The next Adventures with Nature Norm session will focus on overwintering birds in the tall-grass prairie and how residents can support them through the colder months.

Helping overwintering birds

Norm Gregoire from Shared Legacy says these non-migrating birds are well adapted to harsh prairie winters, but there are still ways people can help.

“If you’re a nature lover why not feed the birds by providing a nice fat-rich diet to them when they’re sort of struggling. A lot of times they can be in a calorie deficit, we can really help these birds survive. Without this food source maybe some of them wouldn’t make it.”

Feeding guidelines

Gregoire encourages bird lovers to follow a few simple rules when feeding birds. The first is to provide quality, nutrient-dense food.

“A lot of times we’ve seen the movies and that sort of thing where folks are throwing out things like pieces of bread and scraps out for the birds. That’s not recommended. Bread especially is really bad for birds. It’s just high sugar. It fills them up and gives them no nutritional value.”

He adds, “If you’re going to feed them, invest in something like black oil sunflower seeds is very common in our area. We can pick them up in all sorts of different stores. That’s a really good one.”

His second rule is to keep feeding them consistently throughout the winter.

“If all of a sudden you stop, let’s say in a month’s time, your, your bag of bird seed runs out. Well, those birds, those local birds you have in your area are going to be so conditioned they’re coming to get their food source from your feeder, all of a sudden we get a cold snap of negative 40 in February, and they have no food to rely on. And that can be really damaging to the birds.”

The final rule is to keep feeders clean, especially closer to spring.

“There’s a lot of different diseases that can be spread and a lot of things like mold build up when you’re starting to go freeze thaw, freeze thaw, and that can be harmful to the birds as well. So, a nice little cleaning every once in a while will help keep your bird friends safe.”

How overwintering birds survive

Gregoire says overwintering birds use several strategies to cope with extreme cold, such as growing a thicker layer of feathers and increasing their body fat.

“They’re going to be trying to get a higher body fat percentage. That’s why I say fatty foods are important for them. But then they also do simple things like huddling together in trees.”

He notes that some songbirds enter a short hibernation-like state called torpor.

“Even a bird like a chickadee can go into torpor for a day, two days to sort of get them through a really cold spell in the winter. So they’ll find a nice warm place and they’ll go into this sort of like hibernation.”

Birds to watch for

Manitobans may spot several notable species during the winter months, including the province’s own great grey owl.

“It’s just a stunning bird, and huge wingspan. You see them in the snow-covered trees out hunting for different rodents, that sort of thing.”

Snowy owls also make appearances.

“Which is a little bit more rare. It depends what part of Manitoba you go to. Some areas, it doesn’t take you long to find snowy owls. But in the tall-grass prairie, we see them sporadically. They are around. They’re always a treat to see, though.”

Event details

Residents can learn more at Gregoire’s upcoming event at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre on Saturday, December 20.

“We’re going to be going out about 10 o’clock, going for a little walk, and I’ll provide binoculars for folks, and we’re going to be taking our time going down the trail here, seeing what we can see.”

With files from Carly Koop

This program has been sponsored by Southern Health-Sante Sud Public Health, Healthy Living and Healthy Together Now funding.

Here it comes, winter in the tall-grass prairie! This is the time of year when nature starts to slow down, species go dormant or leave the frigid temperatures for warmer areas, and the outdoors gets quiet… mostly. Head outdoors, spend five minutes in a treed area, and more times than not you’ll be awarded with one of my favourite sounds: chick-a-dee-dee-dee! It’s during the long Manitoban winters that we can reconnect with the overwintering birds of the tall-grass prairie.

The easiest way to ensure that you stay connected with wildlife over the winter is to put up some bird feeders around your yard. Any standard bird feeder with a high-fat food source such as black oil sunflower seeds, nyger seeds, or peanuts works great for attracting black-capped chickadees, blue jays, pine or evening grosbeaks, and a host of other birds. Suet feeders work for a variety of woodpeckers and nuthatches.  

