Experiencing Canada’s Great Migration in Saskatchewan

Snow geese, Saskatchewan

Just after dawn, the constant chatter that carried on all night suddenly gets louder, a sure sign that something is about to happen. Seconds later it reaches a crescendo of raucous “whouk, whouk” calls as countless wings flap and thousands of snow geese lift off en masse. The flying frenzy covers such an immense area that it almost obscures the sky. This thrilling spectacle is… Read moreExperiencing Canada’s Great Migration in Saskatchewan

Chaplin, Saskatchewan is a Spring Birding Hotspot

american avocets mating display, Saskatchewan

Spring is our favourite time of year to visit the Chaplin area along Hwy #1 roughly halfway between Moose Jaw and Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Chaplin Lake is part of a larger wetland complex including nearby Reed Lake and Old Wives Lake, which has been designated a wetland of Hemispheric Significance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The tasty buffet served up on Chaplin’s shores… Read moreChaplin, Saskatchewan is a Spring Birding Hotspot

Visiting Mexico’s Marvelous Monarchs

Monarch Butterflies at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.

As soon as the morning sun warms the air, the forest and sky spring to life. Bold splashes of orange speckle the blue sky as countless monarchs take flight and land on branches, logs, the ground, and even on our heads and shoulders. The sound is unlike anything we have heard before: a gentle, whispering whir like a million pieces of confetti swirling in the… Read moreVisiting Mexico’s Marvelous Monarchs

The Marvelous Monarchs of Mexico

Monarch butterflies

We just got back from witnessing one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles. High in the Sierra Madre Mountains west of Mexico City is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where migrating Monarchs from east of the Rockies throughout North America overwinter in a mountaintop forest of oyamel fir trees. Arriving around late November and staying until March, they number in the… Read moreThe Marvelous Monarchs of Mexico