About the Area
This area is part of a region known as the Chaplin Plain Landscape Area which consists of three main lakes that provide refuge for resident and migratory birds: Chaplin Lake, Reed Lake, and Old Wives Lake. This region is one of the most important sites for migratory birds in North America; it covers over 42,000 hectares and together are the second largest saline inland bodies of water in Canada. The area contains a substantial proportion of the worlds population of several shorebirds such as the Piping Plover, the American Avocet, and the Baird’s Sandpiper. The area is not only critical to the migratory shorebirds, but also migratory waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans. On May 29, 1997, all three lakes achieved recognition as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site, one of only three such sites in Canada, and the only one that is inland.
Chaplin Lake
Chaplin Lake is a salt water lake. It has been broken into four sections separated by dykes and roads to support the local Sodium Sulphate Mine harvest of the sodium sulphate from the lake. The lake supports a tremendous number of shorebirds. One of the most prevalent species at the lake are Sanderlings as well as large populations of Baird’s Sandpipers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Stilt Sandpipers. It is a key area for endangered and vulnerable species such as Piping Plovers, Ferruginous Hawks, and Long-Billed Curlews. It has also had reports on several occasions for nesting of Snowy Plovers. This is one of only three known breeding grounds for Snowy Plovers in Canada.
The lake also contains numerous basins of freshwater that the birds can use for drinking and bathing while the salt water basins are used for feeding. Many migratory waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans also use the freshwater basins as a staging area in the fall. The various depths of the basins offer a variety of habitats from wet meadows, sedge and cattail marshes, to open water. The marshy conditions on the south end of the lake are great for nesting colonies of White Pelican, Double-Crested Cormorant, Franklin’s Gull, and Western Grebe.
Birds found at the lake:
Sanderlings, Baird’s Sandpipers, Semi-Palmated Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, American Avocet, Red-Necked Phalarope, Wilson’s Phalarope, Black-Necked Stilt, American Golden Plover, Wilson’s Snipe, Piping Plovers, Ferruginous Hawk, Long-Billed Curlew
Old Wives Lake
Old Wives Lake is a large shallow saline lake. The lake experiences large seasonal water fluctuations which results in large mudflats. The lake was designated as a Migratory Bird Sanctuary on March 9, 1925. The north-eastern part of the lake contains the Isle of Bays Wildlife Rescue. The north, east, and south shorelines have been designated as critical Piping Plover habitat.
Birds found at the lake:
Sanderlings, Baird’s Sandpiper, Semi-Palmated Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, American Avocet, American White Pelican, Double-Crested Cormoran, Franklin’s Gull, Ring-Billed Gull, California Gull, Common Tern, and Mallard.
Reed Lake
Reed Lake is a shallow saline lake characterized by emergent vegetation, reed beds, and shallow grassy shores. There are several islands present within the lake. The lake has no major water sources, so the water levels can vary depending on precipitation and run off. The lake is considered a key biodiversity area due to the various significant bird species that use the lake, including two Canadian threatened bird species: Hudsonian Godwit, Piping Plover, Franklin’s Gull, Ross’s Goose, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Tundra Swan.
There is a causeway that runs south of the Town of Morse that offers viewing of migratory shorebirds such as the Black-Bellied Plover, the Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderlings. The reed beds of the lake also provide good nesting areas for Eared, Western, and Clark’s Grebe’s.
Birds found at the lake:
American White Pelican, Piping Plover, Double-Crested Cormoran, Canvasback, Franklin’s Gull, Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Stilt Sandpiper, and Redhead.