Christmas Bird Count

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary - I did my own Christmas Bird Count!

Ok Ok, I am betting you are wondering what in the world is a “Christmas Bird Count”, am I right!!

The link will show you what the the Christmas Bird Count is all about and that is has been around for quite some time.

Now because I worked over the Christmas Bird Count Day which was December 14, a friend and I decided to go out on last Tuesday, December 10 to see what we could find. We both decided to wander through Calgary’s Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. We had no expectations because there are few bird species here during the winter months. But to still get out and see what we could find was the goal of the day.

We were out for about 2.5hrs and did about half of the sanctuary. We ended up out by the river for part of the walk were we had a really surprise!! A young Bald Eagle, which was amazing!! He was just hanging out probably watching for dinner and giving the crows and magpies a thrill!!

Along with the Eagle, we found or maybe I should say the little birdies found us.

2 Downy Woodpecker

1 Hairy Woodpecker

2 Northern Flicker

2 Common Raven

8 Black-capped Chickadee

4 White-breasted Nuthatch

2 Red-breasted Nuthatch

We also counted about 30-40 mallards all hanging out along the rivers edge. Now of course the bird counts are a estimation of how many birds as well as a guess if they are a new group of birds or just the “Welcoming Committee” (as I call them) following you around the Sanctuary.

White Breasted Nuthatch