Nature News

Volume 34, Number 5 Nature (Calgary Field Naturalists’ Society) April 2013 http://naturecalgary.com President: Andrew Hart 403-279-5209 email: president*@*naturecalgary.com

April 17: Nature Calgary Speaker Series People, Fire and Wednesday, April 17, 7:30pm: A brief history of People, Fire and Wildlife in the Wildlife in the - 13,500 BP to present. Speaker Ian Pengelly recently retired Canadian Rockies following a 35-year career as a Parks warden and biologist. For the last 22 years of his career he managed the Fire and Vegetation Program in . This involved conducting prescribed burns, supervising the fire suppression program, implementing a fuels management program and overseeing research related to fire management. Ian currently resides in Canmore and remains involved in a number of volunteer projects including fire effects monitoring, bison restoration and wildlife monitoring. All general meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month (except June, July & August) at 7:30pm, in The Burnswest Theatre, , and are open to the public. To suggest a speaker or topic please call John McFaul 403-289-9517 or email Plain of the Six Glaciers [email protected] © Jan Brigden

Issues, Events and Updates Nature Calgary Spring Bus Trip – Sunday June 2, all day trip to the Red Deer Wetlands. See page 4 for details and to find out how to register. Follow us on Facebook New General Meeting venue is the Cardel Theatre, Quarry Park. From September http://www.facebook.com/ naturecalgary our Speaker Series meetings will have a new location, as Fort Calgary will undergo a year- long renovation. Thank you to the 90 members who responded to our survey. The highest ranked factors were the quality of the venue, cost to Nature Calgary, central location and free parking. Board members Sue Konopnicki and Lynne Colborne scouted the city for suitable places and presented a shortlist to the Board. It was not easy to meet all the criteria in one location. For a four-month trial period we will use the Cardel Theatre in Follow us on Twitter @NatureYYC Quarry Park. The facility offers state-of-the art AV equipment, comfortable theater-style seating, free parking and there is no cost to non-profit groups other than a suggested donation to the food bank. Note: survey is open until the end of March. To share your opinion go to Remove the *s in email http://www.fluidsurveys.com/s/paskapoo/ addresses. They are used to discourage spam 15th Annual Brooks/Lake Newell May Species Count May 17/18/19. Various hotels are available including the Travelodge which is a 5 minute drive from Tillebrook PP, our Nature Calgary is run count HQ. Six power sites and 5 tent sites have been reserved. Call Bob if you require a site, entirely by volunteers! about $25 a night, 780-488-1344 or [email protected]. For current opportunities see Milk River/Writing-on-Stone Species Count May 25/26. HQ is Writing-on-Stone again http://naturecalgary.com/ this year; participants should make their own reservations through Parks . get-involved/

Volunteer News and Opportunities Welcome table volunteers are urgently needed for general meetings from September.

Horticultural Society Garden Show April 13-14: some volunteers are still needed to staff Nature Calgary’s booth for 3 hour shifts. See the Show for free; free parking at . Please contact Lenora and Dick Flynn, 403-271-1269 or lendic*@*shaw.ca.

International Migratory Bird Day May 11: to help with our booth at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Please contact Lynne Colborne, 403-272-1457 or lynnec1*@*telus.net.

Thank you Ian Ross for offering to be our volunteer coordinator. Find out more about

volunteer opportunities by contacting Ian at volunteers*@*naturecalgary.com.

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24hr Rare Bird Alert Nature Calgary Bird Study Group 403-221-4519 Updated Mon & Thu Wed Apr 3, 7:30 pm: Fur and feathers 500: A Canada Big Year. A report on the year’s highlights by team members, Phil Cram, Brian Elder, Ray Woods and Mike Mulligan. Birders should check Albertabird Christmas Bird Count data is available on the Audubon Society website at for latest sightings. http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count.

st http://groups.yahoo.com/grou Bird Study Group meets 1 Wednesday of the month, 7:30 pm, Room 211, BioSciences Building, p/Albertabird U of C, except June through August when field trips replace the meetings. Contact, Andrew Hart 403-279-5209 or [email protected].

