LINK TO PDF NEWSLETTER DOWNLOAD
Like so many others in Calgary, you may have noticed the absence of Blue jays in your backyard. During breeding/nesting season, Blue jays tend to be very private and may shy away from areas they normally frequent.
The Blue jay’s scientific name is derived from Greek and Latin words and means, in reverse order, “crested, blue chattering bird.”
Although not as talented as a Northern mockingbird or a Gray catbird, a Blue jay can produce a convincing imitation of a Red-shouldered hawk or a Red-tailed hawk, confusing many a bird watcher. Blue jays are known to imitate a variety of other bird species, including Bald eagles and Eastern screech owls. This noisy bird also utters a wide variety of squeaks, rattles and croaks.
Blue jays carry food in their throat and upper esophagus—an area often called a “gular pouch.” They may store 2-3 acorns in the pouch, another one in their mouth, and one more in the tip of the bill. In this way they can carry off 5 acorns at a time to store for later feeding. Six birds with radio transmitters each cached 3,000 to 5,000 acorns one autumn.
Although we do not have acorns (or Oak trees in Alberta) their fondness for acorns and their accuracy in selecting and burying acorns that have not been infested with weevils are credited with spreading Oak trees after the last glacial period.
The Blue jay’s vivid cobalt or azure-blue tail and wing feathers make an exotic contrast against the brown leaves or green grass. However, these feathers are not truly blue. Blue pigment is unknown in birds. The Blue jay’s feather color results from refraction, or distortion, of light by a peculiar inner structure of the feather substance. If the feather is crushed, the blue color disappears. Shed feathers may often be seen in late summer, since adults go through a complete change of plumage between June and September.
During this molting or feather-shedding period, Blue jays may be seen anting, a term referring to a bird using ants or materials that the ants expel from their bodies for preening or tidying their feathers. Excited anting birds often trip over their tails in frantic efforts to apply ants with their bill to the underside of their wings. A recent theory suggests that this peculiar behavior results from skin irritation caused by new feather growth. Possibly ant excretions have a soothing effect on the bird’s skin. Birds have been known to use a wide variety of substitute materials such as fruits, tobacco, mustard, and vinegar for anting.
THE WILD BIRD STORE PROUDLY PRESENTS A RETURN OF OUR IN PERSON SPEAKER SERIES
Saturday October 1, 2022
Backyard Birds—Beyond the Basics
Myrna Pearman Biologist, enthusiastic writer and photographer
Saturday, October1, 2022 10:30am to 12:30pm
Ticket price: $20.00 +GST +fees
Tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca and are non-refundable
Beauty Everywhere: The Sequel
Join Myrna Pearman – author, retired biologist, wildlife photographer and enthusiastic nature writer – for a presentation about the beauty and wonders of our natural world. She will be sharing new insights, new photographs and new stories about the intricacies and marvels of nature.
Dr. David Bird Ornithologist and Professor Emeritus at McGill University
Saturday, October 1, 2022 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Ticket price: $20.00 +GST +fees
Tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca and are non-refundable
Backyard Birds: Beyond the Basics
The number of folks deriving pleasure from the birds in their yards is increasing exponentially and they want to know more about these incredible creatures. For example, where do birds sleep at night? How do they deal with extreme cold? Why do blue jays eat paint and mortar? And it is also fair to say that not all interactions with birds are positive. How does one stop birds from hitting windows or discourage woodpeckers from damaging one’s home? And while there does exist a large number of informational books and web sites focused on how to attract birds to the backyard, this fun hobby can create new questions. Should one provide bath water in the winter? What does one do when finding a baby bird? How does one deal with hawks? Should one offer peanut butter and what things can one safely add to suet? With at least three decades of experience in teaching ornithology, feeding birds, and writing and talking about backyard bird biology and challenges, enjoy a visual presentation by Dr. Bird as he attempts to provide answers to these questions and many more. Not everything is black and white.
When: Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Registration at 6:00pm; Activities begin at 6:30pm
Where: Weaselhead Park, Calgary
What: Grab your FREE pair of Nature Kids binoculars to go birding with the Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society and participate in family activities to learn all about our feathered friends with nature Calgary
Killdeer are very small birds, so they obviously don’t kill deer as said in their name. So just like Chickadees they are named after the sound of their call. If you listen to their call, it sounds a little like; kill-deer kill-deer.
Killdeer are part of the Charadriidae family which includes species like Plovers and Lapwings.
Go to http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds to hear their call. I promise, once you familiarize yourself with their call, you will always be able to find Killdeer.
Have you checked out the Merlin app? Would you like a demonstration on how they will help you to identify birds? Stop by The Wild Bird Store during regular business hours and staff will be happy to show you how the app will enable you to identify birds in various ways.
Identify Bird Songs and Calls
Identify Birds by your Photos
Save Birds to Your Life List
Explore lists of birds near your location
Contact Meadowlark Birding Tours (403)519-8703
gmckinnonbird@gmail.com
Set-Date Tours
Set-date tours are scheduled many months if not years in advance to maximize enjoyment and birding opportunities. The group size for these tours can range between four and ten participants depending on logistics, focus of the tour and location. These tours can be viewed and booked anytime through our website.
Calgary Day Trips
Calgary day trips are tailored to fit your exact needs and circumstances as well as your personal goals. Do you want to spend a day of targeting specific birds you need for your life list? Maximize the number of species? Or even just a casual stroll through a local park? All of these can be arranged to fit your preferences and schedule.
The Wild Bird Store is pleased to announce that we will be carrying the print edition of NATURE ALBERTA May 2022 in our store. This is the only place in Calgary to get a copy without a subscription. Look for it in-store May 1st.
In the Spring issue of NATURE ALBERTA magazine, Alberta’s waterways will be explored with paddling expert Mark Lund. Also, Biologist Lorne Fitch examines the strain irrigation expansion plans will put on southern Alberta’s river systems. And the spectacular wildlife photography of Rick Price practically flies off the page!
As always, the Nature Kids section is filled with info and activities to inspire the next generation of naturalists!
Retail Price per copy: $9.99 +GST
All participants on any bird walk must have purchased a ticket through Eventbrite.ca and present the ticket to Jim prior to the bird walk. The weather plays a big part in bird walks and Jim reminds participants to dress anticipating weather changes and to carry water to keep hydrated.
Saturday August 6, 2022 Bebo Grove Fish Creek Park
(9:00am meet in parking lot at south end of 24 Street SW)
Ticket price: $6.00 +GST +fees
Ticket must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca—2022 WBS bird walks
Saturday August 20, 2022 Frank Lake—day trip, please bring lunch
(9:00am meet at rear parking lot of Wild Bird Store)
Ticket price: $6.00 +GST +fees
Ticket must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca—2022 WBS bird walks
Saturday September 3, 2022 Lafarge Meadows FCP
(9:00am meet at boat launch parking lot south end of Bow Bottom Trail)
PLEASE NOTE: If access to Lafarge is closed for construction, we will do Sikome Lake/Hulls Wood
Ticket price: $6.00 +GST +fees
Tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca—2022 WBS bird walks
Saturday September 17, 2022 Inglewood Bird Sanctuary
(9:00am meet in parking lot at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary)
Ticket price: $6.00 +GST +fees
Tickets must be purchased through Eventbrite.ca—2022 WBS bird walks
Question:
Why am I seeing bald Magpies and Blue jays?
Answer:
As an aging baby boomer cognizant of my rapidly thinning hair, your question hits close to my heart. The feather loss that one sees on the head and back area of Northern cardinals, Blue jays or Magpies is most likely due to the process of molting, an annual biological phenomenon in birds whereupon they replace their worn plumages. Every late summer and fall, one often sees this characteristic in these particular bird species, depending on where one lives in Canada. It is usually because the affected birds have dropped all or most of their head feathers in one shot during the molting process. In many cases, it is mostly juvenile birds undergoing their very first molt which produces that first winter adult plumage. It is really quite normal to see, and in most cases, the head feathers grow back in a few weeks.
However, if you see a lot of baldness in other songbirds and even in non-songbirds, it could be caused by an abnormal molt. It is generally not in a bird’s best interests to lose all of its feathers in one place at the same time. That is especially true of the wing and tail feathers, which birds need dearly to survive.
And there are other possibilities. Feather mites, lice and bacteria, or some nutritional factor, could be to blame. In these cases, one can see evidence of growths or a scab-like condition. Take a close look at those bald birds. If you see black skin, that’s normal, but if it is another colour, it could mean that the bird has got a disease. And if you are seeing some baldness in Woodpeckers in the heat of summer, that’s altogether different—it could be a result of the bird feeding on melting suet, causing a greasiness and a loss of feathers.
David M. Bird, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University www.askprofessorbird.com
David M. Bird is Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology and the former Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre at McGill University. As a past-president of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, a former board member with Birds Canada, a Fellow of both the American Ornithological Society and the International Ornithological Union, he has received several awards for his conservation and public education efforts. Dr. Bird is a regular columnist on birds for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Canadian Wildlife magazines and is the author of several books and over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is the consultant editor for multiple editions of DK Canada’s Birds of Canada, Birds of Eastern Canada, Birds of Western Canada, and Pocket Birds of Canada. To know more about him, visit www.askprofessorbird.com or email david.bird@mcgill.ca.
DONATIONS
Located at The Wild Bird Store (near the seed bins). We collect your cash as well as “wishlist” donations and arrange to deliver them to local wildlife organizations including Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation, Alberta Institute of Conservation and Ellis Bird Farm.
We ask for your support quarterly for each of these organizations.
For June, July and August 2022 your donations will go to:
Ellis Bird Farm
Recently Global news approached Andrew Barnes, known as “Purple martin papa,” who has established a Purple martin colony right here in Calgary behind his residence in New Brighton. He has put considerable research and effort into having the first successful PUMA colony in Calgary in 80 years and the most southernly one in Alberta.