If you choose to feed birds during the winter, there are some general rules to follow. First off, use the above-listed high-fat foods and not things like bread. Bread is empty calories for birds and has the potential to do more harm than good. Secondly, it is important to clean your feeders regularly; this prevents the spread of disease and cleans up any potential mould growth when the weather jumps between freezing and thawing. A final and maybe most important recommendation for feeding birds in the winter is that if you are going to start feeding them, you must commit to feeding them right until spring! By providing a high-fat food source for these birds in a time when they need it most, they will begin to depend on it. If you take that food source away, especially during inclement weather, this could be devastating to the regular users of the feeder.

There are also birds that overwinter in the tall-grass prairie that don’t usually visit birdfeeders. One of my favourites, the common raven is often heard calling on the coldest days searching for carrion to fill up on.  A relative of the raven, the American crow mostly migrates south but can sometimes be seen during the winter, especially in urban areas. Ravens are larger with a wedge-shaped tail, whereas crows have a fan-shaped tail. Ravens have a “beard” when they call their typical deeper croaking call compared to a crow’s high-pitched caw. On the ground crows walk, whereas ravens hop.

I tend to see more owls in the winter compared to the summer. The most common that I see near the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve would be Manitoba’s provincial bird, the great grey owl. Also seen throughout the winter would be the northern hawk owl, the great horned owl, and maybe the most impressive winter bird, the snowy owl. The short-eared owl, a species at risk, mostly migrates but from time to time can be seen over the prairie during the winter.

If you are looking to stay connected with nature over the long Manitoban winter, I highly recommend getting into bird watching. The spring may be when the colours are flashier and there is a higher variety in species; however, these overwintering birds are hardy and adaptable, and just like us, they call this beautiful area home when it’s at its harshest.

Adventures with Nature Norm

If you are curious about winter bird watching, please join me on the next Adventures with Nature Norm on December 20th, 10am-12pm. A birdwatching walk will be followed by an indoor presentation at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre. For more information, please contact info@sharedlegacymb.ca. I hope to see you there!

Photo: Black-capped Chickadee by Sunrise Corner

Well, it’s finally here. Summer in the tall-grass prairie! There is no doubt that the summer months are when this endangered ecosystem is at its most vibrant. It seems almost every day a new species begins to bloom. At the time of writing, small white lady’s-slipper and golden alexander are in their full glory. By the time you are reading this, it will be the turn of showy lady’s-slipper and black-eyed Susan to have their time to shine.

For many of us who call the tall-grass prairie home, over time we become accustomed to living amongst such beauty. If you have been out with me on the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in the past, you may have heard me mention that even I would sometimes look west to the mountains or north to the tundra for my next nature-based adventure. These places are great; however, there is something special in coming home, knowing that the tall-grass prairie is incredibly rare and holds such a unique relationship with all species that call it home. But still, it may surprise some locals when they find out that our tall-grass prairie can call to people the same way the mountains or tundra can. 

Adventures with Nature Norm (and Friends!)

Ethan Freese is a tall-grass prairie enthusiast. In fact, for consecutive years, Ethan has visited the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, travelling from Lincoln, Nebraska. Visiting and photographing the tall-grass prairie is not just a passionate hobby for Ethan but also his profession.

Ethan is a conservation photographer and filmmaker with bachelor’s degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife and Grassland Ecology and Management, as well as a Masters of Applied Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. While pursuing his undergraduate and graduate degrees, Ethan worked on research projects monitoring grassland birds and plants in Nebraska. His masters project, A Year in the Prairie Corridor, highlights the biodiversity of a tall-grass prairie habitat corridor in eastern Nebraska. For more information on Ethan’s work, please visit www.ethanfreesephoto.com

On the July 5th edition of Adventures with Nature Norm, Ethan has kindly volunteered to co-lead the event with me. The morning will start at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre, where Ethan will present on his work in the conservation photography and filmmaking industry. From there we will travel to the Agassiz Interpretive Trail, where Ethan will share some prairie photography tips as we enjoy the incredible variety of the tall-grass prairie in bloom.

A highlight of this trip will be having the opportunity to photograph the western prairie fringed orchid! This is the only place in all of Canada where this special orchid grows, and we are lucky enough to have over fifty percent of the global population on the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve and surrounding area.

