February 10, 2006
Welcome to the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association web site. Your comments are welcome and will be shared to the viewers on this page. If you have any articles which you would like to submit for publication - photos - anecdotes - or stories we would be delighted to publish them. This is your web site and I hope that you will feel free to share your thoughts and contributions to the viewers of this site.
If you have information regarding bird trails which have been listed but with no write ups, and wish to contribute information for that bird trail - your contribution would be greatly appreciated.
If you have additional information or photos regarding any of our bird trails which have been described on individual web pages on this site, please feel free to submit information.
This is just the beginning of much more to come. If you wish to contribute to the Birds of Saskatchewan page, please do so. If you have a picture of a bird which you are unable to identify, we have a number of bird experts in our group who will try and do that for you. Remember, we are familiar with birds in Saskatchewan and Canada.
Although this web site is mainly concerned with birds, as nature loving individuals who do care about all wildlife and their habitat. We may include a page which deals mainly with wildlife other than birds, if there is an interest in it.
I hope that visitors will enjoy the website and learn a great deal about birding and bird trails as I have done while working on this website.
Webmaster: John Sawkey
Email: john.s@imagewireless.ca
Bird life has always been an interest of mine and I thought I had seen all birds native to this area, until last fall. I was baling straw when I noticed across the field a disturbance in the fence line trees. Several ravens were tormenting something white in the trees, my first thought was a bald eagle, as I rounded the field, I realized the white was a completely white bird. Upon approaching I identified it as a hawk, and at a distance of about forty feet, I was unable to distinguish whether it was a redtail or a swainson, as it had no markings at all. It stayed all afternoon in the same stand of trees, soaring out occasionally to grab a mouse. One thing unusual about this hawk was it seemed to be very shy, hawks generally perch on outer branches, where visibility was good This hawk preferred to be close to the trunk of the tree, seeming to wish to be less conspicuous. It remained in the same stand of trees until dark. The next day it was still there but soon moved down the fenceline and out of sight.
A few years back I had a close encounter with a pileated woodpecker, the woodpecker had been spotted several times during the winter when one day I was standing on the front wheel of my tractor putting in fuel, when a pileated woodpecker alighted on a chokecherry branch covered with dried chokecherries right beside the fuel nozzle. I took off my mitt and stroked the back of the woodpecker with my finger. It remained there for a couple of minutes before flying to a nearby stand of poplars. I feel fortunate to be able to witness sightings such as these. Herb Rooke - Saltcoats, Saskatchewan
On what was probably our coldest day of the winter so far, I witnessed an amazing sight as I was driving back from curling in Saltcoats. Very near the Karen and Ray Theis residence, a raven and a snowy owl were having a dispute in mid-air. The crystal clear blue sky and barren branches of the trees provided a perfect backdrop for this unusual event.
I did turn around to try and see what the disagreement was about but both birds were gone. However, the next week when I returned home from curling, I again witnessed the owl perched on the tallest tree. I guess it has established its territory. This time I had time to stop and observe, along with fellow passengers, Ian and Margaret MacDonald. The owl has quite a white face but the back and head have brown markings. From Margaret's information in her bird books and from discussions with Jim Jowsey, it is likely a female.
By the way, bird feeder sightings have included black capped chickadees, the white breasted nut hatch, purple finches, sparrows and more sparrows, blue jays and a single immature white crowned sparrow that has been around all winter. (I have not seen the hawk recently.) Gloria F Rathgeber - Yorkton, Saskatchewan
We have pasture land between Borden and Radisson, Sask where we enjoy amateur birding during all seasons of the year. Our 160 acres of land is about 3 miles north of the Yellowhead Highway and adjacent to 600 acres of grassland pasture owned by other members of our family. There is plenty of wildlife flourishing on the land because of good ground cover and aspen forest consisting of maybe 25% of the area. We hike and camp in the spring, summer and fall seasons and we X-country ski in the wintertime. A small 12 ft. square cabin has been constructed for overnight stays with the assistance of Rob Wilson from Saltcoats, Sask.
Since acquiring this grassland area in 2001 we have identified the following
- Savannah sparrow
- Vesper sparrow
- Chipping sparrow
- Killdeer
- Sandhill Crane
- Sharp-Tailed Grouse – there is a dancing hill
- Snow Goose
- Canada Goose
- Tundra Swan
- Pintail Duck
- Mallard Duck
- Golden Eagle
- Bald Eagle
- Northern Harrier
- Sharpshinned Hawk
- Swainson’s Hawk
- Red-Tailed Hawk
- Kestral
- Gray Partridge (Hungarian)
- Ruffed Grouse
- Ring-Billed Gull
- Mourning Dove
- Great Horned Owl
- Short Eared Owl
- Hawk Owl
- Ruby Throated Hummingbird
- Downy Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Western Kingbird
- Eastern Kingbird
- Loggerhead Shrike
- Magpie
- Crow
- Raven
- Horned Lark
- Tree Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Black-capped Chickadee
- House Wren
- Mountain Buebirds (nesting area)
- Robin
- Dark-Eyed Junko
- Meadowlarks (in abundance)
- Baltimore Oriole
- Common Redpole
This is probably typical of what one finds in our part of the province.
Regards, Howard Derksen - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
BOREAL CHICKADEE VISITORS
Our esteemed editor Robbie Wilson asked that I write about what he says is a fairly rare occurrence. This past winter, at our house in Canora, we had numerous visitations by two Boreal Chickadees on a regular basis. Those are the little guys that have rusted-out chests, no doubt from excess humidity on their metal parts. We saw them at our shelled peanut feeders and at our peanut butter feeder, every few weeks or so, most of the winter. We have pictures.
Respectfully submitted,
Thom Carnahan
PERCEIVED PECKING ORDER
All of this past winter we have had five Blue Jays and a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers visiting our shelled peanut and peanut butter feeders in Canora. Early on it became apparent that there was a possession issue transpiring. Neither bird specie appreciated having the other around at feeding time. And they certainly would not share or cooperate. When they did arrive at the same time, there was considerable squawking and wing flapping. Those displays were wonderful to watch. Sometimes one, and sometimes the other, would back off and allow the other to feed, while the other watched at a safe distance. The boss had not yet been identified.
After a few days of this, it was time for the showdown. The larger Blue Jay and the Male Hairy arrived at the feeder at the same time, one on either side. They squawked and displayed as usual. This time was different however. They approached each other and began making physical contact. The fight over ownership of the feeder ended quickly when the woodpecker gave the Blue Jay a very solid knock between the eyes with that huge wood-destroying beak. The blue one shook its head, backed off, then flew away somewhat askew. There has not been a problem or dispute over the feeders since them. Everyone knows who the boss is! Avian peace reigns once more in our backyard.
Respectfully submitted,
Thom Carnahan
BIRD SIGHTINGS AND THEIR STORIES
...November 2006 Issue II Cedar Waxwing - Lana Sumner; Tagged Turkey Vulture - Doug Elsasser ; Whooping Crane Sightings - Paula Maier ; Killdeer - Paula Maier ; Let's Talk Turkey -Barbara J. Ford
Readers’ Response ….. April 2007 Issue 2
Pileated Winter Survival - Thom Carnahan; Uninvited Bird Feeder Guests - Ella Smith; Cheap Peanut Butter Bird Feeder (CPBBF) -Mohl Naharnac (Contributed by Tom Carnahan); A Winter Story - Howard and Reta Derksen; Bluebird Nesting Areas at Slough View Park - John Sawkey; Winter Hotline Phone: (306) 242 7177 - Saskatoon Nature Society.
Reader's Responses ..... July 2007
Some good spring sightings
After much berating from your editor, a couple of YFBTA members have reported some good spring sightings. Mae Ann Chilman observed a Harris Sparrow, a White-crowned Sparrow, a Veery and three Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Gloria Rathgeber reported White-crowned Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Rob and Joan Wilson have been enjoying visits by Baltimore Orioles, a Swainson’s Thrush and a House Wren.
