We are planning our first weed pull in 2019 at the Riverton Sandy Bar IBA. This is the first time to try a Saturday event rather than a weekday.

The purpose of this Weed Pull is to once again clear an area of Sandy Bar to make the habitat more attractive to Piping Plover. This shorebird species last nested at Sandy Bar in 2004. With low lake levels and a large open sandy area we hope that the Piping Plover may once again make an appearance at Sandy Bar.

This is always a popular event. We are planning an earlier weed pull in 2019 following advice from botanists that we should pull the invasive clover before the fall when the plants turn to seed.

It would be great to have you join us on the 20th. Please feel free to forward this to others who may be interested in pulling weeds, meeting others and learning about the migrating birds at Sandy Bar.

Please email iba@naturemanitoba.ca to express an interest in registering.

Our next blitz will be looking for Red-headed Woodpeckers at the North, West and East Shoal Lakes. We found several pairs during a blitz in this area in August 2019 (see here). We will also look for other birds obviously, but our focus will be on this endangered species.

Please email iba@naturemanitoba.ca to express an interest in registering.

The Brandon Birders are also planning a search for Red-headed Woodpeckers, possibly on the same day at the Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA. Please email brandonbirders@gmail.com  to express an interest.

Finally, if you are interested in looking for Red-headed Woodpeckers in our other IBAs, we would be interested in hearing from you, especially from anyone living in or near the Kinosota-Leifur IBA.

Start looking for those Red-headed Woodpeckers in July. You can also enter by submitting observations through our website at https://importantbirdareasmb.ca/submit-your-observations-comments/. At the end of the month we will do a draw of all eligible checklists for an opportunity to win a $50 gas card from Co-op, donated by Red River Co-op. IBAs you might expect to find this species includes:

• Kinosota-Leifur IBA
• Big Grass Marsh and Langruth IBA
• Sandy Bay Marshes IBA
• Dog Lake IBA
• North, West and East Shoal Lake
• Netley-Libau Marsh
• Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA
• Southwestern Manitoba Mixed-grass Prairie IBA
• Marshy Point IBA

Following some very poor weather in June, NCC had to suspend this event. We are rearranging it for July 5th. Please come along, hear about the wonders of Douglas Marsh, the fascinating birds, and hopefully get to hear and see  some of these fascinating species, including Nelson’s Sparrow, Virginia Rail and the elusive Yellow Rail. NCC own property on the marsh and would love to share its secrets with you

Please signup beforehand by emailing Steven at manitoba@conservationvolunteers.ca.

Here is the list of eligible species:

Baird’s Sparrow

Grasshopper Sparrow

Sprague’s Pipit

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Savannah Sparrow

Bobolink

Western Meadowlark

Loggerhead Shrike

Ferruginous Hawk

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Marbled Godwit

Willet

Upland Sandpiper

Burrowing Owl