Sept 17, Chief Whitecap Park, Saskatchewan

[james]

I'm visiting my sister in Saskatoon currently and had to share about visiting Chief Whitecap Park, where there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Sandhill Cranes, gulls and geese right now. It's quite the spectacle if you've only seen the few cranes we get in the Fraser Valley and at Reifel!

Recent ebird reports also look promising for migrating warblers, though I only saw or heard yellow-rumps. Wish I had more time to bird here, and definitely recommend this place for a couple hours of good birding in the fall if you happen to be traveling this way. The habitat is split between open field, a narrow strip of mainly deciduous trees and shrubs, and the river (South Saskatchewan, if I remember right). Good potential for raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds as well as the birds already listed.

[Randy]

Good to know! I'm from Saskatoon but I've never actually been there. I haven't been back for a few years but I'm hoping to get there again next summer.

Another location I've had good success at in the fall is Pike Lake. One year I picked up a Connecticut warbler skulking. There have been thousands of sandhills along Valley Road and one year I even had a whooper in there.

Have fun!

[james]

Thanks for the tip about Pike Lake. I might get the chance to check it out today!

[Chris]

The large flocks of Sandhill Cranes are awesome to see.

[Randy]

Sept 18, 2022 6:55:05 GMT -8 james said:

Thanks for the tip about Pike Lake. I might get the chance to check it out today!

The "nature trail" is a nice little walk. Also the picnic area seems to be one of the more reliable sites around Saskatoon for white-breasted nuthatch.

Look forward to the report!

[james]

I did indeed see a few white-breasted nuthatches on the interpretive nature trail! Very nice to see them there. I was mostly keeping an eye out for warblers, but didn't see any except for yellow-rumps. There were a few sparrows as well, possibly white-throated, but I struggled to get good looks. They stayed low to the ground in the bushes. I forgot how difficult birding is when your reference birds change (especially when it comes to birding by ear!) Overall the bird activity was pretty light on the trail, but it was worth it for the nuthatches.

I also went back to the Chief Whitecap park and within moments got two lifers: Broadwinged and Swainson's hawks. My nephew also spotted a pair of small, longer tailed hawks that I thought could have been Sharp-shinned, but I didn't do my research before-hand well enough to make a confident ID. Other birds of note: Franklin's gulls and greater white-fronted geese. Also, no warblers to be seen or heard except yellow-rumps. Maybe I was a week or two late!