Saskatchewan in Spring

We will have an early departure from Regina and make our way to the Chaplin Lake area. Here we will look for shorebirds, ducks, grebes and more. This is a reliable site for the endangered Piping Plover plus is an important stopover for many arctic-bound shorebirds including Ruddy Turnstones, Baird’s and White-rumped Sandpipers, Red Knots, plus others. Upland Sandpipers are in the surrounding fields and pasture, as well as more common grassland birds. We may also see Loggerhead Shrike, Sprague’s Pipit and Sharp-tailed Grouse in the surrounding area.

We will continue west toward Reed Lake scoping for additional shorebirds including American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts, Marbled Godwits and Ruddy Turnstones. American White Pelican, Eared Grebes and a host of waterfowl will be active in these and other ponds and lakes. Overnight: Swift Current

Today we will make our way to Grasslands National Park. Along the way we will be looking for shrikes, Bobolinks, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, as well as Pronghorn. Lark Sparrow, Say’s Phoebe, and other prairie-edge species are often found around the town and nearby ranchlands. In Val Marie we will look for several uncommon but regular species, including Red-headed Woodpeckers, Baltimore, and Orchard Orioles, which have all been seen here in recent years. We will make our way to our accommodation and in the evening we may look and listen for Common Nighthawks and owls. We will spend two nights in Val Marie.

Grasslands National Park protects one of the largest and most intact blocks of native mixed-grass prairie left in North America. Its vast, undisturbed landscapes provide essential habitat for many of Canada’s most threatened grassland birds and mammals.

Grasslands National Park protects one of the largest and most intact blocks of native mixed-grass prairie left in North America. Its vast, undisturbed landscapes provide essential habitat for many of Canada’s most threatened grassland birds and mammals.

We spend a full day exploring the West Block of the park of vast shortgrass plains and gentle coulees. We will begin the day early to make the most of the day. This is premier habitat for Baird’s Sparrow, a regional specialty, and Chestnut-collared Longspur is widespread across the area. Sprague’s Pipits often deliver their high, continuous song from far above. Long-billed Curlew, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Rock Wren are also regulars. Around the Prairie Dog colony’s we will be on the look out for Burrowing Owls, as well as Golden Eagles and Ferruginous Hawks. We may encounter Loggerhead Shrikes in shrubby valley edges. We may also see a variety of other wildlife including Greater Short-horned Lizards, Prairie Rattlesnakes, and Bullsnakes. Night: Val Marie

We will rise again early for some more grassland birding before making our way to Eastend, possibly stopping at some additional native prairie sites on the way. Around Eastend, we will explore scenic coulees, creeks and abandoned farmsteads, as well as the Eastend Reservoir.

We will also make a visit to the T Rex Discover Centre. The fossil beds around here are one of Canada’s most famous dinosaur-producing landscapes. The world-famous T. rex nicknamed Scotty was discovered nearby in the Frenchman River Valley in 1991. This discovery is the Centre’s origin story and the region’s biggest claim to fame. Overnight in Eastend.

Today we will make our way to the Cypress Hills area, visiting the Cypress Lake dams on the way. This area has a good mix of water and grassland birds for more excellent birding. We will look for Cinnamon Teals, Canvasback, Ruddy Duck, Redhead, and Western Grebe, as well as Thick-billed Longspurs, and Bobolinks. Both Western and Eastern Kingbirds appear regularly on fencelines as we transition into more wooded country.

The approach to the Cypress Hills is striking, with the terrain rising abruptly out of the prairie to a forested plateau. This change in elevation brings a new suite of species and a notable shift in scenery, making the next part of the tour distinct from the prairie days. We will spend two nights in Cypress Hills.

Cypress Hills Provincial Park is an interprovincial park straddling the Saskatchewan and Alberta border, renowned for its unique geology as an erosional plateau that rises above the surrounding prairies.

Here we find a mix of lodgepole pine, aspen, and high-elevation lakes that support a unique blend of mountain and boreal species. We dedicate the day to exploring the area looking for Red-naped Sapsucker, Dusky Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Western Tanager, MacGillvary's Warblers, Black-head Grosbeaks, Clark’s Nutcrackers and more. Night: Cypress Hills.

We will begin the day with some morning birding around our accommodation before we begin our drive back to Regina. We will make stops along the way in different habitat depending on what birds we might still want to see. We arrive in Regina by late afternoon for a final dinner and review of the tour’s highlights. Overnight near the Regina airport.