Army Birding

Friday 24 June 2011 Cold Lake was a revelation – the drive to and back from wasn’t but the area itself was absolutely splendid. It’s on the edge of the Boreal Forest – everything north is wooded until you get beyond the Arctic Circle and the tree line. You could be lost for days and not see anyone; ...

Trip to Calgary this morning to drop off an individual at the airport. Stopped off at a couple of places on the way back. One stop, for a power nap, provided my first lifer for a couple of weeks with an Upland Sandpiper in the adjacent field. I had initially been looking at Marbled Godwit, Wilson's ...

Wandering Tattler wrote:If you are going to Med Hat on the way to/from Calgary you need to check your Satnav!

It's a divert to interesting birds SATNAV.

Geoff M has contacted me to tell me that there is a pair of Bald Eagles nesting opposite the Police Point Park in Medicine Hat. His message was received from a friend now living in Med Hat - hail to the power of Facebook. Might have to pass by on my way back from Calgary tomorrow.

Written on 21 June but not able to post due to poor bandwidth. We had torrential rain last night with the sky looking rather biblical. All that was missing was Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea; even the Padre was impressed. But today was a better day with the sun out and a chance to escape work w...

Les Stroud a.k.a. Survivorman is the real deal. Travels to remote locations alone, carrying all his camera gear, and then survives off the land. Makes Bear Grylls et al with their camera crews look a bit like poseurs. Tony Tony, now fully converted to Les. Just bought all three Series of Survivorma...

The sky was finally blue today and as I woke there was a strange golden orb which rose in the east and has been tracking across the sky all day - it appears to be heading west! The locals appear to know what it is and are rather excited - so are the mosquitoes. Nothing much to report since my last m...

Torrential rain all day so haven't attempted to go out and bird. Given the cloud state at the moment I would susoect this is here for a while longer.

Wandering Tattler wrote:Can't help thinking that you were lucky not to be tasered out on the prairie and flushing everything for a mile!

Don't tempt me - best looking Military Policewoman I've ever seen!

Wandering Tattler wrote:The species of rabbit at Suffiled is the Mountain Cottontail. I know the priaire looks flat and it is easy to assume that you are in the lowlands but it is actually about 2,300' asl.

Rabbit tick!

Wandering Tattler wrote:Could be really good birding after the tornado, especially if birds are still migrating.

The thought had crossed my mind. Let's hope I don't find the bodies of numerous Red-winged Blackbirds tomorrow. Heading up the Route 1 in a couple of hours so fingers crossed.

The skies have been broody all day and as I type were are all locked down with minimal movement around Camp. This is due to a large tornado system being tracked on it's way towards Suffield. Subsequently my chance to bird has been curtailed and, as I am due to drive to Calgary Airport at 0001hrs for...

To ease the Birdfinder General's need for hearing about Mammals the following have been seen whilst I have been here: Brown Bear Moose Elk White-tailed Deer Mule Deer Pronghorn Coyote Red Fox Show-shoe Hare Mountain Cottontail Richardson's Ground Squirrel Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel Chipmunk Vole...

It's been raining most of the day but I put waterproofs on and trudged into Ralston just on the off chance. Little to report really - Loggerhead Shrike at the entrance of the camp and Willet half way on one of the sloughs. There was another Merlin over Ralston but still no sign of House or Purple Fi...

That's it, I'm leaving the army. Work has got in the way of some good birding over the last two days so not much to report. There has been a small iflux of Common Yellowthroats this morning and the Great Horned Owl is still outside the Mess. It's amazing how many people come to my office and tell me...