In my last post, I wrote about the weirdness of spring in Saskatchewan. While the blooming of crocuses is an important sign of spring here, there’s another one that gets people excited: the return of the pelicans.

The American White Pelican migrates to the Canadian prairies every spring. One of the best places to see them is in Saskatoon. The weir next to the CPR Bridge on the South Saskatchewan River is a favorite spot of theirs to catch fish and crayfish and there are spots set up along the Meewasin Trail for observing them. So excited do people get that the Meewasin Valley Authority holds an annual “pelican watch contest” for people to guess the correct time and date when they arrive. This year, they were first spotted on Thursday, April 21st at11:48 AM, one of the latest times in the history of the contest. Clearly, they too were trying to hide from those awful early spring snowstorms.

I didn’t get a chance to get to the weir to see them myself until May 2nd but I’m so glad I did because they are truly magnificent birds. A little goofy but magnificent nonetheless! There were also a number of other birds hanging out by the river as well enjoying the spring day with us.