Street Biologist's Diary

  Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) is a symbol of spring. Every spring, when I see them visiting the feeder in our backyard, I know that nature is waking up. The male's conk-la-ree is a classic sound of wetlands in the spring in and around Edmonton and many parts of Alberta. These males are gorgeous black in colour with distinctive red shoulder patches that are visible when the bird is in flight or in display. At rest, males also show a white or pale yellow wing bar. These wing markings are very important in defending the male's territory. Males with larger spots are more effective in chasing away the rival males. On this Sunday morning, as I am looking through the window at our snow-covered backyard, I am thinking of those blackbirds visiting the feeders again and calling out loudly the arrival of spring. A few months and it will happen again.......... A high key frame of a male in early spring Every time I look at this photo, I remember Joe Cocker's song ...

  It was toward the end of May, 2022. One evening, I received a text message from my dear friend and bird photographer Dan Spivak, "Are you still looking to get an owl photo?" Reading his message, I almost jumped off my chair - "Of course!" Dan gave me the location in Central Alberta of a mama owl and her two chicks. It was in the middle of the week. So, I had to wait till the weekend. On Saturday, May 28th morning, me and one of my photographer friends drove for over 90 minutes to get to the location. We started looking from tree to tree but couldn't find anything. We thought, they must have left. So, I took a photo of the site where we were standing with my iPhone, and sent it to Dan for his help. Dan immediately replied back saying that we were most likely standing right by the tree and we should look up... way up! And there they were!! Mom and the two owlets were perched in the upper canopy of this giant spruce tree. What an experience that was!! Thank you ...

  Elk island National Park. December 30. 2022. After spending some time enjoying the hoar frost we started to head back to the city. Then we came across this single Plains Bison ( Bison bison bison ) digging in to the snow to find some food. What a gorgeous scene it was! Elk Island National Park has been a refuge for both subspecies of North American Bison - Plains Bison and Wood Bison ( Bison bison athabascae ) since the mid sixties. Bisons are North America's largest mammal species. Millions of them once ranged across the continent from Alaska to Mexico and were an important resource for indigenous peoples who lived on the plains. The bison against the late afternoon light. A close up.