MANITOBA,MAY2004

byRobAdderley

InMay2004mywifeSoniaandIcombinedabirdingholidaywithvisitingrelativesinWinnipeg,Manitoba,Canada.ThelargesturbanareainManitoba,theCityofWinnipeg,isbuiltaround2riverstheRedRiverandtheAssiniboine.

OurplanwastostaywithmyAuntandUnclewholiveintheleafysuburbanFortRichmondareatothesouthofthecityforthefirstfewdays,andthentransfertomyCousin’shouseonthesouthsideofthecityitselfclosetothehugeAssiniboinePark.WealsowentoffonourownforafewdaysstayingintheneighbouringtownofPortageLaPrairie,ideallyplacedtoexploretheDeltaMarshareaontheSouthernshoreofLakeManitoba.

MeetingmyCousinofftheplaneontheeveningofthe10thwewerealittlesurprisedwhensheinformedusthattherewasheavysnowforecastforthenextday,(WinnipeghasalmostpermanentsnowcoverfromlateAutumnthroughtoearlySpring–butnotusuallyinMay!).

Thenextmorning(11th)Iwasupatfirstlight(Soniaelectedtosleepoffthejetlag),myAunt’sgardensconsistedofalawnedareawithafewtreesandshrubs.Beyondthebackgardenwasalargeshortgrassfieldcompletewithasmalllake.

Mostimportantlytherewasnosnow(theforecastersmusthavegotitwrongIthought,justlikeBritain).InfactIwasjustenjoyingmyfirstbirds,anOrange-crownedandacoupleofYellow-rumpedWarblersinthebackgardenwhenitstarted-25cmofsnowfellduringthenextfewhourscreatingacompletewhite-out.Withdriftingaswell,thesnowwasverydeepinplaces(asinabovekneelevel!).AsthelocalTVstationreportedtheheaviestMaysnowfallinWinnipeg“ever”,accompaniedbyfootageofbewilderedlocalsstrugglingtoworkinblizzards,ourplanneditineryofpickingupthehirecarandhittingthebirdinghotspots“outoftown”oftenonroughroadsquicklybecameanunrealisticprospect.Ortoputitanotherwayhavingneverdrivenabroadbeforeonthe“wrong”sideoftheroadIbottledit!

However,Winnipeg’sreputationasagreatmigrantareaquicklybecameapparentaswekeptthefeederstoppedupandenjoyedacoupleofdaysofsuperbgardenbirding(allfromthecomfortofthehousewitharegularsupplyofcoffeeandhomecookedfood!).

Above:White-throatedSparrow

Above:Swainson'sThrushinacompletewhite-out!

Twodaysofgardenbirding(11thand12th)producedthefollowinggardenlist.

AmericanRobin–2.Orange-crownedWarbler-1.Yellow-rumpedWarbler–5+.Merlin–1.

BlackandWhiteWarbler–1.LeastFlycatcher–1.Blue-headedVireo–1.Ruby-crownedKinglet–2.

Black-cappedChickadee.BaltimoreOriole–1.CommonGrackle–several.AmericanCrow.

Grey-cheekedThrush–1.Swainson’sThrush–5.White-throatedSparrow–10+.ChippingSparrow–4.

White-crownedSparrow–3.Lincoln’sSparrow–1.Clay-colouredSparrow–1.

Rose-breastedGrosbeak–1.Brown-headedCowbird–several.Harris’sSparrow–2.

Occasionallywewouldwrapupandwanderdowntothebottomofthegardentoscanthe lakewhichremained icefree. InadditiontotheCanadaGeeseandMallardswealsosawWoodDuck,Blue-wingedTealandacoupleofHoodedMergansersonthelake,whilstfeedingaroundtheshorelinewereKilldeer,LesserYellowlegsandBuff-belliedPipits.ThelakeevenhadaGullroostwith157Ring-billedGullsandanAmericanHerringGull.SmallflocksofFranklin’sGullswouldcomeandgobutdidn’tlinger.

BothafternoonsweventuredashortdistancetonearbyKing’sPark(towalkoffthecaffeine)addingnewspeciesfortheholidaywithGreen-winged Teal, Bonaparte’sGull, Belted Kingfisher,HairyWoodpecker,HouseWren,Hermit Thrush, a forlorn TreeSwallow,PalmandNashvilleWarblersandSongandSavannahSparrows.

Above:AKilldeerbravesthesnowonthe11th

Above:ARose-breastedGrosbeakvisitsfeedersduringthesnowonthe11th

Abitofathawfromthetreesatleaston12thandbrightconditionsenabledmetotakethesephotosofClay-coloured,Chipping,Harris’sandWhite-crownedSparrows.

