TOM'S HOME PAGE          ECUADOR Amazon East Jan/Feb 2010     

  TEXAS APRIL 2010         CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2010     SOUTH AFRICA Aug/Sep 2010    

Prairies and Boreal Forests of western Canada 

(with optional extension to the Alberta mountains and foothills)

June 5 -12, 2010 (main tour)

June 12 - 17, 2010 (mountain extension)

Below are a few photos from scouting trips in 2008 and 2009

the view from Turtle Lake lodge - loons, red-necked grebes, bald eagles ospreys, merlins, white-winged scoters, franklins gulls are seen from here.	Boreal forest habitat near Turtle Lake - this fen is full of LeConte's  and Nelson's (Sharp-tailed) Sparrows. Great Gray Owls sometimes breed.
Pronghorn male - a common sight in southern Sask	Burrowing Owl at Pakowki Lake, Alberta
Upland Sandpiper near Eastend, Sask	Western Tanager, male, Turtle Lake, Sask
My good friend, Paul Pratt, birding at dawn at Cold Lake, Alberta	.Great Horned Owl (prairie race) at Consul, Sask.
A fawn plays thinks he is hiding from Paul!	Prairie Rattlesnake - we'd be lucky to see this one!
Marbled Godwit staking his territory	Sharp-tailed Grouse
Red Crossbill (female) at Cypress Hills resort feeders	Red Crossbill (male) Cypress Hills resort feeders
Prairie humour!	Mural on building in Consul, Saskatchewan
Ferruginous Hawk on nest (one of six found)	Swainson's Hawk adult light phase
McCown's Longspur male

Trip Summary:

This seven night, eight day trip through southern and central Saskatchewan and Alberta is timed to take advantage of the incredible array of breeding species in this region. From prairies to badlands to potholes to boreal forests this trip provides dramatic scenery, great mammal viewing and outstanding birding with many difficult target species likely. Photographic opportunities for this trip are good (birds, mammals, scenics). Accommodations are good throughout and the birding sites are generally extremely quiet (apart from bird song!), providing an outstanding experience. An optional five night extension to the Alberta Rocky Mountains includes well known sites such as Jasper (Columbia Icefields), Banff National Park, Lake Louise, and nearby Kananaskis. 

Target Species:

Birds: A few of the many possibilities include Common Loon, five species of grebes (with Clark's a possible sixth), American White Pelican, the whole gambit of pothole and boreal waterfowl, Cinnamon Teal, White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck (ext), Yellow Rail, Northern Goshawk, Ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Golden and Bald Eagles, Gray Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Greater Sage Grouse (rare), Ruffed Grouse, Blue Grouse (ext), White-tailed Ptarmigan (ext), Yellow Rail (rare), Sandhill Crane, Piping Plover, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Solitary Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's, California and Bonaparte's Gulls, Forster's and Black Terns, Great Horned, Burrowing, Northern Saw-whet and Short-eared Owls (Great Gray and Northern Hawk are possibilities as well), Northern Pygmy Owl (ext), Common Nighthawk, Poorwill (rare), Red-naped Sapsucker, Pileated, Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Olive-sided, Alder, Dusky, Hammond's (ext) and Pacific Slope (ext) Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Loggerhead Shrike, (Western) Warbling Vireo (possible split), Philadelphia Vireo, Gray Jay, Clark's Nutcracker (ext), Mountain Chickadee (ext), Rock, Winter, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, American Dipper (ext), Mountain Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire (ext), Varied Thrush (ext), American Pipit (ext), Sprague's Pipit, twenty plus warbler species including Connecticut and MacGillvray's Warblers, Townsend's Warbler (ext), Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Lark, Brewer's (both races including 'Timberline' on ext), Baird's, LeConte's, Nelson's (Sharp-tailed) and Grasshopper Sparrows, Fox and Golden-crowned Sparrows (ext), Chestnut-collared and McCown's Longspurs, Lazuli Bunting, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (scarce - ext), Pine Grosbeak (ext), Red Crossbill and Evening Grosbeak.

Mammals: This route always should produce a great selection of mammals with possibilities including Black and Grizzly (ext) Bears, Coyote, Red and Swift Fox (the latter quite rare), Elk, White-tailed and Mule Deer, American Badger, several ground squirrel species, Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Moose, Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Beaver, Muskrat, Mink, Least Weasel, Fisher and Lynx (again tough but possible on ext).

Itinerary: (prairies and boreal forest main tour)

June 5th    (day 1)    Arrive in Calgary. Check in to hotel.  Group meets for dinner this evening at our hotel lobby at 6 pm. Night:    Calgary Airport

June 6th    (day 2)    Calgary to Cold Lake. We will depart at 5 am this morning and work our way east and north to Cold Lake. En route we will make stops in a variety of habitats from badlands to prairies to potholes to alkali lakes.  Some of the possibilities today include Piping Plover, Grasshopper and Baird's Sparrows, Rock Wren, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Swainson's Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, and a wide variety of breeding waterfowl. We will arrive in Cold Lake in mid afternoon in time for some evening birding at a nearby wetland which should be full of breeding waterfowl, rails and marsh and sedge wrens. Night:    Cold Lake

June 7th (day 3)    Cold Lake to Turtle Lake. Before breakfast we will head north to Cold Lake Provincial Park in search of boreal breeders such as Connecticut, Mourning, Blackburnian, Palm, Canada, Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Pileated Woodpecker,  Ruffed Grouse, Common Loon, Ring-necked Duck, White-winged Scoter, Bonaparte's Gull, Solitary Sandpiper, Olive-sided, Least and Alder Flycatchers, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wren, Lincoln's, LeConte's and Nelson's (Sharp-tailed) Sparrows.  Raptors are scarce in the boreal forest but those that are seen are often high quality. We will likely see Osprey and Bald Eagle today, with Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Northern Goshawk as possibilities. After breakfast we will check nearby Jessie Lake for lingering migrant shorebirds and waterfowl. We will have lunch enroute to Turtle Lake Saskatchewan area which will be our base for the next two nights.   Night:    Turtle Lake or North Battleford, Sask.

June 8th (day 4)    Turtle Lake area. Like Cold Lake this area has a remarkable diversity of breeding birds in a small area. On June 2nd, 2008, Tom and his friend Paul did a big day starting here and by 10 am they had recorded 160 species! This area has 20 breeding species of warblers including Connecticut, Mourning, Bay-breasted, Cape May and Nashville. On a 2008 scouting trip here Tom and Paul heard Great Gray,  Boreal and Northern Saw-whet Owls, plus Yellow Rails at two different sites. While these are all really tough species, we will schedule a very early morning outing to search for these targets, with a later pick up for those wanting to join at a more civilized hour!  If the conditions are good this site offers a great dawn chorus with a wide range of breeding species. This site offers the same possibilities as Cold Lake, plus a reasonable chance of American Three-toed or Black-backed Woodpeckers, breeding Sandhill Cranes, a huge colony of breeding Franklin's Gull, five species of breeding grebes, and even a slight chance of picking up a migrant Sabine's Gull! The diversity of sites we will visit today will give us a huge list well in excess of a hundred species.  Mammal possibilities include Black Bear, Moose, Beaver and Mink. Night: Turtle Lake or North Battleford, Sask.

June 9th (day 5)    Turtle Lake to Grasslands N P. Although today will be primarily a travel day, we will have several excellent birding stops along the way. After another early morning in the boreal forest, we will head south through the Battlefords, stopping at Luck Lake for a picnic lunch. This huge alkali lake is well known for breeding and migrant waterfowl. You can expect to see thousands of shorebirds here with large numbers of breeding American Avocets, Willets, Wilson's Phalaropes and Marbled Godwits. There should still be reasonable numbers of Sanderlings, Semipalmated and Bairds Sandpipers on their way to Arctic breeding grounds. In addition to the shorebirds, this site holds thousands of waterfowl including all the expected prairie breeders.  From Luck Lake we will continue south to the small prairie town of Val Marie, which is the gateway to Grasslands National Park. We will spend the night in a unique hotel which is a converted convent.  Night: Val Marie, Convent Inn

June 10th (day 6)    Grasslands N P to Cypress Hills. We will depart early for a dawn drive through nearby Grasslands N P, having a picnic breakfast along the way. The morning will be spent exploring this unique site. Possibilities include Greater Sage Grouse (rare), Sharp-tailed Grouse (in 2008 we had a large active lek right by the roadside!), Burrowing Owl, Golden Eagle, Say's Phoebe, and Sprague's Pipit. We will also pass through several large Black-tailed Prairie Dog towns (good photo opps likely). This is the only place in Canada where you have can see these animated critters. Swift Fox, which has been reintroduced here, is also a possibility.  In late morning we will head west to the town of Eastend, where we will stop for lunch. From here we will head to nearby peak with a spectacular view of the river valley and badlands below. This site has traditionally held nesting Prairie Falcons, Rock Wrens, Mountain Bluebirds and Violet-green Swallows. We will arrive at our hotel in the conifer topped Cypress Hills in time for some birding on the hotel grounds. The hotel feeders often produce spectacular views of Red Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Hairy Woodpecker and Red-breasted Nuthatch (good photo opps). We will spend two nights here. Night: Cypress Hills Resort, Cypress Hills Provincial Park.

June 11th (day 7)    Cypress Hills and nearby lowland prairie habitat. We will spend a full day exploring habitats in and near the provincial park. Some of the targets include Baird's, Grasshopper, Brewer's, Lark and Clay-colored Sparrows, Sprague's Pipit, Lark Bunting, Gray Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Northern Goshawk, Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson's Snipe, Marbled Godwit, Wilson's Phalarope, Western Kingbird, Mountain Bluebird, MacGillvray's Warbler, (Western) Warbling Vireo (a possible split), Dusky Flycatcher, McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Cinnamon Teal. Mammals that are likely to be encountered today include Pronghorn (antelope), White-tailed and Mule Deer, American Elk, Coyote, Nuttall's Cottontail, Richardson's and Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels, and with some luck we may find American Badger.  Depending upon everyone's energy level we may schedule an optional night drive to search for Poorwill and Northern Saw-whet Owl tonight. Night: Cypress Hills Resort, Cypress Hills Provincial Park.

June 12th (day 8)    After breakfast we will head west from the Cypress Hills, making several stops along the way to check roadside sloughs and prairie habitats. We will arrive in Calgary by 2 pm this afternoon. The trip will conclude with drop offs at the airport and nearby hotels. For those continuing on the extension, your accommodations in Calgary and dinner are included tonight. Night: Calgary Airport (extension participants only)

Itinerary: (mountain extension)

June 12th (day 8 / day 1)    Participants from the main tour will be dropped off at their airport hotel by 2 pm. This will give everyone time to recharge, do laundry, before meeting at 6 pm for dinner. For participants taking the extension only, they can check in to the hotel after 3 pm this afternoon. The group will meet in the lobby of our hotel at 6 pm for greetings and dinner. Night: Calgary Airport Hotel (TBA)  Meals included: D

June 13th (day 9 / day 2)    We will make a very early start this morning (4 am), reaching the mountains at first light. The day will be spent birding and driving one of the most scenic highways in North America. Stops will be made in Banff and renowned Lake Louise for photo opps. At the Columbia Ice field glacier we will likely take a short walk to search for Clark's Nutcracker, Fox and Brewer's (Timberline race) Sparrows, and possibly American Pipit. We will be on the lookout for Golden Eagles today. Targets today include Harlequin Duck, American Dipper, Townsend's Warbler, Cassin's Vireo, Rufous Hummingbird, Varied Thrush and Pacific Slope Flycatcher. Our early start should give us a good chance of seeing some mammals along the highway. Photo opps for scenery could be good today pending weather. We will arrive in Jasper in late afternoon. Night: Pine Bungalows, Jasper. Meals included: BLD

