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Birding News ALBERTA NOVEMBER 2019
This member of the corvid family (along with crows, ravens and blue jays) was known as the “Canada jay” to
English speakers for 200 years. In 1957 the American Ornithologists’ Union decided that, based on a nomen-
clatural system they no longer use, the species should be called “gray jay” - at least for scientific literature and
field guides.
The Gray jay is found in every province and territory, but is not already a provincial or territorial bird. Several
of the other front runners in the National Bird Project, meanwhile, already had this designation, including the
Common loon (Ontario), the Snowy owl (Quebec), the Black-capped chickadee (New Brunswick) and the Com-
mon raven (Yukon).
Not only has the Gray jay never been recorded outside of North America, the vast majority of its range is in
Canada, with only a small percentage crossing into Alaska and the western mountains of the United States. The
species preferred habitat is Canada’s boreal and mountain forests—ecozones that stretch from coast to coast and
into the North, blanketing nearly two-thirds of the country.
The gray jay has been portrayed in the works of wildlife artist Robert Bateman (left), and often figures
in Indigenous Peoples' lore and art, such as that of Anishinabek artist Mark Nadjiwan.
Formally known as “Gray jay”. Also known as “Whiskey jack”
BIRDERS
Rio-Grande/Rio Bravo United States—Mexico border
Migration route for thousands of species heading south to South
America for winter and north to Canada’s breeding grounds.
Clocks “fall” backyards 1 Hour
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Meet at the back of The Wild Bird Store at 8:45am and carpool to
Carburn Park
Cost: $5.00 +fees & GST. Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Meet at the back of The Wild Bird Store at 8:45am and carpool to
Sikome Lake/Ranche
Cost: $5.00 +fees & GST. Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Meet at the back of The Wild Bird Store at 8:45am and carpool to
Beaver Dam Flats Park
Cost: $5.00 +fees & GST. Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets
SUNDAY, December 15, 2019 Calgary Christmas Bird Count
Meet at 8:30am in Pumphouse Theatre parking lot on 9th Avenue SW
Tickets are mandatory for all ID
classes and Bird Walks
Tickets are mandatory for all ID
classes and Bird Walks Please dress for the weather and
remember to bring water
Elliston Park Saturday, November 2, 2019 @9:30am
Take Deerfoot or Stoney Trail E to 17 Ave.
Drive to 68 ST SE (go east if you took Deerfoot or west if you took Stoney)
Go south on 68 ST SE. This is the road to the East Calgary Landfill
After 100m or so, turn right into the parking lot
Cost: $5.00 +fees & GST. Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets
Carburn Park Saturday, November 16, 2019 @9:30am
Take Glenmore Trail to 18th Street SE
Cost: $5.00 +fees & GST. Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets
Gavin McKinnon
Jim St. Laurent
As of November 1, 2019 to purchase tickets to any of The Wild Bird Store ID Classes or Saturday Bird Walks, you will need
to go to Event Brite and search for the event by name or click the link attached to the event.
Please dress for the weather and
remember to bring water
Tim Shields didn’t see any young tortoises himself. For the most part, the only sign of them was their shells, desiccated and punctured, scattered around the landscape and piled under the occasional Joshua tree. He was working on a long-term monitoring project in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, where over the past few decades juvenile tortoises had all but disappeared from the study areas. This particular year, the scientists and volunteers spotted a single live juvenile tortoise—in the beak of a raven, flailing its legs as it was carried away.
That was eight years ago. While desert tortoises face a range of threats, for juveniles whose shells are still soft, raven predation is perhaps the biggest concern. Shields knew that past efforts to control the canny birds by shooting or poisoning them had faced legal challenges from animal activists; many scientists think, as well, that killing enough ravens to protect tortoises simply isn’t possible. So Shields went in search of an alternative.
After talking with other biologists, engineers, and even some rocket scientists—with anyone, really—he concluded that he needed to teach ravens a new way of life. Working with a diverse cadre of collaborators, including the noted raven-biologist William Boarman, the design software company Autodesk, and a science teacher from Shields’s hometown, his company, Hardshell Labs, created the “techno-tort”—an educational tool for ravens designed to get across one lesson: They ought not to eat tortoises.
Originally the “techno-tort” was inspired by basic styrofoam tortoises that Boarman made in the 1990s, the techno-tort is now uncannily lifelike. Lying in the sand, the 3-D-printed shell had a similar solidity and texture to the real thing but was considerably lighter. This one had been color-printed, but earlier prototypes were hand-painted—and subsequent shells have been too, while the company searches for a printing pigment that will last under the desert sun.
In the field, techno-torts will be fitted with accelerometers and methyl anthranilate, a nontoxic bird deterrent. When a raven disturbs the shell, it will let out an explosive spray with a noxious taste and odor. A more low-tech version will involve packing shells full of meat treated with another nontoxic substance that will briefly nauseate the raven. The aim is to effectively communicate, through the experience of fright or queasiness, a simple message: Stay away.
Until recently, the main approaches available to conservationists for dealing with difficult wildlife have been limited—basically fencing them out or killing them. But now pedagogic alternatives are beginning to emerge, raising the question of whether fractious relationships might be modified by a little interspecies education.
A Lesson for Ravens: Don’t Eat the Tortoises
Since the 1990s, crows have experienced a population boom in Japan, where—not coincidentally—delicious garbage is more plentiful than ever before. This is bad news for power companies. Urban crows like to nest on electric transformers and will often use wire hangers or fiberoptic cables as building materials for their nests. The result was an epidemic of crow-caused blackouts in major cities around Japan: Between 2006 and 2008, the corvids stole almost 1400 fiberoptic cables from Tokyo power providers, and according to the Chubu electric company, crows are responsible for around 100 power failures per year in their facilities alone.
To fight back, Chubu started installing artificial “love nests” in 2004. Made with non-conductive resin, the nests are placed on company towers high above the power lines, where the birds are unlikely to cause any trouble. The strategy seems to be working: 67 percent of the faux nests are currently in use, making life a lot easier for Chubu employees.
Susanne Maidment
HUMMINGBIRDS—Flying Jewels
Wednesday, November 20th @ 2:00pm
Tickets are $15.00 each + fees
"Hummingbirds truly are the flying jewels of our world. We will look at what defines a hummingbird, and explore their
strength, beauty and adaptability. Much of our current information has been gained through the process of banding, which
involves placing a small metal band on the leg of a "hummer". Having a wild healthy hummingbird in hand is not only a
learning opportunity, but also an honour. During this presentation I will share photographs, as well as my enthusiasm for
Tickets must be purchased in advance
through Eventbrite
No tickets will be available at the door
Join professional ornithologists Kirsten Pearson and Josh Sullivan as they delve into the world of avian anatomy and physiology. In this course, we learn how form meets function, and the unique and interesting ways birds have adapted to their niches and ecosystems.
Kirsten Pearson, wildlife biologist/field co-ordinator
Josh Sullivan wildlife biologist/wildlife lead
AVIAN Anatomy and Plumage
Saturday, November 30th @ 1:00pm
Tickets are $15.00 each + fees
Tickets must be purchased in advance
through Eventbrite
No tickets will be available at the door
Tom Hince—Ornithologist, Point Pelee
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
North to the Arctic Ocean
Monday, May 25, 2020 & Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Will give a presentation on “north to the Arctic Ocean” followed by a trip
To Cold Lake, Alberta May 27—29, 2020 to see Warblers
Tickets are $25.00 each + fees & GST for the seminar May 25th or 26th
For seven of the past eight years, Tom Hince has explored and guided groups to the magnificent wilderness of Canada's
Yukon and Northwest Territories. Every person who has joined has left in awe. From Grizzly Bears, Lynx and Wolves to
Smith's Longspurs, jaegers and majestic northern owls, this truly is a magical experience.
Tickets must be purchased in advance
through Eventbrite
No tickets will be available at the door
For information and to book for the trip to Cold Lake, please email Tom @: [email protected]
Bird Seed Truck
Montgomery Community Association
5300 - 16 Avenue N.W.
(corner of Home Road and 16th Avenue N.W.)
Every Monday
3:00pm - 6:00pm
On Monday, November 11, 2019 The Bird Seed Truck will not be at Montgomery location we apologize for any
inconvenience
Crowfoot YMCA/Arena
(corner of John Laurie Blvd. and Nose Hill Drive)
Every Wednesday
2:00pm to 6:00pm
Be sure your order is on the truck when we come to either of our
locations by
Texting us @ (403) 701-4571 or emailing
With desired location pick-up
PLEASE NOTE: earn and redeem customer loyalty points on
the Bird Seed Truck.
Can’t make it to one of our locations, we
also deliver. Send us your order by email
to [email protected]. We deliver
on Mondays (except if it’s a holiday) and
require your order no later than 4:00pm
on the preceding Friday. Delivery charge
is applicable unless brought to one of our
locations on The Bird Seed Truck.
Ever tried a pair of binoculars in a store and having purchased them, discovered they were not what you had been hoping
for? Well, The Wild Bird Store is offering a solution—rent a pair of binoculars….and if they don’t work for you, rent
another pair. We want you to enjoy your new binoculars and more importantly, we want them to perform for your viewing
pleasure. Binoculars will be available for rent on a daily basis and once you decide on the pair you want, 50% of your paid
rental will be applied to your binocular purchase.
The Wild Bird Store only carries Leupold® binoculars and scopes for two reasons:
1. An excellent affordable binocular/scope
2. The Wild Bird Store is a warranty depot for Leupold Optics
For more information on our binocular rental program, please contact
The Wild Bird Store at (403)640-2632 or come in and see us.
The Wild Bird Store also has tripods, window mounts,
backpacks, adapters for digiscoping, binocular harnesses
and much more…..
To try a pair of binoculars
We offer a discount if you return your seed
bags (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which
we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, if you
bring your own container to fill or use a bag from
our re-cycle bin. This discount is in addition to
any other discount offered.
Write a Google review on your exper ience
at The Wild Bird Store, and as a thank you, we
will give you 100 customer loyalty points
($5.00 value). To get a promo code, kindly
email [email protected]
(one Google review per customer)
Earn 200 customer loyalty points ($10.00 value) by referring a friend, acquaintance or fellow birder.
Please visit the store to get a promo code.
No need for a card, just give your phone number. You earn $1.00 for every $20.00 spent (excludes “sales” items, books & optics) and can be used in-store and on Mobile Seed Truck. As a loyalty member our monthly promotions and in-store “specials” are automatically given at the cash register.
Combining our Seniors 10% discount with the Loyalty Program. (Excludes “sales” items, books & optics).
Discount for membership 10% discount for members of Fish Creek Park, AIWC, Priddis Golf Club, Nature Calgary, Sandy Cross Conservation and Springbank Garden Club. Must present valid membership card at time of purchase.
Located at The Wild Bird Store (near the seed
bins). We collect your donations and arrange to
deliver them to Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation
Society. For their wish list please visit:
http://calgarywildlife.org/wishlist/
Have you been into The Galler-oom? Come see the display of art and home décor for sale, from local artists and photographers.
This is where we run our seminars from
September to May as well as presentations from birding experts. For information on these seminars and presentations see the Seminars and
Presentations section of the newsletter or go to our website and check out the Calendar of Events.
The Galler-oom is also for rent for small groups
of 35 people of less that need a meeting or event space. Table and chairs are available as well as refreshments for $50/hour. For more information or to book the room, please email
Saturdays in The Gallery we serve
cookies and coffee.
Please join us!
“REPRINT” due January 2020
Exciting news! This very popular field guide devoted to the birds of Alberta only, has
been out of print for over a year. We anticipate there may be a slight increase in the retail
price when this publication is finally released in early 2020, but wanted to give our
customers the opportunity to secure a copy now. To place your name on the waiting list,
please visit The Wild Bird Store or email us at [email protected].
The weather forecast looked bleak—another blast of winter was about to hit Calgary. But the day before was looking
very positive and so it seemed like the ideal time to do a “road trip.” Lots of water everywhere—not so great for the
farmers but the waterfowl love it. We saw lots of Long-billed dowitchers, some Common mergansers and a couple of
Great blue herons and then off in the far distance over Lake Bruce we saw a huge flock of birds. We both agreed they
had to be rather large birds otherwise we would never have seen them from the distance we were at. Then they banked
into the sun and we saw white. Mystery solved—Snow geese and there were literally thousands of them. No doubt
heading south on their fall migration and stopping for the night where they knew they could rest and find food. This is
why Alberta is such a great birding province.
