Today's walk in Fish Creek Park

This morning, 11 January 2019, I met up with nine friends for a walk at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park. It was a very slow morning for birds, but after about two and a half hours, we had found 11 species of bird. Out of maybe a dozen photos taken in total, this was the only one remotely fit to post. I am doing so just for a record of having been on this walk.

The other six photos I posted tonight were taken yesterday, 10 January 2019. Unfortunately, the Snowy Owl - the second of three that I found - decided to perch on top of such an ugly insulator atop a utility pole.

I am not on my computer very much at the moment, because I am just so fed up of it freezing constantly and I have to keep starting all over again. If I am able, I really have to get back to editing and posting more photos from our Ontario and Quebec trip back in May 2018. Not sure I am going to be able to finish them before my next trip, but at least I can get further ahead than I am now.

The following is leader, Andrew Hart's report.

"Ten of us assembled on a brisk, but clear, morning at Shannon Terrace. The temperature was about -6 deg C, rising to -4 deg C by the end, under mainly sunny skies with no wind.

It was a quiet, tough, birding trip. The birds we did see generally made us work hard to find them.

Chickadees (easily visible), WW Crossbills and Bohemian Waxwings (flitting through the tree tops) were the most abundant species.

We saw a total of 11 species (Ebird list below).

"Near misses" could be said to be

A Junco that may or may not have flitted past us.
A Townsend's solitaire that could have been briefly heard, but no-one wanted to commit to it.
A Pileated Woodpecker. We saw signs of recent activity, but no accompanying woodpecker.

Andrew Hart

Ebird list:
Downy Woodpecker 5
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Black-billed Magpie 3
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 30
Boreal Chickadee 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 6
Bohemian Waxwing 20
White-winged Crossbill 50
Pine Siskin 6"