Well, managed a few short jaunts; here's how it went.
Banff town
Lots of Ravens and Black-billed Magpies, and a few House Sparrows. One Osprey and one Peregrine over and Clarke’s Nutcracker on a couple of occasions. Common Yellowthroats and Wilson’s Warblers in riverside scrub, also large numbers of Ruby-crowned Kinglets when I first arrived, mostly gone a couple of days later, possibly migrants downed by drizzle, then moving on as the weather improved. Same possibly applies to the half dozen or so Audubon’s Warblers circuiting Central Park. One female Hairy Woodpecker in a side street at the tunnel Mountain end of town, occasional Crossbills over (rarely perching up, both Red & White-winged were seen when they did) and a couple of American Robins. Plenty of Mountain Chickadees around too, and one Savannah Sparrow (by the Bow River outside Bow View Lodge).
Fenland trail & Vermillion Lakes.
Did two strolls out this way. The first was on day 1, in drizzly weather, and the bushes were hooching with Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Also scattered along the edge of the road were scores of Pink-sided Juncos, dozens of White-crowned Sparrows, and a fair few Song Sparrows too. All of the Kinglets and White-crowned Sparrows and most of the Juncos and Song Sparrows were gone a few days later when the trail was walked again in much finer weather. The lakes held small numbers of wildfowl; mostly Green-winged Teal and Mallard, with some American Wigeon, Pintail, a couple of Gadwall and one female Canvasback. Prize for top duck though goes to Hooded Merganser, with half a dozen drakes and maybe twice as many redheads. Other highlights of the first walk out here were a cracking male Northern Harrier, a small party of Golden-crowned Kinglets and at least one Boreal Chickadee. Second time out to Vermillion Lakes was quite different, with far fewer small migrant songbirds (and no sign of the Harrier), but several Clarke’s Nutcrackers and a Northern Shrike (chasing a Chickadee). On both walks there were Red- (lots) and White- (a few) breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees and White-winged and Red Crossbills.
Cave and Basin Marsh
A short walk in fine weather, very quiet, only bird of note was the only White-throated Sparrow (an immature) of the trip.
Tunnel Mountain
Walked up and back one afternoon. Highlights were best views of the trip of Clarke’s Nutcracker (party of a dozen or so just above the trail) and a flock of Pine Siskins near the top.
Somewhere or other
Had a non birding excursion up to the base of a ski-lift somewhere (south of the town I think) where I managed to sneak a couple of fly-over Townsend’s Solitaires and a distant Grey Jay.
So all in all I’d say pretty quiet, and certainly not the perfect time of year for a birding trip to this part of the world, but some pleasant diversions between workshops, and very pretty scenery. If you like mountains.
Never did get round to going on the gondola!
Cheers
James