There are so many reasons to join this event, from learning from Ethan, who is an expert in his field of photography and tall-grass prairie, to viewing an orchid you won’t find anywhere else in Canada, and let’s not forget that you will get to spend time with your favourite (and most humble) prairie guide, Nature Norm! For more information or to register for this free event, please contact me at info@sharedlegacymb.ca. I hope to see you there!

Photo credit: Meadow of Western Prairie Fringed Orchids by Ethan Freese

This month’s Adventures with Nature Norm will be an exciting experience, as Norm Gregoire from Shared Legacy will be joined by a special guest.

Ethan Freese, a conservation photographer from Nebraska, will serve as a co-guide for the event.

“Ethan is a prairie lover first and foremost,” Gregoire says. “He’s a very intelligent man with a lot of talents to share. He’s one of those guys that has more degrees than I have letters in my name. So, he has a lot of information to share.”

Freese will offer participants tips on nature photography, including how to capture rare prairie species like the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid and, if lucky, a glimpse of the Poweshiek Skipperling.

“Anyone that’s interested in nature, seeing something that you can’t see anywhere else in the world, real bucket-list items, come on down. It’ll be an amazing event, really. I’m really looking forward to it. “

Gregoire notes that having a co-guide from outside the province and country makes this event particularly unique.

“This is an international visitor coming to see our prairie here,” he explains. “We have this amazing area that does draw people into seeing it. For us locals, sometimes we forget about it because we grew up in it. So, it does really put into perspective to have a scientist, a guy like Ethan, passionate conservation biologist and whatnot, he’s coming all the way here just to see this. I think it’s very special.”

The beautiful Tall Grass Prairie

Gregoire says that the prairies can get overlooked, and he hopes to continue to raise awareness through his work with Shared Legacy.

“The Tall Grass Prairie is the most threatened ecosystem in Manitoba, in Canada, potentially globally. It’s a bit hard to really put that exact designation on it, but what we do know is we have less than one per cent, probably closer to half a per cent of Tall Grass Prairie left in all of Manitoba. We know it’s a special area, we know it’s worth saving, it’s worth people learning about it.”

Even though Gregoire has explored the Agassiz Trail many times, he says there’s always something new to discover.

“This is what’s great about the outdoors and being out just on any hiking trail in general, that you never know the wildlife that you’re going to come across when we’re talking about more terrestrial wildlife, like mammals, that you never know you can see moving or birds flying by.”

The prairie is especially vibrant during the summer months, bursting with plant life.

“Into July, August, this is when it absolutely just explodes with life,” he says. “You can come every few days, walk the exact same path, and notice different species. The diversity of plant species on the preserve is just phenomenal.”

Gregoire adds that unlike hikes with a specific destination in mind, prairie walks are about appreciating the details.

“It’s really about walking slowly, noticing your surroundings, being a part of it, noticing all the little species that are in bloom.”

Some plants are so small and close to the ground that they can easily be missed without a careful pace.

“When you go at a slower pace it is when you’ll really start to appreciate it. I like to always take a minute, just be kind of silent, quiet, listen to the bird life, listen to the wind blowing through the grass and the leaves on the aspen trees, and that’s really when you can start getting some pretty meaningful experiences in the prairie and in nature in general.”

The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the Weston Family Tall Grass Prairie Interpretive Centre.

Protecting at-risk birds through Citizen Science

Gregoire encourages those interested in conservation to take part in the Canadian Nightjar Survey, run by Birds Canada.

“The Canadian Nightjar Survey is essentially Citizen Science, folks like me and you, going out and keeping track of two species at risk that we have in our area, the Common Nighthawk and also the Eastern Whippoorwill.”

He says that it is simpler than it sounds, as you just drive your route, listen for bird calls, and record what you hear using an app.

“If you hear something, you jot it down. If you don’t, you jot that down. You keep track of other things like environmental factors like wind speed, rain, this and that and then at the end of the day, you send that in and that’s going to go to ornithologists or biologists.”

The idea is that, over time, researchers can use this data to track changes in species populations.

“This is really, really important because, you know, all these science folks can only do so much and they can only be on in the field so much as well. So, if we’re able to help out doing these citizen science programs, then that can really help show some great data for them to use.”

