Warblers along the Red Deer River Valley

Last weekend , I participated in a songbird point count census along the Red Deer River Valley, east of Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border, with a renowned local birder.

The country up there is wonderful and despite the biting insects, bushwhacking through 6ft high soaking wet ferns and climbing over slippery deadfall, I would do it all again next week ! :-)

We found quite a good number of Warblers on their breeding grounds, including a nice look at a female American Redstart on her nest.

Here are the highlights over 2 days :

Black-throated Green Warbler - lifer - This bird has eluded me for years, so this was a real treat.
Canada Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Nashville Warbler ( New for the year )
Blackburnian Warbler ( New for the year )
Cape May Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Black & White Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Black-billed Cuckoo - This was a nice surprise to hear one this far north ( new for the year )
Cooper's Hawk
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Spruce Grouse
Pileated Woodpecker
Moose

Here are some photos :


Black-throated Green Warbler - My first ever look at this species. I endured many mosquito bites for this picture !..



Canada Warbler - This Warbler, I'd only ever had one brief look at before, and that was here in town earlier during the spring. I saw a couple during the day of our survey and then found this co-operative male in the same forest area as the Black-throated Green, later in the afternoon :