Overview

Three years ago, we canoed the Oldman River. Since then, the river has experienced exceptional changes in flows. So we canoed the same stretch, anticipating a brand new river valley.

It was everything we thought and then some.

There were new accumulations of drift wood on the upriver tips of cotton wood stands and gravel bars. The 1995 flood drift piles now fading in the background. Cliff and Tree swallows were re-establishing their once expansive nesting colonies and busy water birds ran the shores. Beavers were working on their lodges utilizing much of the drift wood and newly established willow stands.

Some of the same species and some new, in prolific numbers. We had an At Risk sighting and the time of year gave us all species of juveniles, now out and active.

The river kept us guessing and offered a variety of weather conditions; most of which was hot – just fine with me.