Frank Lake - Important Bird Area
Cover Photo: Frank Lake (2024)
What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in?
What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing. ~ Jay Inslee
The above quote, despite the fact that not all fish live in rivers, or all birds nest in trees, is very relevant.
This male yellow-headed blackbird vibrantly stands out amongst the dry rushes.
Sunday, May 19, 2024 - Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) held another Introduction to Birdwatching adventure at Frank Lake (led by AWA Board member and avid birder, Chris Saunders). I would also like to thank Frank Letniowski who took some amazing photos throughout the day, and helped with identifications.
The area of the lake is surrounded by power lines, and it gets its water (which keeps the lake permanent) from the used water of an abattoir in High River, but it is nonetheless water in a dry environment and has become home and stopping point for some of the most magnificent birds. We visited last year and identified 34 distinct bird species in a single day. This year we beat the record, and identified 46.
Following is this year’s list of spectacular birds.
Alberta General Status Designations and Definitions:
Secure - A species that is not At Risk, May Be At Risk or Sensitive.
Sensitive - Any species that is not as risk of extinction or extirpation but may require special attention or protection to prevent it from becoming at risk.
At Risk - Any species known to be at risk after formal detailed status assessment and legal designation as Endangered or Threatened in Alberta.
Undetermined - Any species for which insufficient information, knowledge or data is available to reliably evaluate its general status.
If you missed the chance to join us on this birdwatching walk this year, look out for this event next year on the AWA events page, and check out the many other hikes as well.
Canada Species at Risk Registry - https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry.html (Accessed May 20, 2024)
IUCN Red List - https://www.iucnredlist.org/ (Accessed May 20, 2024)
Alberta Wild Species Status Search https://www.alberta.ca/lookup/wild-species-status-search.aspx
