Mountain Chickadee

Yesterday, 31st December, I took part in the 2007 Christmas Bird Count in the Sheep River/Turner Valley area, south of Calgary. The weather was an absolutely perfect winter's day! We saw quite a few of these little Mountain Chickadees, which is always a treat. They are uncommon year round in Alberta. This kind of Chickadee has a white eyebrow through the black cap, unlike the Black-capped Chickadee. It has a white cheek, black bib, grey upperparts and tail, and light grey underparts. It breeds at higher elevations and is found more commonly in the mountains, as the name suggests. Usually, though, they move down to the montane forests for the winter months. They are often found together with a group of Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees.

Species seen by my group of 7 people:

Ruffed Grouse-3
Rough-legged Hawk-3
Downy Woodpecker-11
Hairy Woodpecker-2
Pileated Woodpecker-1
Gray Jay-11
Blue Jay-8
Black-billed Magpie-25
Common Raven-22
Black-capped Chickadee-72
Mountain Chickadee-32
Boreal Chickadee-3
Red-breasted Nuthatch-2
White-breasted Nuthatch-1
Dark-eyed Junco-1
Common Redpoll-38
16 species

American Crow-31, off territory, on 332 Av, at Mesa Creek Ranch.

Red Squirrel-1
Coyote-1
White-tailed Deer-4
Deer sp. 13