A week following one of Canada's greatest wildlife spectacles with the Sony A1 II
Introduction
Every spring, something incredible happens across the Canadian Prairies.
Millions of birds return from their wintering grounds, filling wetlands, forests, grasslands, and lakeshores with life. It's one of the largest wildlife movements on the continent, yet compared to many well-known migration hotspots, Manitoba still feels surprisingly quiet.
I spent just over a week exploring the province during peak spring migration, travelling a route that took me through marshes, boreal forests, prairie landscapes, and national parks. My goal wasn't to chase a checklist of species—it was to experience the migration as it unfolded and document it through photography.
With my Sony A1 II and Sony FE 200–600mm lens in hand, every morning brought something different. From sunrise marshes alive with thousands of waterfowl to forest trails echoing with newly arrived warblers, Manitoba quickly reminded me why spring remains my favourite season to photograph birds.
The Route
One of the things that makes Manitoba such an incredible spring birding destination is the sheer variety of habitats you can experience in a single trip. Over the course of 7–10 days, this route takes you through expansive wetlands, mature deciduous forests, rocky lakeshores, prairie grasslands, and boreal forest—each offering a completely different collection of birds.
Here's the route I'd recommend.
Days 1–2: Oak Hammock Marsh & Birds Hill Provincial Park
Habitat: Prairie wetlands and mature mixed forest
Begin just north of Winnipeg at Oak Hammock Marsh, one of Canada's premier wetland birding destinations. During spring migration, thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds fill the marshes, making it one of the busiest birding locations in the province.
Some of the highlights include:
- Northern Pintail
- Blue-winged Teal
- Snow Goose
- Trumpeter Swan
- Sandhill Crane
- Franklin's Gull
- Numerous grebes, diving ducks, and shorebirds
Later in the day, head to Birds Hill Provincial Park, where the landscape changes completely. Here, mature forests provide excellent opportunities to photograph colourful songbirds arriving during migration.
Species regularly encountered include:
- Baltimore Oriole
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Scarlet Tanager
- Yellow Warbler
- Black-and-white Warbler
- Ovenbird
- Least Flycatcher
- Red-eyed Vireo
- White-throated Sparrow
- Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers
The combination of wetlands and forest habitats makes the first two days an excellent introduction to Manitoba's migration.
Day 3: Narcisse Snake Dens
Habitat: Aspen woodland and limestone prairie
Although this stop isn't about birds, it's too unique to miss.
Every spring, tens of thousands of Red-sided Garter Snakes emerge from underground limestone dens, creating one of the world's largest snake gatherings.
It's a fascinating natural spectacle and offers a completely different wildlife photography opportunity before continuing farther north.
Days 3–4: Hecla Provincial Park
Habitat: Rocky shoreline, conifer forest, sheltered bays, and Lake Winnipeg
Located along the shores of Lake Winnipeg, Hecla Provincial Park feels entirely different from the prairie wetlands visited earlier.
The combination of open water and mature forest attracts an excellent mix of waterbirds and woodland species.
Keep an eye out for:
- Bald Eagle
- Common Loon
- Common Tern
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Belted Kingfisher
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
The shoreline also provides beautiful opportunities for landscape photography, particularly during sunrise and sunset.
Days 5–6: St. Ambroise Provincial Park
Habitat: Mudflats, open shoreline, prairie, and Lake Manitoba
If you enjoy photographing shorebirds, St. Ambroise Provincial Park may become one of your favourite stops on the trip.
Its expansive mudflats provide excellent feeding habitat for migrating sandpipers and plovers.
Species commonly found here include:
- Dunlin
- Sanderling
- Least Sandpiper
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Marbled Godwit
- Piping Plover (season dependent)
The open shoreline also creates beautiful opportunities for wide landscape images and unforgettable prairie sunsets.
Days 7–9: Riding Mountain National Park
Habitat: Boreal forest, mixed woodland, lakes, and prairie transition zones
Finish the trip at Riding Mountain National Park, one of Manitoba's most diverse wildlife destinations.
The changing habitats support an incredible variety of breeding songbirds while also providing opportunities to photograph mammals throughout the park.
Bird highlights include:
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Magnolia Warbler
- Canada Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Eastern Bluebird
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Pileated Woodpecker
The park is also one of Manitoba's best locations for wildlife beyond birds. During my visit I photographed Black Bears, while also seeing Elk, White-tailed Deer, and a variety of smaller mammals along the scenic park roads.
