I respectfully acknowledge that the areas I took these photos are located within the Treaty 6 Territory, the ancestral and traditional territories of the Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ ᐊᐢᑭᕀ Nêhiyaw-Askiy (Plains Cree), Tsuu T’ina, Michif Piyii (Métis), Cree people, and within the Treaty 8 region, the ancestral and traditional territories of the Beaver Lake Cree, Michif Piyii (Métis), Cree people. Source: native-land.ca
I recently shared My Top 10 Favourite Nature Photos of 2022, so I thought that I would continue my “year in review” series by taking a deeper dive and listing all of the incredible birds and new species that I was fortunate to encounter in over the course of 2022.
Despite only stumbling upon the passion for birding (and bird photography) in late May (and not getting out as much as I would have liked) I was pleasantly surprised by the number of different birds (and lifers) I was able to spot all within my “backyard”. From the heart-pounding sightings to the occasional disappointment of not seeing any birds, each outing was a memorable experience that has definitely left me longing for more.
Although I wasn’t able to capture a photo of every species that I encountered during my outings, I did manage to photograph several of the species that I observed. Below the list, you will find a gallery featuring some of the birds I was able to take photos of.
2022 Stats:
I didn’t record a lot of stats for 2022, but I have started tracking more information for 2023 so that my end-of-year recap can be even more in-depth.
| 58 species | 35 lifers | 15 different locations | 27 outings | 1 new camera lens |
2022 Birding List (In alphabetical order):
- American Coot
- American Crow
- American Robin
- American White Pelican
- American Wigeon * lifer
- Bald Eagle
- Bank Swallow * lifer
- Barn Swallow * lifer
- Black Tern * lifer
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Black-crowned Night-Heron * lifer
- Blue Jay
- Blue-winged Teal * lifer
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- Brown-headed Cowbird * lifer
- Bufflehead * lifer
- California Gull
- Canada Goose
- Canvasback * lifer
- Cedar Waxwing * lifer
- Clay-coloured Sparrow
- Common Goldeneye * lifer
- Common Grackle * lifer
- Double-crested cormorant
- Forester’s Tern
- Franklin’s Gull * lifer
- Gadwall
- Greater Yellowlegs * lifer
- Green-winged teal * lifer
- Hooded Merganser * lifer
- Lesser Scaup * lifer
- Magpie
- Mallard
- Merlin * lifer
- Northern Harrier * lifer
- Northern Shoveler * lifer
- Northern Shriek * lifer
- Pied-billed Grebe * lifer
- Pine Siskin * lifer
- Red-necked Grebe
- Red-tailed Hawk * lifer
- Red-winged Blackbird * lifer
- Ring-billed Gull
- Rock Pigeon * including an albino
- Ruddy Duck * lifer
- Sandhill Crane
- Snow Goose
- Song Sparrow * lifer
- Sora * lifer
- Swainson’s Hawk * lifer
- Tree Swallow * lifer
- Tundra Swan
- Virginia Rail * lifer
- White-throated Sparrow
- Yellow Warbler * lifer
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * lifer
- Yellow-headed Blackbird * lifer
- Yellow-rumped Warbler * lifer
And of course, we can’t forget about the photos!
Please use the arrows to navigate through the gallery (or swipe on mobile)
American Coot (Fulica americana) 
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 
Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) 
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 
Red Necked Grebe (Podiceps grisgena) 
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) 
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) 
Sora (Porzana carolina) 
Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 
Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 
Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 
Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
Until next time, chase the stoke!
– Tracey
INFORMATION
- In the world of birding, a “lifer” is a bird species that a person has successfully sighted and identified for the first time in their life.
- All birds have been double-checked to verify their identities using reliable resources such as the Merlin Bird ID app and the Birds of Alberta book.
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