Western Road Trip Part 9 (Burrowing owl)

Burrowing owl

Large tracts of farmland in southern Saskatchewan were still underwater after a very wet winter. The wood ticks were everywhere, especially during the moist and humid weather typical of mid to late May.
I had heard that an owl had been seen sitting on a fence post at a nearby farm. What type of owl no one knew but it had been seen earlier in the day.
After walking the field and stumbling on what appeared to be a badgers den, a sudden flash off wings announced the presence of a Burrowing owl. I backed off and sat quietly about a 150 feet away from the burrow. Thirty mosquito bites later the bird returned. It sat on a post glaring at me before flying back to the vicinity of the burrow where I managed 4 flight shots, three of which were slightly out of focus and this one "keeper"
Although protected here in Canada the birds are subjected to numerous hazards during migration and on its wintering grounds where DDT spraying is commonplace.
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Burrowing owl 

Western Road Trip Part 8 (Wild Turkey)

I had gone to the Elkhorn area of Cypress Hills, Alberta to photograph warblers but after arriving and the light failing very quickly I decided to have a cuppa of tea and settle in for the night. At around 4.45 a.m next morning an almighty series of calls woke me from my sleep.
Peering out the window of my van there was a Wild Turkey with two females. As a newcomer to birding I always thought the Wild turkey was something from the Mid-West USA. The light was so low that photography was almost impossible. After tens minutes or so the birds wandered off into the bush. A few hours later and ready to continue my journey I was just about to leave the campground and there were the same trio but this time with a little better light, after a few quick shots they too disappeared into the forest.
I wasn't finished with the wild Turkeys yet. During my visit to Vernon I saw another Wild Turkey in the demonstration forest on Benchrow Rd, although I don't have photographs another birder had some good record shots.

One thing about birding is to be prepared for the unexpected, perhaps that is why it is such a popular pastime with people from every walk of life.
I spoke to a game warden and he explained that the Turkeys had made a nuisance of themselves and some had to been relocated. I suppose that happens when you build cabins, a gas station and other infrastructure on their territory. The only predator they have is the cougar which have been turning up at Elkhorn to have their young and snack on turkey meat. I suppose its like a wildlife supermarket. Trouble is cougars and turkeys seem to get in the way of us "humans"
Nothing new there!

Black-throated sparrow/An irregular visitor

                                                          Grant Narrows June 11 2012

It wasn't too hard to find this rare visitor to B.C. as it was quite happy to feed right next the canoe rental office. The sparrow spent most of the time feeding on grass seeds.
A few feet away an American redstart flitted from branch to branch, perhaps in search of a mate.

Western Road Trip Part 7 (Common and Forster's tern)

It was hard to tell the difference between the two different terns until I photographed the birds at different locations.

The first are the Forester's tern with an orange black tipped beak and longer tail projection that can be seen in the second series of photos. Please let me know if you have different opinion as I am just a beginner birder.
The first were photographed at Val Marie near Regina. The second series are from Chaplin IBA Saskatchewan.

Forster's tern. Note long tail feathers and orange feet and bill.

This Forster's tern had dropped it's catch mid-air but made an acrobatic upside down recovery.

Common terns at Chaplin, Sask June 2012

Common tern diving for fish at Chaplin IBA Sask

The water is about two feet deep.

but the fishing trip was successful

Note lack of long trail feathers and red beak and legs.

Western Road Trip Part 6 (Another "Lifer" Redhead duck plus some Wilson's)

My very first and only ever sighting of a Redhead duck was this small flock flying near Val Marie (IBA) Craven, Saskatchewan. Slightly fortuitous as I was photographing Forster's terns diving for fish and happened to look up and there they were just in range for a half decent shot. I think this may make a nice print, we'll see. The area is usually spayed for mosquitos so the bird life has dropped off in the past few years. This year there was no spraying and the warblers, flycatchers and others insect feeding birds are back in force.

Earlier in the day in a waterlogged ditch I came across a Wilson's snipe as well a pair of Wilson's phalarope. Although close to an IBA they choose to forage in puddles and ditches.

Wilson'd phalarope

Wilson's phalarope

Wilson's snipe

Western Road Trip Part 5 (Cowbirds and Warblers)

Two female brown-headed cowbirds watch the path of a yellow warbler (below) In this particular area of Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan there were perhaps hundreds of warbler nests as well Red-eyed vireo, black-capped chickadee and smaller flycatchers that cowbirds could lay their eggs. This parasitic behaviour is a throw back to when the cowbirds followed the great buffalo herds across the American Mid-West.

Yellow warbler

Western Birding trip Part 4 (Sparrows)

I read somewhere to get better at bird photography practice with the more common birds like sparrows, robins and ducks.

Chipping sparrow/Vaseaux Lake, Okanagan

I did a little research and spent some time tracking down some of the sparrows that frequent the Okanagan and the hedgerows of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Clay-colored sparrow/Benchrow Rd, Vernon

Lark bunting(Sparrow family)/Writing on Stone/Alberta

Lark sparrow/Alberta

Vesper sparrow/Chopake/Okanagan