For more information on the event or how to get involved in the survey, you can reach out to Norm Gregoire at 204-408-6166 or info@sharedlegacymb.ca.

With files from Carly Koop

During the heat of the summer, a common pastime for community members looking to cool off is to take to the beautiful Roseau River that runs through the tall-grass prairie natural area. While gliding down the river on a canoe, raft, or tube, you’ll be rewarded with a diverse landscape and views of the wildlife that call the river home. One of the most impressive displays on the river is watching a colony of bank swallows as they tirelessly swoop in and out of their burrows. As a birding enthusiast, it is an event I marvel at every time I witness it.

The bank swallow is Manitoba’s smallest swallow, between the size of a sparrow and a robin. They have grey to brown upperparts (back and back of the head) and a more lightly coloured breast with an obvious dark collar. In flight, the bank swallow has a somewhat erratic flight pattern.

Bank swallows are often found near water sources such as rivers, marshes, or ponds, where they nest in cavities in the banks. In more recent times, they have been making use of man-made gravel piles or road cutoffs to nest in as well. The male will create the cavity by digging a hole using his beak, feet, and even wings. The females will watch the males hard at work and use this as an indicator of which male to breed with. Once a male and cavity are chosen, the female will construct the nest using various vegetative materials.

Bank swallow nest in colonies, and if you have been fortunate enough to see one, you would agree that they can be very impressive. Bank swallows will nest in groups of anywhere from ten individuals to many thousands! Watching these colonies is mesmerizing, as you see the swallows darting around in and out of the cavities, completing their daily routines.

Witnessing the natural phenomenon of a bank swallow colony is something that has become increasingly rare to see over the last half of a century. It is estimated that Canadian bank swallow populations have declined by as much as 98%! Although it is hard to pinpoint exact causes of the drastic decline, it is thought that threats such as habitat changes in nesting, migration, and overwintering sites have key influences on the health of the population.

The bank swallow will not disappear completely any time soon since they can be found on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica and have a population in the tens of millions; however, this is somewhat of a false comfort. I would hope that we have learned from the history of species such as the passenger pigeon that big changes can happen very quickly, and if the behaviours that are causing these changes do not get altered, then history will repeat itself. Through decades-long surveys, it is known that bank swallow populations are in steep decline, and it is up to us to aid in the recovery of this species at risk. I want to admire these charismatic birds as I drift down the Roseau River for many hot summer days to come.

For bird-watching enthusiasts, there is no better month to spend outside than May. The spring migration brings hundreds of species to Manitoba, with millions of birds either passing through on their way north or settling down in their chosen corner of Manitoban prairie, wetlands, or forest to carve out a nesting area. The Canada warbler is one of many species that chooses to spend its summer in southeastern Manitoba, and if you are lucky enough to see one hopping throughout the foliage, it can be a highlight of a birding season.

You don’t have to be a bird watcher to appreciate the beauty of a Canada warbler. The bright yellow plumage throughout the breast and onto the neck pairs well with the mottled black necklace and slate grey back. Although this is most noticeable in breeding males, females and juveniles will have a similar appearance. There are many different species in the warbler family throughout Manitoba, so making a proper identification can be tricky. I find warblers to be very active birds, never staying still for very long, which I think adds to the fun of watching them.

If you have your heart set on trying to find a Canada warbler over the next few months, then you should focus your search on their preferred habitat. Canada warblers prefer mixed woodlands with a dense understory and an abundance of insect prey. Survey the understory for quick movements and get familiar with the call of the Canada warbler, as learning bird calls can really aid in making a proper identification.

Ironically, the Canada warbler doesn’t spend a whole lot of time in Canada compared to other species of birds that nest here. They are generally some of the last birds to appear and the first to leave. Perhaps they received the name “Canada” due to having eighty percent of their breeding range in Canada.

The Canada warbler migration route can take them as far south as the Andes Mountain range in South America, where they spend their winters on the forested slopes. A threat the Canada warbler is dealing with is the rapid deforestation on this overwintering ground. As a long-distance migrator, there are many obstacles to avoid, such as predation and striking man-made objects like buildings and vehicles, and there is always the chance to have to deal with inclement weather conditions.

