Those who know me fairly well, know that I like quiet, spacious and remote natural places. Therefore it will come as no surprise that Grasslands National Park, in the very southern part of Saskatchewan, is very appealing.
To many people, the prairie provinces conjure up images of fields of grain or canola waving in the wind and stretching to the horizon, and that is what does occur across much of the southern prairie provinces. Therefore to protect the real mixed-grass prairie landscape, in 1981 two sizable blocks of land about an hour south of Swift Current were set aside to form Grasslands National Park (GNP). (You can click on any of the following images to see a larger view.)
GNP holds a special place in our lives for another reason besides its quiet spaciousness. We had been here once before, slightly more than 32 years ago in June 1986. We had been part way along on our westward trip when we got word that a baby boy was available to adopt so after a very brief visit to this new national park we returned home right way!
It was time for another visit, and this time we saw a bit more of it. The fact that it has been a little more developed than it was in 1986 made a difference as well, although the developments are such that there is little impact on the resource. The park encompasses about 350 square miles (907 sq km). We spent all of our time in the larger, west block.
A scenic trail drive for about 80 km takes one through various landscapes, with points of interest along the way. At times it seems rather bleak. But wait....what is that dark mound off in the distance?
It turns out to be a Bison, one of more than 300 free-ranging individuals in parts of the park. Most of the herd was elsewhere, but this time of year the older bulls are off by themselves. They were very much a part of the natural landscape in past centuries, but had been extirpated many decades ago. A few were re-introduced in 2005 and the herd has done quite well.
A telephoto lens is the best way to photograph them. For safety sake, it is recommended to stay 100 metres or more from any animal.
This Bison was hanging out right in the vicinity of a threatened species: Black-tailed Prairie Dog. There are several colonies of this rodent here in GNP, and this is the most northerly location for this species in North America.
Their numbers have fluctuated greatly over the years, in part due to disease. The health of the prairie dog population has a direct effect on so many other species of threatened or endangered wildlife, including Burrowing Owl, Black-footed Ferret, Swift Fox, Ferruginous Hawks and Prairie Rattlesnakes.
We saw several Western Meadowlarks amongst the prairie dogs. This one had less yellow in the malar region than a 'good' western, but it was singing the western song.
Also in the short grass were Horned Larks. At one point I noted a recent fledgling following its parent, begging for food.
The Scenic Trail crosses the Frenchman River in at least a couple of places, and that is where we were able to encounter a pair of Marbled Godwits.
Part way along the Scenic Trail is the Frenchman River campground. It is on the site of an old homestead, so even the little bit of development that occurs here is in a spot that was already disturbed from the homesteading days. It really is big sky country. This next photo shows the unserviced part of the campground, where we stayed. There were a few serviced lots nearby, but we didn't need the services and saved a few $$.
Across the way were some hills, and we watched a coyote roaming around sniffing bushes.
A couple of Mule Deer came down from the hills and crossed the valley.
Common Nighthawks were relatively common, even flying around in fairly broad daylight.
Since there were no trees to roost in, it was interesting to see them roosting on fence poles, and were sometimes quite approachable. This next photo, although taken with a telephoto lens, was hardly cropped at all.
The clouds were more visible with so much sky.
As the sun set, the clouds took on quite a reddish-orange hue.
GNP is apparently the darkest, Dark Sky Preserve in Canada. I had never tried night sky photography before, but got things set up and attempted it. I had to wait until about 11:30 p.m. to get some shots, and if I had waited another hour or so the results might have been better. I clearly need to refine my technique! The W-shaped constellation more or less in the centre is Cassiopeia.
Morning came early. This next photo was taken at about 5 a.m. local time.
Mule Deer that had come down the night before were returning to the higher hills.
A bird which appears to be a Vesper Sparrow was on a fence post. It wasn't singing and in the golden morning light, it looked a bit different.
The campground had Richardson's Ground Squirrels here and there.
The campground office was about the only building around. Its construction was ideal for Barn Swallow nesting, and there were upwards of a dozen mud nests around it.
Some had recently fledged.
On the fences and elsewhere were birds such as Say's Phoebe....
....and Chestnut-collared Longspur.
We eventually packed up and continued on our way around the Scenic Trail. A storm was brewing off to the north (severe weather, including tornadoes, occurred just north of the park that day) and we needed to be off. We did see several Sharp-tailed Grouse on the roadsides. Greater Sage Grouse are present in the park in very small numbers, but park staff were coy about any details.
A Plain's Garter Snake was on the road enjoying a bit of early day sunlight.
We saw the occasional Ferruginous Hawk atop a pole.
It was a short visit, but well worth the effort to get there even though it was a little out of the way. It is definitely on my priority list to return to, and spend a bit longer exploring the more remote parts of this fabulous national park.
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