Magpies and inland gulls in Edmonton

In Edmonton recently, I finally managed to get a picture of a magpie. This bird, a relative of the crow, became infamous in our family many years ago, when it swooped down to steal pancakes off our picnic table while we were camping in Banff.

Observing them in William Hawrelak Park, I belatedly learned that gulls live inland as well as on the coast. These are a different type from the ones we see in White Rock, though: smaller and more compact. The picture below shows river gulls hanging out on a sandbar on the edge of the North Saskatchewan River.

Image left from
Edmonton River Valley