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Assiniboine Forest

Assiniboine Forest lies south of Assiniboine Park. At the north end, opposite the entrance to the zoo, is the start of a path that runs between the forest and Tuxedo Golf Course. On the 11th of June this could have been called 'Mosquito Alley'. Walking briskly down this path we did get American Goldfinch, Least Flycatcher, Song Sparrow, Blue Jay, Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows and, of course, Red-winged Blackbird.

We took a break from birding and walked down Grant Avenue/Roblin Boulevard to a shopping area. As well as cooling drinks we found a decent mosquito repellent and a male Merlin in a tree (immediately outside McDonalds) trying to catch House Sparrows.

Assiniboine Forest is split into two halves. The southern half has a self-guide trail which leads to an area of marsh and open water. Following this trail from the north entrance we passed an open meadow, with no birds, and into a wood. In the wood were Least Flycatchers and Great Crested Flycatchers, House Wren (again in nest boxes), Eastern Wood-pewee, Clay-colored Sparrow and Blue Jay. The wet area had Red-winged Blackbird and Yellow Warbler and again Franklin's Gulls flying over head.

At one o'clock we were due to meet a local birder named Joanne Tuckwell. We had been communicating via e-mail for a couple of months and she had kindly offered to take us to a few sites when we were over in Manitoba.

Joanne first took us to a site along the banks of the Red River where she knew of a Cooper's Hawk nest. As well as the hawk we had Baltimore Oriole, American Robin and Song Sparrow. Whilst we stopped for a milkshake we found a female Wood Duck with four young on the river.

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