Page-a-day desk calendar,
Antarctica, Canadian Wild-
life, Birds of Alberta and
Calgary Wildlife Rehabilita-
tion Society.
CASH ONLY—you save the
GST! Limited quantities.
Bird of Prey: Watch the Award-Winning Documentary Now Fourteen stories high in a rainforest tree, a pair of Great Phil-
ippine Eagles struggles to raise their chick. Watch with us as
this new life grows from gawky chick to powerful eaglet—one
of fewer than 800 remaining. Our stunning film tells the mov-
ing tale of a small but devoted group of people who refuse to
believe in anything less than this magnificent bird's recovery.
Watch the Full Movie Now: Bird of Prey is now streaming
on iTunes, Amazon, and Vimeo.
Proceeds from the film will further the Lab's commitment to
help protect endangered species.
JusticeFilm Festival
The 2019 Festival is taking place November 12 - 17! The festival shows at least few documentaries about endangered animal species and environmental issues
every year. For more information:
http://www.justicefilmfestival.ca/festival
The eastern Rockies in Alberta were formed from layers of hard and soft sedimentary rock which were folded and thrust up by great pressure from the south-west. Along the front (eastern) ranges the layers are turned up into an almost vertical orientation. Weathering over a great length of time has left the hard layers (mostly limestone and dolomite) standing as almost straight south-east to north-west trending ridges. These ridges parallel the eagle’s desired route between wintering and breeding grounds. They also happen to trend at right angles to the prevailing wind and these conditions, rising up the western slopes of the ridges, generate up-drafts which eagles use to maintain height with as little flapping as possible. When wind conditions are right the eagles sail by at over 100 km/hour with hardly any effort. On calm days they use thermals forming over peaks and soar up in them to great heights which allow them to go on to the next thermal in a shallow diving glide. When a number of eagles are soaring together, the group is called a kettle of eagles. Kettles are a magnificent sight and as many as sixty eagles have been seen gaining height in one kettle over the Fisher Range near the Hay Meadow, Mount Lorette site.
Fall Migration Count
At Mt. Lorette, Steeples, Vicki Ridge September 20 to November 15, 2019
For more information, please visit: www.eaglewatch.ca
WINTER BIRDING COURSE 12 WEEK COURSE RUNS JANUARY 6 - MARCH 29, 2020
Experienced birder David Mitchell and over 30 volun-teers lead these outdoor courses. Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours and participants can sign up for 1 or 2 outings per week. Start times Monday - Thursday: 9:15 am. Saturdays: 9:00 am, Sundays: 9:00 am and 1:15 pm Fee: Once a week outing, Friends of Fish Creek Members: $60.00, Non-members: $100.00 Twice a week outings, Friends Members: $100.00, Non-members: $150.00 Youth 16 years of age or younger with registered adult: $5.00 Registration Required. For more information or to register visit www.friendsoffishcreek.org/programs/birding-course
The Wild Bird Store
Is the warranty & repair depot for:
Squirrel Buster® Bird Feeders
Aspects® Feeders
Droll Yankee® Bird Feeders
And the warranty depot for:
Leupold Binoculars & Spotting
Scopes
Go to YouTube, type in the search bar “The Wild Bird Store” to watch our videos and to help
us become more visible . We have just recently posted 3 new videos for a total of 6. Be sure to
click on “Subscribe” before you leave the page.
5901 3rd Street S.E., Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm
Calgary, AB T2H 1K3
Phone: (403)640-2632 CLOSED Sundays and ALL Statutory holidays for Faith,
Family & Friends
Web: wildbirdstore.ca
email: [email protected]
FOLLOW US ON:
Facebook@thewildbirdstoreyyc
Twitter@wildbirdstoreyyc
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Monday, November 11, 2019
- - - - - - - -
When the harsh winter weather hits—and believe me it will—
have inexpensive “back-up” feeders ready to go. When you
venture out because the feeders are empty, just take an already to
go feeder and replace it. Then you can take the empty feeder
inside the house or garage and at your leisure and where it is
warm, you can empty, clean and refill for the next blast of
winter.
