Songbirding

While hiking the Fullerton Loop Trail I found a very cooperative Townsend’s Solitaire, at about the halfway point of the hike. For this episode, we’re going to listen to this long-winged songster, as well as many other songbird species here. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover a...

Continuing the ascent of the Fullerton Loop Trail, I’m about to encounter the songs of Red-breast Nuthatches, Western Warbling-Vireos, and Townsend’s Solitaires. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com...

As I continue along the Fullerton Loop Trail, I’ll be encountering some Chipping Sparrows, Varied Thrush, Mountain Chickadees, and more. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062 Creativ...

The Fullerton Loop Trail is a half-day hike that gives expansive views over the Elbow Valley in Kananaskis Country. During my trip in early June of 2025, it was full of birdsong, even though the climate felt like winter was still holding on a slight bit. For the next six episodes we’ll be exploring this trail, hearing from an extensive number of species as we pass through open meadows, steep ravin...

The Varied Thrush is a striking species to look at, and a haunting one to hear. The male’s mix of dark colours mixed with orange gradients make them look dressed for Halloween. Their song sounds something between a haunted flute and a referee whistle, and stands out to me as one of the more unique songs of North American species. For this species in focus episode, I’ll be sharing recordings from t...

The Townsend’s Solitaire can be a very, very long winded bird. It may have the longest continuous song I’ve ever recorded. To me this bird has always looked like someone had taken a Northern Mockingbird and made it thrush-shaped. It is a mostly-grey thrush with dark wings that can have a small flare of tan colour to them. Its song can sound very finch-like, with a mix of warbles and abrupt changes...

I’m at the top of Prairie View, a broad vista overlooking Barrier Lake. It’s been a long hike up and I’ll be headed back down soon, stopping wherever I hear birdsong. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmad...

Barrier Lake is one of the most visually stunning locations in Kananakis Country.  It is a large, sea-blue lake in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains. For this two-part hike I’ll be climbing to Prairie View, a vista that overlooks Barrier Lake and its valley. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porte...

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet has a lengthy and fascinating song for such a tiny songbird. This little grey bird starts off with soft high notes, then break into a musical twittering, and concludes with a loud series of phrases. It’s an enchanting song, and a loud one for such a tiny bird.  The Ruby-crowned Kinglet breeds throughout most of Canada and much of the interior western United States. For thi...

A classic birding-by-ear problem is having two or more species in the same area that have similar songs.  The Chipping Sparrow and the Orange-crowned Warbler are two such species: two of many that are infamous for their cryptic trills.  First, the Chipping Sparrow has a straight trill with a consistent spacing between each “note”.  In contrast, this Orange-crowned Warbler’s trill slows down as it...

This episode concludes the morning at Jumpingpound Demonstraton Forest, with a focus on the Townsend's Warbler Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062 Creative Commons music is from Bl...

Not wanting to leave a good birding location, I’m continuing to hike up and down the main hill at the Pine Woods Loop Trail at Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest, following each new bird species I hear. It may be getting late into the morning, but the intensity of birdsong is not letting up yet. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narra...

I’m continuing my hike through Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest. As the morning air warms, the birdsong continues to increase in intensity and diversity. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projec...

We continue the exploration of Jumpingpound Forest. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062 Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions. Learn how to support the show at https://so...

The Northern Waterthrush is a small, brown bird that may resemble a thrush, and may even inhabit thrush habitat, but is actually a warbler. They live in bogs and wooded swamps throughout Canada and the northeastern United States. The song of the Northern Waterthrush can be considered similar to the Yellow Warbler, and is described as sounding like twit-twit-twit, sweet-sweet, chew-chew-chew. For t...

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is an abundant, versatile warbler found throughout Canada and the western United States during the summer. They are easily identified by the bright yellow patch on their rump just above their tail. The males sing a slow, soft warble or trill in two phrases, which is usually faster in the second part. This species was once considered to be three separate species, and Kanan...

Note: unlike most of my episodes this one will have some very loud weather. I know there are quite a few listeners who use Songbirding to relax and fall asleep, and I just wanted to give you a heads up that if you’re one of them, you may want to skip this one as it ends quite loudly, or, if you happen to find thunder sounds relaxing, set a sleep timer of 20 minutes. When I first arrived in Kanaski...

It’s almost two years later and I’m back again at this mountain forest, but this time in the evening. Earlier in the bird breeding season, many species will make a special effort to be heard before the sun sets, to make one last proclamation of territory before everything goes dark. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and crea...

The conclusion of a hike through this forest off of Sibbald Trail in Kananaskis in July of 2023. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062 Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions...

Off the Sibbald Trail, just west of Sibbald Meadows Pond, I found a small pull-over and hiking trail leading into the woods to explore. With just a few hours until my flight back for this first trip I decided to pop in for a quick listen, to hear what might be singing in this unnamed mountain forest. (I still don't know a name for this trail, but it is part of the Lusk Ridge hills.) Credits Songbi...

I’m continuing my exploration of Opal Day Use area along the main highway of Kananaksis Trail. This location is alongside a river and seems to be abundant with warblers, sandpipers, Columbian ground squirresl and more. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler)...

One thing I’ve learned from years of birding is not to ignore a good roadside birding location. It often seems counterintuitive to me as a sound recordist — I do want to be away from traffic sounds, of course. But often roadside stops consist of edge habitats that songbirds love to occupy. And, also in this case, Columbian Ground Squirrels. You’ll hear them in this episode, but I wasn’t aware they...

This is my second try at finding birds to record at Kananaksis Lake, the first being a couple years earlier and being only of moderate success. I’m hoping despite the clinging of the last vestiages of winter, I might have some success finding some birdsong at cold climate lake. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created b...

The Tennessee Warbler is a small, drab warbler with a thin pointy bill and a short tail. They breed mostly in the Boreal Forest in Canada, but can also be found here in mountains of Kananskis Country. Their song is a very (very) loud jumble of rapidly accelerating very high pitched notes that can sound like "ticka ticka swit sisisisisisi”. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding S...

I’m continuing my hike along the Elk Pass Trail in Kananaskis Country, close to BC border. It’s a quieter and cooler climate than I’m used to, but the crossbills, wrens, thrushes and more don’t seem to mind the weather. Credits Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production. Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter. The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler...