Post by Ben on Jun 23, 2019 13:14:28 GMT -8
Ben had been in Saskatchewan for the past month, so I went there to pick him up and road trip back. Did some birding there and on the way back. (Thank you Ed for the suggestions). Ben got a couple lifers that I don't have, which I'm a bit jealous of 
. I caught up a little bit during the trip, but still a few he got that I didn't. The ones I didn't get are:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Oh well...
Ben's GCTH
I drove out to Stewart Valley, SK on Saturday. Took about 16 hours. had to fill up twice, so it costed about 3 tanks of gas, which isn't too bad. (I have a 40L tank.. but maybe thats a little off topic?
). Arrived in time for supper (dinner is at noon), and afterwards did a short bird walk (list: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422739). Highlight was a GHOW family of 2 adults and 2 young.
Mom or dad sitting in the background
Singing Vesper Sparrow
Some local birding around the area the next day got some lifers! Ferruginous hawk, and Upland Sandpiper (poor views of a pair flying away). Also enjoyed seeing some sandpipers and phalaropes. Lists: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422719 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422710 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422701
The Ferruginous not enjoying us driving by...
In the afternoon we checked out a nearby Coulee. List: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57518626. No new ones, but highlights were a Golden Eagle, Nighthawk, Catbird, and Thrasher
A curious catbird.
A Clay-colored Sparrow
There was a Say's Pheobe nest where we were staying. It had picked to nest underneath a camper. We also located a chipping sparrow nest. I was kind of surprised how easy it was to find... Guess it helps to look
Bringing in the goods.
On Tuesday we left SK. The plan was to head back via SE AB, and then stop somewhere like Calgary or Banff, before making the rest of the trip back on Wednesday.
We stopped SE of Rolling Hills. Picked up a couple lifers pretty quick. Chestnut-collared Longspur was the easiest to get. Sprague's Pipit was also pretty simple, as they were singing a lot, and they fly up high when they sing (rather than remain hidden in a bush like the Grasshopper Sparrow). We managed to locate a GRSP by voice... List: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57508091 Here are some photos:
A distant Longspur
Pipit. In flight. Looks like it's got something in it's beak?
Only picture that we managed of the GRSP
We continued North, thinking the habitat would be similar. However the change to more farmland was drastic, and lo-and-behold, the grassland birds we were trying to get (like Mccown's Longspur) were becoming highly unlikely (if you look on google maps satellite view, you can see exactly where the habitat changes). We were running lower on fuel, so we didn't go back. There were some nesting Willet, Long-billed Curlew, and Marbled Godwit it seemed by their behavior. (also saw young Willet)
An upset Godwit... They didn't like my car much.
Nearer Rolling Hills we got our best (but distant) views of an Upland Sandpiper
Ended up with the fuel light on in Rolling Hills. And apparently they don't have a gas station. (the one that maps says is there either is invisible or just a tank that didn't look in operation), so the nearest gas station was about 40 km away. I was pretty nervous, but we luckily just made it to Brooks to fill up.
After filling up, we went back south to Lake Newell. It wasn't all that great in my opinion, however that might be influenced by the fact that we were there at about 3pm. Here's the list: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57507504
Then we continued on the trip. Before getting to Banff we looked up the best places to find Boreal Chickadee. (Ben had gotten it, but I still needed it for my life list). We stopped in Bow Valley Prov. Park, and found out there was a campground there. We ended up spending the night there (it's $30 for a site which seems expensive for a place to put a tent, but I didn't want to go camp in Banff because then you also need a $40 park pass and still pay for a site later). Lists from the area: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57506168 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57505218 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57507483
By "Middle Lake" we found the BOCH . (don't ask me where the other two lakes are)
On the BC side we stopped at Emerald Lake and picked up a life Pine Grosbeak. Also Ben got his life Three-toed Woodpecker. And a stop at the Skunk Cabbage trail yielded Veery (lifer) and Northern Waterthrush (lifer for me). Lists: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57518596 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57525784
Here are some other pictures (from before the trip):
Young Grizzly that Ben saw.
