|
|
Locally, the Southwest
Naturalists maintain Bluebird
Trail
projects; provide a prize at the annual Regional
Science
Fair;
support local Environmental projects; and other natural
history conservation projects throughout the year. We are looking
forward to being involved in the same and similar projects, as well as
the new Swift Current Birding Trail.
|
| |
|
Enter your bird sightings on-line here:
Saskatchewan Bird Atlas Project
|
|
Bluebird Trail
Projects...
|
|
|
|
|
On
January 25,
2003
five members of the Southwest Naturalists
relocated
21 Bluebird Houses
to
the Sask. Landing Prov. Park.
(photos taken
by and
used by permission of Mary Ann D.)
|
|
|
|
|
On March 21, 2004
three members of the Southwest Naturalists
put up another 17 Bluebird
Houses at
the
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park
(photos taken
by and
used by permission of Mary Ann D.)
|
|
On
February 14, 2004 two members of the Southwest Naturalists (SWN) established
two new Bluebird runs south of Swift Current, putting up 20 new Bluebird Houses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently maintaining 20 Bluebird houses south of Swift Current,
and 38
Bluebird houses at
Sask. Landing
Provincial Park.
During the Spring/Summer of 2004 & 2005 (at
Sask. Landing Provincial Park),
we had at least 1
successful family of
Mountain Bluebirds
(there were at least
4 fledglings raised in the one nestbox!)
We do remain hopeful we will be seeing
more Bluebirds
building their nests in the
SWN
houses
in the future.
Even though every house is
not occupied by a Mountain Bluebird family,
they are not going
unnoticed nor unappreciated.
Most of these houses are
being used annually by the
Tree Swallows and House
Wrens that make
Sask Landing Provincial
Park their Spring and Summer home.
All these Bluebird Houses have been built and maintained
by dedicated members of the Southwest Naturalists.
|
We get out
into the
Community...
 |
|
|
On April
11 -
13,
2003
several members of the Southwest Naturalists
volunteered a few
hours
of their time at a booth we had set up at the local
Focus on
Lifestyles
Home
& Trade Show in Swift Current
(photos
taken
by and
used by permission of Mary Ann D.)
May 21 -
22, 2003 we
also had several members volunteer a few hours
at a booth set up at the first Town & Country EnviroForum held in
Swift Current.
April 21 - 22, 2005 the Southwest Naturalist members again
volunteered a few hours
at the City's second EnviroForum.
|
Coffeehouse
evening....
October 23, 2004 the Southwest Naturalists
hosted a Coffeehouse Evening with
Candace Savage, reading from her new book,
Prairie: A Natural History.
We also listened to live musical entertainment, enjoyed hors d'oeuvres,
and shared in good company throughout the evening.
This Coffeehouse was sponsored by Saskatchewan Lotteries and Nature
Saskatchewan.
|
|
Because
WE CARE....
May 08, 2004 we
had 7 or 8 Southwest Naturalist Members turn out to participate in the
City-wide Clean-up in Swift Current (picking garbage in city ditches,
along walkways, etc.)The
Southwest Naturalists have been working toward starting up an
interpretive Nature Trail in the natural area along the
northeast end of the Filtration Plant Reservoir. In the
Spring 2005 several members formed a working bee to carry out
restoration by planting Chokecherries and Buffaloberries. In
June, members were out there again planting Western Red Lilies at
the Trailhead. Work continues on this project...
|
Annual Christmas Bird
Counts
We participate in the Swift
Current Christmas Bird Count annually. Some members also
take part
in other Christmas Bird Counts around the province, organized plant,
frog
and butterfly counts and other surveys of endangered species. The results of similar province
wide counts will be published
in Nature Saskatchewan's "Blue Jay". This annual count has been
published
for 60+ years. These counts, done throughout North America,
between
December 14 and January 5, help professional ornithologists track
wintering
populations of birds and mammals.
The 2002 Annual Christmas
Bird and Mammal Count for Swift Current
turned up
a unique find. For the first time locally, during the count there
was a spotting of an Eurasian
Collared-Dove. Local
Naturalists
participated in their annual Christmas count on 2002 December 21.
The weather was co-operative, with little wind and overcast
skies.
A total of 32 people walked, drove the backroads or watched their bird
feeders and compiled a respectable 32 species of birds and 9 species
of mammals.
The 2003 Annual Christmas
Bird and Mammal Count
for Swift Current (held on January 3, 2004) was our best local count
ever... The weather was less than ideal, with real winter
temperatures!! We had a daytime high of -23ºC / -9ºF,
with a wind-chill making it feel like -35ºC/ -31ºF, that was
nasty to start off with, and it escalated as the wind speed increased
and the sun disappeared by noon! Our members were vigilant
and toughed out the extreme cold...
breaking our previous counts
with a record 35 bird species and 8 mammal species! We even had a
Wilson's Snipe that
day... it
was no doubt wishing it had gone south for the winter!!
December 14, 2003 we
had 14 members
turn out and participate in the Saskatchewan
Landing Christmas Bird and Mammal Count... We counted 23
bird species, 8 mammal species, & 1 Arachnid species with the highlights of
that day being a Varied Thrush, a Moose, and a black spider (species
unknown!)Several
Southwest Naturalist members participated in the Annual
Christmas Bird and Mammal Counts held in Swift Current,
Sask Landing Provincial Park and area, Govenlock, Cypress Hills
Provincial Park (West and Centre Blocks - 2 separate counts),
Gardiner Dam, and Coronach.
|
In November/December,
2003 several members got together for a bird house building bee...
building over 60 houses to sell and raise funds for the Southwest
Naturalists. Members took turns sitting at a table in a local
Mall, selling the houses and talking to interested people about the
Southwest Naturalists. We still have more houses to sell, so will
be setting up again in a local Mall to hopefully sell more birdhouses
in the near
future.
March
18 & 20, 2004 The Southwest Naturalists were at a local Mall
selling houses and providing information about the Southwest Naturalists
(photo taken
by and
used by permission of Mary Ann D.)
The Southwest
Naturalists co-hosted the
2005 Nature
Saskatchewan Spring Meet,
held in Eastend JUNE 10 - 12.The
Southwest
Naturalists co-hosted the
2001 Nature
Saskatchewan Fall Meet,
held in Swift Current September 28 -
30.
Some
of our members attend and look forward to attending
the annual Spring and Fall
Meets held in other parts of the Province.
They are always willing to share their experiences
with the members who did not attend the Meets.
|
|
