On Saturday June 17^th, the Manitoba IBA program led a bird walk at the Oak Hammock Marsh IBA. Our group of 8 met in the parking lot of the Harry J. Enns Interpretive Centre at 10am. Marissa, our coordinator, led our voyage! I (Aynsley) was also there to assist. Before embarking on our journey, we spoke with Paula, Oak Hammock Marsh’s Resident Naturalist and IBA Steering Committee Member. She informed us that the trails were in good condition, and that there is a variety of birds around due to the late migratory season. Our group consisted of a mix of intermediate and beginner birders! With the sun shining and the birds chirping, we set off on our adventure.

The walk began along the Killdeer Trail, where we stopped near the dock to look out at the nesting island. Here we saw a few duck species including Blue-winged Teal and Mallard. We also saw a few shorebirds including Spotted Sandpipers and a Killdeer. We continued our walk turning down the Duck Pond Trail. Along this trail we made a few stops pointing out some Clay-coloured Sparrows, a Yellow-headed Blackbird, a Western Meadowlark, some Red-winged Blackbirds, and more!

We continued our walk stopping at the scrape. Here we saw some Canada Geese with dozens of fluffy yellow goslings, some nesting Barn Swallows, a pair of Trumpeter Swans, some Lesser Yellowlegs, a Green-winged Teal, and more! The Shorebird Scrape at Oak Hammock Marsh is an important area for shorebirds as well as other birds. It is a shallow depression where water collects and slowly dries over the summer creating prime muddy and shallow water habitat for foraging shorebirds. By having the scrape in the marsh, it allows the area to stay wetter and muddier longer throughout the summer. These areas do require some yearly maintenance to keep down tall vegetation, which is less attractive to shorebirds.

We turned around and headed down the Harrier Trail. We didn’t see too much down this trail, but we spotted a Clay-coloured Sparrow. Our group continued and decided to take a short break at the benches near the cabin. While sitting and enjoying the beautiful morning, we spent some time observing a very photogenic Tree Swallow.

At this point in the morning, it was beginning to get quite warm out. A few members of our group headed inside to cool off, while the remainder of our group decided to take a walk down the Boardwalk. Along the Boardwalk we heard a Sedge Wren, a Common Yellowthroat, and saw some more Red-winged Blackbirds. We turned around and finished our walk back at the parking lot near the Harry J. Enns Interpretive Centre.

Overall, the weather and trails were awesome and there was a great variety of birds to be seen! A big thank you to everyone who came out! The full checklist of species can be found below:

Species	Count
Alder Flycatcher	1
American White Pelican	8
Bank Swallow	5
Barn Swallow	15
Blue-winged Teal	4
Canada Goose	150
Clay-colored Sparrow	2
Common Grackle	2
Common Yellowthroat	4
Eastern Kingbird	3
Gadwall	2
Green-winged Teal	1
Killdeer	3
Lesser Yellowlegs	3
Mallard	1
Marsh Wren
Northern Shoveler	4
Purple Martin	3
Redhead	1
Red-winged Blackbird	15
Sedge Wren	1
Spotted Sandpiper	2
Tree Swallow	2
Trumpeter Swan	2
Western Meadowlark	1
Yellow-headed Blackbird	3
Yellow Warbler	2

-Aynsley