Canada – Saskatchewan mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3 – 10, 2024

Email: birdtours [at] sasktel.net
Phone: 306 [then] 652 [then] 5975

Saskatchewan mid-Summer Birding Tour.

See both eastern and western North American birds during the peak of the breeding season during this Saskatchewan mid-Summer Birding Tour.

Canada Saskatchewan mid-Summer Birding Tour
August 3 – 10, 2024

Guiding Fee
USD $2150 per person
CAD $2950 per person
UK £1700 per person

Join our mid-Summer Birding Tour to Saskatchewan, Canada during the peak of the nesting season when bird song abounds. Saskatchewan is located near the centre of North America where several bird migration flyways meet. Consequently, this bird-rich province of Canada is home to nesting birds from both eastern and western North America.

Saskatchewan is well known as the duck factory of North America because most species of waterfowl nest in our abundant wetlands.  Many shorebirds, pelicans, rails and grebes also nest in our lakes and sloughs. We will visit many hotspots for water birds including Blackstrap Lake and Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary.

The great expanses of arid prairie grasslands attract many special ground-nesting birds. We will observe unique prairie birds at Saskatchewan’s Great Sand Hills and many other pastures.

If you don’t have time for the full Canada Saskatchewan Birding Tour, ask us about joining us for parts of this fantastic tour.

Special Birds of Interest

During this Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Tour, we expect to observe over 170 species.

A few special possible birds include

• Ruddy Duck
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Gray Partridge
• Western Grebe
• Clark’s Grebe
• American White Pelican
• Great Egret
• White-faced Ibis
• Golden Eagle
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Ferruginous Hawk
• Prairie Falcon
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Willet
• Marbled Godwit
• Long-billed Curlew
• Upland Sandpiper
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Franklin’s Gull
• California Gull
• Forster’s Tern
• Black-billed Cuckoo
• Western Wood-Pewee
• Alder Flycatcher
• Say’s Phoebe
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Western Kingbird
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Black-billed Magpie
• Violet-Green Swallow
• Mountain Bluebird
• Sprague’s Pipit
• Yellow-breasted Chat
• Western Tanager
• Spotted Towhee
• Lark Sparrow
• Baird’s Sparrow
• Brewer’s Sparrow
• Le Conte’s Sparrow
• Nelson’s Sparrow
• Chestnut-collared Longspur
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Bobolink
• Orchard Oriole

CLICK HERE for a complete Saskatchewan checklist.

Monthly Newsletter

Learn about special offers and new tours.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the monthly electronic Newsletter from Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours.

Plan to arrive in Saskatoon, Canada today.

Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) is served by these airlines: Air Canada, Westjet, Flair, Porter and their numerous partners including United and Delta.

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM We have scheduled a short visit to the weir on the South Saskatchewan River to look for American White Pelicans.

Overnight: ParkTown Hotel, Saskatoon
Supper on your own. Many restaurants in downtown Saskatoon.

8:15 AM Check out of hotel after breakfast.
8:30 AM  We will go on a bird walk through Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park

Early lunch on your own in the Park Town Hotel

12:30 PM We will leave for a Ferry birding tour where we visit birding sites along the South Saskatchewan River north of Saskatoon. We will also visit Fish Creek Historical site where a battle took place during the North West Rebellion.

Supper on your own in Saskatoon.

Overnight: Park Town hotel

8:15 AM Check out of hotel after breakfast.
8:30 AM  We then drive west making stops at a Delisle pond  and Kindersley Regional Park to search for water birds.

Grab take out food on the road for lunch today and supper this evening in the sandhills.

In the early afternoon, we will explore the birdlife in the badlands near the South Saskatchewan River.

In the late afternoon, we will drive to the scenic Great Sand Hills and watch for prairie birds. We will watch for Prairie Falcon, Long-billed Curlew,  Lark and Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds, Loggerhead Shrikes, Western Kingbirds,

Optional late evening outing to listen for owls or Common Poorwills.

Overnight: Leader hotel

Breakfast in Leader
After checking out of the hotel, we will search for birds along the South Saskatchewan River Valley near Estuary Ferry, Lemsford Ferry Regional Park and Lancer Ferry

We will grab a picnic lunch to eat on the road

In the evening, we will search for prairie birds at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park and eat supper in their restaurant. We will make a stop at an old Buffalo Rubbing Stone.

Optional late evening owling

Overnight at Kyle motel.

In the morning, we will have breakfast in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park and hike up a coulee trail in search of Yellow-breasted Chats, Brown Thrasher and other prairie birds.

After lunch, we drive back to Saskatoon by following back roads through scenic grassland country.

Supper on your own. Many restaurants in downtown Saskatoon.

Overnight ParkTown Hotel Saskatoon for first of 3 nights.

Overnight ParkTown Hotel Saskatoon for second of 3 nights.

7:00 AM Breakfast in hotel.

8:15 AM. We depart hotel and make a stop to look for one of Saskatoon’s nesting Peregrine Falcons.

9:00 AM We will hike Saskatoon’s riverbank through Cosmopolitan Park looking for songbirds.

11:30 AM Look for forest birds in the spruce trees of Saskatoon’s President Murray Park.
We grab some lunch at a fast food restaurant

1:30 PM Visit Blackstrap Lake south of Saskatoon to look for lake birds.

Supper on your own in hotel

Overnight ParkTown Hotel Saskatoon for third of 3 nights.

7:00 AM Breakfast in hotel.

8:15 AM. We depart hotel and make a stop to look for one of Saskatoon’s nesting Peregrine Falcons.

9:00 AM We drive southeast of Saskatoon making birding stops along the way.

11:00 AM Visit Last Mountain Lake Regional Park part of the bird sanctuary
We will grab food to eat in the park picnic area.

1:00 PM Visit the main access roads through the Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary

4:00 PM Return drive to Saskatoon

6:00 PM Arrive at hotel
Supper on your own in hotel

On the recommendation of Edgar Dewdney, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories, this Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary was set aside in 1887 by the government of Sir John A MacDonald (Canada’s first prime minister) for the protection of wildfowl, the first such reserve on the North American continent. It was established as a federal migratory bird sanctuary four years after Parliament passed the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1917.

Internationally recognized, Last Mountain Lake wildlife area is a migration stopover point in spring and fall for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, cranes and countless smaller birds, and a summer nesting area for over 100 species, including several rare species.

Overnight Park Town Hotel Saskatoon.

8:10 AM After breakfast, we will head to Chief Whitecap Park, just south of Saskatoon. This riverbank park has Veery, White-breasted Nuthatch and various woodpeckers and other woodland birds.  Orange-crowned Warblers occur here. The prairie grassland in the park attracts Sprague’s Pipit.

12:00 PM Lunch at a Saskatoon Restaurant

1:00 PM We will drive backroads east of Saskatoon as we search for migrating shorebirds.

5:00 PM Tour ends when we return to Park Town Hotel.

TOUR GUIDE: Your guide has many years of experience finding and observing birds throughout Saskatchewan. For over 30 years, Stan Shadick has been a birding guide for nature tours around Saskatchewan and other parts of the country that have been organized by Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation, Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours, Nature Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division.

Stan is past president of Nature Saskatchewan as well as past president and current field trip chairman for the Saskatoon Nature Society. He is a co-editor of the reference publication “Birds of the Saskatoon Area” and contributed significantly to the recently published “Birds of Saskatchewan”.

Stan has volunteered as a regional coordinator for the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas project and helps with their bird identification workshops. He regularly contributes sightings to e-bird and currently holds the e-bird record for the most bird species seen in Saskatchewan.

Stan volunteers his time leading Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours so that all proceeds benefit the work of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Tour Fees

Guiding Fee: CAD $2950 per person (about USD $2150; UK £1700) due at time of booking.

Discount: Ask about a possible $400 discount if you have room to transport leader in your non-smoking vehicle.

Car Rental: You need to rent your own vehicle from the Saskatoon airport. A discount off the guiding fee may be available if you agree to transport the leader from Saskatoon and back at no cost to him in a non-smoking vehicle.

