Edmonton to Slave Lake

Another early start as I was on the road before 7.  This was a very easy drive of 150 miles over generally flat to moderately rolling farmland mostly planted in wheat at this time of the year.  There were occasional patches of range land but I saw few cattle.  As I neared Slave Lake the habitat suddenly changed to massive poplar and pine.  It was also the first time I encountered large trucks hauling timber.  Slave Lake is also an oil town and, much like Texas, its economy has taken a nose dive.  I headed out to Marten River campground in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park.  The site is nice (see picture at Jim Hailey Nature Photography) but was a bit difficult to get into with only myself to do the guiding.  However,  I made it, got set up, had lunch and was ready to check things out by 1:30.  I came to Slave Lake because I had visited this place on my first trip to Alaska in 1998 and had helped do some bird banding here.  They now have a Boreal Birding Center and they are having a birding festival on Saturday and Sunday.  I found out where and when to go to the banding station in the morning.  Then I went to Marten Mountain, a place they recommended for the view (see the panorama picture on JHailey Nature Photography).  It was a very pretty vista and while there I met a couple of lady birders from Edmonton.  There we had Chipping Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco and a calling Red-eyed Vireo.  I then headed back to camp for a little R&R and to check on Dulce who was very happy to see me.  As I sat in my chair enjoying a nice fire I heard and observed many Yellow-romped Warblers, American Crows, a singing Philadelphia Vireo, squirrel running about and late in the evening gulls flying over as well as Red-necked Grebes calling form the lake which a short distance away (see pictures on my website of the lake and beach).  So ended another beautiful, warm, sunny day.