Frank Lake, AB
Slough Sleuthing
51.0447° N, 114.0719° W
Bird nerds notes
The area around High River is really great for birding. On these trips we spend more time in our vehicle and when we're on foot we instantly get swarmed by mosquitoes. On top of that the smells aren't always pleasant around stagnant water. So why do we do it? The wetlands in the area contain some of the most unique birds in Alberta such as the white-faced ibis and black-necked stilt. Also, while driving between the different lakes, sloughs and marshes the rural prairies can be stunning.
Conditions
- May
- sunny
- celsius
First sightings (lifers) 9x
- Common tern
- Eared grebe
- Marbled godwit
- Semipalmated sandpiper
- Spotted sandpiper
- Western grebe
- Willet
- Wilson's phalarope
- White-faced ibis
More adventures
White-faced ibis look like they're from the tropics but can be spotted in Alberta on rare occasions.
After researching sandpipers more we realize that most of what we see is semiplamated sandpipers.
Willets find prey using the sensitive tips of their bills and can feed both during the day and night.