Following my visit to Douglas Marsh IBA, I popped into Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA on my journey west recently along the TransCanada (for reasons which shall be reveled in a later blog). This is an IBA I have previously only ever skirted around on passage to the southwestern corner. On turning away from the TransCanada, I was almost immediately wishing I could spend more time exploring the area with grasslands, wetlands, deciduous woodland and open water habitats, there is huge potential for recording a large number of species in a small area.

With limited time, it was important to gain a brief impression of the treasures held by the IBA rather than explore it fully. Much of the IBA is north of the TransCanada, an area according to the IBA habitat map of woodlands, grasslands and agriculture. The area to the south of the TransCanada appears to be of greater interest judging by the road south towards Oak Lake Resort. The pastures certainly have Bobolinks and Western Meadowlarks  for example, and there have been Sprague’s Pipit, Grasshopper Sparrow and Baird’s Sparrow recorded previously in and adjacent to the IBA – Pipestone and Sioux Valley are adjacent areas with recent records of these species.

Bobolink. Photo by Christian Artuso.

The roads takes you through a wetland with good numbers of ducks, a couple of Red-necked Grebes and a large group of Eared Grebes. Eared Grebes are the most widespread species of grebe in the world, being called Black-necked Grebe in Europe, and have an estimated North American population of 3.5-4.1 million individuals. They are also flightless for 9-10 months each year, the longest time period of any species capable of flight anywhere in the world. A gregarious species, Eared Grebe nest in noisy colonies. There were also American Avocet and Wilson’s Phalarope present, species which are presumably abundant across the wider IBA.

Eared Grebes at Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA. Copyright Tim Poole

Western Wood Pewee photographed elsewhere in Manitoba. Photo by Christian Artuso.

Passing the lake, exploration which will have to wait for another day, you come to the Oak Lake Resort. A tip-off from the Manitoba Birds Yahoo Group had led me to this point to look for a possible lifer, a Western Wood Pewee. This species breeds in western North America and is closely related to the Eastern Wood Pewee, which is a more common occurrence in Manitoba. It is a regular visitor to Manitoba but not a widespread breeding species. After a few minutes, I could clearly hear its harsh ‘pee-eer’ in the trees. Unfortunately it was too hidden to see but it was there somewhere!

There were a number of other species calling around the trees, including Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Kingbird, American Redstart and Warbling Vireo.

With greater time, Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA looks like a terrific place to explore. We do not have any regular groups or individuals monitoring bird populations here and would be very keen to speak to anyone who might be interested in either being caretaker or an IBA monitor. The IBA was designated for large breeding populations of Franklin’s Gulls (over 30,000 in the past, 8.6% of the global population), nationally significant populations of Eared Grebes and Black-crowned Night Herons and huge numbers of waterfowl in fall migration.

Come along on the 18th or 19th June for our blitz – you may find some great birds and contribute to the long-term monitoring of one of the worlds most important sites for birds.

Eastern Kingbird at Oak Lake and Plum Lakes IBA. This bird was flycatching from this post. Photo copyright Tim Poole

On a recent journey along the TransCanada, I dropped in on Douglas Marsh, home of the Yellow Rail. The extensive sedge meadows are ideal habitat for Yellow Rail, Le Conte’s Sparrow and Nelson’s Sparrow. On this occasion, I could just about make out a calling Le Conte’s from the road. As with most people, I did not stay long, plus exploring the interior of the marsh is, let’s say, a little complicated. Sora, as well as Song, Swamp and Vesper Sparrows, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warbler could all be heard. A longer stay would surely have added more species.

Sedge meadows such as this one at Douglas Marsh, are ideal habitat for Yellow Rail, Le Conte’s Sparrow and Nelson’s Sparrow

Douglas Marsh is an interesting birding location but also a difficult place to access. Te difficulty stems from few access roads, private land ownership and the military base at Shilo which borders the entire south of the marsh. The IBA was established due it’s globally important population of Yellow Rail. Extrapolations based on survey data from 1995 suggested that there were up to 500 pairs, equating to 11.6% of the global population. 108 calling Yellow Rail were recorded calling by a single observer during a 5 minute period in 1993. This is perhaps the largest population of this species outside the Hudson Bay Lowlands. The problem with monitoring this species and others typical of sedge meadows (Le Conte’s, Nelson’s and Sedge Wren) is that they tend to call only at dusk and dawn or during the nighttime (See this useful info from eBird).

