Feathered Stories: Shayna Cossette’s Wildlife of the North

In this edition of Feathered Stories, we interview Shayna Cossette, an environmental consultant and wildlife photographer living in the wide northern landscapes of Saskatchewan, where the skies stretch endlessly and the seasons shape the rhythm of life. She doesn’t just observe nature—she listens to it, learns from it, and captures its fleeting beauty through her lens.

Over the past three years, birding has become more than a hobby for her—it’s a way of connecting with the world on a deeper level. Shayna has personally recorded 174 lifers on eBird so far, each one representing a moment of discovery, a flicker of beauty in flight, and a memory etched in time. What began as simple curiosity gradually grew into a passionate pursuit—one that continues to enrich her everyday life.

How the Journey Began

Long before birding took center stage in her life, Shayna was already drawn to the wild. The landscapes of Saskatchewan, with their quiet strength and hidden biodiversity, provided a natural backdrop to her growing curiosity. That curiosity eventually found direction during her university years.

“I have always been interested in nature and wildlife, but I didn’t truly become interested in birds until university. In my ecology lectures and during my summer student jobs, I got to learn and work with threatened and endangered birds in Saskatchewan. From there, I learned about bird banding, which I found very interesting, and I began to take pictures of birds I was seeing in 2016. I set birds to the side for a few years but picked birding and bird photography back up in 2022!”

Though life shifted her focus for a while, the birds—and the joy they brought—never truly left.

Feathers, Feelings, and Firsts

Ask any birder to name a favorite species, and you’re likely to be met with hesitation—there are simply too many to choose from. Shayna is no exception.

“I find it SO HARD to pick just a single favorite bird species because there are so many amazing and unique species! I consider my spark bird to be the Piping Plover. They make the most adorable peep-lo calls and were the first birds I got to work with. But I also really love Loggerhead Shrikes. Known as the butcher birds, they impale their prey on hawthorn bushes and barbed wire! But I would say my current favorite bird is the Willow Ptarmigan, an arctic grouse species that is all white in the winter. I live far enough north in Canada to get to see them regularly in the winters!”

What makes these birds meaningful is not just their beauty or rarity, but the memories attached to them. That’s especially true of one extraordinary day she still recalls vividly:

“The most memorable bird-related experience I have had was what I call my 24-hour rare bird bonanza. I live in a very small and remote community that is closer to the Arctic Ocean than any other coast. So when I photographed and documented a Tropical Kingbird and Vermilion Flycatcher (which ended up being a provincial-first record!) within the same 24-hour period—two birds so wildly out of range - it was a birding day that I will absolutely never forget!”

Spotting one rare bird is remarkable—but two in a single day, both far from their usual range, is a birder’s dream. It’s a reminder that being attentive and ready can lead to moments no one expects.

Small Moments, Big Impressions

For someone with both a biologist’s eye and a photographer’s patience, it’s often the subtle moments that leave the strongest impression. Shayna doesn’t just notice birds—she pays attention to how they live, interact, and move through the world. Whether it’s the urgency of a hunting dive or the quiet rhythm of raising young, she finds meaning in the behaviors that bring each species to life.

“As a biologist, I am always fascinated and pay attention to bird behavior! From male spruce grouse strutting in the spring on the gravel roads to attract females, to osprey diving headfirst into the river in attempts to catch fish, aerial insectivores using speed and acrobatics to catch bugs mid-flight, and all of the many migratory species that seem to know when spring is starting and summer is ending in ways I will never truly understand. I find it all fascinating.

I’ve watched piping plover parents take turns to incubate a nest and raise chicks, listened to the males of many different species sing songs of courtship in the spring, and watched a pair of fledgling great-horned owls grow big enough to take flight and leave the nest.

The majority of these behaviors I observed within 20 minutes of my house, proving you don’t have to go far to appreciate birds; simply pay attention to what is in your own yard or local park!”

In the daily lives of birds—whether it’s the ritual of springtime displays or the quiet dedication of parenting—there’s a quiet magic that rewards those who take the time to look.

