Please scroll to the bottom of the page for all the information
2020 Memberships are now due
$10 individual $20 family Please send cheques payable to Buffalo Lake Nature Club and mail to the Treasurer Simone DeCnodder Site 7 RR # 1, Box 35, Bashaw, AB T0B 0H0
Members and friends will continue to receive regular emails. If you wish to be removed from the email list please use the contact page to send us a message.
links to other interesting sites
Ellis Bird Farm Open as of June 27, 2020
Journeynorth.org track species on migration north Monarch Butterflies, American Robin and Hummingbirds
Birds Canada Christmas Bird Count
May 21 Shuckburgh Slough Bird Survey Report
On May 21 2020, in the driving rain, seven observers in 4 vehicles spent a total of an hour and a half on the annual Shuckburgh Slough bird count. About 195 birds from 21 species were counted. 32 Canada Goose, 22 Mallard, 2 Blue-winged Teal, 5 Northern Shoveler, 4 Green-winged Teal,1 Canvasback,7 Redhead, 5 Ring-necked Duck, 6 Lesser Scaup, 5 Ruddy Duck, 31 Eared Grebe, 2 Sora, 11 American Coot, 13 Black-necked Stilt, 4 Black Tern, 1 American Crow,1 Killdeer, 17 Tree Swallows,1 American Robin, 21 Red-winged Blackbird and 4 Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Uniquely Canadian plants and animals (300+) not found anywhere else in the world
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a858e8c173b24a2bb952b96766e80c0f
Roll call observations from Tim Schowalter
We are NE of Drumheller. Worried about lack of native bees this spring. Lots of blossoms on haskaps and Nanking cherries but only 6 to 8 bumble bees at best. Other native species absent. No bees gathering pollen in the willows earlier. Worrisome as we usually have a good number and variety of native species. Have others made similar observations. Might make for poor berry crops among other problems.
Wildlife observations
17 May
1. Mixed flocks of Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows going through. National Geographic bird books mentions that the two species often migrate together.
2. First American Goldfinches at feeder. On the 19th there were 8 males and one female.
18 May - Last White-crowned Sparrow at feeder. Number had dropped off the last few days
19 May - see straggler Sandhill Crane and Tundra Swan on wetlands west of Byemoor.
I have attached a picture of a Clay-colored Sparrow at the finch feeder. Can get decent results with point and shoot camera if there is good light and one is close.
Stay well,
Tim
May events you should check out
May 16 - 24
National Invasive Species Awareness Week
May 16-24th, 2020
Resources Coming Soon!
#NISAW #InvasiveSpecies
After surveying organizations across the country in 2019, CCIS determined that a one-week National Invasive Species Awareness campaign held each spring, is the preferred timing among partners. Consequently, May 16-24, 2020 was selected for the National Invasive Species Awareness Week, in alignment with the second National Invasive Species Awareness Week hosted by our US partners.
To launch our first year of this awareness campaign, we are focused on working with partners across Canada to share messaging and resources through social media and online tools. Therefore, CCIS will be sharing a toolkit in the coming days to help our partners promote this week in their province or territory, to raise awareness and promote action against invasive species together!
The toolkit will include links to key resources, information on webinars we are hosting that week, social media templates and graphics and much more. We are also ensuring we link the week to other, important international themes such as the International Day of Biodiversity and the UN's International Year of Plant Health.
Stay tuned for more!
Copyright © 2019 Canadian Council on Invasive Species, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
100-197 Second Avenue N
Williams Lake, BC, V2G 1Z5
The Payne family finished a 2000 piece puzzle. Now we are working on identifying all the birds and learning their names.
May 19
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan is hosting monthly webinars about species at risk or prairie conservation. These webinars are free and can be viewed from anywhere. They are also recorded and uploaded to the group's YouTube channel for viewing at a later date.
Join Jody Daniel, PhD Candidate, Monday, May 19 for Grassland Songbirds.
For more information or to register, visit www.pcap-sk.org
May 9
Hello, fellow nature-lovers,
Just swooping in to bring exciting news about World Migratory Bird Day 2020!
More than ever, Canadians need nature and each other, and, as nature organizations, we are uniquely positioned to unite bird lovers from coast to coast to coast! This year, host an online photo-sharing event for your supporters, and join the call asking decision-makers to defend migratory birds and the diverse places they call home!
Join this cross-Canada movement—we’ll also add you to our interactive map of events taking place across the country!
These events are a great way to grow your network, a fun way to socialize and come together digitally to appreciate the spring arrival of migratory birds, share some knowledge and raise your voices for the birds you love. Plus, what better way to prove that this year's theme- Birds Connect Our World- is more true than ever! With online video-sharing platforms, it has never been easier to host a virtual celebration of your own, bring together your local community of naturalists, and celebrate birds.