If you are ever travelling along the TransCanada east of Brandon, then drop in on Douglas Marsh, especially if you are there in the evening or early morning! More infomration on it can be found at http://www.ibacanada.ca/site.jsp?siteID=MB002.

Furtive sparrow in the marsh, a Le Conte’s Sparrow is an exceptionally shy species. Photo copyright Christian Artuso

by Marshall Birch

Note: Cursed once again by the ol’ oops-we-had-the-camera-stuck-on-“video” problem, but this time we got a few of our own photos, so we’re only partially relying on Christian Artuso’s.

On May 18th, Tim and myself headed West towards Proven Lake IBA, where we would meet with a local landowner who was to help us explore the area. Whilst attempting to decide upon the most efficient route, we realized we were not far from Big Grass Marsh, a Game Bird Refuge that also happens to have been designated an Important Bird Area under the title Langruth – RM of Lakeview.

Big Grass Marsh location, with RMNP at top-left and Winnipeg at bottom-right.

Due to time constants, we were unable to do any hunting for special access points or any of that business, but lucky for us there happens to be a gravel road (Highway 265) that runs between the towns of Langruth and Plumas, and right through the marsh. This road provides easily accessible and rewarding birding right from the roadside, even just for a drive-through.

Red-tailed Hawk in Langruth, not far from the IBA. © Tim Poole

The side-trip began with a fine sign of things to come – a large Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a pole overlooking a field of Robins off the side of the road in Langruth. We followed Highway 265 towards Plumas until we were fairly certain we had entered the IBA and began counting. As expected, waterfowl were the main attraction here – Canada Geese, Blue-winged Teals, Northern Shovelers, Redheads, Gadwalls, Coots, and over 100 Mallards, to name a few.

Northern Shoveler having a swim. © Tim Poole

Other species of note included Sora, Red-necked and Pie-billed Grebes, an assortment of Sparrows, Marsh Wren, Baltimore Oriole, Killdeer, Virginia Rail, Wilson’s Snipe, Ring-billed Gull, American Goldfinch, and Yellow-headed, Brewer’s, and Red-winged Blackbirds (140 of the latter). Along the way there was also an old bridge swarmed by over 200 Cliff Swallows, along with a decent number of Bank Swallows.

A look out at part of the marsh. © Tim Poole

Big Grassy Marsh itself consists of various habitats – marsh, tall-grass prairie, woodlands, lakes, and scrub, surrounded by Southern Manitoba’s ubiquitous agricultural land. Even on a short drive through, the heterogeneity of the site was clear, giving a quick sampling of many of the province’s most valuable birding habitats. Manmade drainage ditches and dykes are evident, remnants of work thats been going on in the area over the past century – from draining for agricultural use in the early 1900’s, to restoration projects beginning in the late 1930’s (Ducks Unlimited’s first restoration project in Canada, as a matter of fact).

An American Coot, looking a tad somber. © Christian Artuso

Though it has in the past been called one of North America’s most important waterfowl staging areas, public awareness and attention to the site has waned in recent years. Little data exists regarding species populations over the past twenty years, though there is evidence that populations of some species, such as the Sandhill Crane and the Franklin’s Gull, have drastically fallen. It is likely that agricultural practices have had the largest impact on the area.

Killdeer often nest on the gravelly edges of roads just like Highway 265. © Christian Artuso

There is a bright future for the marsh, however. People are once again focusing on the natural importance of the area. New conservation agreements, signed in 2014, will give the marsh increased protection, and plans are being worked out to promote the area as an ecotourism destination, including hiking trails around Jackfish Lake, the largest of the area’s three lakes. For the average birder, the site provides an array of different habitats, all boasting high numbers of various species, and suitable for various abilities, from those who want a gentle drive through the country to those who want a more adventurous journey deeper into the marsh.

by Marshall Birch

NOTE: Being the tech-savvy wizards we are, the camera got set to “video” for this whole trip, so rather than photos of species sightings, we wound up with videos of reeds, with ourselves muttering in the background. I’ve included some of Christian Artuso’s great photos of some of the species we encountered, and we can all pretend they were from our trip, right?