When we welcome back migratory birds to the tall-grass prairie, it can be easy to forget the incredible journey a species like the Canada warbler undertakes. They are a species to admire and to enjoy spending time with year after year. Canada warblers add a bright spot to the landscape and are a species at risk that I hope you get the opportunity to get to know.

Adventures with Nature Norm

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with Nature Norm! Join me for a morning of birdwatching on May 11th, with two departures at 8 a.m.–10 a.m. and 10 a.m.–12 p.m., starting at the Agassiz Interpretive Trail 7 km west of Vita off Highway 201. Whether you are an avid bird watcher or a beginner, please join us to learn about all the new migrants seen on the trip, with a focus on the species at risk in the tall-grass prairie. Please contact Norm at info@sharedlegacymb.ca for more details. I hope to see you there!

With April bringing warmer weather, we are starting to see the first signs of spring. Some of the biggest changes we notice in the tall-grass prairie are with the arrival of various bird species. They are starting to fly north to find breeding and nesting areas, and many choose southeastern Manitoba to do so. Although some species of birds are a common sight, we are lucky to live in an area that plays host to some more elusive birds, such as the least bittern.

The least bittern is North America’s smallest member of the heron family, with a wingspan of 45 cm and a weight of only eighty grams. The least bittern has a dark crown extending along its back, a warm brown tail, and pale underparts with pale brown stripes. Breeding males appear darker on the upperparts. As with all herons, least bitterns have a hunched appearance, long legs, and a long, pointed yellow bill.

Least bitterns are found in swamps, marshes, and small bodies of water where aquatic food sources are plentiful and dense vegetation grows. Least bittern uses vegetation such as reeds and cattails to hide amongst when threatened. When alarmed, this small heron will point its beak up in the air and sway back and forth, mimicking the dense vegetation around it as it blows in the wind.

When you combine this unique camouflage technique with the fact that the least bittern is very shy, it is no wonder they are seldom seen. The main reason that the least bittern is seldom seen in our area is likely due to a very small population. Although it can be hard to estimate populations, it is thought that there are only a few thousand least bitterns throughout Canada.

Being an elusive bird with a small Canadian population, there is much that we don’t know about the least bittern. Most naturalists think that if a body of water can provide a suitable place for the least bittern to nest and raise a brood, then it is most likely a healthy body of water. This sort of species can be known as an indicator species.

When we don’t see a species regularly, it can cause us to forget the importance that the species may have throughout its ecosystem. It is important to keep the biodiversity of an ecosystem high. The least bittern is part of that diversity.

Adventures with Nature Norm

The Shared Legacy Partnership, with sponsorship from Southern Health, is leading a new monthly program, “Adventures with Nature Norm.” Hosted by yours truly, the point of the program is to get more community members outdoors and involved in nature. Free binoculars and walking poles are provided. The first day out will be Saturday, April 20th, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Agassiz Trail seven kilometers west of Vita. Each walk will have a theme; for the inaugural walk, we are “welcoming back spring,”.

For more information on least bittern and Adventures with Nature Norm events in the tall-grass prairie natural area, please visit www.sharedlegacymb.ca or contact me at info@sharedlegacymb.ca.

In the tall-grass prairie, there is no other species at risk that we live more closely with than the barn swallow. It is fairly common in a rural setting to have a pair of barn swallows nesting in your yard and even to watch them raise their young throughout the summer. So, when people find out that barn swallows are a species at risk, they are usually surprised. Although populations across Canada number in the millions and in some areas are considered stable, there is some concern that if long-term threats worsen, barn swallow numbers may become unstable.

Barn swallows are fairly easy to distinguish from other swallows in the area. They are larger than a sparrow in size with a deeply forked tail, which shows white markings in flight. Barn swallows have metallic blue upperparts with light to rust-coloured underparts rising to a darker rusty throat patch stretching onto the forehead.

Barn swallows are the most widespread swallows in the world. They can be found on every continent but Antarctica. Due to this geographical distribution, their habitat may vary, although there are some key preferences. Barn swallows prefer to live in grasslands, wetlands, and agricultural lands that hold an abundance of insect prey. They are an adaptable bird, switching from nesting in caves and crevices to nesting in man-made structures such as under the eaves of buildings, especially older agricultural buildings.