Birds the Word: has Evolved!
If you haven’t checked it out Birdday.ca has been completely revamped and now hosts more interactive resources than ever before! Go check it out and explore the thoughtfully curated resources, sign up to host an event and get placed on the map, or take a moment to share our petition to defend birds and bird habitat! This is your all-in-one place for all things World Migratory Bird Day!
You’ve got a friend in… Nature Canada
All the Best,
The Bird Day Team
Copyright © 2020 Nature Canada, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are part of a nature organization in Canada!
Our mailing address is:
Nature Canada
Suite 300, 240 Bank St.
Ottawa, ON K2P 1X4
Canada
Three weeks from today, birding’s biggest day is back!
Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you, and this year is no different. While not everyone may be able to leave home to bird this year, Global Big Day is still an opportunity to check in with the birds in and around where you live. Join us on 9 May and be a part of a global birding community by sharing what birds you see with eBird.
Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders on 9 May. Please remember to always put safety first and follow all local safety guidelines and closures. You can enjoy birds from inside your home and still be part of Global Big Day.
If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning, or the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.
This year, Global Big Day will focus on the number of checklists we can collect as a global team. Last year, 35,209 eBirders from 174 countries collected an astounding 92,284 checklists in a single day. Will you join us on Global Big Day to make 2020 the year that we surpass 100,000 checklists of birds in one day? Help us set a new checklist record!
Postponed until further notice
Happy Earth Day
April 22, 2020
Click on the PDF file to read Claudia's adventure on the Meeting Creek Linear Trail
1st 2020 BLN Owl Survey: Simone, Teagan, Zoe and Marc DeCnodder
Story by Zoe DeCnodder Photo: Claudia Lipski
I wasn't sure what to expect when I was invited to my first owl survey this past April 5, 2020. But I have to admit that the prospect of hearing, or potentially seeing an owl in any circumstance always gets me excited. I promise you it was that childlike excitement that kept me going when the cold air began to seep through my two pairs of socks and winter boots. We arrived at our first stop just after 8:30 pm and piled out of the truck to spread out and cover more ground. The first set of Saw-whet calls rang over the speaker… all I could hear were the nearby farm dogs and a pack of coyotes in the distance (which stuck around for most of the survey), but no owls. Two minutes of silence passed and the next round of Long-eared Owl calls played over the stereo, then two minutes of silence and finished with the unquestionable Great Horned Owl call… still nothing. I turned to my younger sister, who is not much of a birder herself, but is up to any new adventure and told her it would be just our luck to spend all night outside in the cold as the local owls conspired to take a vow of silence. Nevertheless, if I've learned anything about observing birds, it is better to be patient and optimistic. The second stop was colder, but my spirits were lifted when the first round of calls stopped and it seemed to echo in the nearby trees. I couldn't help but get excited when my sister confirmed that she had also heard a Saw-whet down the road from where we were. It sparked a new hope that we would be luckier than originally expected. It’s typical that when we both decided to sit out around to try and warm up our feet to make it through the rest of the night, everyone else called us out because they heard two more Saw-whets. The second last stop was my personal favourite, that gave purpose to my then numb feet. The recording hadn’t even begun and off in the distance I could just make out a long and subtle hoot, almost masked by the howling of the coyotes. Unsure if I could confidently identify the sound as a Long-eared Owl, I concentrated to see if I could make out the unique sound. It got more confusing for a moment when it sounded as if the sound got closer, but this time as a Great Horned Owl. It cleared up when I realized I was listening to two separate owls in two different locations. I tried to wave down my companions to see if they could also make out the calls, but we were all facing separate directions. Later I learned that my sister had noticed me, but chose to laugh at my crazy pointing action instead of letting me know. I was so entranced by the two new visitors that I almost didn’t hear the Saw-whet that everyone else was talking about behind me. That one-stop made my whole night. I felt so accomplished that when we made it to our last stop and I realized that if I stayed outside for another minute I may lose toes, I was alright listening from the truck, despite everyone else experiencing all three owls again to end the night. We made a total of ten stops which kept us out until roughly 11:00 pm. It was dark and eerie, bitterly cold and quiet for most of the survey and I have to say one of the best experiences of my life! I have seen a number of owls over the years and heard a great deal more out by our lake-side home, but to be able to go out and document so many in one night was absolutely incredible and quite an adventure! I consider myself to be quite in touch with the birds around me, but the experience reminded me that there is still so much to observe and learn about nature around us. I am very grateful to the Buffalo Lake Nature Club for hosting this event, allowing my troop and I to be a part of such an exciting adventure!