** Reply to note from Hugh J.

> I am going flyfishing for northern pike at Gypsy Lake which is about 50 air
> miles north of Fort MacMurray which is NE of Edmonton. I will be there June
> 26-July 2 and was wondering if anyone out there was familiar about the birds I
> might see there at this time of year. In particular, birds that are not
> common in W. Wash.

You will be smack dab in the boreal forest, Hugh, so expect to see lots of
birds you don't get at home. The best reference book for Alberta birds is still
the 1976 Salt And Salt "Birds of Alberta" (Hurtig Publishers). Ones that come to
mind (not in taxonomic order) are:

Warblers - Chestnut-sided; Bay-breasted; Cape May; Blackpoll; Tennessee;
Mourning; Connecticut; Palm (find a black spruce bog); and Black-throated Green.
I suggest you try to pick up the new "Warblers" book by Dunn and Garrett, part
of the Peterson Field Guide series. It is excellent.

Waders - Solitary Sandpiper; Lesser and maybe also Greater Yellowlegs; outside
chance for Upland Sandpiper.

Sparrows - Clay-colored; Lincoln's should be everywhere; Swamp; probably Fox.

Flycatchers - Yellow-bellied (our only ground-nesting empid - prefers a moss
substrate for nesting); Alder (should be everywhere along the shoreline).

Cranes - Sandhills should be sheperding around 1/3-1/2 grown young ones now;
you are likely too far south for any Whoopers.

Loons - Should be a pair of Commons on the lake; I think you are too far south
for Pacifics or Red-throateds.

Owls - Boreal; Saw-whet; Great Horned; Great Gray; maybe N. Hawk Owl. Our local
Boreals here in P.G. were still vocal as of ten days ago so you may luck out and
hear them this late into the year (usually stopped calling by now).

Note that the best facet of seeing songbirds on their breeding grounds is that
they will be singing their little hearts out. The silent skulking Lincoln's
Sparrow migrants that pass through western Washington turn into voluble
songsters on their breeding grounds. Remember that you will be a prime target
for biting and blood-sucking insects so go prepared. Oh, and in the mammal
department, moose and probably black bears will be around.

If you would like more info, there is someone in town here that used to live in
Fort McMurray. I could query him about birds there and answer you back offlist
if you like. Let me know.

- Jack

- Jack



==========================
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca