Field Notes - Spring 2026
Birds in Flight
May 4, 2026, 07:20 | sunny, clear blue sky | 2°C, beautifully refreshing Nw breeze
Location: my own backyard within a small town in Central Alberta
A large flock of Canada geese flying in V-formation. A few tundra swans are have joined them. It was the bugling call, hoo-hoo-hoo, of the swans that caught my attention. Awe-inspiring for the senses.
distant sound grows close
geese in formation, with swans
interbeings fly
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Birds in Flight
June 20, 2026, 07:10 | rainy, began 04:30ish | 11°C, gentle refreshing Ne breeze
Location: my own backyard within a small town in Central Alberta
I've been watching a pair of robins raise young. Mid-May, not knowing she was incubating on a beam under our deck, I startled her. This is how we met. (Our Robins Under the Deck post shares more on this part of the story.)
This past Thursday morning, the nestlings were strong enough to stand on the rim of their nest. It was the first time I was able to see their beautiful, globular speckled breasts. By noon, they were gone! Not only gone from the nest, but it seemed, gone from our yard entirely! Throughout the day I'd catch glimpses of them in neighbouring yards, and the male and female would be perched on the fences keeping watch. Then yesterday, when a parent bird flew in with a bill full of food, I realized that one little one was in our apple tree. The little fledgling peeped quietly for a bit, then settled into silence shortly being fed.
This morning I was awakened by loud, repetitive robin calls. It went on for quite some time, with what sounded like weaker responses. It sounded like the male was rounding up his young. I imagined in my mind that it was time for them to find their flock. A thought occurred to me. Perhaps robins choose backyards to nest in, not only for the nesting possibilities they provide, but also because once the young leave the nest, they need a training ground. With many structures in close proximity — buildings, shrubs, trees, fences — they can learn to fly without tiring, and have places to hide when grounded. I've noticed that robins all but disappear from our yard early in the summer season, and that I am more likely to see them in forests and the open countryside as we move into autumn. This, too, would be training ground for longer flights, and finally for migration.
As it turns out, this morning the male was not rounding up his young to join the flock. The moment he stopped calling, the rain began. Then, stepping out into our backyard, I witnessed little ones hopping on the ground, mamma on the fence watching, and papa singing from a rooftop. They are still here for a short while longer, and this makes my heart glad.
nest of robin blue
speckled breasts, robin signing
soon to join their flock
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