazzeni Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then journeyed to El Chalten by bus and spent 3 days
hiking in the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based our first two days in the park, I was resigned to a paucity of
birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We did hike through some nice forests and saw some birds though not many new ones. </span>Even though we were only at 400
m, Andean Condors were common in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At first, I only had distant views but finally one crossed the valley at
low altitude (perhaps it thought I was dying after a 15 km hike!) and I finally
got a decent look.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12lL6zDutrdfQSluCAhDUdGyCcivToT0NKeo6NezvLJqh9bNbsx_PojhQ9bNkTx3mcHsL1976uOA4kjNm7JN-iqjO_ZqMYpmWFaQFoq1flwSpXq7YX05c6aZpY6caiTDANPC2h619rbA/s1600/Andean+Condor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12lL6zDutrdfQSluCAhDUdGyCcivToT0NKeo6NezvLJqh9bNbsx_PojhQ9bNkTx3mcHsL1976uOA4kjNm7JN-iqjO_ZqMYpmWFaQFoq1flwSpXq7YX05c6aZpY6caiTDANPC2h619rbA/s640/Andean+Condor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andean Condor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other birding highlight was the Magellanic
Woodpecker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out to be one of
the most common birds in the mountain forests and usually allowed a close
approach.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2981IouiAzhaRPJdB1_psD16t5YEU_5U_U4RXbQIpUkS704SToJJ6GjD6IrUs1eNdtZjt_QaCOiCVgl2RfJB7wsY6-5tCO1LNaCtHrjq36dNXIRhlKx346jpcdE2NttO5XgxAawK9UsI/s1600/Magellanic+Woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2981IouiAzhaRPJdB1_psD16t5YEU_5U_U4RXbQIpUkS704SToJJ6GjD6IrUs1eNdtZjt_QaCOiCVgl2RfJB7wsY6-5tCO1LNaCtHrjq36dNXIRhlKx346jpcdE2NttO5XgxAawK9UsI/s640/Magellanic+Woodpecker.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps the highlight of our Argentina travels (though they
are not yet concluded) was the views we had of Mount Fitz Roy and the
surrounding mountains.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuTTMWG4DrP1-IvUf4r7ckE0cRX5EkeMBzTTjeJLFDG15D03vuqNCzHztTvLmuRq7YLoYpsFOydqo-1gikyKN5MZIhlcnAWK9RpfKp3QsD77YAOSXGA51YuOuB6WRO5BCwnsRnWcDiN4/s1600/Mount+Fitz+Roy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuTTMWG4DrP1-IvUf4r7ckE0cRX5EkeMBzTTjeJLFDG15D03vuqNCzHztTvLmuRq7YLoYpsFOydqo-1gikyKN5MZIhlcnAWK9RpfKp3QsD77YAOSXGA51YuOuB6WRO5BCwnsRnWcDiN4/s640/Mount+Fitz+Roy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group in front of Mount Fitz Roy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMkbJoLCfDZ26ZZxepwk4-YxhWN_yPuHI5Ic6NMk-dWNU364C8JTKRvGkPSkxBs8hpLtGU3SZWiA0d963Fd6F5Nriennpr0ElCsZgTnmOgBGSV9-dqflaszZe-z5sC6dyYweRuLyoVLg/s1600/_-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMkbJoLCfDZ26ZZxepwk4-YxhWN_yPuHI5Ic6NMk-dWNU364C8JTKRvGkPSkxBs8hpLtGU3SZWiA0d963Fd6F5Nriennpr0ElCsZgTnmOgBGSV9-dqflaszZe-z5sC6dyYweRuLyoVLg/s640/_-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cerro Torre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In conclusion, the scenery was great but the birding quiet (perhaps due to the late summer timing?). Still, I managed to find 18 life birds (most at the Laguna Nimez). <span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Patagonia, our next stop is Iguazu Falls in the
northeast corner of Argentina.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-26441381169477776412013-02-27T17:45:00.000-08:002013-02-27T17:45:13.444-08:00Fin del Mundo
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday, Feb. 23 we flew to the end of the world – "fin
del mundo" as the city of Ushuaia proudly proclaims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not quite the end of the world but may
have seemed that way in past centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ushuaia claims that it is the world’s most southerly city, dismissing a
Chilean settlement on the south side of the channel as just a town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This part of the continent is well known for
its bad weather and we had packed accordingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t say that we were disappointed when the weather was warm, calm
and sunny! W</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">e only had 2 ½ days in Ushuaia so we didn’t have time to
explore all of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose to do
a 4 hour cruise in the Beagle Channel and a full day excursion to Estancia
Harberton and Gable Island.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had not been south of Buenos Aires before so almost all of
the birds were new to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A walk along
the shore near our hotel produced my first new bird for the area – Kelp
Goose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the shore there were
hundreds of terns including South American Terns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there were also Arctic and Antarctic
Terns but I’ll have to check my reference books at home to be sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBewG8gHXDdvEmwpMu_8BV_Z_XXNC_pNYrUj1Yzy-B-I5z0xA7hPqfgBYv2vk0iV0jSUYoF9QXQWcI9Cu6Lv-PzjIYBY7vBa6C0PVOF4tDxU-PQ64695T2fnj2qz7qRTJk_kTV0AZ8zIA/s1600/Kelp+Goose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBewG8gHXDdvEmwpMu_8BV_Z_XXNC_pNYrUj1Yzy-B-I5z0xA7hPqfgBYv2vk0iV0jSUYoF9QXQWcI9Cu6Lv-PzjIYBY7vBa6C0PVOF4tDxU-PQ64695T2fnj2qz7qRTJk_kTV0AZ8zIA/s640/Kelp+Goose.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelp Goose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zxw43LHlzTVo4r6UDTUNyNs5h5Qu-d5UCDrhuG07bz-NbutxG4IBeQkNRaLcFWvW4unwPJ61A8x-Ao4Qz3duuDIGPWo7C0WJECOWUDZtq2Wq7R6Rl5_5yHfe1Suw-3_8HtTNaB4HdqQ/s1600/South+American+Tern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zxw43LHlzTVo4r6UDTUNyNs5h5Qu-d5UCDrhuG07bz-NbutxG4IBeQkNRaLcFWvW4unwPJ61A8x-Ao4Qz3duuDIGPWo7C0WJECOWUDZtq2Wq7R6Rl5_5yHfe1Suw-3_8HtTNaB4HdqQ/s640/South+American+Tern.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South American Tern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I picked a cruise boat that had a maximum of 26 paying
customers and also had an upper observation deck; as a bonus, one of the crew
knew his birds and would point out interesting birds to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view of the mountains and the city was
magnificent such that it was hard to focus on the birds!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHngAGOknVS0b5YHtwPFNUX5V4D04tXmVb7AVEDpwwR6h3HTa2urMGGICvPKOVTuplYhd54iZDoRS1seoDFraHQZ4sM-pMFse8maemLYaqmiOBd5qi6Gqymu7kk0v7kwBcUfAGIhy8Rs/s1600/Ushuaia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHngAGOknVS0b5YHtwPFNUX5V4D04tXmVb7AVEDpwwR6h3HTa2urMGGICvPKOVTuplYhd54iZDoRS1seoDFraHQZ4sM-pMFse8maemLYaqmiOBd5qi6Gqymu7kk0v7kwBcUfAGIhy8Rs/s640/Ushuaia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Ushuaia as seen from the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first new bird of the trip was Magellanic Penguin – nice
to see but we would get much closer looks the following day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cruise got hijacked by a Humpback Whale
for a while but eventually everyone had seen enough of the whale and we
returned to the original route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Beagle Channel there are a number of small islands which host South American
Sea Lions and cormorants.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsbk2RC944R8X2PkWHI0FE5ewhpKSwuuTsvUL6qASY-9DTfOe9KwJg1WtGD80ejfEZ5ShhnKGGiQv4pq9i9jI17kueBPIHoQj8aqGBpKksFtLkwlenIjcw_rfREeH8EYOphjouL67tGg/s1600/Sea+Lions+and+Cormorants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsbk2RC944R8X2PkWHI0FE5ewhpKSwuuTsvUL6qASY-9DTfOe9KwJg1WtGD80ejfEZ5ShhnKGGiQv4pq9i9jI17kueBPIHoQj8aqGBpKksFtLkwlenIjcw_rfREeH8EYOphjouL67tGg/s640/Sea+Lions+and+Cormorants.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South American Sea Lions and Imperial Cormorants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of the cormorants were Imperial Cormorants but one
island had a number of Rock Cormorants.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauU5Mu3ovcCr-Z7cB5M1bzl5TVRtRztaZsbtg0pJ7bWnLPR2B2itutZ6NsPb65gTxypnAPMh_g3B2BwVzISJeHKvGviw7ccLj_PGmpnFgxAb1qH5YFR2-pUV8VE7oGSR-y_MBXg-JgYg/s1600/Rock+Cormorant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauU5Mu3ovcCr-Z7cB5M1bzl5TVRtRztaZsbtg0pJ7bWnLPR2B2itutZ6NsPb65gTxypnAPMh_g3B2BwVzISJeHKvGviw7ccLj_PGmpnFgxAb1qH5YFR2-pUV8VE7oGSR-y_MBXg-JgYg/s640/Rock+Cormorant.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Cormorants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the sky, skuas – Brown and Chilean – were everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had distant looks at Black-browed
Albatross and Southern Giant Petrel but, alas, no diving-petrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Near the end of the cruise, we docked at a
small island and did a short hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
again, the views were spectacular but close-ups of Chilean Skuas stole the show
(at least in my opinion!).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3HRjZarILSiFvZifkVgOS__CZjvEnnfPjxTwh5YSVoZBn_VU8EaQivJTVWi2hoAFfo6jpYkA88TGnJE0TUI8s8pvzVZp4RRBgczwRxtOoBVFFi9ZsmzZmQXYTspQt8Pt9L5n8BBYQRQ/s1600/Chilean+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3HRjZarILSiFvZifkVgOS__CZjvEnnfPjxTwh5YSVoZBn_VU8EaQivJTVWi2hoAFfo6jpYkA88TGnJE0TUI8s8pvzVZp4RRBgczwRxtOoBVFFi9ZsmzZmQXYTspQt8Pt9L5n8BBYQRQ/s640/Chilean+Skua.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilean Skua</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day we went by van to Estancia Harberton, a 20,000