Above:Clay-colouredSparrow

Above:ChippingSparrow

Above:Harris'sSparrow

Above:White-crownedSparrow

Day3(13th)athawsetin,wecollectedthehirecarandrelocatedtomyCousin’shouseonthesouthsideofthecity,ashortdrivefromthehugeAssiniboinePark.Asmallareawithintheparkbytheriverknownasthe“EnglishGarden”isrecommendedintheguidebooksasarenownedmigrantsite.Ourfirstvisitdidn’tdisappointwithGrey-cheeked,Swainson’sandHermitThrushes,White-throated,Lincoln’sandChippingSparrows,Yellow-rumpedWarblersand3Ovenbirds.OtherspeciesincludedaCooper’sHawk,flyoverOsprey,DownyWoodpecker,White-breastedNuthatchandBrownCreeper.Whilstthesmalllakeoppositeheld7WoodDucks,2LesserYellowlegsandaSpottedSandpiper.

Thefollowingday(14th)wefinallymadeittooneofManitoba’spremierbirdingsitesOakHammockMarsh,areserveconsistingof3,500hectaresofmarshlandandlagoons30kmnorthofWinnipeg.

TothisdayOHMisstilloneofthemostimpressivesitesI’vevisitedlayingclaimtoalargecolonyofFranklin’sGulls.ThelagoonsheldimpressivenumbersofWildfowlwithc500Blue-wingedTeals,c200Black-necked(Eared)GrebesandsmallernumbersofGreen-wingedTeal,Pintail,LesserScaup,Redhead,CanvasbackandBufflehead.WaderswererepresentedwithKilldeer,AmericanAvocet,LeastandWhite-rumpedSandpipers,Wilson’sSnipe,LesserandGreaterYellowlegs,HudsonianGodwit,Willet,Short-billedDowitcher,SemipalmatedPlover,andWilson’sPhalarope.Werecordedatotalof62speciesduringourwalkaroundthereserve including our first Western Grebes, also American Bittern, Sora, Palm Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, NorthernWaterthrush,Swamp,AmericanTree,Harris’sandVesperSparrows,Yellow-headedBlackbirdandWesternMeadowlark.

Above:OvenbirdatAssiniboinePark

Above:WilsonsPhalaropeatOakHammockMarsh

Onthe15thwevisitedasitesouthwestofWinnipegknownastheFortWhyteCentreReserve,famedforit’sferalherdofBisonthereserve isalsoproductiveforWildfowl. Ascanofthe lagoonsproduced120LesserScaup,9Redheads,2Canvasbacks,9BuffleheadsandacoupleofHoodedMergansers.ThefeedingstationviewablefromthevisitorscentreprovedtobegoodforSparrowswithHarris’s,White-crowned,White-throated,Lincoln’sandClay-colouredrecorded.WhilstanUplandSandpiperbytheentrancewasanewbirdfortheholiday.

From16th-18thwewentoffonourownstayingatoneoftheexcellent“Super8Motels(highlyrecommendedifyou’retravellinganywhereintheUS/Canada)inPortageLaPrairie.Thetownmakesagoodbasefromwhichtoexplorethevast18,000hectareDeltaMarsh/BeachareaonthesouthernshoreofLakeManitoba.

Overthenext3daysweaveragedabout80speciesaday,theweatherwaswarmandsunny,andthebirdingwassuperb.

ElegantWesternGrebeswererelativelycommonhereandoftenaffordedexcellentviews,wealsomanagedtoconnectwithamuchrarerClark’sGrebe(oneoftwobirdsinthearea).FrequentstopsalongthegravelledRoute227HighwayproducedmanyinterestingspeciesincludingEasternBluebirdandEasternWoodPewee,whilstastopoffatthelocalLandfillsiteprovideduswithoneofourtargetspeciesCaliforniaGull.ThegrasslandareasheldUplandSandpipers,Bobolinks,WesternMeadowlarksandwewereveryfortunatetofindandobtainbriefonthegroundviewsofaSprague’sPipitbeforeittoweredskyward.

TheshoreofLakeManitobaheldfeedingpartiesofAmericanWhitePelicanstogetherwithCaspian,Forster’sandAmericanBlackTerns,not forgetting thebushesand scrubareaswhereweenjoyedYellow,Palm,TennesseeandBlackpollWarblers,BrownThrasher,Rose-breastedGrosbeaksandanotherofourtargetbirdsWesternKingbird.

