​Ma Squirrel has learned how to lick out the shelled sunflower seeds from our bird feeder!  

​​We are celebrating Arbour Day at Ellis Bird Farm this year! This means for one day, we will be open before Victoria Day weekend. On Saturday, May 4th, we will be doing a two-part celebration of Arbour Day with Charlie's Trees being the star attraction.
First, we are looking for strong and able volunteers, aged 16 years or older, who would like to lend a hand moving trees onsite as we redistribute seedling spruce trees from Charlie Ellis' original shelter belt to new locations. Volunteers need to be on hand at 9:30AM and will receive lunch following a morning of tree moving. Please register ahead to be part of this effort by emailing info@ellisbirdfarm.ca.
Second, we are offering Charlie's Trees to the general public between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Bring your own spade and pot, make a donation and take a spruce tree seedling to plant at home, spreading Charlie Ellis' tree-planting legacy across Central Alberta. 

Apr 19, 2019 - ​Ellie is sitting up higher in the nest now that she has three little ones. The webcamera that offers such great views can be seen in the upper right corner. 

​April 2019 - ​We have been busy replacing old rotten fence boards around the site. New fences are just a few of the upgrades and changes that visitors will notice when we open this season

April 2019 - ​Wayne Froese of Top Peg Timber Framing topped one of the large poplar trees that was girdled a few years ago by beavers. The downed section of tree will be the first element in what will become a special nature play area for children. ​

Ellis Bird Farm was very pleased to present and participate in the Western Canada Bird Banding Workshop, held in Edmonton on March 29-31. Ellis Bird Farm team members Alisha Ritchie, Leo de Groot and Myrna Pearman delivered a well-received presentation entitled "Using Tracking Technologies to Inform and Inspire." Maureen Carey, Claudia Lipski and Lucas Wessner also attended the conference. 


​Over the past few years, Ellis Bird Farm has developed and deployed various technologies to monitor and track cavity-nesting birds: CCTVs; cavity cameras; light level geolocators; GPS units; and the use of RFID technology. This presentation will briefly summarize and demonstrate the highlights of how these technologies have been enabled the collection of important scientific information, but also how they have been used to share the information to educate, engage and inspire the public. ​