hectare ranch about 85 km from Ushuaia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ranch includes some islands in the Beagle Channel and this was the
attraction for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went for a 2 hour
hike on Gable Island which is the largest island in the channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birds weren’t plentiful but over the course
of the hike I managed to find a few lifers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the end of the hike, we were treated to a delicious meal of chicken
pizza (where the chicken replaces the dough of a normal pizza) complete with
some Patagonian wine.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cVGL9lrxrv6GAji803p5JUT8TYKctCFcb2-sxw3i__Zx5pIa0RVa9ydJvRBI1qoLwaLkPbeV7Fv8kbCmCWHT-6CAQ_ap6e2o1WKgPtddvd0cBf9WZE0uX0l5DmEMPk_sH6vsyBZmtbQ/s1600/Thorn-tailed+Rayadito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cVGL9lrxrv6GAji803p5JUT8TYKctCFcb2-sxw3i__Zx5pIa0RVa9ydJvRBI1qoLwaLkPbeV7Fv8kbCmCWHT-6CAQ_ap6e2o1WKgPtddvd0cBf9WZE0uX0l5DmEMPk_sH6vsyBZmtbQ/s640/Thorn-tailed+Rayadito.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thorn-tailed Rayodito</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aMGF6BWX-IGaet-iNl-YIYUDjnW-EsQPrBFx4fziy4pSp0onGkj5APRYgrRXL4HvBV59Yp9rH8BkRbWYvOvgnSkpY4epiPtrnV_96_cBNQ0Zu9RhF7YOzzbXws9aVKvAaWJKky1o8Ho/s1600/Austral+Parakeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aMGF6BWX-IGaet-iNl-YIYUDjnW-EsQPrBFx4fziy4pSp0onGkj5APRYgrRXL4HvBV59Yp9rH8BkRbWYvOvgnSkpY4epiPtrnV_96_cBNQ0Zu9RhF7YOzzbXws9aVKvAaWJKky1o8Ho/s640/Austral+Parakeet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Austral Parakeet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then went by zodiac to a small island which is a breeding
colony for Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was even a special visitor in amongst the breeders – a King
Penguin.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwiL2u5mA5XVuE-_GEwUzBdM7R-IFl2eUT1F4ZaK7UfJ4n4WOms3qd36Kr6FO70G8lU-p-0fK5l8hHjYoFj-6ar2Q_vLFiH-ExwpixxPPmfeR19UNymve-kzpIWn5GejAN_xPb9hRO_Q/s1600/0225Ushuaia+-Penquin+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwiL2u5mA5XVuE-_GEwUzBdM7R-IFl2eUT1F4ZaK7UfJ4n4WOms3qd36Kr6FO70G8lU-p-0fK5l8hHjYoFj-6ar2Q_vLFiH-ExwpixxPPmfeR19UNymve-kzpIWn5GejAN_xPb9hRO_Q/s640/0225Ushuaia+-Penquin+Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penguin colony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hySQ-H4dEy1Y1duUrQJYIi5uCoYimPbDD8QEY9iDgDNiV47LX7Zl48sRlap1uFLQMDngrsoILXhNRGZynYdcGEcyLFr6AAa2SOdUvj_GJdjZogfiq79zwT2jSD3Nl1VCNh51aP7kDcU/s1600/Magellanic+Penguin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hySQ-H4dEy1Y1duUrQJYIi5uCoYimPbDD8QEY9iDgDNiV47LX7Zl48sRlap1uFLQMDngrsoILXhNRGZynYdcGEcyLFr6AAa2SOdUvj_GJdjZogfiq79zwT2jSD3Nl1VCNh51aP7kDcU/s640/Magellanic+Penguin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magellanic Penguin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tTHFVHFxeOWVR381G_rLEHS9Ze7UsucbWHEpffXoJoMynhkZU1bXIT6tHfJOtwea5ZgUUvDI_PhEoEEVRn7NmOdPU3BD5HZ9K0GD3aUXSXUt2tWlaaaxYNCc8hL5ELmkL5UVGciG8VM/s1600/Gentoo+Penguin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tTHFVHFxeOWVR381G_rLEHS9Ze7UsucbWHEpffXoJoMynhkZU1bXIT6tHfJOtwea5ZgUUvDI_PhEoEEVRn7NmOdPU3BD5HZ9K0GD3aUXSXUt2tWlaaaxYNCc8hL5ELmkL5UVGciG8VM/s640/Gentoo+Penguin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentoo Penguin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyx6A6al1u_NugWYTO_lcVGBf6FkffOUpvePvbtRreDsLTd3JvozfWLW3tuSBtA3MymWUBRVQNkVCf355gY7aqPP9PHbfkPwA_pKZ8JwR90cMbQqLedG2d42ZsYn-Af8MyqJG_28xYgw/s1600/King+Penguin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyx6A6al1u_NugWYTO_lcVGBf6FkffOUpvePvbtRreDsLTd3JvozfWLW3tuSBtA3MymWUBRVQNkVCf355gY7aqPP9PHbfkPwA_pKZ8JwR90cMbQqLedG2d42ZsYn-Af8MyqJG_28xYgw/s640/King+Penguin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Penguin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After spending 3 weeks in Buenos Aires (albeit focusing on
Spanish and tango lessons), it was nice to see a lot of new birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt, a couple days more with some more
boat trips, would have resulted in even more lifers but might not have been so
interesting for my travel companions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Barb has been great in accompanying me on birding outings and has also
been taking some scenic and wide-angle shots which I am using in this and other Argentina
posts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-39241726527656766742013-02-17T16:12:00.000-08:002013-02-17T16:12:12.740-08:00A Day on the Delta
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having spent most of the past two weeks in the city, we were
looking forward to a boating excursion on Saturday from Tigre, a town located
about 30 kilometres north of Buenos Aires city centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barb did the research and found a small
company, Safari Delta, which offered trips in a zodiac. This had more appeal
than the big tourist boats and I figured we would see some birds as we explored
some small channels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Our trip was scheduled for noon – not ideal but reasonable given a 1 ½ trip by train and foot to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide was to be Lucila, a young energetic lady who spoke excellent English (alas, no Spanish practice!) and we were soon on our way down a small channel.<o:p></o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMGJtKL2VCKzkrJ-94WsmYpgHh6RIgaL74vWM7hiUGMAcGPqd9rqsO-NuHNB2So7z8vYJiuVk5R5Gte-lZBFe8QDy0fx6vUppWUgwplv_uZ9ApP1Q4ST5rv9pUDg_zjur1-nfiyeDMgg/s1600/Barb+and+Lucila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMGJtKL2VCKzkrJ-94WsmYpgHh6RIgaL74vWM7hiUGMAcGPqd9rqsO-NuHNB2So7z8vYJiuVk5R5Gte-lZBFe8QDy0fx6vUppWUgwplv_uZ9ApP1Q4ST5rv9pUDg_zjur1-nfiyeDMgg/s640/Barb+and+Lucila.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barb and our gude Lucila</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lucila warned us that we probably wouldn’t see too many
birds because of all the weekend boaters but there couldn’t be that many …
could there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dGJHjuSC3_qyR42EwlxW0t5nCXcBJeL0ECCQKdN1pfV5O4UGVWlqpYP3bCsnvJilfos0cjKKmt4qnjEgraaacVLC2EiZbRsm6J0YPVz5mnriXHgurP0dGpAqBHb1cGupKsGW-HPNPJU/s1600/Lots+of+boats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dGJHjuSC3_qyR42EwlxW0t5nCXcBJeL0ECCQKdN1pfV5O4UGVWlqpYP3bCsnvJilfos0cjKKmt4qnjEgraaacVLC2EiZbRsm6J0YPVz5mnriXHgurP0dGpAqBHb1cGupKsGW-HPNPJU/s640/Lots+of+boats.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boats on the river with Buenos Aires in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It turns out that all of the navigable channels on the delta
have homes or cabins on them so we were never far from people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept looking for birds and eventually saw a
Snowy Egret, Cocoi Heron and Kiskadee – not much for such wonderful looking
habitat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucila took us to a quiet
channel and we went for a swim in the chocolate brown water – very refreshing
on a hot summer day.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFx5ffzodKvIjgLAPu-OAb0S5Qcro1W6HiAg4Xf_OqDN8vKxxfF5_cNMzqRbtYqVZRj3SrB_TMxYAWaqdrt7TNR1HT76zt8Elsnc7j8y0axsFlptrTgF3DhJfBXEo8VvaEUVpTic9OtUw/s1600/Swimming+in+brown+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFx5ffzodKvIjgLAPu-OAb0S5Qcro1W6HiAg4Xf_OqDN8vKxxfF5_cNMzqRbtYqVZRj3SrB_TMxYAWaqdrt7TNR1HT76zt8Elsnc7j8y0axsFlptrTgF3DhJfBXEo8VvaEUVpTic9OtUw/s640/Swimming+in+brown+river.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming in the warm (but not clear!) water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing that I was keen to find some birds, Lucila then went
down a shallow channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could hear a
few birds and watched Streaked Flycatchers swoop down for insects just above
the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the channel became
too shallow for the zodiac so we had to turn around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way out, I spotted a Green Kingfisher
hiding in the shade.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLti1Kb_euPO8rtU5VlCe93kfVTv5GRhtAtYWuMZk_zSXMPNxGvuQAlnYR8YSMKVv8Vh95_vXNgnwrZVBTYakNy0nAgmhSiGai2nPiAT5hQLYnIFa_I8vRiGjT_Q3dEY4alT06iqYN7Vc/s1600/Quiet+channel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLti1Kb_euPO8rtU5VlCe93kfVTv5GRhtAtYWuMZk_zSXMPNxGvuQAlnYR8YSMKVv8Vh95_vXNgnwrZVBTYakNy0nAgmhSiGai2nPiAT5hQLYnIFa_I8vRiGjT_Q3dEY4alT06iqYN7Vc/s640/Quiet+channel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quiet channel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To cap the afternoon off, we stopped for lunch along the
river where Lucila cooked a wonderful steak (best we’ve had in Argentina so far)
which I washed down with a litre of beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a great outing but not very good for birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are ever in Tigre and want to see some
birds, go early and don’t go on a weekend … the habitat looks great so there
