Post by Chris on Dec 13, 2019 19:20:56 GMT -8
I realized a few weeks ago I had not done an update in quite a few months, but a few things came up when I meant to do one. In mid-August I got a lifer, an Arctic Tern made an appearance at the local sewage lagoons. Regrettably, I did not take my camera because it was raining heavily. That night I saw two more on Charlie Lake but too far out for a photo. A few days later I got my 23rd shorebird species at the sewage lagoons for the year, Western Sandpiper.
Towards the end of September I managed to see hundreds of Sandhill Cranes feeding in a few fields that were close to each other. It was quite the sight and the noise was enjoyable. A few days later someone reported a Common Crane among the flocks where I saw them. I couldn’t go out that weekend because I was coaching volleyball. It wasn’t seen again after that weekend.
Typically, Charlie Lake experiences algae blooms beginning late July and the algae continues into October. The south end had hundreds of American Wigeons feeding on the algae and among them were two Eurasian Wigeons which is not a common species.
The weather has been great in November and December compared to relative norms. Not very cold at all and little snow. Up until the last few days most areas one could see grass. Doesn’t seem like a good winter for Crossbills as I have seen none nor have I seen reports of them. I have seen the odd Hawk Owl around but not as many as I have seen in previous years. Their numbers fluctuate year to year in the winter months. Been hoping for a Great Gray or Snowy Owl but no luck yet. Last weekend I saw a Lynx. Only my second one and a few kms near I saw my first one. No photo unfortunately.
A few photos
A small sample of the cranes
Hawk Owl
Gryfalcon
My year list. 204 species which is the most I have got since i have been up here. I didn't get into the alpine either which would have resulted in a few more species.
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Yellow Rail
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Hudsonian Godwit
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Baird's Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Black Tern
Arctic Tern
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
American White Pelican
Osprey
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Gyrfalcon
Peregrine Falcon
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Shrike
Canada Jay
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
European Starling
Mountain Bluebird
Varied Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
LeConte's Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Towards the end of September I managed to see hundreds of Sandhill Cranes feeding in a few fields that were close to each other. It was quite the sight and the noise was enjoyable. A few days later someone reported a Common Crane among the flocks where I saw them. I couldn’t go out that weekend because I was coaching volleyball. It wasn’t seen again after that weekend.
Typically, Charlie Lake experiences algae blooms beginning late July and the algae continues into October. The south end had hundreds of American Wigeons feeding on the algae and among them were two Eurasian Wigeons which is not a common species.
The weather has been great in November and December compared to relative norms. Not very cold at all and little snow. Up until the last few days most areas one could see grass. Doesn’t seem like a good winter for Crossbills as I have seen none nor have I seen reports of them. I have seen the odd Hawk Owl around but not as many as I have seen in previous years. Their numbers fluctuate year to year in the winter months. Been hoping for a Great Gray or Snowy Owl but no luck yet. Last weekend I saw a Lynx. Only my second one and a few kms near I saw my first one. No photo unfortunately.
A few photos
A small sample of the cranes
Hawk Owl
Gryfalcon
My year list. 204 species which is the most I have got since i have been up here. I didn't get into the alpine either which would have resulted in a few more species.
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Yellow Rail
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
American Golden-Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Hudsonian Godwit
Stilt Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Baird's Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Black Tern
Arctic Tern
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
American White Pelican
Osprey
Golden Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Gyrfalcon
Peregrine Falcon
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Northern Shrike
Canada Jay
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
European Starling
Mountain Bluebird
Varied Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
LeConte's Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak