Canmore Spring Bird Walks 2018 – May 13th Trip Report

Eight people made their way to the walk on this fine spring morning in Canmore. We started early, heading down the boardwalk and then back via the Mallard Pond overlook, catching a total of 27 species. Yellow Warblers are still yet to arrive, but the first Sora of the year whinnied from the reeds, and a plethora of sparrows buzzed and whistled across the marsh.

MALL
Mallards shone in their breeding plumage.

The real highlights, however, were the many blackbirds. Brown-headed Cowbirds fluted their notes above, while the “Ko-kaaachunk!” of the Red-winged Blackbird reverberated around the creek. Also present were Brewer’s Blackbirds setting up their territories, and a lone Common Grackle flew over towards the end of the walk.

BRBL
A male Brewer’s Blackbird lays claim to its home patch.

For those who want to see the full list, click here. I hope to see you all out for our next walk, on May 27th at 7:15! By then, we can expect a good many more species, including the likes of Yellow Warbler and American Redstarts.

3 thoughts on “Canmore Spring Bird Walks 2018 – May 13th Trip Report”

  1. Hello Ethan,

    I am interested in joining you for the next bird walk on May 27.
    -What is the meeting location?
    -A friend may or may not join me, do you need an exact headcount?
    -What should I bring? (if anything particular other than binoculars)
    -Anything else I should know?

    I’ll plan to be there by 7:15 am (unless you suggest otherwise).

    Thank you.

    1. Hi Bridget,
      The next walk will be on May 27th at 7:15 AM, and we’ll be meeting at the Big Head sculpture on Main Street, near the Drake pub. Feel free to bring your friend, or not – I’ll take a count once we get going of how many are there, but it is not super important. Binoculars are really all you need, but keep an eye on the weather forecast, and bring appropriate clothing for variable conditions. I look forward to seeing you on the 27th!

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