should be birds around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is a map
of the area showing our route for the afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLxfFrIyIzW_FL3m1Rzkd4PLyvTXTjxkKy0q0P1yF_Lc950XmkBe1eItqLdX3K1pboVRDCbpp3erEszOOSACCKjlTBgUWHUucU2OLHmna9m2jX_93Ko6IwNP_j2qQpy_DpcpAZ7VBeCA/s1600/zodiac+route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLxfFrIyIzW_FL3m1Rzkd4PLyvTXTjxkKy0q0P1yF_Lc950XmkBe1eItqLdX3K1pboVRDCbpp3erEszOOSACCKjlTBgUWHUucU2OLHmna9m2jX_93Ko6IwNP_j2qQpy_DpcpAZ7VBeCA/s640/zodiac+route.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our route (Buenos Aires is to the southeast)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Hopefully I'll have some bird and/or mammal photos for the next post! </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-24387837253071369162013-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:002013-02-12T11:28:16.645-08:00An Outing North of Buenos Aires
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Sunday, Barb and I met up with two young naturalists,
Leonel and Martina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had contacted
Leonel through Birding Pal and he suggested taking us to two reserves north of
Buenos Aires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan sounded great to
me and even appealed to Barb who is not a birder.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE9QhMSmuO4W0_fjoeW3zZEboe_oU2kYFOsxRkLPPu2gmbNUxoAos6zTDUFiNyWj2_u1km13yjfTIQ_Cg_CPrzDo3qXIoFqMebYR610idDlaM3HsuBxZVTUdtW3GEmL2H0FEZh4HPgFg/s1600/Leonel+and+Martina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmE9QhMSmuO4W0_fjoeW3zZEboe_oU2kYFOsxRkLPPu2gmbNUxoAos6zTDUFiNyWj2_u1km13yjfTIQ_Cg_CPrzDo3qXIoFqMebYR610idDlaM3HsuBxZVTUdtW3GEmL2H0FEZh4HPgFg/s640/Leonel+and+Martina.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martina and Leonel with me at the entrance to Ribera Norte</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We started birding at Ribera Norte in San Isidro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reserve borders the River Plata and
features various habitats – extensive wetlands including a small lagoon, some
dense forested areas and reedy areas along the river.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnahAA8mjs4UowRFpt3jvtE8pm61bcpT_Xs1mCdvu7UagU-ze2TxeUlWK4D_hEKi26UHj2CZOd0ki-dpDmauWRH39E-1quIAk3WpxBIlBVMomcoMzCGMROywgn-JpMuTP0EbnA1p6NPTc/s1600/Ribero+Norte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnahAA8mjs4UowRFpt3jvtE8pm61bcpT_Xs1mCdvu7UagU-ze2TxeUlWK4D_hEKi26UHj2CZOd0ki-dpDmauWRH39E-1quIAk3WpxBIlBVMomcoMzCGMROywgn-JpMuTP0EbnA1p6NPTc/s640/Ribero+Norte.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lagoon at Ribera Norte</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the lagoon, there is a raised blind and we stayed there
for about 30 minutes enjoying the views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the lagoon there were Common Gallinules, Brazilian Teals, a Striated
Heron and a couple of Coypus (my second Argentine mammal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks Steve – that was a Brazilian Guinea
Pig that I saw last week which the local guide book calls a South American
Guinea Pig).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NjkRXJfsFTwQOX1TJuhF08hNqsyD9-yTh97OWMVP6-15kTS2FLXhwc_g-KFJMIclXBYfN2yW-RMJNB0FDNQueV87Kedc6xRTCVasvG3FOqYFqKvFmhj4DwblBkeQ9-v7wHfsV7BZ0ko/s1600/Brazilian+Teal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NjkRXJfsFTwQOX1TJuhF08hNqsyD9-yTh97OWMVP6-15kTS2FLXhwc_g-KFJMIclXBYfN2yW-RMJNB0FDNQueV87Kedc6xRTCVasvG3FOqYFqKvFmhj4DwblBkeQ9-v7wHfsV7BZ0ko/s640/Brazilian+Teal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brazilian Teal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Tl2lpaVCXVcyaaoCtuHl89eLw32K1alyotv70Vs5FiRRTHnhJIkBtLlhr8c1y1BNufuoJ05xMBo1GKOPS9n-ZX4pFF9MRBgNqY6JAJIanZRSItPKnZGDc3MZtSGSZQIyoOy-WLWOkM/s1600/Coypu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Tl2lpaVCXVcyaaoCtuHl89eLw32K1alyotv70Vs5FiRRTHnhJIkBtLlhr8c1y1BNufuoJ05xMBo1GKOPS9n-ZX4pFF9MRBgNqY6JAJIanZRSItPKnZGDc3MZtSGSZQIyoOy-WLWOkM/s640/Coypu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coypu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beyond the lagoon, there were Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets and
a Cocoi Heron in the trees.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGflRfqRpmETnLvAC7qG7iUOv4wL6X3BSmKDnC-cNPjRw3tXXBQkjkS2rFgYuywsh2YhIY4_facxaTqwTcaxg7nNZT5aYEJwI-LnAasScuSqUMs0sSBlwGCwIXJwt0_ySstdz5FYsOR8/s1600/Cocoi+Heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGflRfqRpmETnLvAC7qG7iUOv4wL6X3BSmKDnC-cNPjRw3tXXBQkjkS2rFgYuywsh2YhIY4_facxaTqwTcaxg7nNZT5aYEJwI-LnAasScuSqUMs0sSBlwGCwIXJwt0_ySstdz5FYsOR8/s640/Cocoi+Heron.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocoi Heron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While walking through the forest, we came across species
such as Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Tropical Parula and had numerous glimpses of
the Gray-necked Wood-Rail. In the reeds at the river we found my lifer for the
day – a Wren-like Rushbird.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJNKhSs2oDFtDYiUyvFmXxr1qRU08DkdAksPNCOVm4DYpHwfsDShR0nEo8Sc3wFR10e5xDMAFGmUIEjA6wo9uLUJ1gnXq8ZYSgOdHWCsVJg850B3kBgUZzqhxDf9fxtN62VHlJZaKRjs/s1600/Wren-like+Rushbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJNKhSs2oDFtDYiUyvFmXxr1qRU08DkdAksPNCOVm4DYpHwfsDShR0nEo8Sc3wFR10e5xDMAFGmUIEjA6wo9uLUJ1gnXq8ZYSgOdHWCsVJg850B3kBgUZzqhxDf9fxtN62VHlJZaKRjs/s640/Wren-like+Rushbird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wren-like Rushbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our next stop was a small reserve in Vicente López which is
just south of San Isidro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At a playing
field on the way to the reserve, we saw a mixed flock of Shiny Cowbirds,
European Starlings, Cattle Tyrants and Southern Lapwing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This reserve featured a large lagoon with a
trail around it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the lagoon, there
was Wattled Jacana with 3 young ones and a Black-crowned Night-Heron
juvenile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the trail, we found Sooty
Tyrannulet, Sayaca Tanager and Green-winged Saltator.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc1eF9ca6NySqIzgJSzJMfK6YweFMqYJh3JoHfqQ8uCnJumd8mZx6Q-lrmmqD-eEEZZVHr-npTIktK1RDCj5Is2YOyvq6L_HL3SUE2qAz0dzagipAe34wzCMP56vZTPz9NHlvp59Nsx0/s1600/Vincinte+Lopez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc1eF9ca6NySqIzgJSzJMfK6YweFMqYJh3JoHfqQ8uCnJumd8mZx6Q-lrmmqD-eEEZZVHr-npTIktK1RDCj5Is2YOyvq6L_HL3SUE2qAz0dzagipAe34wzCMP56vZTPz9NHlvp59Nsx0/s640/Vincinte+Lopez.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birding in the Vicente López researve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a pleasant lunch, we made a couple of stops in Palermo
on the way back to our apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
now, the temperature was over 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">o</span></sup> C so the birding was quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still we found a Dark-billed Cuckoo, Limpkin
and got better looks at the Narrow-billed Woodcreeper.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqY6IhDV6j_sEFR0W4vTc-MtME_saBA69kVPNyw07ZkEY_vrICC_DvtS3h29H0qSodv41cTjNFmFJpaHjrF0cHPQFurrkAGCVt6q8Brg1FVvdxpxNeSxiYtl_iIh8eU-2MOMvtOQeEbrU/s1600/Dark-billed+Cuckoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqY6IhDV6j_sEFR0W4vTc-MtME_saBA69kVPNyw07ZkEY_vrICC_DvtS3h29H0qSodv41cTjNFmFJpaHjrF0cHPQFurrkAGCVt6q8Brg1FVvdxpxNeSxiYtl_iIh8eU-2MOMvtOQeEbrU/s640/Dark-billed+Cuckoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark-billed Cuckoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUamdyOqy-ckNQA-YelCylaAwXRBWMmpQLD1HRdfNg1GFHL2ur6n_lABBbRJfZ0m4N7mYpDdOHFJDoAI3Xxu5Q5ELYdGpCphHeJjqu9GOvG84OFWCUglr2knWwoyS7knp98MoWs37Oq-w/s1600/Narrow-billed+Woodcreeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUamdyOqy-ckNQA-YelCylaAwXRBWMmpQLD1HRdfNg1GFHL2ur6n_lABBbRJfZ0m4N7mYpDdOHFJDoAI3Xxu5Q5ELYdGpCphHeJjqu9GOvG84OFWCUglr2knWwoyS7knp98MoWs37Oq-w/s640/Narrow-billed+Woodcreeper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrow-billed Woodcreeper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All in all, it was a great introduction to some great urban
birding locations and we are very thankful to Leonel and Martina for taking us
around and patiently answering all of our questions. They not only told us about the birds but also the mammals, trees, flowers and butterflies and general ecology of the area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The bird names that I use in this blog are based on the most recent Clements update and, as such, do not always correspond to those in the Argentina guidebook. For example, the guidebook uses Brazilian Duck instead of Brazilian Teal and White-necked Heron instead of Cocoi Heron. </span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-34363001862523381552013-02-08T05:54:00.004-08:002013-02-08T05:54:35.462-08:00Common Birds of Buenos Aires
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barb and I arrived in Buenos Aires last Friday afternoon and
soon were settled in an apartment in the Palermo district of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose this area due to its proximity to a
number of parks, quick access to the subway (“subte”) and because it was within
