Rock Wren on a grasslands rock, southwest Saskatchewan

A Rock Wren — a small Western songbird  —  on southwestern Saskatchewan prairie grasslands, high above the Frenchman River.

Pale grey-brown songbird, the Rock Wren.   © SB

We listened to bison expert Wes Olson, counted wild flower species (new to me: Indian Breadroot and Clustered Broomrape), and enjoyed the dry prairie wind and sunshine.

And then birder extraordinaire Trevor Herriot spotted this Rock Wren.

On a rock, of course, with prairie grasses at the base and buttes beyond the river in the distant background.

The wind blows through the grasses above the valley,
below the rock of the Rock Wren. © SB

Seen on the Prairie Passages tour of PFRA and other publicly owned grasslands, with conservationists, authors, and photographers, including Margaret Atwood, Graeme Gibson, Alberto Yanosky (Executive Director of BirdLife affiliate Guyra Paraguay), and  Ian Davidson (Exec. Dir., Nature Canada). Organized by Public Pastures - Public Interest. For more on the tour, see Pasture Posts and Trevor Herriot's Grass Notes.

What is this?  A Rock Wren. 

Location: Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan.

Photo date: June 25, 2013.  

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