My first birding trip of the season was to be an adventurous one. The site was Proven Lake, a fairly rarely visited Important Bird Area and Wildlife Management Area just South of Riding Mountain National Park in Western Manitoba. Tim had arranged to meet up with Gord Hammel, a landowner in the area who happened to have a canoe and a good knowledge of wetland birds. Gord had spent a fair amount of time on the lake in the past – unfortunately it had been 40 years since his last trip there, so this was to be a learning experience for us all.

Proven Lake location, in relation to Winnipeg, Brandon, RMNP, & Lake Manitoba.

Since the IBA is without a caretaker and hadn’t been visited by the Manitoba IBA Program recently, the primary goal was just to check it out, assess the state of the area, species, and site visit viability. We only had time to explore one entrance point on this trip, though it provided some valuable insight into the area.

Lesser Scaup getting the heck outta there. © Christian Artuso

We followed Gord to a drainage canal which runs under Highway 10, loaded our binoculars and lunches into the canoe and set off towards the lake. Immediately we were greeted with an assortment of waterfowl – Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Shoveler, Coot, and Red-necked Grebe were all present along the first stretch. From the marshy edges Tim was picking out the calls of Song, Swamp, Clay-coloured, and Savannah Sparrows, and even I was able to identify the characteristic whinny of the Soras.

A puffy Swamp Sparrow looking a little sleepy. © Christian Artuso

Our first obstacle was a dyke which had been set up some time ago by Ducks Unlimited, complete with pumping station to help control water levels on the lake. For the most part, what we were able to access was largely a man-made habitat of dykes and canals. Entirely natural or not, this is excellent wildlife habitat. We heaved the canoe over the dyke and continued on, with sightings getting more frequent.

Forster’s Tern going in for the dive. © Christian Artuso

Franklin’s, Ring-billed, and Herring Gulls soared overhead, alongside Black, Common, and Forster’s Terns. Sedge and Marsh Wrens, as well as Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers, were heard or seen flitting through the reeds. Blackbirds were abundant, with Yellow-headed ones surprisingly outnumbering the Red-winged as we got closer to the lake. The aforementioned duck species were joined by Canvasbacks, Redheads, Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Merganser, Green-winged Teals, and Canada Geese.

Hooded Merganser, showing off his flashy plumage. © Christian Artuso

Gord, with eyes nearly as fresh as ours to the area, discussed how things have changed over the years. The flora of the area had been altered, primarily by a new invasive species of reed which had become pervasive in the area. Along with other pressures, such as agricultural runoff and irrigation needs, this has impacted species sightings in the area. Most notably was a complete lack of Black-crowned Night Herons – the original IBA trigger species for the area. In fact, no Heron of any kind was seen on our trip, a troubling development, as historically Proven Lake has been home to many Herons.

A pair fo Redheads being buddies. © Christian Artuso

We pushed through some loose reeds into a marshy area that bordered the lake, marking our entrance spot with Gord’s sweater. As we paddled through the marsh we noticed there were branches sticking up through the water. Clearly this area at some point was entirely above water, and had been some sort of a semi-wooded thicket – another sign of a dynamic and changing wetland.

American Bittern in flight, as we first spotted ours. © Christian Artuso

Despite our best efforts, we were unable to push our canoe through the reeds to the open lake, and had to settle for the occasional peak over, spotting a few Cormorants and Pelicans. No worries, the marsh provided plenty of top-notch bird watching for one afternoon – Ruddy Duck, American Bittern, Marbled Godwit, Wilson’s Snipe, and American Goldfinch were all added to the day’s list.

Turkey Vulture in flight – a common sight on the way up to Proven Lake. © Christian Artuso

After lunch in the marsh, it was time to head back. Overhead we caught sight of a couple of Turkey Vultures, a Northern Harrier, and a Broad-winged Hawk, as well as a few Sandhill Cranes, who landed in the marsh and proceeded to hunch down on what may have been a nest.

