Pike Lake Public Birding Tour

Name: Pike Lake Public Birding Tour
Start: 2025-08-18T09:00:00-06:00
End: 2025-08-18T12:00:00-06:00
Location: Esso Station parking lot on Highway 7 at 11th St West, Saskatoon

Schedule

Mon Aug 18 2025 at 09:00 am to 12:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Esso Station parking lot on Highway 7 at 11th St West, Saskatoon | Saskatoon, SK

Let our experienced birding guide show you the best bird-rich locations between Saskatoon and Pike Lake Provincial Park. During this 3-hour Pike Lake birding tour, we will walk some trails and visit a variety of bird habitats inside and outside of the park.
Both novice and experienced bird watchers are welcome.
Tour may be joined in Saskatoon or at Pike Lake Park.
A loaner pair of binoculars may be borrowed if requested.
The leader will bring a spotting scope to allow you to view the birds under high magnification.
Pike Lake was originally part of the South Saskatchewan River but became a lake when the river carved a shorter course creating this oxbow lake.
Pike lake is home to nesting ducks, grebes, herons and other water birds.
Marshes along the original river channel provide habitat for nesting Sora and Virginia Rails, Marsh and Sedge Wrens, Nelson's Sparrows plus Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. A fen next to Pike lake often attracts LeConte's Sparrows, American Bitterns plus rare Yellow Rails which are heard during late evenings.
Sandy grasslands near Pike lake attract Sprague's Pipit, Savannah and Baird's Sparrows plus Western Kingbirds and Upland Sandpipers.
Humid woodlands along the old river valley provide habitat for nesting Veeries, American Redstarts, hummingbirds, owls, flycatchers and other songbirds.
Possible birds to be seen in all seasons during hikes include Ruffed Grouse, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven.
Some additional possible birds to be found in summer include Red-necked Grebe, Wilson's Snipe, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos, Baltimore Oriole, Spotted Towhee and Common Yellowthroat.
♿ This tour between April and September may be suitable for low-mobility clients if they can use a wheel-chair over level trails and grass fields with some bumps.
Full details at https://livingskywildliferehabilitation.org/birding-tours/pike-lake/