Peace Update April and May

[Chris]

April and May are great months up here. Every time I go out I usually see a new spring arrival. The melt was slow in April. It typically hovered just above zero most days.

Geese patiently waiting for the ice to melt.




Sharp-tailed Grouse



Some highlights for April was a Gyrfalcon around mid month. A surprise sighting was a Great Blue Heron at Charlie Lake. They are very uncommon in the peace especially north of the Peace River.

This Tree Swallow was very cooperative.



Tree Sparrows



Lesser Scaup are very common up here. Greater Scaup not so much. Managed this photo of them.



Shorebirds are quite common up here during migration.Semipalmated are more common than Least Sandpipers. I was lucky enough to get both species in a photo. Was taken through a chain link fence.



Sandhill Cranes




My list so far for the year

Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Blue-winged 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
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Sora
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Bonaparte's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Great Gray Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Gyrfalcon
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Canada Jay
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Marsh Wren
European Starling
Varied Thrush
American Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
White-winged Crossbill
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

[murraybrown]

Chris, that's a very impressive list. some rather uncommon birds there. Many would be a "big deal" elsewhere. Looking forward to your next update.