Since we are on the subject of posting peoples IBA monitoring reports and photos (see here, here and here), Garry Budyk and John Weier. The highlight for them was probably a Field Sparrow, an occasional visitor to Manitoba, but still a great find in the IBA. Unsurprisingly, they also found good numbers of waterbirds.

Here is the list from across the IBA illustrated by Garry’s fantastic photos:

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) – 126
Gadwall (Anas strepera) – 31
American Wigeon (Anas americana) – 3
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – 88
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) – 58
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) – 26

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) – 4
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) – 16
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) – 56
Redhead (Aythya americana) – 24
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) – 110
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) – 31
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) – 10
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) – 4
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – 6
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) – 10
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) – 2

Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) – 9
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) – 2
Common Loon (Gavia immer) – 1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) – 12
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) – 6
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) – 66
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) – 180
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) – 213
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) – 1
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – 18
Great Egret (Ardea alba) – 10
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) – 1

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) – 2
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) – 6
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) – 7
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) – 1
American Coot (Fulica americana) – 44
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) – 8
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – 16
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) – 4
Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) – 22

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) – 7
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) – 4

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) – 59
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) – 35

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) – 1
Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) – 3
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) – 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) – 4
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) – 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) – 7
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) – 6
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) – 1
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) – 3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) – 10
Common Raven (Corvus corax) – 25
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) – 20

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) – 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) – 2
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) – 5
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) – 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) – 8
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) – 3
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) – 1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) – 19
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) – 61
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) – 10
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – 188
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) – 5
Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) – 35

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) – 58

In addition, John and Garry picked up this porcupine:

Passing through a couple of days later along East Shoal Lake, I also managed to catch this beaver in a small ephemeral wetland:

Thanks to Garry for providing this information. We would be delighted to post others trip lists, stories and photos on the blog as well.