Delta Marsh

 The drive from Winnipeg to Delta Beach is probably the flattest I have ever seen in this world. Patches of trees by the farmers houses or rows used to block wind from the farmlands are the only breaks in the horizon. Even these are few and pretty far between... BUT when you arrive at Delta Marsh the scenery changes from flat agricultural lands to gorgeous expanses of cattail marsh as far as the eye can see. 

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Volunteering at the Delta Marsh Banding Station was a great experience despite the weather being cold and cloudy most of the time. A lot of birds were using the marsh close to the edges (because the parts further out were still frozen) and scrubby forests in between giving a great view of many species. The lifers I got were ridiculously common species in Manitoba but I had actually had never seen a Yellow-headed Blackbird or White Pelican before!

Yellow-headed Blackbird

The cold weather also kept a lot of species which would normally have passed through in the area. It was great to see Rough-legged Hawks along the roadsides. These gorgeous birds are one of my favorites.