Birding Hong Kong
  • HOME & DEPARTURE
  • CONTACT
  • Birding in Hong Kong
  • Birding Sites
    • Mai Po
    • Tai Po Kau
    • Long Valley
    • Po Toi Island
    • Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Park and other urban oases
    • The Peak
  • The Birding Year
  • Hong Kong Birding Literature
  • Guided Birding Tours*Coronavirus Update*
  • Accipiter Press Publications
    • Mai Po: The Seasons
    • Hong Kong Nature Walks
  • Links
  • GALLERIES
    • Ducks to Cormorants
    • Raptors to Jacanas
    • Snipes to Terns
    • Doves to White-eyes
  • *UPDATE - AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF HONG KONG BIRDS 2022*
  • LATEST SIGHTINGS 2022
    • January 2022
    • February 2022
    • March 2022
    • April 2022
    • May 2022
    • June 2022
    • July 2022
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2021 ARCHIVE
    • January 2021
    • February 2021
    • March 2021
    • April 2021
    • May 2021
    • June 2021
    • July 2021
    • August 2021
    • September 2021
    • October 2021
    • November 2021
    • December 2021
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2020 Archive
    • January 2020
    • February 2020
    • March 2020
    • April 2020
    • May 2020
    • June 2020
    • July 2020
    • August 2020
    • September 2020
    • October 2020
    • November 2020
    • December 2020
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2019 ARCHIVE
    • January 2019
    • February 2019
    • March 2019
    • April 2019
    • May 2019
    • June 2019
    • July 2019
    • August 2019
    • September 2019
    • October 2019
    • November 2019
    • December 2019
  • Bird Sightings - 2018 Archive
    • January 2018
    • February 2018
    • March 2018
    • April 2018
    • May 2018
    • June 2018
    • July 2018
    • August 2018
    • September 2018
    • October 2018
    • November 2018
    • December 2018
  • Bird Sightings - 2017 Archive
    • January 2017
    • February 2017
    • March 2017
    • April 2017
    • May 2017
    • June 2017
    • July 2017
    • August 2017
    • September 2017
    • October 2017
    • November 2017
    • December 2017
  • Blog - A BIG YEAR 2020
  • IN THE NEWS - CONSERVATION ISSUES AT HOME & ABROAD
  • HOME & DEPARTURE
  • CONTACT
  • Birding in Hong Kong
  • Birding Sites
    • Mai Po
    • Tai Po Kau
    • Long Valley
    • Po Toi Island
    • Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Park and other urban oases
    • The Peak
  • The Birding Year
  • Hong Kong Birding Literature
  • Guided Birding Tours*Coronavirus Update*
  • Accipiter Press Publications
    • Mai Po: The Seasons
    • Hong Kong Nature Walks
  • Links
  • GALLERIES
    • Ducks to Cormorants
    • Raptors to Jacanas
    • Snipes to Terns
    • Doves to White-eyes
  • *UPDATE - AN ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF HONG KONG BIRDS 2022*
  • LATEST SIGHTINGS 2022
    • January 2022
    • February 2022
    • March 2022
    • April 2022
    • May 2022
    • June 2022
    • July 2022
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2021 ARCHIVE
    • January 2021
    • February 2021
    • March 2021
    • April 2021
    • May 2021
    • June 2021
    • July 2021
    • August 2021
    • September 2021
    • October 2021
    • November 2021
    • December 2021
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2020 Archive
    • January 2020
    • February 2020
    • March 2020
    • April 2020
    • May 2020
    • June 2020
    • July 2020
    • August 2020
    • September 2020
    • October 2020
    • November 2020
    • December 2020
  • BIRD SIGHTINGS - 2019 ARCHIVE
    • January 2019
    • February 2019
    • March 2019
    • April 2019
    • May 2019
    • June 2019
    • July 2019
    • August 2019
    • September 2019
    • October 2019
    • November 2019
    • December 2019
  • Bird Sightings - 2018 Archive
    • January 2018
    • February 2018
    • March 2018
    • April 2018
    • May 2018
    • June 2018
    • July 2018
    • August 2018
    • September 2018
    • October 2018
    • November 2018
    • December 2018
  • Bird Sightings - 2017 Archive
    • January 2017
    • February 2017
    • March 2017
    • April 2017
    • May 2017
    • June 2017
    • July 2017
    • August 2017
    • September 2017
    • October 2017
    • November 2017
    • December 2017
  • Blog - A BIG YEAR 2020
  • IN THE NEWS - CONSERVATION ISSUES AT HOME & ABROAD
   Birding Hong Kong
A BIRDING BLOG -
hong kong AND 
FURTHER AFIELD

ALBERTA, CANADA - 18-31 JULY, 2019 (1)

14/8/2019

0 Comments

 
 Think I'll go out to Alberta...      Ian Tyson
Picture
Glacier at Lake Louise, 28 July
​My wife and I went to Alberta. We flew from Hong Kong to Calgary via Vancouver on 18th July. On the 19th, we picked up a hire car and drove through flat pasture land to the town of Red Deer, 137 kilometres to the north.
 
Although it was mid-July, the temperature was around 9 degrees Celsius and there was driving rain. Just outside of Red Deer we stopped in a small muddy car park beside Slack Slough – a well-known wetland area. Unfortunately, because of  the awful weather we did not get out of the car. There were no views over the water and what birds there were were difficult to get to grips with. However, three Wilson’s Snipes flew overhead and a Wilson’s Phalarope landed briefly next to the pool of water in the muddy parking area.
 
The following day dawned more brightly and we spent most of the day around Gaetz Lakes, a bird sanctuary close to the centre of town, and the adjacent McKenzie Park. I also went back to the lakes on the early morning of the 21st before we continued our journey. The bird sanctuary is based around two lakes; there are trails through pine forest and grassland,  and  bird feeders outside  the Kerry Wood Nature Centre allow for good views of a variety of species. The area provided a good introduction to a number of North American birds, although I struggled with some of the sparrows!
 
There were not too many waterfowl on the lakes, although there were more ducks  than at first appeared and I saw Common Goldeneye, Mallard, Common Merganser, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal and Ruddy Duck, a number of these with chicks. They were not always easy to identify, however, as drakes at this time of the year are in eclipse plumage. Canada Geese and Red-necked Grebes were also present on the lake, and flyovers included three Great Blue Herons, 24 American White Pelicans and 46 Franklin’s Gulls. A pair of Common Loons was on the small lake at McKenzie Park.
Picture
Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
Gaetz Lakes Bird Sanctuary, 20 July
Picture
Blue-winged Teal at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
American White Pelican at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
Common Loon at McKenzie Park, Red Deer, 20 July
Other birds in the surrounding area included Eastern Phoebe, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Yellow Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, and Brown-headed Cowbird. As for the sparrows, which are closely related to Old World buntings, with the aid of the photographs I took and with reference to recent editions of two field guides – The Sibley Guide to Birds and The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Western Region – I worked out I saw Chipping, Clay-colored, Savannah, Lincoln’s and White-throated Sparrows in the area, although I have the suspicion that I also saw one or two other species that passed under my radar.
Picture
Cedar Waxwing at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
White-breasted Nuthatch at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
American Goldfinch at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 21 July
Picture
Yellow Warbler at McKenzie Park, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
American Robin at McKenzie Park, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
House Finch at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 21 July
Picture
Lincoln's Sparrow, McKenzie Park, Red Deer, 20 July
Picture
Red-winged Blackbird at Gaetz Lakes, Red Deer, 20 July
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2021
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed