Our Host Chris Olsen has booked the Red Deer River Naturalists Bird Focus Group Walk to join the Wainwright Wildlife Society (WWS) in their annual Sharp-tailed Grouse Watch. They set comfortable blinds on a lek site near Czar, Alberta and Chris has taken students there for many years. The birds come in the pre-dawn to display to potential mates, and it is truly amazing to witness the strutting, posturing, rattling and even aggression in the dawn light. Bring your camera!
Pre-registration is required contact olsencdel@gmail.com if you wish to participate. We will meet our guides at 4:00 a.m. and will be out for about 3 hours. Likely, this is an overnight trip for most, and there is a $35.00 (cash) charge to support the WWS. We have space reserved for now, but Chris will need firm numbers by March 31, 2023 (there is lots of demand for attendance). If you wish to attend on your own on a different date the WWS runs this Sharp-tailed Grouse Watch from mid April to mid May. See their Facebook page for details and more information about the Watch.
The Tofield Snow Goose Festival also runs the weekend of April 22-23, 2023. based on offerings of years’ past, there is a ‘bird festival’ site in the Town and guided bus excursions with a biologist or interpreter to area wetlands. You can expect to see very large aggregations of Snow Geese and other migrating waterfowl and shore birds. 2 or 3 hour bus tour options – tickets go on Sale March 23, 2023. You can pre-register to reserve your seat! Tour cost: Adults: $25, Youth (12 & under) – $10, Family (2a/2c) – $60 Google Tofield Snow Goose Festival for more information. It may be something you may want to do after the Sharp-tailed Grouse watch, or the next day, depending on travel logistics.
Photo by ALAN SCHMIERER, Set 72157633375095620, ID 26700452955, Original title 086 – SHARP-TAILED GROUSE (4-19-2016)