walking distance of our Spanish and tango lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I saw the comment on this blog from my
friend, Jose Gustavo, I was even more motivated to improve my Spanish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We birded many times together in Venezuela
and he very patiently tried to teach me some birding Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Birding wasn’t on the agenda but, with all of the large
trees lining the streets, there were always birds to be seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the apartment balcony, I have seen about
10 species including one lifer – Burrowing Parrot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One landed on the balcony above me but I was
not fast enough with the camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been
trying to learn the calls of the 3 parrot species in the area and this
morning I heard squawks that sounded like a car trying to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Hmm, I wonder which one that is” and I
listened closely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sound was repeated
a few times and then the engine caught!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg1d0Y2SY4N9h5I9_YmWamX58XUcOgsGNHIJF4FRtxamtZry9K4LPToB7141b8TEdtABOpHEL47nOmTWntHrL7EEPn2L8BDOO7bH_D1z2jk9XGq5v8uaqZQyc1EqTttU1caE6rqH6BAU/s1600/View+from+apartment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg1d0Y2SY4N9h5I9_YmWamX58XUcOgsGNHIJF4FRtxamtZry9K4LPToB7141b8TEdtABOpHEL47nOmTWntHrL7EEPn2L8BDOO7bH_D1z2jk9XGq5v8uaqZQyc1EqTttU1caE6rqH6BAU/s640/View+from+apartment.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our apartment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>A walk in the local park on Saturday produced many common birds, some of which are the same as in Calgary – Rock Pigeon, European Starling, House Wren and the ubiquitous House Sparrow; some which make it to the southern U.S. – Neotropic Cormorant, Snowy Egret, Kiskadee and Monk Parakeet; some are southern cousins of North American birds – Chalk-browed Mockingbird,Rufous-bellied Thrush; and some which common throughout South America – Rufous-Collared Sparrow, Eared Dove, Rufous Hornero.<o:p></o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgx1mNcafyKKBblpmnVQspK7wuo2Eim30Sa4a77QVHzvb4bkTYb4RLmSQEVNRPqgHgyCxo6LpeANuSTkOHjbiaQMP66vAPFfUu7KJmXHJH7NagdRdcOeCLy9RW2aqmX0b7uaKe9iu-fM/s1600/Snowy+Egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgx1mNcafyKKBblpmnVQspK7wuo2Eim30Sa4a77QVHzvb4bkTYb4RLmSQEVNRPqgHgyCxo6LpeANuSTkOHjbiaQMP66vAPFfUu7KJmXHJH7NagdRdcOeCLy9RW2aqmX0b7uaKe9iu-fM/s640/Snowy+Egret.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Egret</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9Jf46TqsjPPOW0kNb5egvtSkVbJrRA7cGm0pKx4gaUSy-8ERho-_xEXBkFtoZZdxz-HVf8PAZloSn0CzVOfEnDqYxBm2sAn98kPix-ADXgFy5CpmtWo9t-qWXkZ71DBRDsPQ4otdEFk/s1600/Chalk-browed+Mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9Jf46TqsjPPOW0kNb5egvtSkVbJrRA7cGm0pKx4gaUSy-8ERho-_xEXBkFtoZZdxz-HVf8PAZloSn0CzVOfEnDqYxBm2sAn98kPix-ADXgFy5CpmtWo9t-qWXkZ71DBRDsPQ4otdEFk/s640/Chalk-browed+Mockingbird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chalk-browed Mockingbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj4qwv7SxCVGGcKHAlQXKvgGSGh-4xGN735lvAZQI4B8kImCerGZi-aO_I7g2FTpjih30rbbTIFADhkn6uQ-FG7X6yG0_2vGjZFnBOTEaxGwnoBRr4DLQtuHN5uhSYPpMqJjma9jwWag/s1600/Rufous+Hornero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj4qwv7SxCVGGcKHAlQXKvgGSGh-4xGN735lvAZQI4B8kImCerGZi-aO_I7g2FTpjih30rbbTIFADhkn6uQ-FG7X6yG0_2vGjZFnBOTEaxGwnoBRr4DLQtuHN5uhSYPpMqJjma9jwWag/s640/Rufous+Hornero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rufous Hornero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday, we ventured to the street market in San Telmo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There I found an Argentina bird guidebook (I
had looked earlier in some book stores without success), albeit without the accompanying
DVD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an excellent guide with both
Spanish and English, photos and illustrations and a numerical code indicating the
likelihood of finding a bird (all of the birds I’ve seen so far are common,
thus the title of this posting).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
know why the book isn’t available in North America. There were not many birds in
this old part of town but we saw some interesting sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR4zSoTcaPbXUV_TM3yUZ5QBWaFkvO0uRVvMFbPiLNTA0PE6590tiDuuqjWOmGl-S9BvMCqcJDmjTZahUYL9DX000MBJqNucpfp5pgNRW-RWiWuUb2601X8g5R7UeilUdvl4E00kyyYM/s1600/Tango+in+the+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR4zSoTcaPbXUV_TM3yUZ5QBWaFkvO0uRVvMFbPiLNTA0PE6590tiDuuqjWOmGl-S9BvMCqcJDmjTZahUYL9DX000MBJqNucpfp5pgNRW-RWiWuUb2601X8g5R7UeilUdvl4E00kyyYM/s640/Tango+in+the+street.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tango - we just learned this step so perhaps Barb needs a dress like this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week, we have developed a bit of a routine:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an early morning walk in the park, Spanish
lessons at noon, mid-afternoon by the pool or perhaps another outing, a tango
lesson (just two per week) and then dinner at a nearby restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is mid-summer here so the daytime highs
are in the high 20’s and overnight lows around 18 … quite pleasant compared to
Calgary at this time of year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Buenos Aires has a well know ecological reserve – reserva ecologica
Costanera Sur – which is just a half hour walk from the city centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had visited it over 10 years ago while on a
business trip and remembered it as a fantastic place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it has been very dry in Buenos Aires
the past few years and the lagoons have all dried up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, there is a lot of good habitat but one
has to work a lot harder to see the birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To compound problems, the reserve doesn’t open until 8 a.m. which is
about an hour and a half after sunrise. I went to the reserve on Tuesday and by
10 a.m. it was too hot for me and the birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of the birds I saw were Green-barred Woodpecker, Streaked Flycatcher, Hooded Siskin, Saffron Finch, and
Double-collared Seedeater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had one
lifer in the reserve – a Golden-billed Saltator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also found my first mammal of the trip but
am not sure what is was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked a man
who was watching it and he called it a “Cu-ee”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a medium-sized rodent with prominent (but not large) ears and no
apparent tail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just about to take
a photo when a jogger ran by and the animal scurried into the bushes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jjTeo28a9mtpyzOd-CsLW31j7h6TbyRI7iTj37Fp9V0J1HFz5L-lRUVkBT3kw6VKIuLU8DNSDaJ07Al3I5YiFLRlSGu4jabYZ4bs8FIzurfxEy9MeLk0ha50APLNG_PoHcLWyP4WEaU/s1600/Green-barred+Woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jjTeo28a9mtpyzOd-CsLW31j7h6TbyRI7iTj37Fp9V0J1HFz5L-lRUVkBT3kw6VKIuLU8DNSDaJ07Al3I5YiFLRlSGu4jabYZ4bs8FIzurfxEy9MeLk0ha50APLNG_PoHcLWyP4WEaU/s640/Green-barred+Woodpecker.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green-barred Woodpecker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnDtYchMSz7AKzhFMDMpg7Ek5n7533Bw09Ig-MH-Mcs5LD7kV7f9NVngoxPFxv5l7kxMlJZGtl_DPU-E7KF1J9Au5BMFPJkZWVYtv9UNT_f6-RvF0Fkd0Sb410h8SV6NsIPoZssIuV6E/s1600/Streaked+Flycatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnDtYchMSz7AKzhFMDMpg7Ek5n7533Bw09Ig-MH-Mcs5LD7kV7f9NVngoxPFxv5l7kxMlJZGtl_DPU-E7KF1J9Au5BMFPJkZWVYtv9UNT_f6-RvF0Fkd0Sb410h8SV6NsIPoZssIuV6E/s640/Streaked+Flycatcher.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streaked Flycatcher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The parks nearby the apartment have many beautiful large
trees but no understory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, most of
the birds I’m seeing are those found in inhabited or open areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few small lakes that have a
variety of waterfowl, most of which appears to be of the barnyard variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I have picked up some life birds such
