Bow Valley Birding and Wildlife Tours
2 Marsden Road NE T2E 5P6 Calgary, AB, Canada

While banding at Runaway Creek, I was staying at the Tropical Education Center near the Belize Zoo. The zoo and the TEC are situated in the pine savannah lowlands of central Belize, a fairly dry interior with not much jungle but a patchwork of grasslands, shrublands, and the odd fragment of jungle habitat. This is one of the best places in the country to find the endangered Yellow-headed Parrot. Their vocalizations are a little unnerving and surreal, but their striking colour...s and their habit of perching out in the open in the late evening makes them really stand out. Their endangered status is primarily due to them being captured and smuggled out of the country for the pet trade, but the population near the TEC are bouncing back quite well. #YellowHeadedParrot #yhpa #TropicalEducationCenter #BelizeZoo #sony200600 #sonya7riv #bird_photography #birding #belize2020 #belize #your_best_birds

Okay, this post is tough to write because it's forced me to reflect on the last year in a lot of ways. A year ago today I got on a flight in Belize after a morning of birding, with a bit of anxiety but ultimately knowing I was going to get home at some point over the next 24-48 hours, but not quite knowing when. I was saved by an amazing flight attendant who simply told me not to bother with the United desk at Houston International Airport, but just to go to the gate where a ...flight to Calgary was set to leave less than an hour after we landed. They put me on the plane (direct flight) immediately, and I thanked them profusely. The days leading up to my return home were mostly relaxing, but anxiety with trying to confirm my flights, and figuring out all the rules once I got home was stressful. Who knew we'd still be in this a year later? I've grown in a lot of ways, but also fallen into some bad habits, as I'm sure we all have, both personally and with relationships with friends and family. I've always been an introvert, and the last year has been mostly fairly comfortable for me with that regard. But ultimately the goodness of people, the comfort of pets, and the wonder of the natural world are what keep me hopeful and positive as the world continues to turn. I've been lucky with COVID. I haven't lost anyone close to me to the disease. I know many have. But I know ultimately the worst is behind us and in another 365 days, I'll be looking back on this far in the rear view and fully engaged with the new normal that we all are building for ourselves now. So thank you to that kind flight attendant who knew the system and could see in my eyes that I was just trying to get home ASAP, and shared her expertise in navigating the system with me 365 days ago. Dan

The Green Honeycreeper was one of the most stunning birds I saw last year. A pair of them had been regular visitors to the feeding stations they had set up and were one species that I was committed to getting a great photo of. Hopefully this one passes muster! #grho #GreenHoneycreeper #your_best_birds #birding #belize2020 #belize #sonya7riv #sony200600 #bird_photography #LaMilpa

The second location I helped out with the bird banding efforts was Runaway Creek, located near the Belize Zoo. A drier jungle than Cockscomb, but at the edge of the pine savannah, the birds here were a bit different than the ones further south. We had spider monkeys in the jungle above us each day, though I never really got a good look at them here. As the banding days slowly progressed though, COVID news was progressing at light speed back here at home. Day by day my concern was less about the work we were doing and more about whether I'd be able to get back home at the end of the trip... #belize2020 #birdbanding #runawaycreek #belize

While the Royal Flycatcher was an amazing find and super flashy in the hand, the best bird by far that we banded at Cockscomb was this Scaly-throated Leaftosser. A drab bird of the underbrush and generally very hard to see in its habitat as it tends to be very secretive. In fact, we needed to review a number of options when we were initially identifying it! #stle #scalythroatedleaftosser #bird_photography #birdbanding #cockscombbasinwildlifesanctuary #sonya7riv #sony200600 #your_best_birds

Owlberta 2020 is off to a fine start!

Snowy Owls are always an incredible sight.

One good thing about the cold wintery weather? The birds are just a little bit easier to find most days!

If you're interested in a 2020 Birds of Alberta Calendar, message me here! $25 each, and will ship anywhere in North America!

It's taken me years to get looks this good at a Sprague's Pipit! It was an awesome day out with Webster and Karen in June when we found this random little lady just sitting beside the road. Such a great experience!