tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65917998290153923212008-07-26T07:38:34.401-07:00Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-23898310602131039722008-07-25T18:43:00.000-07:002008-07-25T18:47:45.460-07:00

I was thrilled to finally be able to capture this tiny songster this month, after only ever hearing them before, so here are two more photos from Little Amyot lake :

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-61356207075692144732008-07-21T19:47:00.000-07:002008-07-22T10:59:24.174-07:00

Not content with my 2 'mini holidays' to Waskesiu & Greenwater, I headed further north in the first week of July to stay at a friends cabin at Little Amyot Lake which is not too far from the town of Beauval, Saskatchewan. The weather stayed pretty spectacular for us until the very last day when we ended up driving home in torrential rain. The cabin is situated among tall Pine Trees and Aspen , so

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-75687174827452694952008-07-19T00:31:00.000-07:002008-07-19T12:30:49.017-07:00

Straight from Waskesiu we travelled to Porcupine Plain and then onto Hudson Bay to visit relatives. I stopped off at Greenwater Lake one morning for some birding and also got a couple of wildflowers along the roadsides at Hudson Bay. Greenwater Lake is a beautiful place this time of year but can get quite busy . Highlights were : Chestnut-sided Warbler ( lifer ) - 2 Veery - 2 or 3 Belted

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-48258531550819688322008-07-15T00:42:00.000-07:002008-07-15T07:44:07.962-07:00

At the end of June, my wife and I spent an enjoyable few days in a cabin at Waskesiu, within the confines of Prince Albert National Park. I took the opportunity to do some birding and photography while she braved the cold waters of the lake ! The weather for the most part was great, but of course we had to contend with swarms of biting Mosquitoes and Horse Flies. Here are the highlights ... At

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-53706263812326617972008-07-08T11:49:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:05:40.214-07:00

Here are some more photos taken last month at Gabriel Dumont Park. The next update will be photos recently taken at Waskesiu and around Prince Albert Park. Common Goats Beard - I took quite a break from taking wildflowers, but recently got the bug back again. This was at the park in full bloom : Clay-colored Sparrow : Yellow Warbler : Red-winged Blackbird Male : Red-winged Blackbird

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-2644061067842205352008-07-01T23:20:00.000-07:002008-07-01T23:47:37.376-07:00

At the end of June I lead a group of birders and local nature enthusiasts around Gabriel Dumont Park which is situated within the city and borders part of the river. It is a favorite park of mine and is only 20 minutes from my house. Here are some photos from the day and some that were taken the following morning when I returned there for an early morning walk. Red-winged Blackbird male:

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-87670420500760902582008-06-17T00:36:00.000-07:002008-06-17T00:54:44.032-07:00

A few days ago , a friend and I ventured out to the Blackstrap Lake area, and also around part of Brightwater Marsh, which is now completely dry. Here are some photos taken on that trip ... Common Raven - These don't often sit still long enough for a photo, but this handsome bird did, well, maybe for one second longer than normal anyway. The wind was blowing and exposed some of his undercoat :

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-10941420256178307472008-06-12T04:37:00.000-07:002008-06-12T04:50:32.334-07:00

I recently visited the Forestry Farm Park as it can often be a great place to find birds. There are many trees and shrubs there and in the morning it is generally quiet. I had heard reports of a Leucistic (Partial albino) American Robin being present there for some weeks and until now had not had a chance to see it. Luckily for me, after an hour of searching the grounds I located it hopping along

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-3364598842030878952008-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:002008-06-07T19:17:07.348-07:00

A few days ago , a friend and I thought we'd look around President Murray Park to see if there were any migrants still lingering around. It ended up being fairly quiet there , but we still got to see a few species that tend to like that park because of all the Spruce Trees, such as White-winged Crossbill and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was at this park that I noticed one of our more striking

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-14810184054655119622008-06-02T10:30:00.000-07:002008-06-02T11:40:33.192-07:00

I've been going out as often as possible and trying to catch as many migrants as they pass through. Unfortunately many of the Warblers didn't make an appearance with only a few species showing up locally. I did find some nice things though, and for once the light was on my side ( in most cases ) There is quite the variety of birds in this update and more photos than usual ... As per usual - left

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-15101416100138269562008-05-28T20:14:00.000-07:002008-05-30T10:42:12.666-07:00

I recently went to Luck Lake,a great place to look for shorebirds as they pass through during migration to their breeding grounds. What seems to be a tradition now,is that every time I go there, it seems to rain or the weather is overcast! So, many of these photos may reflect that, but regardless of the weather or lighting conditions, if there's a chance to get up close and personal with some of

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-17657940458965526662008-05-23T15:21:00.000-07:002008-05-25T16:25:37.482-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of accompanying 2 friends. One called Marten, the other one called Martin. 2 great guys passionate about Owls and bird banding. On the first day , Marten, took me and my wife out to see a bird that I have wanted to see in Canada ever since I moved here, The Long-eared Owl. Here is the female , sat on her nest : The following day I went out with Martin,

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-86064788965290272832008-05-22T07:04:00.001-07:002008-05-22T07:23:49.695-07:00

This selection of photos represents what has been visiting our backyard since around the beginning of May. White-crowned Sparrow : White-throated Sparrow : Chipping Sparrow : Lincoln's Sparrow : Swainson's Thrush : Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Finally a Male visited the yard : House Finch : Male Female Purple Finch. You can compare the difference in plumage to the House