Accommodation: You need to book your own accommodation. A list of motel dates and phone numbers will be sent to registered guests. If you prefer, the leader will book your accommodation using your credit card.

Meals: you need to pay for your own meals.

Park Entry Fees: You need to pay for your own park entry fees.

TAX RECEIPT: A tax receipt for 50% of the tour guiding fee will be issued to the person paying for the tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Refunds less a $50 administration fee will be given if cancellation notice received 14 days before date of tour.
No refunds if cancellation notice received less than 14 days before date of tour unless another client takes your place.

Tour Reservations

RESERVATIONS for Canada Saskatchewan Spring Birding Tour: June 3 – 21, 2024.

Please complete and submit the following form or email us your full name(s), mailing address, email address and requested tour dates.

E-mail: birdtours@sasktel.net
Phone: 306-652-5975

Payment instructions will be emailed to you after you complete and submit the form below.

All fees support Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.

My Name *

First

Last

Names of additional persons travelling in my vehicle during tour

My Email *

My Cell Phone *

If you do not have a cell phone, enter your land line.

My Mailing Address *

Complete Mailing Address needed for tax receipt.

I (We) would like to register for the following 2024 tour *

• June 28 – July 17 Canada Saskatchewan Group Birding Tour
• July 8 – 15 Canada Saskatchewan July Birding Tour
• July 18 & 19 Meadow Lake Park Birdwatching Tour

Check ALL that apply.

Leader Transportation

• I can provide transportation for the leader in my vehicle at no cost to him.

Carpooling *

• I (We) have space in our vehicle to transport 1 participant willing to share transportation costs.
• I (We) have space in our vehicle to transport 2 participants willing to share transportation costs.
• I (We) prefer to ride in another person’s vehicle and will share transportation costs.
• I (We) cannot drive and need to ride in another person’s vehicle and will share transportation costs.
• I (We) do NOT wish to carpool.

Accommodation *

• I (We) wish to be sent a list of tour hotel options and will book my (our) own accommodation.
• I (We) request that the tour leader book my (our) accommodation using my credit card information.
• I (We) wish to camp during the tour.

Binoculars

• If available, I would like to borrow a pair of binoculars during tour.

Smoking Restrictions *

• At least 1 member of my party is a smoker.
• All members of my party are non-smokers.

Smoking is allowed only inside your own personal vehicle. No smoking is permitted during meals, anywhere in shared accommodations or outside during birding stops or hikes.

Comment or Message

Submit

If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, then please email: birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975.

Gift Certificates Available Now

This Weir Birding and Walking tour makes an excellent Christmas gift, birthday gift, anniversary gift, graduation 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.

Tour Guide

Tour Guide: Stan Shadick. Click for more information about your tour guide.

Other Tours

• Beaver Creek Birding and Hiking Tour
• Canada Saskatchewan Summer Birding Tour
• Chaplin Shorebird Tour
• Chappell Marsh Birding and Hiking Tour
• Chief Whitecap Park Birding and Hiking Tour
• Dancing Grouse Photography Tour
• Donna Birkmaier and Hyde Parks Birding and Walking Tour
• Eagle Creek and Hills Birding Tour
• Goose Lake Birding and Bird Photography Tour
• Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary Tour
• Pike Lake Birding Tour
• Porter Lake Birding Tour
• Prairie Lakes Birding Tour
• Prairie Grasslands Birding Tour
• Souris River Birding Tour
• Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours
• Whooping Crane Tour

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.

ALL BIRDING TOURS
BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS
HALF-DAY PRIVATE BIRDING TOURS
FULL-DAY PRIVATE BIRDING TOURS
MULTI-DAY GROUP BIRDING TOURS
LOW MOBILITY BIRDING TOURS ♿
BLIND / LOW VISION BIRDING TOURS

Saskatoon Custom Bird Tours Tourism Saskatchewan webpage.
BIRDING BY EAR ONLINE WORKSHOPS
WARBLER ID ONLINE WORKSHOPS