Best of 2021: Photography
The ongoing panedmic and climate events (ie. forest fires) didn't stop us from birding but we may use them as an excuse for our lack of posts in 2021.
Ibis
It's hard not to post photos of the white-faced ibis since they're one of the most sought after birds in Alberta.
Warbler
Our most popular picture on social media in 2021 was a yellow warbler playing in a bunch of flowers.
Snowy Owl
We had to drive further east to find them but seeing snowy owls is one of the best parts of winter.
Oriole
Baltimore orioles are one of the most beautiful birds in Alberta but also one of the harder ones to photograph.
Bluebird
It's no surprise that mountain bluebirds frequent these lists on a regular basis -- they're friendly and stunning.
Nighthawk
We were so lucky to have a pair of nighthawks use our campsite as their daytime resting place for a few days in a row.
Grosbeak
A special sighting for us in 2021 was getting close to a flock of evening grosbeak right near our house.
Sandpiper
In 2021 we had multiple incredible encounters with sandpipers and shorebirds including hudsonian godwits and dunlins.
Kingfisher
It only took 5 years to get a good photo of a belted kingfisher which was frustrating because they're so awesome.
Woodpecker
Lewis's woodpecker are exceptionally rare in Alberta so it was amazing to see one let alone get a good photo!
Looking back
The pandemic and climate events made it hard to get out birding. It made us anxious to see how dry some of our hotspots had gotten during the heatwaves. Besides that we also did other things like ride bikes and spend time with our dog. All and all we're happy with the birding we did in 2021 and look forward to 2022.