As we finish our second period of MAPS, shifts in breeding conditions are plentiful. These changes give hints to each bird’s nesting activity without us having to find the nest. The most detailed clues come from female songbirds who are often solely responsible for incubating a pair’s eggs. To efficiently warm these eggs, females drop… Read more »
Weekly Reports
June 9 – 15, 2022
As June 10 concluded, so too did the 2022 Spring Migration Monitoring program at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. With daily coverage since April 18, arrivals and migration peaks have been documented for 160 bird species. Although bird movements began slow-steady with a few sparrow rushes early in the monitoring period, there was a… Read more »
June 2 – 8, 2022
This week has been surprisingly busy for the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory’s spring migration monitoring program with 318 birds banded between June 2 and 8. Although we are capturing expected numbers of late season migrants, such as Canada Warblers, Alder Flycatchers, and even a rare Connecticut Warbler, our nets have also seen unusually high… Read more »
May 26 – June 1, 2022
Though the air is filled with birdsong as Tennessee Warblers and White-Throated Sparrows compete for loudest voice in the boreal forest, migration has continued to slow this week at the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory (LSLBO). While slow, the trickle of birds in the mist nets has brought our organization to a milestone on May… Read more »
May 19 – 25, 2022
On May 18 Team Tanager went out for their big day to see as many species as possible for the Great Canadian Birdathon. Teammates Wayne Bowles, Robyn Perkins, Bronwyn Robinson, and first-timer Nola Sheets spent the morning at the migration monitoring station before heading out to tour a few hotspots around town. In total, they… Read more »
May 12 – 18, 2022
This week has been unusually slow and quiet for the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory. Many of the species which breed north of us and migrate early in the spring have already moved on with only a few stragglers left. However, many of the later migrants have yet to arrive. Most years, this week is… Read more »
May 5 – 11, 2022
After all the snow, rain, and generally cold weather this last week, not much has been recorded moving through the station and even less has been caught as the nets were mostly frozen shut. The wind has pushed the lake ice against the shore, closing off what little open water we had and severely limiting… Read more »
April 18 – May 4, 2022
On April 18, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory began its 29th year of monitoring when we started documenting spring migration for 2022. As many will have noticed, the beautiful, warm weather which melted much of the snow at the start of April did not last and it has been rather cold with rainy and… Read more »
September 23 – 30, 2021
As September draws to a close, so too does the LSLBO’s third record-breaking fall season in a row. In total we have banded 5,336 birds of 66 species, smashing last year’s total of 3,966! The top five species banded this fall were: Tennessee Warbler, Myrtle Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, American Redstart, and Ovenbird. All five of… Read more »
September 16 – 22, 2021
The torrent of migrants that the LSLBO was experiencing earlier in the season has slowed considerably. Our season-to-date total now sits at 5,273 birds banded of sixty-three species, and we have been capturing less than twenty birds a day, most of them Myrtle Warblers and Slate-coloured Juncos. As the leaves continue to change colour and… Read more »
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The 30th Annual Slave Lake Christmas Bird Count will be taking place on Sunday, December 15th this year. This one-day census of the wintering birds in the Slave Lake Area is always a highlight for local residents. Join one of our birding groups to search for birds in town or local forest routes. Or you can help us out by recording the number and type of birds visiting your feeder that day. New participants are always welcome for this fun event. ![]()
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Feeling a little rusty on your bird ID? We will be holding a special Winter Bird ID Crash Course on Thursday, Dec 12th at the local Library for anyone wanting to brush up on their winter bird ID before the Christmas Bird Count. ![]()
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For more information or to sign up for the Christmas Bird Count or the Winter Bird ID presentation, just call 780-849-8240 or email info@borealbirdcentre.ca
Today, the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society and Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory said goodbye to Danika Wack; our wonderful Boreal Educator. After spending 2 and a half years with us delivering school fieldtrips, bird observatory tours, and community outreach programs, Danika is heading off on some well deserved travel adventures. Thank you for everything you have done for our education programs, your kind and generous spirit, and for being such an integral part of our team. Movie nights won't be the same without you, but we wish you well on your exciting adventures to come! ![]()
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(L to R) Patti - LSLBO Executive Director, Danika, Cori - LSFES Executive Director. And if it looks like we are trying to keep her from leaving, we were!
Last night was our Assistant Bander Bronwyn's last shift on our Fall Owl Monitoring Program as she gets ready to head home after a long season. Staff came out to enjoy the evening with her and we were very lucky to have a Northern Saw-whet Owl and a very feisty Boreal Owl stop by as well! Wishing safe travels to Bronwyn as well as the owls!