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-92086182850175940392008-05-17T22:41:00.000-07:002008-05-19T13:43:55.989-07:00

I recently went out with my friend Ron and did a 'dry run' for his bird-count sector which covers part of the Beaver Creek region and surrounding area. The weather was pretty fantastic and we had a great day out with a few nice surprises, one of which was my 2nd time ever seeing a Say's Phoebe. You can go out many times and never see one, so it was a real treat. Say's Phoebe : This American

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-24235272875174602042008-05-15T08:08:00.000-07:002008-05-15T08:32:31.359-07:00

I recently took a couple of trips around part of Goose Lake & the sloughs near the town of Laura, Saskatchewan. My Wife had never seen a Stilt before , so we were happy to find 2 on one particular evening, after finding out they were back in the area . These elegant waders are not very common here, so it's always a treat to see them. Here are some photos from those 2 trips : Black-necked Stilt

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-87375029552876755832008-05-12T15:12:00.000-07:002008-05-12T20:26:19.770-07:00

I had a great time at the river a week or so ago, finally getting a real nice look at a Swamp Sparrow, having heard the call and going to investigate. It was quite the labor of love, as the only decent vantage point to view this species was sat, crouched down in a row of thorny shrubs that left quite a few scratches. There were also flies out already that didn't mind getting in my face either. No

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-21162536733673539262008-05-06T01:00:00.000-07:002008-05-06T08:17:34.618-07:00

Its been a great Spring so far, kind of long in coming, but now the weather seems to have gotten a lot warmer, I've been going out at every opportunity. Plants are growing , butterflies are now winging their way across our backyard and the sound of birdsong is all around us. My species list for the year is already nearing 150 and there's still more to come ! Here are some recent images taken on

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-75833162648577473672008-05-04T00:20:00.000-07:002008-05-06T09:15:57.654-07:00

Here are some more photos from a few recent walks around the river . Yellow-bellied Sapsucker : This colorful Woodpecker only showed up last week . I think the Males are one of the best looking birds we have in Saskatchewan. American Tree Sparrow : I've noticed these cheerful little Sparrows grouping up now as they prepare to head North and breed . The Chipping Sparrows which look

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-26439804722940054442008-04-27T00:58:00.000-07:002008-05-06T09:17:11.912-07:00

Well, it looks like this latest series of photos from the river may stretch to 3 or even 4 parts as it seems I took more photos than I thought. Unfortunately last week's weather was nothing but grey skies, but that didn't put me off, as sometimes you can have some nice surprises in even the worst of conditions... Eastern Phoebe : I watched as this little Flycatcher would fly off for awhile then

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-78499817470579642482008-04-22T07:05:00.001-07:002008-04-22T09:04:23.975-07:00

This update will be in two parts, with part two to come later as there are many photos : Starting out at 8am on Friday I hiked around the riverbank, beginning at the Weir, then across the CN Bridge, past the Mendel, over the University Bridge,into Cosmopolitan Park, Rotary Park and finally finishing up at Gabriel Dumont Park. Here's what I saw ( not in order of appearance ) * = new for the year

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-38478407603201805232008-04-17T09:14:00.000-07:002008-04-17T12:49:39.301-07:00

This according to Wikipedia : "As of April 2007 there were about 340 Whooping Cranes living in the wild, and another 145 living in captivity". We are very lucky in Saskatchewan to play host to a few of these magnificent rare birds every year. For the past couple of years I've been fortunate to see small groups of this Crane ( the tallest bird in North America) as they pass through our province

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-29975727290809779822008-04-10T16:35:00.000-07:002008-04-13T19:35:33.618-07:00

A few days ago, a friend and I ventured out to the Forestry Farm Park to see what Spring arrivals were coming through. The morning was somewhat cold and grey as a light sleet had fallen the night before, so we only stayed for an hour or so. The most obvious birds there were the Robins and Junco's. Actually I'm surprised at the amount of birdlife at the park seeing as there was a predator amidst..

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-85312684787051364572008-04-04T13:59:00.000-07:002008-04-04T17:43:50.495-07:00

Yesterday I traveled south of Saskatoon in overcast & rainy conditions with 2 friends, for almost 2 hours. I had heard good things about Raptor sightings in between Rosetown & Elrose from my friend Marten and wanted to see for myself. It was a long journey but very worthwhile ! Here's what was seen : Red-tailed Hawk - 39 in total ! at one point there was a pair on a power pole every 2 k or so

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-43893325342080800842008-04-02T11:00:00.000-07:002008-04-02T12:08:34.423-07:00

Setting out on Saturday morning , my wife and I accompanied members of the Saskatoon Nature Society to Prince Albert National Park , home to some Northern species of birds and animals not found locally. Weather-wise, it could have been better the first day, but we still managed to find a respectable 28 species on the first day, including 2 Pileated Woodpeckers at Little Red River Park ( the first

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6591799829015392321.post-15220010501209300472008-03-27T19:18:00.000-07:002008-03-27T19:55:28.214-07:00

Despite a cold and bitter wind on Wednesday morning, I went for a little drive out to Beaver Creek with a friend straight from work . Another friend who reads this blog informed me of some Mountain Bluebirds that had just arrived in that area , so I was hoping to find some and got lucky by finding 4 in one place and 3 more a bit later on. Unfortunately they were very skittish and were quite a

Nick Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10490579670202020981noreply@blogger.com