SKIING BIRD WATCHERS TAKE NOTE- The Thursday Cascade Trip
Trip date: Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Submitted by DEMOCRATIZE AB
Particpants:
Birds
Discussion:
When I skied up to Stoney Creek Warden cabin up the Cascade Valley trail on Thursday, there were a lot of birds there making a racket.
I am not a bird expert but I believe they were Pine Gosbeaks along with others. https://birdwatchinghq.com/red-birds-in-alberta/
What blew me away about one of them was that it had a stunning golden chest similar to the golden color on the rump of the female in the photo on the above website link. What I assume were male birds had very deep red covering on most of the bird other than the wings and tail. Both of these birds had somewhat narrow beaks that curved down slightly. The beaks looked different from the photos in the links. They seemed longer and narrower.
These birds were enjoying the sun of the near mid afternoon and were also flying into the grass below the cabin soffits. They were not very shy unless I made movements or sounds. They did not like me sniffing air through my nose.
If you are skiing up that way bring a camera if you dig birds as the golden chested one was very spectacular in the lighting of the afternoon sitting on the rails of the cabin. This could be a bird photo of the year potentially.
There is a potential genetic golden color alteration or mutation of the Pine Gosbeak at the Stoney Creek Warden cabin.
Ski on in the Naturehood and keep it natural.