Frank Lake Bird Walk 2025

This past Saturday, I attended the Alberta Wilderness Association’s adventure ‘An Introduction to Birdwatching at Frank Lake’. This is my third year attending this event. I’m still a novice when it comes to identifying birds, though I am improving. What I like about this hike is that A) it is flat, so no hill climbing, B) you get to see so many different bird species in one day!

The hike was once again led by Chris Saunders, a long-time Board member of AWA, and avid birder. There were fourteen of us on this year’s hike.

Frank Lake is a Canadian listed Important Bird Area.[1]

“There is an unreasonable joy to be had from the observation of small birds going about their bright, oblivious business.”

— Grant Hutchison, The Complete Lachlane

We identified 35 species of bird on Saturday. The list follows:

• Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

• Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)

• Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

• Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

• Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)

• Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

• Yellow-headed Blackbird (Genus Xanthocephalus)

• Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)

• Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

• Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) VU

• White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)

• Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

• American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

• Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)

• Sora (Porzana carolina)*

• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) NT

• American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

• Willett (Tringa semipalmata)

• Wilson’s phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

• California Gull (Larus californicus)

• Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

• Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)

• Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

• Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)

• Double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)

• Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)

• American Coot (Fulica americana)

• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)

• Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

• Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) NT

• Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) SC

• Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

• Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) VU

• Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

* The Sora was heard but not seen.

VU - Vulnerable; NT - Near Threatened; SC - Special Concern

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Richardson's Ground Squirrel

Thanks to Chris for sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with us.

To see last year’s post ‘Frank Lake - Important Bird Area’, click here: https://www.debborahdonnelly.ca/blog/frank-lake-iba

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[1] “Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are discrete sites that support specific groups of birds: threatened birds, large groups of birds, and birds restricted by range or by habitat.” https://www.ibacanada.com/iba_what.jsp?lang=en