Andrew approached Dave and Kris from The Wild Bird Store to be on hand during the Global interview to offer support.
If you are interested in this live interview, click on the link below:
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/b3d75a06-0886-11ed-9469-0242ac110005/?jwsource=em
Andrew encourages those interested in Purple martins to visit his established colony. As this colony is established on private property, kindly contact Andrew at:
andrewbarnes403@gmail.com
The Wild Bird Store offers the “Book Nook” as a gathering place for your next meeting. The room is for rent for $50.00 +GST which includes the set up of the chairs, video equipment is available and coffee, tea and water are available.
Please contact info@wildbirdstore.ca for more information or to reserve your spot.
Options for shopping at the Wild Bird Store
Crowfoot YMCA/Arena
(corner of John Laurie Blvd. & Nosehill Drive NW)
Every Wednesday 2:00pm to 5:30pm
To ensure you get what you want, please have your order in by 5:00pm on Tuesday and we will set it aside for you
Text us @ (403) 701-4571 OR email us at orders@wildbirdstore.ca so we can put your order aside.
Earn and redeem customer loyalty points on
The Bird Seed Truck
DELIVERY: Deliveries will still be made on Thursdays ONLY. Please phone the store at (403) 640-2632 any day prior to 12:00 noon on the Wednesday before your delivery; place and pay for your delivery. Please phone with your order as early as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have any special instructions please do not forget to inform us when you place your order.
We offer a discount if you return your seed bags (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, if you bring your own container to fill or use a bag from our re-cycle bin. This discount is in addition to any other discount offered.
Write a Google review on your experience at The Wild Bird Store, and as a thank you, we will give you 100 customer loyalty points ($5.00 value). To get a promo code, kindly email info@wildbirdstore.ca
(one Google review per customer)
Earn 200 customer loyalty points ($10.00 value) by referring a friend, acquaintance or fellow birder.
Please visit the store to get a promo code.
No need for a card, just give your phone number. You earn $1.00 for every $20.00 spent (excludes “sales” items, books & optics) and can be used in-store and on Mobile Seed Truck. As a loyalty member our monthly promotions and in-store “specials” are automatically given at the cash register.
Combining our Seniors 10% discount with the Loyalty Program. (Excludes “sales” items, books & optics).
Discount for membership 10% discount for members of Fish Creek Park, AIWC, Priddis Golf Club, Nature Calgary, Sandy Cross Conservation, Springbank Garden Club and Millarville Horticultural Society. Must present valid membership card at time of purchase.
Discount for Military Members & Veterans 10% discount on
purchases in-store or on Mobile Seed Truck (sorry—excludes “sales”
items, books, optics and consignment items)
ALBERTA OPEN FARM DAYS IS A PROVINCE WIDE OPEN HOUSE
COME MEET YOUR RURAL NEIGHBOURS
August 13 & 14, 2022
Alberta Open Farms Days is an incubator for agri-tourism and rural sustainability. We bring Albertans together through educational and experiential agricultural-based initiatives to learn about where your food comes from. As well, some of Alberta’s most talented chefs and rural communities will be hosting a memorable series of farm to table culinary events that will be held around the province using Alberta farm products.
Eastern Irrigation District (Bassano Dam Tour)
PLEASE NOTE – Booking is required for tours to the Bassano Dam please book directly through Eastern Irrigation District at 403-362-1400. LIMIT IS 20 – 25 adults per tour
Tour of the 104 year old Bassano Dam, the headworks for the Eastern Irrigation District.
Tour includes some history of the area & EID and overview of District operations.
Prairie Spirit Alpacas – near Millarville
View alpacas, have the opportunity to see the babies and moms
Photo opportunities
Opportunity to see alpaca products
Picnic Service (on-site)
No pets/No Washrooms
For More information visit: www.prairiespiritalpacas
Above is just a couple of the examples that are participating in Alberta Open Farm Days. For more information and to check out other farms/venues participating go to: https://albertaopenfarmdays.ca/about
Does your Droll Yankee or Aspects feeder need some replacement parts?
Is the warranty & repair depot for:
Squirrel Buster® Bird Feeders
Aspects® Feeders
Droll Yankee® Feeders
Did you know that we can repair/replace parts and make it look like brand new?
Calgary, AB T2H 1K3 CLOSED Sundays and ALL Statutory holidays for Faith,
Phone: (403)640-2632 Family and Friends. Showroom is open.
email: info@wildbirdstore.ca
FOLLOW US ON: We still offer curbside pickup every day and delivery on Thursdays.
Facebook @thewildbirdstoreyyc
Twitter @wildbirdstoreyyc
CLOSED Heritage Day Monday, August 1, 2022
Go to YouTube, type in the search bar “The Wild Bird Store” to watch our videos and to help us become more visible . Be sure to click on “Subscribe” before you leave the page.
