Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
© C. Wershler |
More than 150 bird species have been spotted in this provincial park, including turkey vultures, golden eagles, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, prairie falcons, mountain bluebirds, belted kingfishers and several kinds of warblers. The shady riverbanks and exposed river flats are good places to view ducks and wading birds such as great blue herons, marbled godwits and willets.
Beavers and muskrats live by the river. In upland areas, white-tailed and mule deer, coyotes, white-tailed jackrabbits and badgers are often seen.
In
late July and early August the Red Deer River becomes the setting for
a dramatic natural spectacle, when goldeye come to the surface in great
numbers to feed on clouds of newly hatched white mayflies. For the
best view of this phenomenon, approach the water at dusk and illuminate
the surface of the river with a flashlight beam.