Brewer's Blackbird
Female Yellowthroat
A young Magpie
A Brown Thrasher in the open!
. I caught up a little bit during the trip, but still a few he got that I didn't. The ones I didn't get are:Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Oh well...
Ben's GCTH
I drove out to Stewart Valley, SK on Saturday. Took about 16 hours. had to fill up twice, so it costed about 3 tanks of gas, which isn't too bad. (I have a 40L tank.. but maybe thats a little off topic?
). Arrived in time for supper (dinner is at noon), and afterwards did a short bird walk (list: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422739). Highlight was a GHOW family of 2 adults and 2 young.Mom or dad sitting in the background
Singing Vesper Sparrow
Some local birding around the area the next day got some lifers! Ferruginous hawk, and Upland Sandpiper (poor views of a pair flying away). Also enjoyed seeing some sandpipers and phalaropes. Lists: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422719 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422710 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57422701
The Ferruginous not enjoying us driving by...
In the afternoon we checked out a nearby Coulee. List: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57518626. No new ones, but highlights were a Golden Eagle, Nighthawk, Catbird, and Thrasher
A curious catbird.
A Clay-colored Sparrow
There was a Say's Pheobe nest where we were staying. It had picked to nest underneath a camper. We also located a chipping sparrow nest. I was kind of surprised how easy it was to find... Guess it helps to look
Bringing in the goods.
On Tuesday we left SK. The plan was to head back via SE AB, and then stop somewhere like Calgary or Banff, before making the rest of the trip back on Wednesday.
We stopped SE of Rolling Hills. Picked up a couple lifers pretty quick. Chestnut-collared Longspur was the easiest to get. Sprague's Pipit was also pretty simple, as they were singing a lot, and they fly up high when they sing (rather than remain hidden in a bush like the Grasshopper Sparrow). We managed to locate a GRSP by voice... List: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57508091 Here are some photos:
A distant Longspur
Pipit. In flight. Looks like it's got something in it's beak?
Only picture that we managed of the GRSP
We continued North, thinking the habitat would be similar. However the change to more farmland was drastic, and lo-and-behold, the grassland birds we were trying to get (like Mccown's Longspur) were becoming highly unlikely (if you look on google maps satellite view, you can see exactly where the habitat changes). We were running lower on fuel, so we didn't go back. There were some nesting Willet, Long-billed Curlew, and Marbled Godwit it seemed by their behavior. (also saw young Willet)
An upset Godwit... They didn't like my car much.
Nearer Rolling Hills we got our best (but distant) views of an Upland Sandpiper
Ended up with the fuel light on in Rolling Hills. And apparently they don't have a gas station. (the one that maps says is there either is invisible or just a tank that didn't look in operation), so the nearest gas station was about 40 km away. I was pretty nervous, but we luckily just made it to Brooks to fill up.
After filling up, we went back south to Lake Newell. It wasn't all that great in my opinion, however that might be influenced by the fact that we were there at about 3pm. Here's the list: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57507504
Then we continued on the trip. Before getting to Banff we looked up the best places to find Boreal Chickadee. (Ben had gotten it, but I still needed it for my life list). We stopped in Bow Valley Prov. Park, and found out there was a campground there. We ended up spending the night there (it's $30 for a site which seems expensive for a place to put a tent, but I didn't want to go camp in Banff because then you also need a $40 park pass and still pay for a site later). Lists from the area: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57506168 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57505218 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57507483
By "Middle Lake" we found the BOCH
. (don't ask me where the other two lakes are)On the BC side we stopped at Emerald Lake and picked up a life Pine Grosbeak. Also Ben got his life Three-toed Woodpecker. And a stop at the Skunk Cabbage trail yielded Veery (lifer) and Northern Waterthrush (lifer for me). Lists: ebird.org/view/checklist/S57518596 ebird.org/view/checklist/S57525784
Here are some other pictures (from before the trip):
Young Grizzly that Ben saw.
Brewer's Blackbird
Female Yellowthroat
A young Magpie
A Brown Thrasher in the open!
