Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop

Dates: October 17 – 18, 2026

Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Workshop Hotel: TBA
Hotel booking information will be sent to registered participants.

Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop Instructor: Boyd Coburn

Host: Stan Shadick

Registration Limit: 5 Participants
Early Booking Recommended

Workshop Summary

• 2 Late Afternoon – Sunset Sandhill Crane Photography Sessions

• 1 Morning Sandhill Crane Photography Sessions

• Hands-on Camera Settings Help during all Photography Sessions

• 1 Mid-day Indoor Sandhill Crane Photography Editing Session

• 1 Morning Whooping Crane Viewing Session
  (Cameras permitted. We take special care to avoid harassing these endangered birds. Depending upon the location of Whooping Cranes, it may be possible to obtain photographs but we cannot guarantee quality photos. )

• Participants should bring a digital camera with both long and short focal lengths.

• Participants should bring a laptop computer equipped with their favourite photographic editing software.

• Both novice and experienced bird photographers are welcome.

• You need to plan to drive your own personal or rented vehicle to and from locations where we will be photographing and viewing cranes.

• Bring good footwear plus a warm jacket / coat and hat in case of cool or rainy weather.

• Participants may need to transport leader in their vehicle at no cost during tours.

• Carpooling will be encouraged at the start of each outdoor event.

• Due to CRA regulations, no tax receipt is available if paying via this WeTravel platform.

Transportation

Participants must drive their own personal or rented vehicle on this guided tour. If requested, tour leader may be willing to drive your vehicle during tour.

Accommodation

Following your registration, you will receive an email with the information needed to book your accommodation during this tour.

QUESTIONS

Please email any questions to

birdtours@sasktel.net

Sandhill Crane Photography Workshop Itinerary

Saturday, October 18, 2025

7:00 AM – 2:00 PM Optional Whooping Crane Viewing Tour
The workshop begins with an optional special driving tour to view some families of rare and  endangered Whooping Cranes. These cranes regularly stop to feed in grain fields. within about 100 km of Saskatoon. Your leader will bring a spotting scope to allow you to view these birds at high magnification.

During this tour, we ensure that the Whooping Cranes are not harassed by our actions. We stay on public roads and do not trespass on private fields. Because Whooping Cranes are often alarmed if they see humans walking in the open, we take special precautions to avoid such disturbance. If the birds are relatively close to a road, then we require our guests to remain inside their vehicle or hide behind trees or vehicles, when attempting to obtain photos.

Sometimes guests with good experience in bird photography can obtain good photos or videos using telephoto lenses. Sometimes a combination of heat haze, weather conditions and distance to cranes may not permit ideal photographic conditions. For this reason, we do not advertise this special Whooping Crane tour as a photography tour.  Whooping Cranes normally feed in different locations than do Sandhill Cranes. We might not see any Sandhills during this Whooping Crane tour.

Carpooling is encouraged. Return driving distance should be roughly 280 km.

You should have breakfast before we depart and/or bring food with you for this tour.

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Snack Break at the hotel.

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Overview of Sandhill Crane Photographic Sessions.

3:00 PM – 7:00 PM Late Afternoon Sandhill Crane Photographic Session 1
Your instructor will guide you to locations on the west side of the South Saskatchewan River where we expect to be able to photograph Sandhill Cranes. We will visit the riverbank where cranes are roosting on sand bars. We will also stop on side roads adjacent to private fields where the birds are feeding. You may wish to bring a snack with you.
Return driving distance should be less than 100 km.

7:00 PM Supper Break

Sunday, October 19, 2025

6:30 AM – 10:00 AM Morning Sandhill Crane Photographic Session 1 Your instructor will guide you to locations on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River where we expect to be able to photograph Sandhill Cranes. We will visit the riverbank where many cranes will be observed in flight as they depart at early light. We should also later find some cranes feeding in fields. Return driving distance should be less than 100 km.

10:00 AM Break for Brunch and personal editing

11:30 AM – 3:00 PM Indoor Instruction Session about Editing Techniques. We plan to visit a Saskatoon restaurant for lunch. Your instructor will discuss the use of various photographic software for editing images.  The group may critique each other’s photographs.

3:00 PM – 7:00 PM Late Afternoon Sandhill Crane Photographic Session 2 Your instructor will guide you to locations on the west side of the South Saskatchewan River where we expect to be able to photograph Sandhill Cranes. We will visit the riverbank where cranes are roosting on sand bars. We will also stop on side roads adjacent to private fields where the birds are feeding. You may wish to bring a snack with you. Return driving distance should be less than 100 km.

7:00 PM Workshop Ends

Questions: please email questions to birdtours@sasktel.net and include your phone number and times when you may be contacted.