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Jbstruthers Location
Edmonton, AB
Most of my birding is confined to Beaumaris Lake, Edmonton. It's in my back yard.
| Joined Geobirds | October 24, 2008 |
| Clubs | none yet |
Sightings by Jbstruthers
| 972 sightings |
106 species |
615 pictures |
|---|---|---|
Most recent activity
All sightings >>
I was behind the Home Depot on 137 Avenue, west of 127 (tracking down a geocache) Street when I scarred up a trio of partridges...been a long time since I've heard these bird burst into flight.
Double-crested Cormorant
This somewhat forlorn cormorant is sharing a bit of open water with a few mallards, several ring-billed gulls and some Canada Geese. One wing seems to droop a bit but that may just be poor posture.
I'm looking at about 75 gulls loafing on a thin bit of ice which formed on Beaumaris overnight. The skiff of ice covers less than 20% of the surface. The gulls seem to prefer standing on the ice to swimming.
Two males and a female visible from my balcony, otherwise my view of Beaumaris water is devoid of birds. Fall is in the air again or is that still?
Mallards
I tend to overlook the mallards since they seem always to be around, even if the numbers are currently small.
Canada Geese
The geese are in groups up to 40 and seem to be killing time.
Hooded Mergansers
Somebody should advise these guys the season for courting is gone.
Hooded Mergansers
Somebody should advise these guys the season for courting is gone.
No obvious males.
The dozen or so birds that have been here for several days were conspicuous by their absence.
Singles or pairs scattered about.
Hard to say how many...five floating and diving together...others flying in pairs but they could be the same birds...females, immatures or eclipse males.
A circle of plywood, about 3 feet in diameter, was floating offshore on Beaumaris. A gull spotted it, lit beside it and after watching it a while hopped aboard. Other gulls and several Canada Geese, floating some distances away, swam over...out of curiosity I assume. Soon 3 or 4 gulls were riding on the wood. The other birds, geese and gulls, floated nearby surrounding the wooden platform.
A Merlin blazed a big-league line drive across Beaumaris as I enjoyed my late lunch on my balcony and listened to the gabble of geese. There was no apparent quarry. Why would this bird be in such a hurry?
Several small, ragged Vs of noisy geese just flew over Beaumaris headed north west.
Seems the magpies are more approachable at this season.
These birds move around the lake...hard to tell if there's 2, 4 or six.
Like the magpies, the crows seem less wary in the fall.
Suspect these may be adults but they could be this year's young.
These guys and gals continue to hang around, floating and fishing.
These birds spend the day in smaller groups, 3 or 4, but seem to raft up when it's getting dark.
A pair of buffleheads is diving within sight of my balcony, as I eat supper.
A pair observed well off shore.
Suspect this bird is different than the one observed earlier. Seems to be darker.
While I was counting the gulls I saw the odd couple again, the red-neck with the horned grebe.
At this time of day, this time of year during other years there would have been close to 500 gulls on Beaumaris. I'm wondering why I'm seeing far fewer ring-bills these days.
When there are geese on these mergansers spend a lot of time with them. Why? I have a theory and wonder what others might think.
I see these birds regularly these days but they don't sit for pictures.
The odd couple, red-necked and horned, was visible again this evening.
A lone bird well off shore and I suspect it's the same one I've been seeing recently.
A single bird flying fast.
Red-necked Grebes
This is another shot of the unidentified bird
Red-necked Grebe
This young red-necked grebe (left) is accompanied by another bird, which I assume to be a young grebe of another variety. They were too far off shore for better pictures.
One bird had distinctive male plumage.
Watched this one as I fished for my camera. About the time I was almost ready, he was attacked by a small, indigenous sparrow and they sped of together.
Two missing from this group; perhaps they were diving. These birds spend a lot of time under water.
Grooming some distance off shore.
Most coots continue to boycott Beaumaris but the occasional one stops by, perhaps for old times sake.
Common Loons
This bird appears to be alone and I'm not certain it is an immature.
Common Loons
This bird appears to be alone and I'm not certain it is an immature.
Common Loon
This bird appears to be alone and I'm not certain it is an immature.
Again, only one of these birds is dressed as a mature male.
These birds were bobbing in the waves, sometimes flying up into the wind briefly, in the company of several geese, hooded mergansers, ring-billed gulls and a few mallards.
Pied-billed Grebe
I believe this bird has been around here for a week or two. Saw it catch a fish up by the shore but was too slow with the camera to capture the action when the bird surfaced with the fish.
Hooded Mergansers
Only one of the birds observed appears to be a male.
Turkey Vultures
These birds were basking in the sun prior to setting out for a day of scavenging. Six birds are visible in this shot but, briefly, 13 birds were visible from that vantage point.
Great Gray Owl
The silhouette is formed by a deformed limb on this old snag, but each time we see it we think of an owl.
Common Tern
This is just a guess...could have been a gull...certainly not a turkey vulture.
Northern Flicker
Found this feather in the campground. If you look carefully you will note a spider, to the right of the upper end of the feather.
Turkey Vultures
On a recent trip to Moose Lake, accompanied by jim macgregor, I was just about to capture the marked bird, AAJ, when another bird flew into the frame. A third bird is barely visible behind the flyer. We watched about 20 birds depart the roost that morning.
I assume this was one of the birds I saw a few days earlier. In years gone by one has nested here but I don't think that was the case this year.
In three separate groups...a couple of the birds seem to be shifting from eclipse plumage.
A fleeting glance of a pair flitting in the shrubs.