East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada
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Press Release - Christmas Bird Count 2019-2020

3/12/2019

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Join a Christmas Bird Count

Submitted by Daryl Calder

You can contribute to 120 years of community science by signing up for a Christmas Bird Count nearby. It's like a little treasure hunt, and if the birds are rare and unusual, it can be quite exciting.

If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher. Each team of four needs a driver, recorder, spotters and someone who can leaf through a bird guidebook to check the accuracy of each particular sighting. We tend to drive short distances, hop out to look and listen, and take short walks. Sometimes large flocks of birds are seen; several 'counters/estimators' are helpful to provide accurate information. A photographer is very helpful too.

The data collected by count participants over the past 120 years, have become one of only two large pools of information indicating how the birds of the Americas are faring over time. To participate in the count, or to become a 'feeder watcher', please go to the Rocky Mountain Naturalists Christmas Bird Count page accessible HERE. You will find contact information important details and past reports. We hope to have your help at the Cranbrook count on Saturday, December 28, and Kimberley count on Saturday, January 4, 2020.


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Early Morning Birding

29/11/2018

 
The Rocky Mountain Naturalist's early morning birding outing leaves every Wednesday (usually) at 8AM and returns (usually) by 11:30AM.  If you would like to join us please contact Jim H. via our request tab on the Home Page.
Thanks to Jim H., Lyle G., Bob W.and Greg R. for the Great Photos!

July outing to the Mause Creek Tarns

20/11/2018

 
Photos by Stewart Wilson

A Foreshadowing of Winter on Mount Broadwood

20/11/2018

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Left photo
As September advanced, the warm days dwindled, & summer faded from the Rockies. On the east side of Mount Broadwood, beneath the China Wall, sunlight illuminated an aspen grove as the trees were bowed by an upslope breeze.  September 8th, 2018.

Right photo
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), looking south from above Spectrum Pass Creek canyon (north side) to the Tchaikazan River (upstream), Friendly Peak (center), & Carefree Mountain (right, in cloud); Tsylos Provincial Park, BC.  August 19th, 2013.
Dan Hicks photos
Mount Broadwood & the lower Wigwam River are within the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Elk Valley Heritage Conservation Area.  A September survey by a small party of Rocky Mountain Naturalists revealed that the whitebark pine seedlings, planted by dedicated Rocky Mountain Naturalists on this very slope two years previously, had perished in the dry heat of succeeding summers.  Picturesque whitebark pine is the highest elevation pine, a source of seeds & habitat for various subalpine creatures, its numbers have been much diminished, & its very existence threatened, by white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle (aided by rising temperatures), & an absence of cyclic low-intensity surface fires.  In montane ecosystems, surviving as a tree is challenging, but growing to become one is even more daunting. 
​
By Dan Hicks
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Bird Checklist update

13/10/2018

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RDEK / RMN Bird Checklist updates to Oct 2018
Edited 14-Oct-2018 (now 314 species)
By Dianne Cooper
 
With the recent publishing of the Checklist of British Columbia Birds by British Columbia Field Ornithologist (BCFO), and the sighting of another new species in the East Kootenay, I thought I would tally up the changes over the past 2 ½ years to our newest bird checklist published in 2016.
 
The East Kootenay Bird Checklist was published May of 2016 in preparation of the BCFO meeting that month in Cranbrook.  Every BCFO member in attendance received a free copy.  Our 2016 checklist replaced the previous one published in 2003.  The earlier one covered the traditional Rocky Mountain Naturalist birding area from the US border to Canal Flats and from halfway to Creston to the Alberta boundary.  The new checklist, with the advent and popularity of eBird, covers the Regional District of East Kootenay, the “administrative” area used by eBird.
 
The BCFO checklist records 301 species in Ecoprovince #4, which includes the RDEK.  The Southern Interior Mountains ecoprovince goes north almost as far as Prince George and west to the other side of the Monashee Range, bordering on the Okanagan.  There are many species further west and north that we haven’t gotten yet.
 
36 species found in Ecoprovince # 4 have not yet been found in the RDEK.  Perhaps some of these are more likely to show up here?  Watch for:
 
Prothonotary Warbler
Crested Caracara
Northern Parula
Lucy’s Warbler
Summer Tanager
 
What will show up next!  There’s always something new!
 
The BCFO records 265 species of what we do have.
EK birds not on the BCFO checklist number 48 species.
 
At time of publishing our last checklist, we had 303 species.
Now (12 Oct 2018) we have 313 species.  We also have 4 hybrids, but we won’t count those.
Now (14 Oct 2018) we have 314 species! (see below: Species not on eBird but seen prior)
 
Species that were seen after May 2016 are:
 
Black Scoter
- Oct 2016, Wasa Lake, Dean Nicholson

Anna’s Hummingbird
- Nov 2016, Wycliffe, Lil McPhail (Dean Nicholson)

Northern Cardinal
- Nov 2017, Cranbrook, Katrin Powell (Greg Ross)

Curve-billed Thrasher
- July 2018, Canal Flats, Gord Littlejohns

Ovenbird
- Aug 2018, Fernie, Mike Bentley, Liz Creighton

Lesser Goldfinch
- Oct 2018, Wycliffe, Dianne Cooper, Joe Rothermund

 
Of course, these are all classified as “accidentals” – one or two individuals sighted in the past couple of years.  They are all recorded on eBird.
 
Species documented after May 2016 – but seen before then
 
a.  Now on eBird
These are historical records entered into eBird by people documenting their own or others’ birding journals, much like I did with Mildred White’s records.  The oldest “new” species (added after May 2016) goes back to 1984 (Pacific Golden-plover, Harmer Ridge, 26 Sep 1984, David Fraser).  The oldest “first” record on eBird goes back to 1930. 
 
Pacific Golden-plover
- 1984, Sparwood, David Fraser

Costa’s Hummingbird
- 1992, Fort Steele, Doug Brown

Connecticut Warbler
- 1997, Richard Guillet

Chestnut-sided Warbler
- 1998, Michael Preston

Black-throated Sparrow
- 1984, Mildred White

 
 
b.  Species not on eBird but seen prior
eBird records 301 species in the RDEK but not all species on our checklist are on eBird.  Missing on, or not included on eBird are:
 
Ring-necked Pheasant
- escapees, sightings discouraged on eBird

Least Bittern
- 2010, Ta Ta Creek, reported to the Breeding Bird Atlas

Yellow Rail
- 2010, Columbia Lake, Jason Rogers


Upland Sandpiper
- 1919, Newgate, Birds of British Columbia

Arctic Tern
- 1944, Columbia Lake, Walter B. Johnstone, specimen, Royal BC  Museum (RBCM)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- 1915, Cranbrook, unknown collector, specimen, RBCM

Eastern Phoebe
- 1976, Spillimacheen, Birds of BC

Chestnut-collared Longspur
- 1930, Tobacco Plains, R. M. Anderson, specimen National Museum of Canada (NMC)

McCown’s Longspur
- 1930, Tobacco Plains, Rand, specimen, NMC

Mourning Warbler
- 1996, Spillimacheen River, unknown obs, Birds of British Columbia

Black-throated Blue Warbler
- 2002, Kimberley, Ruth Goodwin

Black-and-white Warbler
- 1971, Wasa Park, Neil Dawe, in Dawe 1971

Grasshopper Sparrow
- 1997, Cranbrook, G. Ross, G. Ross, J. Lawrence, G Davidson, in Am. Birds, Vol 51 No 4 Fall 1997

 
The BCFO Checklist lists 522 species for British Columbia and eBird records 517.
We have contributed some eBird firsts for the province.
Go to https://ebird.org/canada/region/CA-BC?yr=all and click on “First Seen” to see the BC list on eBird. 
 
There was the Northern Cardinal last winter of course, and the Curve-billed Thrasher last July.  Also (but maybe more, and it’s always changing as more people upload historical data):
 
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- 1992, Fort Steele, Doug Brown

American Avocet
- 1967, Forst Steele, Tom Briggs

Red-headed Woodpecker
- 1998, Dutch Creek, Cam Gillies

Lewis’s Woodpecker
- 1930, Newgate, Ian McTaggart-Cowan

 
In summary, changes to our checklist to date are:
 
chart section of RDEK 2016 checklist   245
 

accidentals                                      58
 

RDEK 2016 checklist total                        303

seen and added after 15 May 2016              6
 

seen before, added after 15 May 2016         5
 

RDEK total to 13 Oct 2018                     314

 
PS  EXPLORE!
If you have an eBird account, for some fun online browsing of birds of the world, head to the eBird “Explore” tab at:
https://ebird.org/canada/explore
- hit the “Surprise me!” link under the box: “Enter species name”, to see a randomly selected world species.
- hit the “Change species” link at the top right, then in the popup, again hit “Surprise me!” to see another.
It’s so fun!  I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “Melancholy Woodpecker”!  It lives in Ghana.  Or a “Quailfinch Indigobird”.  What the heck is that!  There are only a handful of records of it on eBird and no photos.  It is from Cameroon.
 
This feature is in development on eBird and hopefully will soon be available to the general public.
 
And don’t forget the RMN Photo page at:
http://www.rockymountainnaturalists.org/nature-photos-by-us.html
 
Happy birding and um, er, naturing!
 
Dianne C.


Picture
How the Lesser Goldfinch first looked to us through the scope.
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Maus Creek Tarns Outing

29/7/2018

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​July 24, 2018
Leaders:  Wendy Hogg and Gretchen Whetham

On a warm summer morning fourteen members set off up Maus Creek and arrived at the Maus/Tanglefoot trailhead parking lot with only one flat tire.  It was changed very quickly and we set off up the trail. The low early sunlight made the Indian Hellebore and Cow Parsnip radiant and the woods were noisy with Pacific Wrens and Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes. Jo Ellen compiled a plant list (68 species of flowers and shrubs) and Katrin kept a bird list (20+ species).  We also saw mule deer, pikas, marmots, and a frog and tadpoles. 

