The May 24th storm caused some damage at Ellis Bird Farm. Although there was (thankfully) no damage to any buildings, several trees were blown over along the roadway and around the site. The power was out for almost 40 hours. Staff worked hard on May 25th to clean up the mess, but we had to close the site due to the lack of power. We thank everyone for their understanding.

Opening day for our 2017 season was a great success with almost 400 visitors! Ellie and Albert's  three owlets were superstars. Sara, boo and Sam.

This petition seeks to restore the name "Canada Jay" to this ubiquitous Canadian bird before the Canadian government adopts it nationally. Let's give back the true name to this fantastic bird and return its' authentic name so that it can truly represent the spirit of the nation it will henceforth carry the burden of symbolizing.
 
Petitioning Mélanie Joly, Justin Trudeau, Society of Canadian Ornithologists
Let's have the Gray Jay returned to its' original name the Canada Jay.  

 
Petition by Ontario Master Naturalists


After a heated and somewhat controversial campaign by Canadian Geographic, the Gray Jay has been selected to represent Canada's national bird. We think that is great! So does the Royal Canadian Geographic Society as they have endorsed the Gray Jay and are hoping to have it adopted by the Canadian government upon their recommendation to help celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.
The problem is that the Gray Jay's true name Perisoreus canadensis is not the Gray Jay after all, but the much more apt "Canada Jay".  According to Dan Strickland in an article written in Ontario Birds April 2017 this name change should never have happened. In a somewhat convoluted attempt to streamline nomenclature the American Ornithologists' Union in 1957 released list 5 with the "Canada Jay", as it had been historically identified, replaced with the name "Gray Jay". This, according to Strickland, with no valid taxonomic or nomenclatural reason.

 

 
Sign the petition

On Saturday, June 3 from 9 AM until 12 noon, Ellis Bird Farm will be holding a Beginner Bird Identification workshop, hosted by expert Judy Boyd. She will begin with a presentation on common Central Alberta birds and how to identify them by song and plumage. Participants will then be invited to walk with Judy around the EBF main site, Sandpiper Pond and the West Woods and put their new knowledge into practice! As part of the workshop, each participant will receive a copy of the Red Deer River Naturalists'  publication "Birding Guide to Central Alberta." The cost of the event is $20 per person, plus GST. We guarantee you will come away having learned something new about Alberta birds!

Ellis Bird Farm is hosting a Pollinators Workshop on Sunday, June 11 from 10 AM until 12 PM. The cost is $20 (plus GST).
Pollinators are vital to the production of food and to the health and stability of our ecosystems worldwide. Join Ellis Bird Farm's head gardener, Cynthia Pohl, to learn about our local pollinators, and how to design your gardens to be pollinator-friendly. The workshop will include three components: an introduction to pollinators and their role in our ecosystem, a hands-on workshop where you will construct your own indigenous bee habitat structure and a guided tour around Ellis Bird Farm where you can observe pollinators in action.

ONE OF THEM IS TO SPREAD YOUR WINGS AT ELLIS BIRD FARM
Have your feathers ruffled by this incredible bird conservation centre dedicated to mountain bluebirds, tree swallows and other native cavity-nesting birds. The working farm houses the world’s largest collection of bluebird nesting boxes, but the big draw is the flocks of purple martins, the only bird species dependent on humans for housing. Opening weekend kicks off on May 22, with the first public appearance of Ellis and Albert, the farm’s Great Horned Owl chicks born this past winter.

More things to do here.

We welcome four new students to the summer team at EBF. Our thanks to Canada Summer Jobs labour support grant, which enabled us to hire these talented and hard-working young people. 
 
From left; Jeremy Fowler, Kayla Godkin, Sarah Ritchie, Tobyn Neame

Ellis Bird Farm will open for the 2017 season on Monday, May 22rd at 11:00 AM. Site manager and resident biologist, Myrna Pearman, will be giving a presentation based on stories from her book Beauty Everywhere at 2:00 PM and will be available for book signing afterwards.
 
Cat Perry will be on hand from 12:00 until 2:00PM to talk to visitors about owls, and a spotting scope will be set up so visitors can get a close-up view of our resident owls, Ellie and Albert and their three owlets.
 
Returning for his second season in the Ellis Café is Matt Burton of Your Private Chef. Matt is planning a Canadian-themed menu in honour of Canada's sesquicentennial anniversary.
 
Ellis Bird Farm will be open between 11:00 and 5:00 PM Tuesday through Sunday and holiday Mondays. Admission is by donation and we offer a variety of programs for all ages over the course of the summer. Visit our website (www.ellisbirdfarm.ca) for more information or email us at info@ellisbirdfarm.ca

A big thanks to Red Deer Kiwanis Club members Rolf Thudium, Denny Jeong, Devan Bell and Steve Cormack for helping us install black tin under the Visitor Centre entrance. This tin will prevent the barn swallows from nesting under the high peak above the front entrance door. We welcome the swallows around the rest of the site, but the location above the door is fatally hot for the nestling swallows. Our site Foreman, Ron Biel, did an excellent job of overseeing the work. Thanks again to all involved!