as White-winged Coot and Red-fronted Coot.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmLz2o9TdXhK4rd4_Z7FDg_ssR4i-fs-ydFA7kvLv8xF9lWVabRjlA6ppTMNqjzHJu7vBEQbxf4BFflvD08d8gfm1ng3ofY6F7I3U7W7b8B-I2bnXXlkI_1O04vU2UIkpe-aMlOm7IPM/s1600/Red-fronted+Coot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmLz2o9TdXhK4rd4_Z7FDg_ssR4i-fs-ydFA7kvLv8xF9lWVabRjlA6ppTMNqjzHJu7vBEQbxf4BFflvD08d8gfm1ng3ofY6F7I3U7W7b8B-I2bnXXlkI_1O04vU2UIkpe-aMlOm7IPM/s640/Red-fronted+Coot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-fronted Coot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the trees are still in bloom and the Palo Barracho with its pink flowers attracts the parakeets and hummingbirds.<o:p></o:p></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm_v0uCkFO1BFvpor7YUtR1gRV5sAwD0GLN_TNFpsI1iOKRk4Q5hK9wHd33EuHc8FkoiKxmZZPJW2nSKUi9atr5n2VIdbq-za_7qb5BMs41R8oo5tCx1lZrDOUIrKE9zpD4nQtvspZc4/s1600/Palo+Barracho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm_v0uCkFO1BFvpor7YUtR1gRV5sAwD0GLN_TNFpsI1iOKRk4Q5hK9wHd33EuHc8FkoiKxmZZPJW2nSKUi9atr5n2VIdbq-za_7qb5BMs41R8oo5tCx1lZrDOUIrKE9zpD4nQtvspZc4/s640/Palo+Barracho.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palo Barracho trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRwYQHWdcDo6UpomV7lJvuJErcw_g0CWZ2iyMftZQ1TBBPJr91mNfF4R6HRGy9lyeOdUKLaXbSixVX3AdIfJ3wFnL2wJU-6CMVm34qBj6-hU_oNe_knVmg16g3g3v3yxw3Efp2-SBsfw/s1600/Monk+Parakeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRwYQHWdcDo6UpomV7lJvuJErcw_g0CWZ2iyMftZQ1TBBPJr91mNfF4R6HRGy9lyeOdUKLaXbSixVX3AdIfJ3wFnL2wJU-6CMVm34qBj6-hU_oNe_knVmg16g3g3v3yxw3Efp2-SBsfw/s640/Monk+Parakeet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monk Parakeet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQx6JiUzDLkKH2GRh0knkmNCWKfnB3bG6SGj6BZ0_dnWr7nD7-Jpdr_bo5QLVFfPjstTHmpE8F0cDNfHdHKHsStqbjEZv5CyGckEgwIpXeWePiyAboZj656vKsYy76N1sukCdGx9nqew/s1600/Gilded+Hummingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQx6JiUzDLkKH2GRh0knkmNCWKfnB3bG6SGj6BZ0_dnWr7nD7-Jpdr_bo5QLVFfPjstTHmpE8F0cDNfHdHKHsStqbjEZv5CyGckEgwIpXeWePiyAboZj656vKsYy76N1sukCdGx9nqew/s640/Gilded+Hummingbird.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gilded Hummingbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In English we have an expression “trash bird” which usually
refers to a bird that one was hoping to find and which turns out to be very
common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, the Monk Parakeet is truly
a trash bird!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lfnWX4RI5n9DaVoE4o1yWsGsxLrbLfDX3eTNY_cLuPdwTIRoYoS90ko18htlhECJ0HB1KccIDlVCPfNr-SjFC8m8dbNuKn5qTvYUlXi4gZzLgzot2-46F606eXLVxZrv8RuEA5uwLrQ/s1600/0207BA+-+trash+birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lfnWX4RI5n9DaVoE4o1yWsGsxLrbLfDX3eTNY_cLuPdwTIRoYoS90ko18htlhECJ0HB1KccIDlVCPfNr-SjFC8m8dbNuKn5qTvYUlXi4gZzLgzot2-46F606eXLVxZrv8RuEA5uwLrQ/s640/0207BA+-+trash+birds.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trash birds! Monk Parakeets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this post, I have shown a few of the birds I have
seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you wish to view photos of all
the birds I have photographed in Argentina, go to: <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/117362411810728562179/albums?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/117362411810728562179/albums/5842542341209391601">https://plus.google.com/photos/117362411810728562179/albums?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/117362411810728562179/albums/5842542341209391601</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have made contact with a local birder and, in the coming
week, I am hoping to venture a little further afield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ll have some uncommon birds to show
you in the next post!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
Saludos,<br />
Brian<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-52758728731608946012013-01-31T14:59:00.001-08:002013-01-31T14:59:13.226-08:00The Travelling Birder
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I started birding 25 years ago, I thought it was a
cheap hobby – after all, you just needed a pair of binoculars and a field
guide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, my gear has
expanded and I have learned that there is no such thing as a cheap hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travelling with all this gear can be a
challenge, particularly if one will be travelling on small planes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing the big year last year gave me plenty
of practice in packing my gear and I learned a few things along the way that I’d
like to share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, some basics:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it is valuable or breakable, carry it with
you; if it can’t be easily replaced at the destination, carry it with you.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carrying all your gear can mean that your carry-on weighs
more than your checked luggage – don’t let the airlines weigh your
carry-on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although most North American
airlines allow two pieces of carry-on, that may not be the case for your
destination country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, I try
to fit everything in a mid-sized backpack (30 litres).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my current trip, my pack has binoculars,
DSLR camera and two lenses, laptop computer and power supply, a small bag with
chargers for camera batteries and tablet, medical supplies, sunglasses, bird
book and checklist, flashlight (I was once on an overnight flight where the
light for my seat didn’t work), a small toiletry kit and a spare set of clothes
(in case my luggage is delayed).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the most part, the pack stays in the overhead bin for
the flight but it is small enough to fit under the seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also wear a small hip belt which contains a
compact camera, spare camera batteries and flash cards, noise cancelling
headphones (they work great on planes), and a 7” tablet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a tip from my daughter, I have attached a
small carabiner to all of the zippers to make it more difficult for a
pickpocket to get into the hip belt or the backpack.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last year I travelled with an E-reader and enjoyed the
convenience of having multiple books without the bulk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also travel with a smartphone and enjoy the
connectivity and birding apps but was wishing for a bigger screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I saw the Google Nexus 7, I figured it
was just what I was looking for and bought one a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have loaded most of the same apps as on my
phone and the big screen is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have also loaded copies of all my travel documents so that they are readily
accessible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Nexus also functions as
an e-reader (I can access all of my wife’s Kobo books) and gives me access to
the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I considered getting one
with cellular data access but chose not to as the phone companies charge (at
least Telus does) $15/month extra on your phone plan without giving you any
more data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smartphone can act as a
wi-fi source so the data option is not really needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other tablet I considered was the Kobo
Arc which has many of the same features at a slightly lower price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose the Nexus because it also has Bluetooth
and GPS (always nice to know where you are in a strange country!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My phone also has GPS but I found out in
China that the phone GPS did not work without cellular data.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As is common in Canada, my smartphone was locked so that I
could only use it with Telus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like
having a cell phone in a foreign country and often buy a cheap phone with 20-30
minutes of talk time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was exploring
options to unlock the phone and was surprised to learn that Telus (for a fee)
will unlock it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supposedly my phone is
now unlocked and I will be able to purchase a SIM card in anywhere in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My computer is a big, heavy model with a 15.6” screen – why do
I choose to lug it around?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to
edit my photos on the road and I found that a small, low resolution screen wasn’t
satisfactory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My laptop has a 1920 x
1080 HD screen and works great for photo editing (on the road and at
home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HD screens are now available on
much lighter laptops but a new one isn’t in my budget.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Pack some back-up gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are doing a trip of a lifetime, you
wouldn’t want it ruined by a malfunctioning camera or lost binoculars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Ethiopia a few years ago, my lens stopped
working but fortunately I had a back-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Last year on one of our big year trips, one of the team left his
binoculars in a restaurant and my spare pair was put to good use. Back-ups also extends to credit and ATM cards ... travel plans can be disrupted if your card gets eaten by a machine!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have a travel tip that you'd like to share, leave a comment at the end of this posting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy travels!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-18952372682605254722013-01-23T17:18:00.000-08:002013-01-23T17:19:05.199-08:00January Big Day<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday, Phil Cram and I did a January big day for
Alberta in combination with a rare bird chase for a Chestnut-backed Chickadee.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We like doing big days and have been doing them for many
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American Birding Association
(ABA) keeps track of big day records by province/state by month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The January record for Alberta was only 27
and we felt confident that we could beat this number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t compete on the spring big days – factors
being birding skill, hearing and stamina – but anyone can do a winter big day
as the birds are usually seen rather than heard and the days are a lot shorter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is an edited account of our day that Phil posted on
Albertabird (bird names in cap indicate a good winter bird):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday (January 22)
Brian Elder and I did a Big Day in southern Alberta. One of our goals was to
see the Chestnut-backed Chickadee in Waterton townsite, found originally by
Malcolm and Joan McDonald on December 31. Our second goal was to beat the ABA
Big Day record for Alberta in January, which stands at 27 species. We felt sure
that this number has been surpassed many times, but evidently not reported to
the ABA. With good weather, good roads, a degree of planning and some luck we
reckoned we should be able to see 40 species of birds in the day. <br />
<br />
Our first sighting was a Great Horned Owl at 8:00 a.m. just outside Pincher
Creek, silhouetted against the dawn sky. Black-billed Magpie and Common Raven
were seen on the way to Waterton. We could scarcely believe our luck as we
watched the feeders on Fern Street in Waterton. Not only did we get great looks
at the CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE (a new Provincial bird for both of us), we
also watched from the comfort of our vehicle: Steller's Jay, Downy Woodpecker,
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, SONG SPARROW and
Red-breasted Nuthatch. At feeders behind Evergreen Avenue we added EVENING
GROSBEAK and Pine Siskin, and heard a PILEATED WOODPECKER, our only
“heard-only” of the day. After just over an hour of birding, we left Waterton
with 14 species. Despite lots of open water on Upper Waterton Lake and other
water bodies, we saw no waterfowl there.<br />
</span></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYDQQ76e7R8KyCNq3rhlCPcaOB8YQv6ow8UvV6WCDVN38_zw9MAKtH1GxFdxUNYKn3SUIBiogQio8ytr8IRqMag_ay8U0w2k5Zuw-Ede97FxOASReOkyZWdYOiSi9YQ2VAuKPdOnai7Q/s1600/Chestnut-backed+Chickadee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYDQQ76e7R8KyCNq3rhlCPcaOB8YQv6ow8UvV6WCDVN38_zw9MAKtH1GxFdxUNYKn3SUIBiogQio8ytr8IRqMag_ay8U0w2k5Zuw-Ede97FxOASReOkyZWdYOiSi9YQ2VAuKPdOnai7Q/s640/Chestnut-backed+Chickadee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut-backed Chickadee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
We drove east to Mountain View, which yielded Bald Eagle, House Sparrow and
Common Redpoll. Driving north on Hwy 800, we added Rock Pigeon and, in Hill
Spring, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Northern Flicker and House Finch. Further north
on Hwy 800, we saw our first Rough-legged Hawk. We turned west on Highway 505 and
a couple of minutes later observed an adult grey-phase GYRFALCON, perched on a
power pole next to the highway. Then a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE flew in front of the
vehicle, and Canada Geese outside Pincher Creek brought us to 25 species by
11:00 a.m.<br />
</span></i></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkL_ttmu7da3IvzpNnptG5axfRZrjksyE3qGznpQKRoB8or6Z-CHPNQqZLnXZSz5g2xwENCXWbn2wKQeJLa_PRWzo-wMAMp8YD25lIq4wzgJa5dV-wLGcoqSOsGbk9jYlLBs9xW_9-sA/s1600/Gyrfalcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkL_ttmu7da3IvzpNnptG5axfRZrjksyE3qGznpQKRoB8or6Z-CHPNQqZLnXZSz5g2xwENCXWbn2wKQeJLa_PRWzo-wMAMp8YD25lIq4wzgJa5dV-wLGcoqSOsGbk9jYlLBs9xW_9-sA/s640/Gyrfalcon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyrfalcon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br />
We made our way north on Hwy 22, with a loop along Riley Road on the edge of
the Porcupine Hills. Surprisingly we saw very few birds, and dipped on all expected
open-country species. Two AMERICAN DIPPERS in Chain Lakes PP got us back on
track, and a GOLDEN EAGLE just south of Longview tied the “record” of 27
species. Longview itself turned up Blue Jay and Pine Grosbeak, and Turner
Valley produced White-winged Crossbill, RUFFED GROUSE and our first
Black-capped Chickadee of the day. We knew of a good feeder in Millarville, and
there we added MOURNING DOVE and White-breasted Nuthatch. Terry Korolyk had
reported a NORTHERN HAWK-OWL on January 16 at the intersection of 240th St and
Plummers Road, north of Millarville, and it appeared for us on cue at 2:00 PM:
our 35th species after six hours. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu37AidfM3hk5VbLg7_0ghX8q1E60CO5m3uAl9zcklLXqfjsjdGuV61J5QsHOXuqwOkkYkECfqu4J5124XEwE4mBLEIkg9zuCSCv7Kgge2Ptj-5VNekVRtyI3Xk0NYQRmbA0V_KKabvFM/s1600/Ruffed+Grouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu37AidfM3hk5VbLg7_0ghX8q1E60CO5m3uAl9zcklLXqfjsjdGuV61J5QsHOXuqwOkkYkECfqu4J5124XEwE4mBLEIkg9zuCSCv7Kgge2Ptj-5VNekVRtyI3Xk0NYQRmbA0V_KKabvFM/s640/Ruffed+Grouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruffed Grouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br />
It was time to add some waterfowl, and we made our way to Weed Lake, on
Glenmore Trail just east of Langdon. Mallard and Common Goldeneye were spotted
en route, and at Weed Lake, just where Terry Korolyk has been reporting them,
we saw the Fab Five ducks: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal and
Lesser Scaup as well as the seen-earlier Mallard. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQuZcMKYmskoExYOy6riixCViZyFwzVnmuWNZNVs31lr6bD0zUJJXKkM-mclV3Ldbbj5FUgv7vJbxPzQkvCEaduZsIJV1wihHHoPWI8iPAw1iw42owwsz3O13zHRp8TPmR72BYjDu_Rs/s1600/Mallard%252C+Lesser+Scaup+and+Northern+Shoveler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQuZcMKYmskoExYOy6riixCViZyFwzVnmuWNZNVs31lr6bD0zUJJXKkM-mclV3Ldbbj5FUgv7vJbxPzQkvCEaduZsIJV1wihHHoPWI8iPAw1iw42owwsz3O13zHRp8TPmR72BYjDu_Rs/s640/Mallard%252C+Lesser+Scaup+and+Northern+Shoveler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallard, Lesser Scaup and Northern Shoveler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wending our way back to Calgary we were again disappointed not to encounter any
open-country birds. The male Hooded Merganser at Elliston Park eluded us
initially, but then emerged from hiding. A small flock of Bohemian Waxwings
flew over Peigan Trail. A stop in Willow Park yielded nothing new: this can be
a very birdy area but it was after 4:00 p.m and becoming cool and misty. </div>
<br />
Our final stop by the Bow River in the Hull’s Wood section of Fish Creek Park
added Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Common Mergasnser, bringing our final
total to 46 species of birds at 4:30 p.m. after 8 ½ hours of birding. We had
also seen four species of mammals during the day: White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer,
Red Squirrel and -- in Waterton townsite -- a Red Fox.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtRyi8E6k2AagEVyWVjUB2aYjBiS30UxSqsNDD9PsjD1ygtJCenR-jJxMzXlABwQ6Ze2Daoh-S5XliBB7B1AzYraWCTz42keqpxIwdM3iySec1FV-REOzvwT4TpUrHlTWqBUJ6dggJzs/s1600/Red+Fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtRyi8E6k2AagEVyWVjUB2aYjBiS30UxSqsNDD9PsjD1ygtJCenR-jJxMzXlABwQ6Ze2Daoh-S5XliBB7B1AzYraWCTz42keqpxIwdM3iySec1FV-REOzvwT4TpUrHlTWqBUJ6dggJzs/s640/Red+Fox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Fox</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">480 km driven while birding, and a temperature range of minus 11 to plus 6<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">o</span></sup>
C. Mostly cloudy in the south, and misty in the Calgary area. Winds gusting to
50 km/hr in the morning in Waterton, and becoming light later in the day in
Calgary. And a lot of fun. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks for the report Phil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The birds cooperated nicely for us on the big day and we’re hoping that
trend will continue as we search for some of the other winter birds in the next
few days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good birding and mammaling.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-15738798136109221672013-01-23T09:27:00.000-08:002013-01-23T09:27:11.601-08:00The Joy of Winter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh2xtxYvOIsPkxHZbqo2b4e8XspHSmBOKJmOR8Oh_IGHwm3sUw-ljp8xg-ij0aYuhbOrtNqNVoG44ePlHrhmZBidcZylDOFRgr5n-8V_gzNBhSYyZuoXsAnldfzSn_zTI_WhyYDpo2eQ/s1600/Snowshoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOh2xtxYvOIsPkxHZbqo2b4e8XspHSmBOKJmOR8Oh_IGHwm3sUw-ljp8xg-ij0aYuhbOrtNqNVoG44ePlHrhmZBidcZylDOFRgr5n-8V_gzNBhSYyZuoXsAnldfzSn_zTI_WhyYDpo2eQ/s320/Snowshoes.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife Barb with me at the Fairview Lookout <br />
overlooking Lake Lousie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyone living in Alberta had better get some joy from winter
because we get a whole bunch of winter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are lots of winter activities and this month I’ve gone downhill skiing and
snowshoeing in addition to some birding.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I intended to do at least a couple of posts on winter
birding but it has taken me quite a while to get some “postable” photos to
accompany the text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was finally ready
a few days ago but had other priorities – mainly putting together a photo book
of the 2012 Big Year I did with three friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can view the book at:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.blurb.ca/b/4006348-fur-and-feathers-500">http://www.blurb.ca/b/4006348-fur-and-feathers-500</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My first outing of the year was to Fish Creek Provincial
Park in south Calgary with Bob Storms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
walked 8 kilometres that day and there was a good selection of the common
birds but the lighting wasn’t good for photography. A few days later, the
lighting was good for photography but the temperature wasn’t too good for the
photographer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, I went to
Queen’s Park Cemetery found some photogenic birds.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAzTqgLRbZCsXPYp3ewO9BW1OyQbuwUFlYGOcACPYqFvwx7b2AvZb1ujN4xPh4gBr2nb9mZMZGnW0SXbuOSNmX_GCw4YS3pP1VmmEPtrY0nk_H249o-lI7d1Uu2Ks_NxuEktbgAjC-so/s1600/Golden-crowned+Kinglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAzTqgLRbZCsXPYp3ewO9BW1OyQbuwUFlYGOcACPYqFvwx7b2AvZb1ujN4xPh4gBr2nb9mZMZGnW0SXbuOSNmX_GCw4YS3pP1VmmEPtrY0nk_H249o-lI7d1Uu2Ks_NxuEktbgAjC-so/s640/Golden-crowned+Kinglet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-crowned Kinglet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5RMe3njqXghlLOXm6oaaSvwJXXGisiKOO-oa_NQUvKg7WMXjYlYL-umTHBR5Z2EIFwa3_T8T5TkgjU6mSopjNXkVkTQfKmdUqx5qUn_Kz-piLkSWPumW1eNSViuhyXPeTuKkF4xP41A/s1600/Brown+Creeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5RMe3njqXghlLOXm6oaaSvwJXXGisiKOO-oa_NQUvKg7WMXjYlYL-umTHBR5Z2EIFwa3_T8T5TkgjU6mSopjNXkVkTQfKmdUqx5qUn_Kz-piLkSWPumW1eNSViuhyXPeTuKkF4xP41A/s640/Brown+Creeper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Creeper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiCJzAgeBWkiVEreGtLUZJmR_9F9b8J4cfCfIDdzLJNllW4gl04A5f2eVsFJD10sNOjL9MDZLOPivM4qRZONS5w8LmbxMq-bP3Ixagyb0KN1BpNfWUTtVpJAL-oEJAlZOeej_jIQS3-Q/s1600/White-winged+Crossbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiCJzAgeBWkiVEreGtLUZJmR_9F9b8J4cfCfIDdzLJNllW4gl04A5f2eVsFJD10sNOjL9MDZLOPivM4qRZONS5w8LmbxMq-bP3Ixagyb0KN1BpNfWUTtVpJAL-oEJAlZOeej_jIQS3-Q/s640/White-winged+Crossbill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-winged Crossbill (transitioning from juvenile plumage)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Calgary birders usually make at least one winter trip to
Exshaw to view Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Phil Cram and I made this trip on Jan. 12 arriving in Exshaw at sunrise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the mountains, it takes some time for the
sun to rise above the mountains and so we were there too early for any decent
photos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0i3bNA99hVys0hRCR-aZY1KfFymh4isXniCSnpASbIrhYtZr4gIkbzXXGuQGaZQ3k7t_mTcmjuYTYRG6GLM0W1zrOsbHKZjegWyu47D9zNj-0DQf8zwE_pfkOF4joV44wP1oIGiuohw/s1600/Gray-crowned+Rosy-Finch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0i3bNA99hVys0hRCR-aZY1KfFymh4isXniCSnpASbIrhYtZr4gIkbzXXGuQGaZQ3k7t_mTcmjuYTYRG6GLM0W1zrOsbHKZjegWyu47D9zNj-0DQf8zwE_pfkOF4joV44wP1oIGiuohw/s640/Gray-crowned+Rosy-Finch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">En route to Banff National Park, we stopped briefly to view
some Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep west of Exshaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These animals are almost always present along
the road side and seem oblivious to humans.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWxfdzsDIxdcpKLS3Z7JxDkeRZP5-r0HxhXa9ypDOS1Vjg6qB5ZlRgJ66vLwVFdTgCtVtwEPp-NDeqjCIj0i6lD6sg0f3jWqvD3Yz4OnfQHdrERjcRw5Fre0BGZI15CapK6OuUT5WpRQ/s1600/Bighorn+Sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWxfdzsDIxdcpKLS3Z7JxDkeRZP5-r0HxhXa9ypDOS1Vjg6qB5ZlRgJ66vLwVFdTgCtVtwEPp-NDeqjCIj0i6lD6sg0f3jWqvD3Yz4OnfQHdrERjcRw5Fre0BGZI15CapK6OuUT5WpRQ/s640/Bighorn+Sheep.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bighorn Sheep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the park, the birds were pretty quiet but the scenery was
fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, we found a couple
of good birds – Belted Kingfisher and American Dipper – near some open water on
Vermillion Lakes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hAe69qcwR5YW6QYBfncYdJ0Tb4vrRwWpYlCLT76hV-a0JbNOavu6GZi9EJUFcBVpPZbiLymQUCNQg958OmXAhprUbKuZ0OPn6yPiJc9hNVUPFhzcXZRX5VNP5dwEey8hDPctxMuW6Wc/s1600/Mount+Rundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hAe69qcwR5YW6QYBfncYdJ0Tb4vrRwWpYlCLT76hV-a0JbNOavu6GZi9EJUFcBVpPZbiLymQUCNQg958OmXAhprUbKuZ0OPn6yPiJc9hNVUPFhzcXZRX5VNP5dwEey8hDPctxMuW6Wc/s640/Mount+Rundle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vermillion Lakes and Mount Rundle - note dipper on ice and photographer (not me) in foreground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx-FFlWMEM4WbG3I6uCJ-Yz-h_JKaieQMTUnicjGabbOwRWaN0NbEYP66uS5g57GWXF4PHDxXOJnPH5E4Zef2Nv_1kkrPrPTiQKTXiDOhQPIGsoB2i7kpq-UQydgpFYf62jTmWHkB5IE/s1600/American+Dipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXx-FFlWMEM4WbG3I6uCJ-Yz-h_JKaieQMTUnicjGabbOwRWaN0NbEYP66uS5g57GWXF4PHDxXOJnPH5E4Zef2Nv_1kkrPrPTiQKTXiDOhQPIGsoB2i7kpq-UQydgpFYf62jTmWHkB5IE/s640/American+Dipper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Dipper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last Friday, Mike Mulligan and I journeyed to the southwest
of Calgary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our main destination was
Brown Lowery Provincial Park which is the best place near Calgary to find both
Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mike and I walked the park trails for an hour but didn’t see any
woodpeckers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The squawking of Gray Jays and the calls of a few chickadees were the only sounds in an otherwise quiet forest. </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb_cSv-ZlTd23n7OIsQbkBD-fGDaRYy292LYY1g4MClGetTIQ2IM2_KnD4d5qyw-Yjoz0qJ3N1L2tOfy4fed79mznlhurL0gOSho8407aJrf8H9Qf3hbrQ4r6tMOr1XDui67E3kNq9kU/s1600/Gray+Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb_cSv-ZlTd23n7OIsQbkBD-fGDaRYy292LYY1g4MClGetTIQ2IM2_KnD4d5qyw-Yjoz0qJ3N1L2tOfy4fed79mznlhurL0gOSho8407aJrf8H9Qf3hbrQ4r6tMOr1XDui67E3kNq9kU/s640/Gray+Jay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray Jay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then went to a feeder
near Millarville and finally had some success – Evening Grosbeaks, Pine
Grosbeaks, and Mourning Doves were all in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was nice to get good looks at both female
and male grosbeaks.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrorAwuB8gJK3Rjm1SirV6-RZyc2vOtUO1uPuUnPnWvyBud9yx7FD3BiYgrirxVDKCHA8B0OUtvKTK8HWMsQnmGQxgdexKBICBnPnyThttnsOygZePKO6xu4oZPCZiuwdRuWY-b8ooNNU/s1600/Pine+Grosbeaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrorAwuB8gJK3Rjm1SirV6-RZyc2vOtUO1uPuUnPnWvyBud9yx7FD3BiYgrirxVDKCHA8B0OUtvKTK8HWMsQnmGQxgdexKBICBnPnyThttnsOygZePKO6xu4oZPCZiuwdRuWY-b8ooNNU/s640/Pine+Grosbeaks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Grosbeaks - female on left, male on right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaeBVOcU8HRethVLsQokJNPq-FuXxeqJTJfmxSu7oZVRom8aq5SIuL02lq-3NW08tmgiu45-WgZqrhGjfy6eWezlcc31Eoplrk0FW-rgiIVY-lcNYpqIlv4ZmHjIocjW5wt40kZjojQU/s1600/Evening+Grosbeaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaeBVOcU8HRethVLsQokJNPq-FuXxeqJTJfmxSu7oZVRom8aq5SIuL02lq-3NW08tmgiu45-WgZqrhGjfy6eWezlcc31Eoplrk0FW-rgiIVY-lcNYpqIlv4ZmHjIocjW5wt40kZjojQU/s640/Evening+Grosbeaks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening Grosbeaks - male on left, female on right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next posting, “A January Big Day” – we’ve done the big day
but I’ve some chores to do before I have time do the write-up.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640864518712380741.post-59132557231742141722013-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:002013-01-06T13:00:57.112-08:00Fur and Feathers 5000
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My name is Brian Elder and I am a bird and mammal watcher
living in Calgary, AB, Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2012,
I did a bird and mammal Canada big year with three friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you may have followed our Fur and
Feathers 500 blog at: http://canadafurandfeathers.blogspot.ca/<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnP-9gsenUbwnqrDN4l3K3pejYdCuAn6nUusyzCa_us-Fd3btt5b0Cc8z0J6AfBBelGHE-6GwqjMQ3D5Fu4SAG4xPQbOJs9tYn3je8iL1JcOnXLBb2OXMASmRQHNB6vPxxG_NqdRxmCs/s1600/Qinghai+scenery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnP-9gsenUbwnqrDN4l3K3pejYdCuAn6nUusyzCa_us-Fd3btt5b0Cc8z0J6AfBBelGHE-6GwqjMQ3D5Fu4SAG4xPQbOJs9tYn3je8iL1JcOnXLBb2OXMASmRQHNB6vPxxG_NqdRxmCs/s640/Qinghai+scenery.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of me in Qinghai, China - June 2011 (photo taken by Phil Cram)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what does “Fur and Feathers 5000” indicate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it is certainly not a big year though
