Birds Hill Provincial Park is located about a dozen miles northeast of Winnipeg. Given its paved in-line skating paths and tennis courts, parts of Birds Hill feel lie a city park. But numerous hiking, biking, and horse trails quickly take you into wilder places.

The 1 kilometre Bur Oak Trail gets its name from those stunted, wonderfully gnarled trees, home to vesper sparrows, spotted towhees, and decidedly indigo-coloured indigo buntings. The Cedar Bog Trail also passes through some bur oaks, but this 3,5-kilometre path adds grasslands, a splendid stand of eastern white cedar, and the mucky delights of a bog to its mix.

The 1.45-kilometre White-tailed Deer Trail leads through woodlands and meadows favoured by these graceful deer.