Frank Lake may top the list of all my birding hotspots. It generally has the same birds each time I visit, but sometimes there's a surprise thrown in. What makes it such a great place is the diversity and the accessibility. From the blind, you can watch the birds close up without them being aware or caring about your presence.
Here's the famous blind where I've recorded many lifers.
On this visit we were accompanied by Mary-Jean's friend Zobaide. She's not a birder, but is very interested and willing to learn. As a bonus she packed a lunch big enough to feed us two meals, never mind one.
Before proceeding to the blind, we stopped at some ponds along the entrance road, a good location for shorebirds and others that love water.
The first bird spotted was a Willet, a rather drab looking shorebird until it opens up its wings.
Willet - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #160
We were visiting earlier than I normally do (early June instead of early July). I usually see White-faced Ibis at Frank Lake, but they are remote or flying high overhead. On this day, they were much more accessible.
White-faced Ibis - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #161
These birds are stunning both in the air and in the water. This photo has the bonus of having a Wilson's Phalarope in the background, somewhat out of focus.
White-faced Ibis and Wilson's Phalarope
Frank Lake, High River AB
Here's a better focused shot of a Phalarope taken later.
Wilson's Phalarope - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #162
The Black-necked Stilt is another regular, but it is more camera shy than some of the other birds, it may be more aware of human presence than some of the other birds.
Black-necked Stilt - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird # 163
A common bird in grassland/marshy areas is the Savannah Sparrow.
Savannah Sparrow - Frank Lake, High River AB
I always try to photograph butterflies when I see them and identify them later. This may be an Eastern-tailed Blue, but my only reference is Butterflies of BC.
Eastern-tailed Blue (?) - Frank Lake, High River AB
Although this photo was taken later from the blind, we did see Cinnamon Teal quite early in the visit. The males of this species are unmistakable. Interestingly, they are closely related to the Blue-winged Teal and will interbreed sometimes.
Cinnamon Teal - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #164
Here's the much less showy female, which is quite similar to the female Blue-winged Teal.
Cinnamon Teal (F) - Frank Lake, High River AB
Frank Lake is one of the best places to see Yellow-headed Blackbirds. I normally see them in the Okanagan in April, but this year bad weather prevented me from seeing any there.
This shot was taken from the blind and shows a female with a catch, possibly to feed some young in a nearby nest.
Yellow-headed Blackbird (F) - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #165
The Forster's Tern is another regular resident, seen hovering in the air and then plunging after some unsuspecting fish in the lake. This species can be distinguished from the Common Tern by beak colour (Orange instead of Red) and from the Caspian Tern by smaller size overall, as well as beak colour.
Forster's Tern - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #166
On this try, it looks like it was unsuccessful.
It's always nice to see a Gull species that is easy to identify. The Franklin's Gull has a dark head that makes it unmistakable in Alberta.
Franklin's Gull - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #167
From the blind there were the birds to see in the water, but also some using the structure as a launching pad for feeding forays.
Barn Swallow - Frank Lake, High River AB
A bonus of being in the blind is the proximity of the Grebes, particularly the Eared Grebe. These birds are elegant in their breeding plumage.
Eared Grebe - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #168
The Western Grebes are usually farther out on the pond, more wary of the blind. It's always a challenge to photograph them with the contrasting white and black. The red eye usually needs to be highlighted in post-processing.
Western Grebe - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #169
Looking back towards the shore, Mary-Jean took this photo of a pair of Northern Shovelers. It's
easy to confuse these birds with Mallards, but the beaks are much larger and the Male's colouring is more complex. She's a big fan of these ducks since seeing them in the Okanagan on a birding tour.
Northern Shoveler - Frank Lake, High River AB - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur
Still in the blind, we had the good fortune to see a Muskrat swimming towards us. Mary-Jean caught it with this nice photo:
Muskrat - Frank Lake, High River AB- Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur
I flipped the Nikon into video mode and took this short movie.
Finally, a visit to Frank Lake is not complete without a Ruddy Duck shot. They are quite the show-offs as they pose for prospective mates.
Ruddy Duck - Frank Lake, High River AB - 2018 Bird #168
After leaving Frank Lake, we made a brief foray down a farm road, where we were rewarded with a good look at a Western Kingbird. This was the last bird of the day as we headed back to Calgary.
Western Kingbird - near Frank Lake, High River AB
