This photo gallery is my personal salute to Big Lake, a national wetland pride next to the cities of Edmonton and St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. With this gallery I would like to share my Big Lake bird-watching memories with anyone who is interested in nature, wetland areas and this lake in particular. I took all these photos at Big Lake during June-August 2006.

Big Lake is a significant breeding and migration-stopover site for tens of thousands of birds annually. The key is its vastness and many-sidedness. My note books contain several tens of pages of notes, numbers of observed individuals, and long species lists obtained at this wonderful lake since the early 2003. From April to October, the waterfowl numbers can be in thousands. The most abundant ducks are Gadwall, American wigeon, Blue- and Green-winged teal, Lesser scaup and Redhead. Also other water-associated species can be numerous, such as American coot, grebes, terns and gulls. The vast meadows, marshes and bushy areas enrich the bird fauna with e.g. Black-crowned night herons, Red-tailed hawks, Northern harriers, blackbirds, and many warblers and sparrows. It is no co-incidence that the lake has hosted such rare breeders like Great white egret and Bald eagle. In spring and fall, Tundra swans may be numerous, tens of raptors may scan the open areas, and swallows and other passerines utilize the area in high numbers. Vagrants may brighten up a birding day almost any time. Thus far my "best" birds have been Golden eagles, Snowy owls, Eurasian wigeon and Sabine's gull.

Unfortunately the lake is under many threats, of which the most important are the rapidly expanding construction projects (roads and settlement) and increasing traffic volume. Much of these may be necessary for the urban development. However, the most sensitive breeding areas would demand strict protection; private land owners play a big role here. Otherwise, enhanced viewing and hiking facilities may be necessary to guide the increasing number of people. For example, 3-4 viewing platforms, parking lots and maintained trails at different sides of the lake would be essential. Distances are long, and good viewing currently demands a telescope.

Click images to view bigger versions of the photos.

VIEWS AND LANDSCAPES

Sunrise	Spruce lot	Morning mist	Marsh view 1	Marsh view 2	Flooding summer field
Meadowview Drive	Intersection	Western creek	Northern creek

BIRDS

Canada goose	Great blue heron	Night heron	Red-tailed hawk	Great horned owl	Franklin's gull
Spotted sandpiper	Tree swallow	Black-c. chickadee	LeContes sparrow	Red-winged blackbird	American crow

PLANTS

MAN-MADE FEATURES AND OTHERS

Road construction	Crops 1	Crops 2	Canola field	Abandoned house	Barn
Butterfly	White-tailed deer