Email: birdtours [at] sasktel.net
Phone: 306 [then] 652 [then] 5975
Table of Contents
Book your Saskatchewan Birding Adventure Now
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour
June 3 – 11, 2026
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour starts in Saskatoon meeting participants in Humboldt, Watson and Canora. Participants departing Moose Jaw, Regina or Yorkton may meet tour at Canora.
Prince Albert participants may meet tour at Watson.
Estimated Return Driving Distance from Saskatoon: 1400 km
Escorted self-driving group tour
CLICK HERE for links to other Saskatchewan birding and bird photography tours.
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour Description
Join a small group of birders on a special 9-day Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour. You will visit all of the best birding hotspots in eastern Saskatchewan. The range of bird habitats will include boreal forests, prairie grasslands, prairie marshes plus lakes and river valleys.
Both novice and experienced bird watchers are welcome. The leader will bring a spotting scope to allow you to view birds under high magnification.
Some of the special birds we expect to see or hear on this Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour include Great Egret, Broad-winged Hawk, Barred Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Evening Grosbeak plus many other species of warblers, flycatchers, raptors and lake birds. With luck we might spot one of the following rare species that have previously occasionally been reported in this park including Trumpeter Swan, American Woodcock, Red-headed Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager and Golden-winged Warbler.
See sidebar for a list of potential species. A checklist of Saskatchewan birds may be downloaded HERE.
The Eastern Saskatchewan Birding tour is a major part of our Saskatchewan Birding Hotspots Tour Series in 2026.
Your leader will be Stan Shadick with Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.
Tax Receipt: The person paying for the tour will receive a tax receipt for 50% of the tour fee.
All tour proceeds support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation charity.
Transportation: All participants will travel in their own personal or rented vehicle or arrange to carpool.
If Covid is a concern, masks will be worn at birding stops.
We will communicate between vehicles using cell-phones connected to your vehicle’s audio system.
RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are not feasible during group tours. Owners of trailers may join the tour after their trailer is parked in a park campground. RV owners will need to arrange to car pool in another smaller vehicle during a group tour or select the private tour option.
Accommodation Options. Both camping and hotel / motel accommodation options are available on this tour. Suggestions will be sent to registered guests. Please book as soon as possible because rooms are limited.
2026 Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour Itinerary
This tentative itinerary is subject to change.
Day 0 – Tue. June 2
Plan to travel to Saskatoon,
Saskatoon is served by Air Canada, West Jet and partner airlines as well as Via Rail train.
Recommended Hotel: Park Town Hotel, 924 Spadina Crescent, Saskatoon 306-244-5564 https://www.parktownhotel.com/
Campers may wish to stay at Saskatoon’s Holiday Park campground
Day 1 – Wed. June 3
7:00 AM Breakfast in Park Town Hotel Dining Room opens
8:15 AM Saskatchewan Birding Tour departs Park Town Hotel Lobby, Saskatoon.
Your guide, Stan Shadick, will meet you in the hotel lobby.
Participants may alternately choose to join the tour at following towns
- Humboldt Tim Hortons about 9:30 AM
https://locations.timhortons.ca/en/sk/humboldt/2303-highway-5-west/ - Watson Esso Station about 10:00 AM
- Canora.
Some of our planned birding stops include the following sites.
- Porter Lake
- Quill Lakes north shore
- Fishing Lakes
- Overnight at a Duck Mountain Park cabin. Campers may wish to stay in a nearby campground.
- Optional late evening outing to listen for owls
DAY 2 – Thu. June 4
We plan to spend the day birding the best hotspots near small lakes, hills and creeks in the southern portion of the heavily forested Duck Mountain Park.
Some of the special birds we expect to see or hear include Broad-winged Hawk, Barred Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Winter Wren, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Evening Grosbeak plus many other species of warblers, flycatchers, raptors and lake birds
- Overnight at a park cabin
DAY 3 – Fri. June 5
We plan to bird in Duck Mountain park in the early morning and then drive north to explore the birdlife of the forested Porcupine Hills.
Overnight at a motel in Hudson Bay, SK
DAY 4 – Sat. June 6
Tour departs Hudson Bay at 9 am.
- We will make roadside stops at any bird-rich locations as we travel to Carrot River.
Bring food to eat lunch on the road. - Afternoon check in to a motel in Carrot River or Nipawin.
- Late afternoon and evening outing to search for whip-poor-wills, chimney swifts and owls and other birds along the Saskatchewan River below E.B. Campbell dam.
DAY 5 – Sun. June 7
- We plan a day driving the wilderness road along the north side of the Pasquia Hills
- Overnight at a motel in Carrot River or Nipawin. Campers may wish to stay in a campground.
DAY 6 – Mon. June 8
- We plan a day birding in the lakes and forests of Narrow Hills Park and Candle Lake
- Overnight at Hawood Inn, Prince Albert National Park
DAY 7 – Tue. June 9
- We plan a day birding along Boundary Bog trail in the morning and the trail to Kingsmere Lake in the afternoon.
- Overnight at Hawood Inn, Prince Albert National Park
DAY 8 – Wed. June 10
- We plan a day birding along Treebeard trail in the morning and then drive the scenic road through the park as we return to Saskatoon..