Nature Calgary Field Trips  New trips, updates, http://naturecalgary.com/field-trips/  Maps of many destinations at http://naturecalgary.com/birding/birding-locations/  Note: Highlighted trips require pre-registration. Fri Mar 22, 12:10-1:45pm: World Water Day. FREE documentary film, "A Thirsty World", Gallery Hall, Taylor Family Digital Library, U Calgary. For more info: horbulyk*@*ucalgary.ca Fri Mar 22, 8:30pm: Listen for Northern Saw-whet Owls, then watch for Northern Flying Squirrels and other nocturnal life. Bring flashlight, warm clothing. Be prepared to stand still and quiet for up to an hour after dark. Meet at Weaselhead parking lot, 37 St & 66 Field trips are free and Av SW. Leaders, Bob Lefebvre & Dan Arndt, 403-836-7405. open to all. Fri Mar 29, 8am: Birding Griffith Woods Park. Go 2.5km W from Sarcee Tr SW on Hwy 8, then left at 69 St SW into Discovery Ridge, past the traffic circle. At the bottom of the hill, Lead a field trip! turn left on Discovery Link into parking lot. Leader, Grant Brydle, 403-720-4957. Share your knowledge Sat Mar 30, 9am: Bird Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, E end of 9 Av SE. Leader, Penny of a favourite location! Smith, 403-283-9260. call Gus 243-2248 Mon Apr 1, 8:30am: Birding Survey. Meet Stanley Park, 42 Av SW, just W or Andrew 279-5209 of Macleod Tr. Walk to , ride back. (3.5hrs). Call leaders, A.Pelzer/G.Yaki, 243-2248 to ensure vehicle space for return. Field trip leaders please Sat Apr 6, 9:30am-3:30pm Bird E & S flank of Calgary - Shepard area for spring turn in signed waiver migrants, waterfowl, gulls, songbirds, and birds of prey, etc. Meet parking lot, W side of forms to Nature Calgary, Deerfoot Mall, Deerfoot Tr and 64 Av NE. Will take a break halfway through. Leader, Terry Box 981 Stn. M Korolyk, 403-254-1878. Calgary, AB, T2P 2K4, Sun Apr 7, 9:30am: Crocus Walk on Nose Hill. Meet in parking lot at 14 St & 64 Av NW. or at General and Bird Leader, John McFaul, 403-289-9517. Study meeting welcome Sat Apr 13, 9am: Birding for Beginners. With no leaves & birds in flocks, this is a good tables. nd Latest version of the time to begin. Meet at Carburn Park. S from Glenmore Tr E onto 18 St SE to 2 stoplight, waiver form is available then right and follow signs. Leader, Dorothy/Stephen Spring, 403-238-0859. http://naturecalgary.com/f Sun Apr 14, 9am: Bird Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, E end of 9 Av SE. Leader, Kingsley ield-trips/leaders/ Blades, 403-291-4278. Sat Apr 20, 9am: Bird . Meet Maranatha Church, 2111 52 St NW (N end of Home Rd). Leaders: Janet Gill 403 230-5671 / Bernie Diebolt 403 210-2446. Sun Apr 21, 9am: Bird Beaverdam Flats Park. Meet S parking lot (Lynnview Rd & Lynnview Way, S of 62 Av SE). N from Glenmore Tr at 18 St SE, then left. Leader, Kingsley Blades, 403-291-4278. Sun Apr 21, 8:30am: Bird Ralph Klein Park and area for waterfowl. Meet in Carburn Park to carpool. S from Glenmore Tr at 18 St SE to second stoplight, then right & follow signs to Carburn Park. Leader, Andrew Hart, 403-279-5209. Sun Apr 21, 10am: Earth Day walk, Glenbow Ranch Prov. Park, 11.5 km W on #1A Hwy (Crowchild Tr NW) from 12-Mile Coulee Rd NW. Register in advance in case of cancellation due to poor weather. Meet in parking lot. Leader, John McFaul, 403-289-9517. Sat Apr 27. 8:30am: Bird Bowness Park, 48 Av, W of 85 St NW. Meet first parking lot. Leader, Howard Heffler, 403-284-2961. Sat Apr 27, 9am: Bird Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, E end of 9 Av SE. Leader, Penny Smith, 403-283-9260.

Pileated Woodpecker Sun Apr 28, 8:30am: Bird the S end of River in Calgary. Meet at the © Jeff Thompson Burnsmead Parking Lot, FCPP, E off Bow Bottom Trail SE. Then carpool to the E end of 194 Av SE and walk back through Lafarge Meadows. Leader, Tony Timmons, 403-403-256-0754.

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Of General Interest Comet PANNSTARS will be visible low in the western sky through March and into the early part of April. It will hover about 10 to 15 degrees above the horizon after sunset. It will be about as bright as the brightest stars in the Big Dipper during the last part of March and then gradually fade to below naked eye brightness by the middle of April. Binoculars will be useful to view it and to see the comet’s tail. Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2011_L4 and http://earthsky.org/space/comet-panstarrs-possibly-visible-to-eye-in-march-2013

WildSmart Speaker Series: Thursday March 21 7 pm, Grizzly Bears & The Energy Sector, Canmore Collegiate High School. This talk will review some new research findings www.naturealberta.ca and discuss ongoing studies on a number of ecological questions aimed at supporting grizzly

Alberta Natural History bear conservation and recovery in Alberta. The presentation is free and donations are information, Conservation welcome to help WildSmart continue its charitable work. Learn more at www.wildsmart.ca. News & Issues, Magazine, Young Naturalists, and Alberta Native Plant Council (ANPC) 26th Workshop and Annual General Meeting more. The Role of Vegetation in Alberta’s Wetlands, Saturday, April 13, 2013 Olds College, Olds Alberta. For information on the workshop and registration please contact Laurie Hamilton: laurie*@*zanshinenvironmental.com.

AWA talks - March 26, Hair Snares for Grizzly Bears: Monitoring Bears in Southwestern Alberta with Andrea Morehouse. Learn about this three year pilot project designed to non-

NEW! Electronic subscription invasively monitor grizzly bears both locally and at ecosystem scales. to Nature Alberta magazine May 14, Bat Conservation: White-nose Syndrome and Wind Turbines with Dr. Robert for only $15/yr - special for Barclay. It's a tough time to be a bat! Come learn about two conservation issues that are affiliate club members like posing serious challenges for bat populations. Dr. Robert Barclay will discuss the Nature Calgary. consequences of these two factors on Alberta species and ecosystems.

Fish Creek Provincial Park Events: April 13 7:00pm, Star Night, a free family event. Enjoy viewing the night sky through telescopes, guided night walks, indoor activities and displays, and learning about local night creatures. Dress warmly; cover flashlights with red

tissue paper or thin fabric. Star Night goes regardless of weather.

AWA Tower Climb April 20, long-time Nature Calgary member, Val Scholefield will again climb the 802 steps of the to raise funds for the conservation work of the Alberta Wilderness Association. Sponsors will be gratefully accepted and donations of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt from AWA. See Val at future meetings to sponsor her.

Calgary Parks Interpretive Experience program seeks volunteers to help visitors become aware of the plants and animals in through stories, artefacts, and short interpretive activities. Twelve hour commitment June-Oct 2013. Attend one of the volunteer information sessions: April 8th, April 15th or April 24th. Call 3-1-1 for more information, or contact parksvolunteer*@*calgary.ca to RSVP.

City of Calgary Biodiversity Project: Calgary is a participant city of the ICLEI Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) project http://icleicanada.org/. Currently a list of native species historically know to occur in Calgary is being prepared. This data, compiled from multiple sources, will be the baseline for future monitoring and will provide answers to questions about the state of native species and the necessary steps to protect them. Volunteers can help by reviewing the spreadsheet and sharing their knowledge of which species are rare or

no longer known to occur in Calgary. Contact David Hayman, 403-221-4686 or Red Crossbill © Gerrie Harper dave.hayman*@*calgary.ca to participate. May 6-12, Wings Over the Rockies Festival – Celebrating Mountains, Wetlands and Wildlife in the Columbia Valley. Seventy-three events are planned including field trips, paddles, workshops and evening and lunch presentations. Registration begins on April 8 at www.wingsovertherockies.org.

Memberships Nature Calgary members receive 10% discount (with membership card) at Individual $20.00/yr Family $25.00/yr The Wild Bird Store D3-8330 Macleod Tr S 403-640-2632 Contact John 403-284-4245 or Nature Calgary publishes Nature News 8 times per year. Send copy to: membership*@*naturecalg [email protected] or phone 403-275-1582. ary.com Join or renew online Deadline for the next Nature News issue is Friday April 12, 2013. http://www.naturecalgary.com

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