Above:EasternBluebirdbythe227Highway

Above:WesternMeadowlarkbythe227Highway

Above:Clark'sGrebeatDeltaMarsh

Above:WesternGrebeatDeltaMarsh

Above:AmericanBitternatDeltaMarsh

Above:AmericanAvocetatDeltaMarsh

Above:Yellow-headedBlackbirdatDeltaMarsh

Above:WesternKingbirdatDeltaMarsh

Onthe19thpriortoleavingPortageLaPrairietoreturntoWinnipeg,wecouldn’tresistaquickvisittothecuriouslyshapedandaptlynamedCrescentLaketothesouthofthetown.AsingleSlavonian(Horned)Grebewasouronly“Slav”oftheholidayandbroughtourGrebelistto6withWestern,Clark’s,Black-necked,Red-necked(atOHM)andPied-billed(atDelta).

We returned toWinnipeg and with an hour to spare before a family eveningmeal we visited the English Garden again inAssiniboinePark.Ourarrivalcoincidedwithathunderstormandtorrentialrainsowesat itout inthecaruntilthestormhadpassed,howeverthisleftuswithlittlemorethanhalfanhourBirdingtimeleft.OnenteringtheEnglishGardentherehadclearlybeenafallofmigrantsandwerecordedthefollowinginthathalfhourofbirding,lookingbackIjustwonderedwhatwemissed……

Ruby-crownedKinglet–3.NorthernWaterthrush–1.Ovenbird–2.YellowWarbler–3.

Yellow-rumpedWarbler–10+.TennesseeWarbler–c50+.CommonYellowthroat–1.

MagnoliaWarbler–1.Wilson’sWarbler–1.AmericanRedstart–3.MourningWarbler–1.

LeastFlycatcher–c20+.AlderFlycatcher–6.EasternPhoebe–1.Lincoln’sSparrow–3.

ChippingSparrow–4.Dark-eyedJunco–1.HouseWren–4.PineSiskin–1.

Also Swainson’s and Grey-cheeked Thrushes, White-throated Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatch, Downy and HairyWoodpeckers,andaCooper’sHawk.

Thefollowingmorning(20th)wewereupearlyandback intheEnglishGarden. Althoughmostofthepreviousevening’sfallseemedtohavemovedonwealsosawafewdifferentspeciesintheformofsingleCapeMayandNashvilleWarblersand3BlackandWhiteWarblers.

Beingourlastdaywecouldn’tresistanothervisittoOakHammockMarsh.WeinitiallyexploredadifferentareaofthereservebutfailedtofindanyLeConte’sorNelson’sSharp-tailedSparrows(elusivelittleblighters!),howeverwedidobtainsuperbviewsofaSwainson’sHawkplusacoupleofSharp-tailedGrouseandseveralmaleBobolinksintheirattractiveSpringplumage.Backonthemainpartofthereservebythevisitor’scentreitwasimmediatelyapparentthatwadernumbershadincreasedfromourfirstvisitwithadditional species in the formofMarbledGodwit,StiltandSemi-palmatedSandpipers. Therarestbirdon thereserveinManitobatermswasaWhite-facedIbis.

Our2004ManitobaholidaywasoursecondvisittoCanadaandtoaBritishbirderthecountryappearstoholdsomanymoremigrantbirdsatmigrationtimethanwe’reusedtoonthissideofthepond.Weoftensawmigrantsinthemostunexpectedofplaces.Walkingonedaythroughalargemodernshoppingprecinctinthecitycentre,Irememberthelookofbewildermentonmycousin’sface,aswehurriedlyretrievedourbinsfromourbagsandtheseveralsmallbirdsflittingroundanornamentalshrubinanopenpartoftheprecinctwerequicklyidentifiedas5Yellow-rumpedandaNashvilleWarbler.Similarly,acoupleofdayslaterthesingletreeinthecarparkofacafénearthecitycentreheldnolessthan7TennesseeWarblers!

Weneverreallystoppedbirding!

Finally,Yellow-belliedSapsucker!OnaholidayinMichiganin2003Isawone,wellIsayIsawone,wewereamblingalongatthebackofourpartyandmyviewsconsistedoflittlemorethanawoodpeckerinflight.PriortoourarrivalinManitobaIhadreceivedregularupdatesfrommyAuntoftheYBSintheMapletreeinhergarden.DuringourstayImusthavestakedout/grilled/glancedatthatMapletreeseveral(hundred)timesbutitremained“Sapsuckerless”.Aswepassedthroughsecuritytoboardtheplaneonthe21stmyAuntshouted“Iforgottomention,guesswhat’sbackintheMapletreethismorning?”………

Untilnexttime!

Above:WilletatOakHammockMarsh

Above:Short-billedDowitchersatOakHammockMarsh

RobandSoniaAdderley,June2004

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