- Overnight at Parktown Hotel.
DAY 9 – Thu. June 11
- At 8:30 AM we will join a 3-hour Chief Whitecap Park Bird Walk along the bird-rich trails in this woodland and grassland park along the South Saskatchewan River valley south of Saskatoon.
- Lunch at a Saskatoon Restaurant.
- At 1:30 PM we will join a 3-hour Blackstrap Lake Birding Tour by vehicle. This deep water reservoir attracts many water birds.
- Our 9-day tour ends when we return the hotel.
You may either return home tomorrow or join our
Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour which will visit the best birding hotspots in southern Saskatchewan.
Public Tour Fee
Public Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour June 3 – 11, 2026 Fee: CAD $7990 per vehicle (about USD $5775, £4250) for a party of 1 – 4 persons travelling in a single vehicle.
Fee includes guiding services. Meals and accommodation and transportation are NOT included.
** SAVE $800 ** if you have 1 – 3 persons in your vehicle and have room to cover leader’s transportation during this 9-day tour by driving leader in your non-smoking vehicle and provide him with a bedroom for his use in your private cabin or a shared cabin at Madge Lake Rentals for the first 2 nights of the tour This discount is available on June 3 – 11, 2026 tour.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Refunds less a $50 administration fee will be given if cancellation notice received 60 days before date of tour.
No refunds if cancellation notice received less than 60 days before date of tour unless another client takes your place.
If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, then please email: birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975.
Monthly Newsletter
Learn about special offers and new tours.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the monthly electronic Newsletter from Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.
Duck Mountain Park Birding Tour Leader
Tour Guide: Stan Shadick. Click for more information about your tour guide.
Covid Safety Policy on Tours
- Your tour leader is fully vaccinated.
- Clients must normally drive themselves in their own personal or rented vehicle. The leader will normally drive in a separate vehicle. We will use cell phones to communicate between each other during the tour.
- Please contact us before booking tour if you have any special requests with regard to this policy. In certain cases if requested, leader may be willing to ride in client’s vehicle.
Insurance
We suggest you consider buying travel medical insurance to cover emergency medical expenses during your tour.
We also recommend Trip Cancellation and Interruption insurance.
Travel insurance with trip cancellation and interruption benefits can reimburse you for non-refundable, pre-paid trip costs (up to the amount of your plan limits) should your participation in the trip be canceled or interrupted for a covered reason. According to our cancellation policies, your payment to us will become non-refundable if you cancel your participation after the deadlines outlined in our policies.
In general, Trip Cancellation insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if you are unable to join the tour. Trip Interruption reimburses you for the unused portion of your tour if you have to leave part-way through a tour and it also covers some additional unexpected expenses incurred during your travel (e.g. additional hotel of flight costs due to weather delays or other delays that are not covered by your airline).
Gift Certificates Available
This Duck Mountain Birding tour makes an excellent birthday gift, anniversary gift, graduation gift, retirement gift, Mother’s Day gift, Father’s Day gift or special gift for a birder, birdwatcher or anyone interested in nature.
GIFT CERTIFICATES: Click here for information about purchasing a gift certificate for this tour or any of our other tours.
Some Potential Birds of Interest
- Trumpeter Swan
- Wood Duck
- Ruffed Grouse
- Common Loon
- Western Grebe
- American White Pelican
- Great Egret
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Forster’s Tern
- Barred Owl
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Black-backed Woodpecker
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Blue-headed Vireo
- Canada Jay
- Winter Wren
- Golden-winged Warbler
- Nashville Warbler
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Magnolia Warbler
- Cape May Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Mourning Warbler
- Canada Warbler
- Evening Grosbeak
How to get to Saskatoon
Air: Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) is served by Air Canada, Westjet and their U.S. partners United and Delta.
Air Canada Star Alliance partners also include Aegean, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels, Copa, Croatia, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, EVA, Lot, Lufthansa, SAS, Shenzhen, Singapore, South African, Swiss, TAP, Thai, Turkish, United.
Westjet international partners include AeroMexico, Air France, Air Transat, Azores, Cathay Pacific, China, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, Emirates, Hainan, Hong Kong, Japan, KLM, Korean, LATAM, Philippine, Quantas, Virgin Atlantic, Xiamen.
Train: Saskatoon’s Train Station is served by Via Rail’s Canadian train serving Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper and Vancouver.
Bus: Saskatoon – Edmonton and Saskatoon – Regina bus service
Car: Saskatoon is located on Canada’s Yellowhead cross-country highway plus 6 other major highways connecting with all cities in Canada and USA. If you drive, you do not need to rent a car for our tours.
Other Tours and Workshops:
Click here to see a complete list of our upcoming tours and workshops.
Multiple Tours Discount
Can’t decide which tour to take?
Check out our multiple tours discount described here.
TOP QUALITY BINOCULAR OFFER
Do you want a better pair of binoculars for birdwatching?
Recommended for viewing songbirds high in the tree tops.
CLICK HERE for information about the
Kite Optics 16X42 Image Stabilized Binoculars