it would be a worthy target for anyone with enough time, money and energy to do
a worldwide big year (an English couple did a birding big year in 2008 [</span><a href="http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com/bigyear"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com/bigyear</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">]
and recorded 4341 bird species).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fur
and feathers represent my interest in mammals and birds and the 5000 represents
my target for the next 10 years.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not starting from scratch – my current total is
approximately 4000 though the mammal portion is just an estimate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lists of mammals I’ve seen on various
trips but have not consolidated them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
was the case for the Canada big year, I intend to pursue my goal in a relaxed
fashion with many secondary goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quest for Bird
Families and Unique Birds</b><br />
Some of my secondary goals are to see as many bird families as I can (currently
198/227), to see some unique birds (this ties in well with the bird family
objective) and to visit interesting places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For an example, I’ll use a Thailand golfing trip that my wife and I
snuck in during my Canada big year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Thailand, I made 3 day trips in search of birds and the highlight was seeing
Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann’s Greenshank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglabkciE0DIXuzbgWOtbT00OH87t9OEHdzmcsgdV9DYuynjN7LwibVzSFyUqwY9bGxLsa9pn3Co_hMt91hUcYM5jF8DidlsK7Go8sGHQ-Z_R60lKR2gLEQJP9Md2wuljmkxPBfjagUWE/s1600/Spoon-billed+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglabkciE0DIXuzbgWOtbT00OH87t9OEHdzmcsgdV9DYuynjN7LwibVzSFyUqwY9bGxLsa9pn3Co_hMt91hUcYM5jF8DidlsK7Go8sGHQ-Z_R60lKR2gLEQJP9Md2wuljmkxPBfjagUWE/s640/Spoon-billed+Sandpiper.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoon-billed Sandpiper with Curlew Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints and Terek Sandpipers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the end of the trip, we spent a couple of days in
Singapore and I made arrangements with some friendly expat birders to go look
for the Malaysian Rail-Babbler in southern Malaysia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a bird in its own family and is my
bird of the year for 2012.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdqxaYZOlEo11cw09ruzfIstzeh6SukEIjaPGbRlZjktb4vuzk6GzReX58MwwiEusCKvRulxzqVBYODeVWLlBS6z2nGF3yoL_CNlap10PydBjKcw2lm8UDQpawvKViLakkX0kCiysJmA/s1600/Malaysian+Rail-Babbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdqxaYZOlEo11cw09ruzfIstzeh6SukEIjaPGbRlZjktb4vuzk6GzReX58MwwiEusCKvRulxzqVBYODeVWLlBS6z2nGF3yoL_CNlap10PydBjKcw2lm8UDQpawvKViLakkX0kCiysJmA/s640/Malaysian+Rail-Babbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malaysian Rail-Babbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My sighting was made more memorable by the effort required
to find the bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, this bird
responds to a recording and is easily seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For whatever the reason, it wasn’t so cooperative and we had to track it
down a swampy forest.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">North America</b><br />
As my budget doesn’t allow for unlimited international travel, I will be
spending most of my time in Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apart from chipping away on various lists (e.g. I need 2 more birds for
300 in BC, 50 more species to get my lifetime ATPAT to 2000), I’d like to get
my Canadian mammal list to 100.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw
76 species in 2012 and I’d seen a few others previously so I’ve got 15-18 more
to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My ABA total is at 693 so, if the opportunity presents
itself, I’d like to go for 700.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought I might get there with splits but (fortunately) bird taxonomy seems to
be stabilizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I make any trips,
chances are that I’ll be with one or more of my big year team mates – Ray, Phil
and Mike; maybe I’ll even have them make a guest blogging appearance.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Urban Birding</b><br />
After living in Venezuela and China, my wife and I moved backed to Calgary in
2004.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping to find a house near
one of Calgary’s natural areas but house design, view and accessibility won out
and we bought a home in the northwest area of Calgary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t have great expectations for a birdy
yard but I’m pleased to report that I’ve seen almost 150 fur & feathers
species in the neighbourhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will
likely be a section of the blog devoted to neighbourhood birding in suburbia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o93sv0BOlucAvAVWWGkc7a0dG_tCPtflC3qu7Dao-IN93pqR3D2bEWyTmDegVKPGZRm_44KGp430aST2ajxzTTWyWSHmqs15AaArPvdqZQxZh6aBduRSw8TZbD3-HXplSCA60M2GDoU/s1600/My+home+patch+-+Morningside%252C+NW+Calgary%252C+AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o93sv0BOlucAvAVWWGkc7a0dG_tCPtflC3qu7Dao-IN93pqR3D2bEWyTmDegVKPGZRm_44KGp430aST2ajxzTTWyWSHmqs15AaArPvdqZQxZh6aBduRSw8TZbD3-HXplSCA60M2GDoU/s640/My+home+patch+-+Morningside%252C+NW+Calgary%252C+AB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My home patch in northwest Calgary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Photography</b><br />
I’m also a keen photographer (but still a birder first, photographer second so
no tripod for me!) and will keep working to improve my photos for each
species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve posted photos for a number
of trips on Picasaweb at:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/117362411810728562179/albums?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/117362411810728562179/albums"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://plus.google.com/photos/117362411810728562179/albums?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1#photos/117362411810728562179/albums</span></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Here are three of my favourite photos from past years:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeLiE34eZVpRLd1kDsf17M2RrTI3K1rjFwtb6Rqj8PLMUBxZh5VjB_pHtF0ELhgk9X-hSwIL0z84N34kPru86PDGd9JUrJivWRR-v5P-4IHShYLG3PptATNFLznW74WFoW6EmKhN-dsE/s1600/Willet+-+Shepard+-+May+10%252C+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeLiE34eZVpRLd1kDsf17M2RrTI3K1rjFwtb6Rqj8PLMUBxZh5VjB_pHtF0ELhgk9X-hSwIL0z84N34kPru86PDGd9JUrJivWRR-v5P-4IHShYLG3PptATNFLznW74WFoW6EmKhN-dsE/s640/Willet+-+Shepard+-+May+10%252C+2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willet - Calgary, AB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Hody9I-pJXXsXqaX9VBBG00jw6W1sShquEyMYbPLubJXX1xoduVToZslTGM3leUtelsr0vNg67oik8c_Ijc8zoqa7kEEM7GixxRkVAviOOmM5_8TIyHIHRsBfp3GPmGXl5SeOqYcsog/s1600/Long-tailed+Weasel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Hody9I-pJXXsXqaX9VBBG00jw6W1sShquEyMYbPLubJXX1xoduVToZslTGM3leUtelsr0vNg67oik8c_Ijc8zoqa7kEEM7GixxRkVAviOOmM5_8TIyHIHRsBfp3GPmGXl5SeOqYcsog/s640/Long-tailed+Weasel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-tailed Weasel - Calgary, AB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ERdKNHSSNJjQhVeo11tjcOZjskSAKR_Fj5kpSiCDCpgrClKucI_BXYsWRNkYp03D_7-780xNrmFAH_RJfCt7g61o4FWVDJpiejdzzR4izT5E8PKI1ipcWHHjbnG0fARQCj2z1QyIERg/s1600/Prairie+storm+-+South+of+Brooks%252C+AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ERdKNHSSNJjQhVeo11tjcOZjskSAKR_Fj5kpSiCDCpgrClKucI_BXYsWRNkYp03D_7-780xNrmFAH_RJfCt7g61o4FWVDJpiejdzzR4izT5E8PKI1ipcWHHjbnG0fARQCj2z1QyIERg/s640/Prairie+storm+-+South+of+Brooks%252C+AB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching storm near Brooks, AB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Connections<br />
</b>I will try to make regular posts but they won’t be as frequent as were the
big year posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your comments are
appreciated and the interaction helps establish a connection with the readers
(if any) of this blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2013, my wife and I will be traveling to Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a birding trip but the binoculars
will always be close at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Argentina
has a bird list of over 1000 species and we will be traveling to most regions
of the country so I am hoping for 100+ lifers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of greater interest is the possibility of 3 new bird families- Magellanic
Plover, seed-snipes and diving-petrels.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good birding and mammaling,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brian <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01780391838994912434noreply@blogger.com4