Birding Wherever Life Leads

For Shayna, birdwatching doesn’t depend on a single destination—it’s shaped by wherever she happens to be. After moving several times, she’s found meaning in becoming familiar with each new landscape, especially in the quiet northern town she now calls home.

“I don’t have one specific location that I would consider my favorite, but that may partially be because I have moved a few times since I started birding. I think I would go with my town because not only do I spend the most time here, but I am one of the only birders who live here, so I have been able to contribute greatly to the database on bird species for this area, as it was previously very data deficient.”

In a region once quiet on the map of bird records, her steady presence has begun to fill in the blanks—each sighting a quiet thread woven into the growing story of the land’s avian life.

Finding Rhythm in Wings

Birding has also shaped how Shayna relates to the pace of daily life. Whether stepping outside or watching from the window, it brings a rhythm that’s both grounding and quietly rewarding.

“Birdwatching has a huge positive impact on both my daily life and my perspective of nature. I find birding to be exciting, grounding, and relaxing at the same time, which makes it very therapeutic for me. It also keeps my spirits up when my chronic health issues keep me from being able to physically go out birding—I can still watch the birds that come to my feeders from inside the house! 

I also believe that the more people get the chance to connect with nature, the more they will appreciate it and wish to preserve and protect it, and birdwatching is such an accessible way for so many people to connect with nature!”

That sense of connection doesn’t always require travel or planning—it can begin right at the window, with whoever happens to visit the feeder. For Shayna, that everyday access makes birding both meaningful and sustainable, offering a way to stay in tune with the natural world, even when staying close to home.

If Birds Could Speak…

When we asked Shayna, “If you could communicate with birds for a day, what would you like to ask them?”—Her enthusiasm was immediate.

“This is such a good question! I, firstly, would have SO MANY questions, but one thing I would really like to know is how much of their behavior is innate/instinctual vs. how much they learn from other birds around them, and if it differs for different types of birds?”

Shayna’s question really makes you think! It would be amazing to hear birds share their thoughts on how they navigate the world around them. Understanding their social interactions and survival strategies could offer some incredible insights. What would you ask them?

A Feeder Full of Surprises

One unexpected perk of using a smart bird feeder is just how much it can reveal about birds’ daily rhythms. While it’s common to hear that they’re only active during certain times of day, Shayna’s feeder tells a livelier story.

“How frequently birds actually come to it! You so often hear that the birds are most active at dawn and dusk, but I have had birds at my feeders at every hour of the day!”

Each new visit—whether at noon or mid-afternoon—adds a quiet thrill to the ordinary. What once seemed predictable turns out to be full of movement, curiosity, and life. It’s a reminder that nature doesn’t keep to our schedules—it keeps its own, full of subtle surprises for those who take the time to notice.

Slowing Down to See

Amid the excitement of rare sightings and the thrill of adding new species to a list, it’s easy to overlook the familiar ones—the birds that show up day after day, quietly shaping our relationship with nature. But it’s often those everyday moments that build the deepest connection.

“Remember that it can be easy to get caught up in the lifers and rare birds, but birding is never a competition! Take the time to appreciate the daily birds around you, and if you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out! I love connecting with other birders and bird watchers!”

It’s a sentiment that resonates beyond checklists—an open invitation to slow down, to notice more, and to find joy not just in the extraordinary, but in what’s already there.

To Shayna—And to You

We’re deeply grateful to Shayna Cossette for sharing her time and insights in this interview, opening a window into her world—a world shaped by patience, wonder, and an enduring love for birds. Her stories remind us that nature’s magic is often just outside our door, waiting to be noticed.

 All of the above photos are her own work. If you’d like to follow more of Shayna’s birding adventures, breathtaking wildlife photography, and thoughtful reflections, you can find her on:

• YouTube at @ShaynaCossetteBirding
• Instagram and Facebook at @ShaynaCossetteWildlife
• Bluesky at @ShaynaCBirding

If you’ve enjoyed this story, don’t miss more like it in our Feathered Stories series.

Have your own birding journey to share? We’d love to hear it. Reach out and be part of our growing community of nature lovers.