Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/81685
14 BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Of all the impending signs of autumn — the shorter days, crisper temperatures, and ever-changing colour palette of the leaves — there's none so familiar as the migratory patterns of Manitoba's bird populations. The province's nature preserves have long provided a veritable bonanza for bird-watchers, as migration season affords ample opportunity for audiences with departing ducks, geese, loons and shorebirds. At Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre (www.oakhammockmarsh.ca), check out the nightly fly-ins from the comfort of the rooftop observation deck (after having enjoyed an elegant, four-course "Fall Migration" dinner), or follow thousands of feeding waterfowl via foot, canoe or horse-drawn wagon. At FortWhyte Alive (www.fortwhyte.org), visitors can learn about the migration of Canada Geese from September to October, a peak period when the park's population numbers are on par with those of Winnipeg. And at Delta Marsh (gov.mb.ca/conservation/wildlife/ viewing/delta.html) — an 18,000-hectare wetland at the edge of Lake Manitoba — the skies come alive each fall with hundreds of thousands of winged visitors, visible from the viewing towers, boardwalks, and interpretive trails that snake throughout the terrain. PHOTO: OAK HAMMOCK MARSH CATCH YOUR LIMIT: For years now, local ice anglers have been drawing impressive hauls from the south basin of Lake Manitoba, and from north of Portage la Prairie at the Assiniboine Diversion spillway. In both spots, the perch are known to be plentiful, providing non-stop action and mouthwatering table fare. Further north, Flin Flon's Lake Athapapuskow and The Pas' Clearwater Lake produce trophy-sized trout in nice numbers, while schools of pike can be found in Cedar Lake, just outside Grand Rapids. The lakes at Whiteshell Provincial Park are well-stocked with rainbow, brown and brook trout, with many of the lodges in the region offering ice fishing packages tailor-made for master anglers. And both Lake Winnipeg and Lake Dauphin are favourites among walleye fishers, producing consistent limits from ice-up to ice-out. GET AN EARFUL: What better way to spend an autumn afternoon than losing yourself in one of Manitoba's corn mazes — a deceptively complex pastime that's been known to confound even the most seasoned orienteer. Not surprisingly, the leafy labyrinths prove especially popular around Halloween, when operators outfit their attractions with costumed creatures and eerie effects. Stonewall's Boonstra Farms (www.boonstrafarms.com) boasts 15 acres of action, with a new "theme" each year, (this year's theme honours the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Football League), as well as a not-for-the-faint-of-heart Halloween version that starts in mid-October. St. Adolphe's A Maze In Corn (www.cornmaze.ca) offers a Haunted Forest Oct. 5-28, as well as hayrides, a 20-foot bale pyramid, and even zip lining tours throughout the year. And at Deer Meadow Farms (www.deermeadowfarms.com) — near Birds Hill Park), the seven-acre "Go Jets Go" maze is complemented by mini-golf, a pumpkin patch, and a tractor tire mountain. A C TIVITIES takes flight at a birder's bonanza Feathered Frenzy Imagination Fresh Fish & frosty fun!