June 14th (day 10/ day 3)    Columbia Icefields and alpine habitat. Today we will take the first tram up to the Whistle's alpine area to search for White-tailed Ptarmigan. This species is nearly always present, but can be difficult to find. Being on the first tram gives us a much better chance! Other possibilities here include Townsend's Solitaire and Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. Other sites we may visit later in the day include picturesque Maligne Lake and Cottonwood Slough. Night: Pine Bungalows, Jasper. Meals included: BLD

June 15th (day 11 / day 4)    Jasper to Banff. We will make the return journey through the mountains visiting several new sites near Banff including Johnson's Canyon. Here we will search for Black Swift, American Dipper, Pacific Slope Flycatcher and Townsend's Warbler.  Again today we can expect opportunities for spotting mammals and many of the same target species from our first full day. Night: Canmore (near Banff). Meals included: BLD

June 16th (day 12 / day 5)    Banff to Calgary. Today we will devote the entire day to exploring Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and Kananaskis country. The road through this pass is closed until today, so we will hope to find a good selection of mammals here. We will also again have the opportunity to explore alpine habitats along the higher reaches of this road. If we still need Ptarmigan, we may opt to take a 2 km hike to search for them later this morning. Our focus today will be on trying to find species missed on previous days, plus photo opps of mammals and scenics. We will arrive in Calgary in early evening. Night: Calgary Airport. Meals included: BLD

June 17th (day 13 / day 6)    Participants can book departing flights at any time this morning. Our hotel will have a shuttle service available. Meals included: none (though our hotel may include some breakfast service).

Leader:

Tom Hince will be the leader for both parts of this trip. Tom is an experienced professional bird guide who has organized and led trips through North, Central and South America, Africa and Australia. He has forty plus years of field experience and prides himself in providing clients with an outstanding experience.

What Is The Pace Like?

The focus of the trip will be birding. We will also make a concerted effort to view mammals and provide photographic opportunities for all participants where possible (ie. scenic viewpoints, co-operative mammals and birds). Although the main tour is easy in terms of difficulty, the hours are long as we get early starts in the field. This is necessary due to the longer day length at this season and latitude, and we want to take advantage of early morning and evening opportunities for birding and mammal viewing. Where we spend several nights in a location, we will do our utmost to schedule pre breakfast walks, so anyone wishing to sleep in can join the group at breakfast. However, I do not recommend skipping these pre breakfast outings as they are often when the most memorable sightings occur!

For the mountain extension, the pace is best described as moderate. This is because we will take several more strenuous hikes and be spending some time at higher altitudes. Participants should be in good physical condition to participate in these hikes.

Group Size:

The group will be limited to 8 participants (with a possibility of 9 if we have a single participant). We will use a 15 passenger van, with the back seat removed for storage of luggage. Space for this tour will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

What about Critters, Snakes, Bugs and Other Hazards? 

The biggest potential hazard at this time of year is biting insects. The good news is that chiggers are not a problem! The trip is timed early enough that we should avoid the peak of mosquito and black fly abundance. However, we will likely encounter biting insects and participants should be sure to bring bug spray. It is also recommended that you treat your field clothing with anti tick spray, as wood ticks are often present in prairie areas at this time of year (this spray is extremely effective). Prairie Rattlesnakes are present in the central and southern prairies but it is extremely unlikely we will encounter one. We will not be walking off trail in areas where this species occurs. 

What Is the Cost?

(Please note that all figures quoted are in Canadian dollars. Participants can also submit funds in US dollars. These will be deposited into Canadian funds and credited at the rate given by the bank on the date of deposit.)

The cost, for the main tour, from Calgary to Calgary, is $2399. This includes: 7 nights accommodations, guiding daily, ground transportation in 15 passenger van, entrance fees to public parks, entrance fees for private properties, all meals from dinner on Day 1 to lunch on Day 8 (7 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 7 lunches), cold drinks in the field (water, pop), use of a telescope provided by the leader, checklist, full trip report, group photo. Please note that the amount does not include alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature, or items not specifically listed as inclusives. Also, I generally buy bags of fresh fruit and trail mix for the group for snacks in the van, but if you have other specific snacks you like you should purchase those for personal consumption. 

The cost, for the mountain extension, from Calgary to Calgary, is $1549. This includes: 5 nights accommodations, guiding daily, ground transportation in 15 passenger van, entrance fees to public parks, entrance fees for private properties, all meals from dinner on Day 1 to dinner on Day 5 (4 breakfasts, 5 dinners, 4 lunches), cold drinks in the field (water, pop), use of a telescope provided by the leader, checklist, full trip report, group photo. Please note that the amount does not include alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature, or items not specifically listed as inclusives. Also, I generally buy bags of fresh fruit and trail mix for the group for snacks in the van, but if you have other specific snacks you like you should purchase those for personal consumption. 

Participants taking both main tour and the extension will be given a CDN $150 discount per person (ie the total cost would be $3799 = $2399 + $1549 - $150.  Participants can submit deposits or full payment in either CDN, or US funds. Please note that the tour cost is fixed in Canadian dollars. US checks will be converted to Canadian and credited at the amount given by the bank on the date of deposit.

What About Singles?

Single bookings are easily accommodated. A single supplement will be charged if you wish to room alone, or no room mate an be found. The single supplement for the main tour is $400 and for $360 for the extension.  

A note about Meals:

Dinner will be a sit down meal. Where necessary we will work with limited menu choices to facilitate quicker ordering. Some meals (ie dinner at Convent Inn) will be preordered due to service requirements. To facilitate more time in the field, and due to limited facilities in some birding sites, we will have picnic style breakfasts and lunches on approximately half of the meals. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, don't worry, we WILL have hot coffee and tea and some snacks, available for early morning or pre-breakfast birding.

What Are the Accomodations Like?

In Calgary, we will be staying at a chain motel such as Holiday Inn Express or comparable quality. In Turtle Lake, we will be staying a motel as close as possible to the best birding sites, likely in North Battleford. In Val Marie, the Convent Inn is as one might expect - a converted convent. It is a delightful spot with wonderful wood flooring and each room is unique. Depending upon the size of our group, some bathroom sharing may be necessary. However, this is by far the best available accommodation at this site. At Cypress Hills, we will be staying an ideally situated and comfortable, modern, well serviced resort. 

How Do I Join Up?

Reservations will be taken on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis. Because a number of folks have already expressed an interest, I am sending this message out to everyone together. To reserve a spot, please email me at peleetom@netcore.ca or call at 1 519 981-5994 giving the name(s) of participants, email, phone number and address. I ask for CDN $500 per person deposit when you reserve. You can forward this to me via personal check made out to me and mailed to P.O. Box 281, RR#1, Wheatley, Ontario. Canada N0P 2P0. The deposit allows me to pre pay some of the stuff that needs to be done ahead of our trip. 

Final payment: payment in full is due March 5th, 2010.

Please keep in mind that there are only 8 spaces available for this trip, so if you are seriously interested don't hesitate.

Refunds and Cancellation Insurance

If you cancel before March 5th, 2010 -  your deposit is forfeit. Any additional funds you have paid would be refunded.

If you cancel from March 5th, to April 5th, 2010 -  fifty percent of your total tour costs are forfeit. Any balance paid over the fifty percent of the total cost due will be refunded.

Cancellation after April 5th, 2010 will result in forfeit of the entire tour fee. No funds will be refunded.

Of course, if we cancel at any time, all funds remitted will be fully refunded. 

Questions?:

If you have any questions about this trip please feel free to email Tom at peleetom@netcore.ca or call 519 981-5994

 TOM'S HOME PAGE          ECUADOR Amazon East Jan/Feb 2010     

  TEXAS APRIL 2010         CANADIAN PRAIRIES JUNE 2010     SOUTH AFRICA Aug/Sep 2010