Riding Mountain is the perfect place to finish the journey, combining exceptional birding, beautiful landscapes, and some of the province's best wildlife viewing opportunities. It feels like the ideal finale to one of Canada's most rewarding spring bird photography road trips.
What I Saw
Every stop introduced an entirely new collection of birds.
Oak Hammock Marsh was overflowing with waterfowl, cranes, grebes, and shorebirds. Birds Hill shifted the focus to woodland species, where the forests came alive with warblers, orioles, vireos, and flycatchers singing from every direction.
Hecla offered a beautiful mix of lakeshore and forest birding, while St. Ambroise became one of my favourite places for photographing migrating shorebirds along the shoreline of Lake Manitoba.
Riding Mountain National Park brought everything together.
Warblers moved through the forests while mammals such as black bears, elk, and white-tailed deer added another layer to every day spent exploring.
What stood out most wasn't any single species.
It was how alive everything felt.
Every morning seemed to bring new arrivals, and every habitat held something different waiting to be discovered.
What I Felt
There's something incredibly calming about following spring migration.
Unlike many wildlife photography trips that revolve around chasing one particular animal, migration encourages you to slow down.
You listen more.
You watch more carefully.
You begin noticing small movements in the trees, distant songs you've never heard before, and tiny flashes of colour as another bird arrives after travelling thousands of kilometres.
There were mornings where I stood quietly for long stretches without taking a photograph, simply enjoying the sounds around me.
Those moments became just as memorable as the photographs themselves.
What I Photographed
My photography naturally reflected the variety of habitats I encountered.
Brilliant warblers feeding in fresh spring foliage.
Thousands of ducks and geese scattered across Manitoba's wetlands.
Elegant shorebirds probing mudflats along Lake Manitoba.
Loons calling across calm northern lakes.
Bald Eagles soaring above rocky shorelines.
Even the unexpected stop at the Narcisse Snake Dens became one of the highlights of the trip, offering a completely different wildlife experience and some photographs unlike anything I'd captured before.
Rather than searching for rare birds, I focused on telling the story of spring itself.
The changing landscapes, the fresh colours, the behaviour, and the incredible diversity that makes Manitoba one of Canada's finest birding destinations.
Why I Loved Travelling by RV
This was my first time experiencing Manitoba's spring migration while travelling by RV, and I quickly realized how well it suited this kind of photography.
Birds don't work on schedules.
Some mornings begin before sunrise, while other evenings stay productive until the last light disappears. Having my campsite only minutes from where I wanted to photograph meant I could spend more time outside and less time driving.
It also allowed me to slow the trip down.
Instead of constantly packing and unpacking or checking into different accommodations every evening, I simply settled into each location for a couple of days and explored the surrounding habitat.
That slower pace matched the rhythm of migration perfectly.
The Equipment I Used
Sony A1 II
For bird photography, the Sony A1 II was an incredible companion throughout the trip.
Fast autofocus, exceptional subject tracking, and the ability to capture fleeting behaviour made photographing fast-moving songbirds much more enjoyable. Whether I was tracking a Blackburnian Warbler through the canopy or following a Sandhill Crane lifting off from the marsh, the camera kept up with every moment.
Its high-resolution files also provided plenty of flexibility for cropping when birds stayed just a little farther away than expected.
Sony FE 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G OSS
The 200–600mm rarely left my camera.
Its versatility allowed me to photograph everything from distant waterfowl on open wetlands to tiny warblers feeding high above the forest floor. The zoom range meant I could quickly adapt as birds moved closer or farther away without changing lenses, making it an ideal choice for such a wide variety of habitats.
For a trip focused almost entirely on birds, it was the perfect lens to have mounted day after day.
Conclusion
After spending a week exploring Manitoba during spring migration, one thing became very clear.
This province deserves far more attention from birders and wildlife photographers.
The variety of habitats, the incredible diversity of species, and the relatively quiet birding locations create an experience that's difficult to find elsewhere in Canada. Every destination offered something completely different, making the journey feel fresh from beginning to end.
More than anything, this trip reminded me why I enjoy photographing birds.
It's not simply about finding a rare species or capturing the perfect image. It's about spending time outdoors, learning new landscapes, and appreciating one of nature's most remarkable annual events.
Spring migration is constantly changing. No two days are ever the same, and that's exactly what keeps me coming back.
If you ever have the opportunity to experience Manitoba during migration season, take your time. Wander the trails before sunrise, stay out until the evening light fades, and let the birds determine the pace of your day.
Some of my favourite photographs from the trip came when I stopped trying to chase moments and simply allowed them to happen.
– Jared VanderMeer