I enjoy having barn swallows’ nest in my yard, as I find them very entertaining to watch as they hunt nuisance insects in the yard. To some, the nest can be unaesthetically pleasing, especially as the young are being fledged. Although it may be easier to knock down a nest, I urge homeowners to leave nests be. You may consider building a shelf under the nest or even buying nest boxes to allow the swallows into areas that you would rather them be in. It should be noted that under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, barn swallows, their eggs, and nests are all protected.

In the last five decades, barn swallow populations have had an approximate decline of almost 69% across Canada, according to Breeding Bird Survey data. The biggest declines were from a period of about two decades beginning in the mid-1980s. However, over the last decade, population trends have stabilized. It should be noted that population trends vary widely across Canada; for example, in the barn swallows more eastern range, trends suggest a greater population decline compared to prairie populations.

With such a broad range, more research is needed to get a better understanding of the threats that affect the barn swallow population. Habitat loss, prey decrease, and commercial development could all negatively affect barn swallow. As a species that has a substantial migration, sometimes flying as far as South America, the barn swallow faces many challenges on the journey and on their wintering grounds.

Although the first barn swallows are still a few months away from appearing, I always look forward to welcoming them back. To me, they have become a part of day-to-day summer living in the tall-grass prairie. They are a species that add to the greatness of living here.

Snowshoe Tour in the Tall-grass Prairie!

Have you ever wanted to try snowshoeing, or have you wondered what happens to all the tall-grass prairie species during our harsh winters? Join me on a free, guided snowshoe tour on February 17th from 10 am to 12 pm. Snowshoes are provided. Please contact me at info@sharedlegacymb.ca for more information.

Something that I appreciate more every day that I spend time in the tall-grass prairie natural area is the diversity of wildlife that we share the landscape with. We can sometimes grow accustomed to some of the wildlife that we see day to day, but every once in awhile we come across something that we haven’t seen before or even know lives here.

When I talk to community members about the yellow rail, almost all say that they had no idea that this species existed. There are a few reasons for this lack of knowledge on yellow rail, including being more active at night, rarely flushing during daylight hours, great camouflage, and living in a really hard-to-reach habitat.

Yellow rail are very seldom seen; more often, they are heard making a distinct “click-click” call that sounds as if two small stones are being tapped together. The yellow rail is comparable in size to a robin, with mottled, yellow, and brown plumage. The underparts and face are lighter yellow, and the stubby bill is a more noticeable yellow in breeding males. Yellow rail have a shape similar to that of a chicken, with proportionately long legs and a short head and neck.

Yellow rail live in shallow wetland habitats such as wet grasslands and sedge meadows. Changes to hydrology, such as draining of wetlands or damming, have big impacts on yellow rail as they do not tolerate higher water levels.

Yellow rail rely on wetlands for both feeding and nesting. They will be feeding on invertebrates such as aquatic insects and snails. They will also eat seeds from various marsh plants. The nest is usually built in raised areas just on the outskirts or even in the wetland habitat. Both sexes help to build a small ground nest made up of various sedges and other marsh plant material. On average, six to ten eggs are laid, and when they hatch, the young leave the nest, usually within a day or two, and use a separate nest for brooding constructed by the parents. Short grasses, or sedges, are needed to camouflage from potential predators.

Being such a secretive species, the yellow rail is a hard bird to study. It is thought that they have a small breeding population throughout Canada and that populations are in decline due to many factors, a major one being habitat loss. Even though yellow rail may not be a species that we see on a regular basis, it is still important that we work towards keeping them from disappearing. By having a healthy wetland habitat for yellow rail, we in turn provide many benefits for ourselves, including having a natural pollution filtration system. This then provides better habitat for countless other species found in our area, which in turn gives back to the ecosystem in many different ways.

You may not have known that we live among species like the yellow rail, but going forward, I hope we can work towards sustaining the population we do have and, in turn, be good stewards for the place we all call home.

If you have any questions about yellow rail, please contact me at info@sharedlegacymb.ca.