It’s as sure a sign of spring as any.
An airborne spectacle in the form of returning migrations of birds has begun in Alberta and in other areas of the prairies.
Birds that pollinate crops and native plants, keep bug and rodent numbers down, and provide food for other wildlife are back, or at the very least on the way back from more southern climes.
And besides how useful they are, the birds are also simply good to look at and listen to.
Nothing says spring like the sight and sound of songbirds, and Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park near Cochrane is offering a program designed to appeal to birdwatchers who are itching to get out and enjoy some local nature.
The sprawling grasslands southeast of Cochrane contain some of the last remaining foothills fescue grassland as well as a scattered mosaic of wetlands and wooded areas. The diverse habitat provides home to a wide variety of bird species. As most of the best birding locations require walking long distances, the program presenters have a solution – golf carts.
Over the approximately three and a half hours the tours will take, avid watchers can expect to cross about 50 species off their lists.
Or, they can just enjoy the day, with no lists involved.
Participants can expect to see or hear species like Vesper Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, and Western Meadowlark as well as riparian species like Baltimore Oriole and many swallows, sparrows, and flycatchers.
Some uncommon possibilities include Turkey Vulture, Prairie Falcon, Rock Wren, Sprague’s Pipit and Spotted Towhee.
Participants will also learn how to identify species like hawks that may be flying overhead.
Linda Vick visits the park often and has been watching for the birds lately. She said the red-tailed hawks and bluebirds are back.
“I see birds in the park, I see them in my yard, I see them around Cochrane, it’s just . . . when you see something new, it’s exciting,” she said. “And you get to read up on it and educate other people about it.”
As one of the harbingers of spring, she said the first sightings of certain seasonal birds are special.
“As soon as you see a bluebird, or even a robin, then you know, ‘Oh my gosh – it’s on the way.’” she said. “Everything’s really late this year, even the flowers.”
Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation conservation program coordinator Blake Weis and park steward Annie Finch will cover about 20 kilometres on the carts.
“That way, we can cover more of the park than you could on foot, certainly in four hours,” Weis said. “We go to the east along the trails towards the Glenbow reservoir, and there’s a wide variety of habitats, from native grasslands to forests and wetlands.”
The tours will run from now until the end of May, and will start up again in the fall.
Weis said that since birding is not an exact science, and harder-to-find species move around from year to year, the tour guides can’t guarantee sighting a certain number of species or specific birds.
But he noted the odds of seeing at least a couple of relatively rare species at the park are usually pretty good.
“Turkey vultures aren’t really common to this part of Alberta but they’re around Glenbow quite a bit. Prairie Falcons are another one, they’re really interesting,” he said.
He said a flagship species for Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is the Mountain Bluebird.
“The males especially are a very bright blue in the sun, they’re a fantastic looking bird,” he said.
There is currently no bird watching club that Weis knows of in the Cochrane area, but he didn’t see why there couldn’t be one, considering the town’s proximity to great bird-watching locations.
For Cochrane birders who want to mingle with like-minded souls, he said a group called Nature Calgary sponsors birding activities in the larger city.
Birders interested in Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation's tours should prepare for any weather, as it can be cold in the morning at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park but very hot by the middle of the day. Most of the park is open grassland and is very exposed to the elements. Recommended items to bring include a jacket, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, water, snacks, and of course binoculars.
The cost is $40 per guest. The program will run rain or shine. However, if inclement weather prevents guides from delivering the program safely, a full refund will be provided. All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Information on the tours can be found at the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation website at grpf.ca, under programs & events.
