Chaplin Lake Shorebird Birding & Photography Tour - Moose Jaw
Joined 2024
Visit the best inland location in Canada for viewing and photographing shorebirds.
See thousands of avocets, sandpipers and plovers. Pelicans, ducks and grebes are numerous. Good chance for Ferruginous Hawk, Piping Plover, Sanderling, Marbled Godwit, Upland Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Black-necked Stilt, White-faced Ibis, Sprague's Pipit and Chestnut-collared Longspur.
//This tour is available from May to early September//
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Esso Gas Station on East side of town of Chaplin
- From the city of Moose Jaw, drive 83 km west on highway 1 to Chaplin. Turn right (north) onto highway 19 and wait for the tour leader in the Esso Gas Station parking lot. Washrooms are available at the gas station. We will look for Eurasian Collared-Doves in the town of Chaplin.
Chaplin Lake
We will make stops to view the avocets, sandpipers, plovers and other water birds at several locations on the shore of Chaplin Lake. The threatened Piping Plover is sometimes seen here. We will also make stops in prairie grassland habitat to observe prairie species, which might include Upland Sandpiper, Sprague's Pipit, Western Kingbird and Chestnut-collared Longspur.
Lunch at a marsh
We will eat our lunch while viewing any marsh birds at a wetland in the area. Black-necked Stilts are sometimes found here. Loggerhead Shrike and Western Kingbirds might be found perched in bushes or trees.
Lone Tree Lake Visit
We will explore the grasslands near Lone Tree Lake to look for more prairie birds which might include Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Partridge, Western Kingbird and both Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks.
Morse stop
We will stop at a gas station in Morse in case anyone needs to purchase food or use a washroom.
Reed Lake Visit
We will view and photograph shorebirds along the shore of Reed Lake Important Bird Area. We should find concentrations of many species of sandpipers and plovers.
Herbert Marsh
Our final birding stop will be at Herbert Marsh where White-faced Ibis, Black-crowned Night Herons and many other marsh birds are often found.
Herbert Lake
We will make our final birding stop at Herbert Lake on the north side of town. We may see a variety of gull species here plus several sandpipers.
The tour ends at 5:00 pm in Herbert.
You may then stay here in the town motel or drive east to Moose Jaw or west to Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
Ending Point
Herbert, Saskatchewan
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
* Guiding Services of Tour Leader
* You may borrow 1 pair of binoculars if you request it at time of booking.
* Transportation expenses (car rental, gasoline, etc.)
* Meals
* Accommodation
* Other costs
Tour Important Information
* You must drive your own personal or rented vehicle.
* Bring a lunch and lots of water to drink.
* Dress for the weather. Bring a sun hat and bring a jacket and comfortable shoes.
//May - early September//
Important message from the supplier
For driving tours, clients generally need to drive their own personal or rented vehicle. I can ride in your vehicle. If you prefer, I can drive your vehicle if you accept liability in case of accident.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2024
About Tour Guide Stanley S.
Your guide has many years of experience finding and observing birds throughout Saskatchewan. For over 30 years, Stan S. has been a birding guide for nature tours around Saskatchewan and other parts of the country.
Stan is past president of Nature Saskatchewan as well as past president and current field trip chairman for the Saskatoon Nature Society. He is a co-editor of the reference publication “Birds of the Saskatoon Area” and contributed significantly to the recently published “Birds of Saskatchewan”.
Stan has volunteered as a regional coordinator for the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas project and helps with their bird identification workshops. He regularly contributes sightings to e-bird and currently holds the e-bird record for the most bird species seen in Saskatchewan.
$790/ per group
More tours by Stanley S.
Grasslands National Park Birding Tour
Join a Grasslands National Park Private Birding Tour. We will visit the best bird hotspots of this Saskatchewan park near the Montana border. Some of the special unique birds in the Grasslands Park region include Burrowing Owl, Ferruginous Hawk, Golden Eagle, Sprague’s Pipit, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Baird’s Sparrow plus other species of grassland birds. Canada’s only Black-tailed Prairie Dogs occur here as well as a wild herd of Bison and Pronghorns. Itinerary is flexible.
Dancing Grouse Photography Tour
Join me for a 4 hour tour to view sharp-tailed grouse while they dance near sunrise. To impress the females, male grouse run frantically across the prairie like spinning robots while stomping furiously on the ground, raising their tail, lifting their wings and emitting weird sounds. Brief duels often break out between competing males. I should be able to get you close to the action to take photos or video of this exciting ritual. This self-driving tour is offered near sunrise in April and May.
Duck Lake, Nisbet Forest and Fort Carlton Historic Park
During this 8-hour day trip from Saskatoon, we will drive the roads near Duck Lake in search of Bobolinks, Western Meadowlarks, Le Conte’s, Nelson’s, Song, Savannah and Clay-colored Sparrows and Sedge Wrens. Later we will drive into the Nisbet Forest to look for possible Trumpeter Swans, raptors, Canada Jays and warblers. At Fort Carlton Historic Park, we can explore the fort and/or look for Spotted Towhees and other woodland and grassland songbirds.