After a leisurely lunch at the Tarns, we retraced our steps and explored the entry of the old Victor Mine on our way back to the trailhead.  By mid-afternoon the temperature was up to the high 20's and we enjoyed ice cream before returning to Cranbrook.
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Cranbrook & Kimberley CBC Count Circles

19/12/2017

 
Posted by Dianne C.

Here are some new maps of both the Cranbrook and Kimberley Christmas Bird Count Circles.

Each circle is 24 km in diameter; and we traditionally include some areas outside the circle, as shown.

So, if you are a feeder watcher, you can double check which circle you are in!

Thanks!

Check out our Christmas Bird Counts tab for details and results

Picture
Cranbrook CBC Circle and Areas
Picture
Kimberley CBC Circle and Areas

Rare Birds in the Cranbrook Area

13/11/2017

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The East Kootenay has had a couple of rare bird sightings in the last two weeks.  The first was an Anna's Hummingbird first seen by residents on Clearview Road in the Wycliffe area. Four verification pictures were sent to the British Columbia Field Ornithologists (BCFO) and confirmed as an ANNA’s by Mel Hurting, the BC Rare Bird co-ordinator.

The second was a female Northern Cardinal first seen by Katrin Powell and identified by Greg Ross again confirmed by the BCFO rare bird committee.  The Northern Cardinal (once thoroughly investigated by the BCFO rare bird committee) will be the first accepted sighting in British Columbia. 
Anna's Hummingbird photos - Lyle Grisedale
Northern Cardinal photos - Katrin Powell
The BC Rare Bird Blog regarding the Northern Cardinal can be viewed here =
bcbirdalert.blogspot.ca/2017/11/rba-northern-cardinal-in-cranbrook-nov.html
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Little Big Day Archive Post

15/4/2017

 

Following is an archive post of past Little Big Days, as we revamp our web page a bit.

Total LBD 2016 – 144 Total
Species in bold were not seen on the 2015 LBD
Check out the species seen in 2015 but not in 2016 at the bottom of page.
Common Loon                
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe    
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Great Blue Heron
White-faced Ibis
Trumpeter Swan
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Dusky Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Sora
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Least Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Bonaparte’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great Horned Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Vaux's Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’ Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Wiliamson’s Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Violet Green Swallow
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Pacific Wren
Marsh Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsends Solitaire
American Robin
European Starling
Cassin’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lazuli Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
 
Species seen in 2015 but not this year 2016
Eurasion Wigeon
White-winged Scoter
Semipalmated Plover
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowleggs
Forster’s Tern
Black Tern
Eastern Kingbird
Steller’s Jay
Swainson’s Thrush
Gray Catbird
Cerar Waxwing
American Redstart
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Fox Sparrow
Black-headed Grosbeak
Evening Grosebeak

LITTLE BIG DAY Winners and Total Species List below
Saturday, MAY 23, 2015


A beautiful, sunny, hot day for everyone.  This year our lowest temperature at 6AM was 3°, soaring up to 27° in the afternoon.
We enjoyed our meal and count-up at the Marco Polo Restaurant in Cranbrook as the great bird stories fluttered about.
Five teams took part, raising $125.00 to be donated to an environmental cause in the Kootenays.
The total number of species seen by all of the teams was 140, compared to last year’s 139.

The winning team, Cooper’s Hawks, Dianne, Dean, and Audrey found 114 species followed by the Winnowing Wonders with 108 species.  Special note to the Biker Hiker Birders for using the bike & hike method and finding 66 species.  Congratulations to everyone!

Cooper’s Hawks
Dianne, Dean and Audrey
Spotted 114 species

Winnowing Wonders
Peter, Virginia and Phil
Spotted 108 species

Columbia Lakers
Elaine, Sandi, Peter and Brian
Spotted 97 species

Morning Doves
Greg, Sue, Glenda and Helga
Spotted 85 species

Biker Hiker Birders
Ruth, Jan, Carol, Karen, Shirley, Jim and Laura
Spotted 66 species


Species List LBD 2015 – 140 Total
Bold species are seen this year and not last year.


Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Trumpeter Swan
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
White-winged Scoter
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Ruffed Grouse
Sora
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope
Bonaparte’s Gull
Forster's Tern
Black Tern
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Vaux's Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Lewis’ Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Violet Green Swallow
Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsends Solitaire
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Cassin’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Waterthrush
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow


reposted / relocated by (Dianne C.)

2017 Winter Social 

5/3/2017

 
Ruth and Jackie did a great job in organizing our Winter Social this year. Naturalists from Cranbrook and Kimberley met at the Kimberley Nordic Club Trails for x-country skiing and snowshoeing, than afterwards gathered for the social and a fantastic potluck dinner.  
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