After returning from our enjoyable and successful BC trip,
we are back in Calgary working away at our dwindling “winter” target list here.
While we’d been gone we’d read reports of sightings in the Water Valley area of
Spruce Grouse and Great Gray Owl, birds which had eluded us thus far. Brian and
Phil drove up to Water Valley on Monday, and we came across a Spruce Grouse
standing on the verge of Grand Valley Road at about 8:00 AM. Brian took a photo
from about 50 m away, and we hoped to get closer, but a fast-moving pick-up
truck flushed the bird into the forest. If we’d arrived two minutes later, we
would have missed it!
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| Spruce Grouse near Water Valley |
Our hopes of finding a Great Gray Owl were fading as the
morning progressed (the birds are best found near dawn and dusk), but at 9:20
AM Brian eventually spotted one next to a tree trunk, an unusual position for a
bird which often perches in prominent view. It dropped onto a snow bank and
snatched some prey (undoubtedly a mammal we needed), and almost immediately
flew off into the forest. Again, a bird we would have missed had we been two
minutes later.
The rest of the morning we spent looking for a Northern
Goshawk, without success. Still, we enjoyed great looks at 2 Golden Eagles interested
in a carcus near Grand Valley road, at least a dozen Rough-legged Hawks, a few
Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Northern Shrikes and several Mountain Bluebirds on or near
boxes.
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| Golden Eagle Soaring over Grand Valley Road |
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