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 – 8, 2024
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
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour Description
Join a small group of birders on a special 6-day Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour. You will visit all of the best birding hotspots in southern Saskatchewan. The range of bird habitats will include boreal and sub-alpine forests, prairie grasslands, prairie marshes, sagebrush flats 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 2024.
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.
2024 Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour Itinerary
Weather conditions may result in changes to this planned itinerary.
Day 1 – Mon. June 3
Plan to travel to Saskatoon,
Saskatoon is served by Air Canada, West Jet and partner airlines as well as Via Rail train.
4:00 PM Weir Birding Tour
Join our 1.5 hour visit to the weir on the South Saskatchewan River to look for American White Pelicans and other water birds plus songbirds along the riverbank trails.
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 2 – Tue. June 4
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 3 – Wed. June 5
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 4 – Thu. June 6
We plan to bird in Duck Mountain park in the early morning and then drive back to Saskatoon.
Some planned stops may include:
- Kamsack
- Good Spirit Provincial Park
- South shore Quill Lakes to look for egrets
Overnight in Saskatoon
DAY 5 – Fri. June 7
We plan to spend most of the day at or near Redberry Lake Bird Sanctuary.
American White Pelicans, Ring-billed and California Gulls and Common Terns nest on islands in the lake. This lake is also one of the most southerly nesting locations for White-winged Scoters.
We may choose to also visit Gillies Lake where a colony of Black-necked Stilts have previously nested plus make a stop to see Saskatchewan’s largest tree.
Overnight in Saskatoon
DAY 6 – Sat. June 8
Today, we will visit Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary, Canada’s first bird sanctuary established by the government of Sir John A,. MacDonald. We should find marsh birds, prairie birds and lake birds.
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
Bring your Lunch 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
Group Tour Fee
Public Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Group Tour Fee: CAD $2890 per vehicle (about US $2140, £1675) for a party of 1 – 4 persons travelling in a single vehicle.
Fee includes guiding services. Meals and accommodation and transportation are NOT included.
Trip begins in Saskatoon at 4 pm on day 1 and returns about 6 pm on day 6.
There is a minimum number and maximum number of parties on this group tour.
** SAVE $700 ** if you cover leader’s transportation and accommodation costs by driving leader in your vehicle and providing him with a bedroom for his use in your private cabin or a shared cabin at Madge Lake Rentals. This discount is only available on June 4 – 6, 2024 tour. For the July 1 – 3 tour, a similar discount may be available if you also book the June 29 – July 1, 2024 Carrot River Birding Tour.
Tax Receipt. You will receipt a tax receipt for 50% of the tour fee.
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.
Reservation Request Form
Reservations: Complete the form below or email: birdtours@sasktel.net and provide names of clients, their addresses and requested type of tour and tour date.
Full payment due at time of booking. Payment instruction will be emailed to you after registration form is received. You may also phone Stan Shadick at 306-652-5975.
The number of participants accepted on this group tour is limited.
Questions: please email birdtours@sasktel.net or phone 306-652-5975 during evenings.
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.
- This policy may change when public health orders change or when Covid case numbers decrease.
- 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.
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.
