Hey guys!
I’ve recently gotten into bird watching. It sounds super nerdy, I know, but it’s weirdly fun. I’m still very much an amateur at it and I have no intention of hunkering down in the woods to get the perfect shot, but I do enjoy capturing pictures when I’m out walking. I’ve started taking pictures of any birds that I see when I’m out and then rooting through my Birds of Alberta book when I get home to figure out what all I’ve captured on film. I have a friend who works at Elk Island National Park and her passion for all things nature has spilled over onto me a little, at least in terms of wanting to be able to identify what I’m seeing in the world. This is why I’m starting a little series within my blogs called Bird Nerd! I will share neat sightings of birds and we can all learn more about our world! I won’t share more than 3 or 4 birds so I don’t run out and no one gets overwhelmed.
Did you know that there are around 300 species of birds that grace Alberta with their presence? I haven’t seen that many and have identified/captured in pictures, even less.
Cedar Waxwing
I adore the coloring on these guys. They have beautiful faces, yellow tail tips, and although you can’t really see it in these pictures, they also have a red ruffle on their wing tips. Spotted at Chickakoo Lake.
Lincoln Sparrow
There are actually two dozen varieties of sparrows in Alberta. I had NO idea, I just always assumed that all sparrows were the same thing. I’m not 100% on this ID, but the facial markings were the closest I could find in my book. Spotted at Hasse Lake.
Green Winged Teal Hybrid
This one is interesting and I’m pretty sure it’s a hybrid as it doesn’t look like any particular species. I suspect that it’s crossed with an American Wigeon, but it’s hard to tell. Either way, it’s pretty cute and has some lovely eye shadow going on. Spotted at Chickakoo Lake.
Great Blue Heron
These birds are really cool to watch. The one above was on the hunt and the fish were not pleased. They’re really efficient hunters and absolutely gorgeous, even if they do have crazy eyes. Spotted at Chickakoo Lake and Hasse Lake.
That’s it for the first edition of bird nerd! Hope you guys liked it and are maybe even inspired to check out some of our avian neighbors 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
-Erin