Sandhill Cranes, securing the premises. © Christian Artuso

One last surprise awaited us en route back to the car. Shortly before we reached the highway, we saw something swimming in the water ahead of us. Tim was able to get a good look at it before it barked at us and disappeared under the water – a river otter, the first I’d ever encountered in Manitoba! A fine send-off from Proven Lake. We thanked Gord for his valuable help and knowledge, and headed on our way. A successful trip, it had definitely been proven to us that Proven Lake was a valuable site for many species, and would provide an excellent day of birding for those willing to do a little paddling.

This information on the summer bird census was included in Oak Hammock Marshes latest email update:

Each year, the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre conducts a series of surveys to count some of the animals found at the Marsh. Some surveys are done daily, some weekly and others annually.

Surveys are a great way to explore the Marsh, learn more about wetlands and animals, and get involved in conservation efforts.

The annual Summer Bird Census helps determine which species of birds nest at the marsh and is a great way to improve bird observation skills.

Teams of volunteers, consisting of one expert and some novices, walk a section of the dike system, recording everything seen and heard. After the morning walk, a lunch will be served and prizes awarded.

There is a fee of $5 per participants plus admission.

Participants are asked to be at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre no later than 6:45 a.m.

Call us at (204) 467-3300 to register before June 20. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

The following message was posted on Manitoba Birds Yahoo Group this evening by Ken Porteous from the Manitoba Piping Plover Recovery Program. 2016 is the international census of this species which formerly bred in some of Manitoba’s IBAs. If anyone sees a Piping Plover this summer in Manitoba, please contact Ken on the details below.

Good day,

As many of you are aware the international census began in 1991 and is conducted every five years. This year will mark the sixth census. It will take place from June 4-17. Although piping plovers have not been reported across Manitoba the past three years I am holding out hope that as I survey historical territories I will come across a pair or two. To help me, I would very much appreciate receiving any reports from the birding community. Please feel free to contact me with a direct reply (kcporteous@me.com) or phone me at 204-898-2654. Thank you.

Good birding,

Ken Porteous

Coordinator, Manitoba Piping Plover Recovery Program

Piping Plover nesting in Manitoba. Photo copyright Christian Artuso

The IBA Program was featured in this weeks Weekly Express, a publication in the Interlake area of Manitoba. Our very own Donna Martin was featured in a visit to North, West and East Shoal Lakes IBA, plus Program Coordinator Tim Poole, albeit form the safety of his desk in Winnipeg! See page 21 on the link – Express Weekly or scanned from its sister paper, the Stony Mountain Gazette.

And of course for anyone wondering about Shoal Lakes IBA, here is a photo of one of the rarer species you might encounter there courtesy of Donna

Least Bittern copyright Donna Martin

It seems that birding in Manitoba’s IBAs is hotting up right now. This seems to be a good time to remind everyone out there who is entering data into eBird to make sure you enter it under the IBA Protocol. If you unsure whether the birds are in the IBA or not, no worries, still use the IBA Protocol as eBird will know whether the point at which you entered data is in the IBA or not.

One more thing, remember to enter on www.ebird.ca not .org. You cannot use the IBA Canada protocol under .org.  Unfortunately the eBird app connects to ebird.org and therefore any data entered on the app cannot be converted directly to the IBA Protocol. If you have any data which needs re-entering because it wasn’t entered under the protocol, we can do that for you – free of charge(:

Here is a link to the one pager created by the program on how to enter under the IBA Protocol – Using eBird for the Manitoba Important Bird Area program

On Friday, Tim Poole and Christian Artuso were interviewed by CBC ahead of International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday at Oak Hammock. CBC news piece. It was also mentioned in the newscast and according to our Steering Committee member Tim Sopuck, during some of the banter in the morning show with Terry McLeod (thanks Tim).

We had a good morning out at the marsh, 19 people attending our early morning birdwalk and a small crowd joining us for our talk. The bird walk encountered 72 species including Eared, Horned and Pied-billed Grebe, four species of swallow and the highlight, a calling Virginia Rail. Here is the total list for the morning: