Photographs of Wildlife in an Urban Pond in Calgary, as a Red-Necked Grebe Anxiously Awaits the Hatching of Her Chicks

By MALIK MERCHANT

wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE
Marsh at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

With uncertain weather, my day trips to the Canadian Rockies in the Kananaskis have somewhat declined in the last few weeks. I decided to return to a pond near my home where I uded to cycle during my first summer in Calgary. This past week was the first time I carried my camera and binoculars to the pond. And what a thrill!

Generally, when I go to forests, the birds have speciific times when they sing and chirp the most but at this Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd, they like to chirp the whole day. My discovery of a Red-Necked Grebe nest with 4 eggs means that I shall be returning to the pond every single day. I am advised by my daughter that once the chicks hatch, they will be on the backs of their mom for two weeks or more. I hope the nest remains safe and that the show I am waiting for takes place. Here is a selection of photos from the pond, which is teeming with wildlife. Never take areas close to your home for granted, as I did when I moved to Calgary in 2022.

wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant
Bird-feeder at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant
Sparrows view each other with interest on a tree at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant
Bird-feeder at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant
A bird flies over a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant
An amazing site as a Red-Necked Grebe swims with her nest underneath through a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
A Red-Necked Grebe sits on her eggs in a discreet corner at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd,; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
Eggs waiting to be hatched as a Red-Necked Grebe eggs leaves its nest momentarily located in a discreet corner at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
A Red-Necked Grebe sits on her eggs in a discreet corner at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd, as her mate joins her to guard the nest; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe and muskrat
A muskrat swims through the Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd, not far from the nest of the Red-Necked Grebe; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant male blackbird
The unmistakable male blackbird with a golden-yellow head and a white patch on the wing in a marsh at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
Pigeon in a stony area at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.
wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
Shrubs and trees hide countless sparrows in this small area at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
A family of ducks wades through a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe bird feeder
A custom made bird-feeder on a tree at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
A flock of birds by a marshy area ridden with algae at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
From a distance, a head is seen emerging at a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.
wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe
Getting closer revealed there were many more ducks resting along the edges of a Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos

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wildlife Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd Calgary NE Simergphotos Malik Merchant Red-Necked Grebe Air Canada
A view of the Stormwater Wet Pond on Country Hills Blvd and the neighbourhood around it as an Air Canada jet takes off from Calgary International Airport; July 15-20, 2023. Photograph: Malik Merchant/Simerg Photos.

Date posted: July 21, 2023.

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