Rachel Rocks

     Recently, our good friends Graham and Marg Macdonald were visited by their sister-in-law from the UK and we were happy to join them on a stroll along the Mill Race in St. Jacobs.

     The birds were cooperating and Rachel proved to be a bird whisperer of the highest order.

     A White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) made its presence known with a loud greeting, and was quickly spotted.

     In a mere moment, it landed on Rachel's hand to take advantage of the sunflower heart buffet. 

     I am quite sure that this feast is equivalent to Lobster Thermidor and Baked Alaska rolled into one for a nuthatch!

     Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) were not going to let the feast pass without gleaning their share and they, too, swooped onto Rachel's outstretched hand.

     What joy!

     When I take people along the Mill Race I always tell them that I can pretty much assure them a chickadee on the hand, with a good chance of a nuthatch, too. To complete the trifecta, however, a friendly, confident Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is needed, and that's far from assured.

     

     This male, however, took one glance at Rachel's hand, and glided down in an instant.

     Her first visit to The Mill Race and she had a perfect score!

     A few curious Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) came to see what was going on, hoping no doubt for a little cracked corn, but I had none with me.

     American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a dapper little fellow, but argumentative and pugnacious, backing down from no one. We were certainly glad to see him, however.

     American Robins (Turdus migratorius) were ubiquitous, attracted by a super abundant berry crop and dense stands of Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica).

     Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) were drawn to the same rich pickings.

     At the end of our walk we enjoyed coffee and scones at the Eco Café.

     It is a safe assumption that the denizens of the Mill Race were abuzz with excitement following Rachel's visit - chickadees chattering, nuthatches nattering, woodpeckers whooping, ducks quacking and waxwings whistling.

     Rachel Carson believed that every person has to respectfully repay an eternal debt to nature; safe to say that another Rachel did that today.

  

Nature is Exciting and Wonderful

     "Nature is our prayer and our celebration, our sacrament and our unkempt affection, our most single-minded examinations and our most wide-open wandering gaze."

Thmoas Lowe Fleischner

     Forays into nature are part of my daily experience, so here are a few glimpses into what I have been seeing lately, in no order, without regard to taxonomy or hierarchy, date or location, or even for quality of the image for that matter.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

     This is one of our most common plants in southern Ontario, growing in many locations, even along roadsides and in waste areas, and it is among my favourites. It survives, thrives and brings me joy.

     Its roots, sliced and ground, are familiar to many as a coffee substitute. In France its leaves are highly esteemed as barbe-de-capucin in salads, and possibly are used here too, particularly by the immigrant community.

     Nectar is yielded by the Chicory flowers only between 07h:00 to around noon, and bees and other pollinators time their visits accordingly.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

     A very familiar bird in wetlands of every type, and even in field and pasture where some individuals have specialized in capturing rodents and other terrestrial prey.

     This individual was patiently working one side of a creek and secured a fine dinner!

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

     How often is Common Milkweed found in profusion on our walks, yet seldom noticed, less frequently remarked on, and generally ignored?

      This humble, tenacious plant, (along with other species of milkweed) is critical to the life cycle of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus). The butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves so that the black-and-green caterpillars feed on them, accumulating bitter and toxic glucosides, rendering them distasteful to predators, especially birds. The glucosides are retained during and after pupation.

      I have been told that the plant had a wide range of medicinal uses for Indigenous peoples, although I don't know how they were able to neutralize the toxins. Commonly cited applications are wart removal, and use as both a laxative and a contraceptive.

Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

     I am confident in saying that this Lilliputian woodpecker is well known to even the most casual observer, and is much loved.

     The picture above shows a male with his jaunty red cap.

     It is a resident species at our latitude and enlivens our surroundings even on the coldest winter's day. Drumming, to a woodpecker, is what song is to other species, and may be heard throughout the year to establish territory, attract a mate and communicate location.

     Downy Woodpecker is a keystone species; it's discarded nest holes are used by many other species, bird and mammal alike. Without cavities made by woodpeckers birds such as Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) would be without a home.

White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum)

      The various species of Meadowhawks are often difficult to differentiate one from another, but I am fairly sure this is White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum).

     The female oviposits in tandem, or alone with the male standing guard. 

     In our region of southern Ontario, meadowhawks are common, even abundant in some locations, from the end of summer through fall.

Four-toothed Mason Wasp (Monubia quadridens)

     This impressive wasp was new to me, but I am pretty sure it is a Four-toothed Mason Wasp (Monubia quadridens), a species of solitary Potter Wasp.

      It feeds on caterpillars and pollen and has two generations per year; one generation overwinters as pupae.

      It is not aggressive to humans and its sting is not especially painful. Only the female stings, but uniquely the male is capable of delivering a painful "pinprick" without venom and the pain is transitory. 

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

     We are almost always alerted to its presence by its distinctive nasal call, making it easy to find this delightful, acrobatic character.

     It stays with us all year, so is in my estimation a true Canadian, tough, hardy, resourceful, ready to tackle whatever life throws at it.

    I am very fond of this delightful little bird.

Maples (genus Acer)

     What would fall in Ontario be without the blaze of maples?

     I hope never to find out.

Book Review - The Atlas of North America's Migratory Birds: Tracking Movements Across Seasons and Continents - Princeton University Press

 

     This is a truly monumental work, and I do not use that term lightly. It surpasses anything that has gone before it. By an order of magnitude, too!

      The range of miniaturized devices now available to track migration is staggering, especially when compared to the situation that existed just a few years ago, when rare and sporadic bird band recoveries were still the main source of data. Advances in technology have enabled more precision than was ever dreamed possible. Lightweight trackers of various kinds are installed on birds, from the tiniest songbirds to swans, geese and raptors, so that we are able to follow the bird in precise detail, knowing at any time where it is - and even what it is doing. Specialized instruments  enable researchers to know the depths to which pelagic species dive, their food, changes to their anatomy in response to changing pressure and light, in addition to their movements across the oceans.

     Internet platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist have amassed huge quantities of data and images, empowered by legions of dedicated citizen scientists around the world.

     The information age has revolutionized and expanded our knowledge of migration, a subject that has captured the imagination of humankind for centuries.

     The concept of connectivity looms large in this work. Over the last fifty years bird populations have declined by three billion, but in many instances there is insufficient information to fully understand the reasons for decline. Some species have discrete populations in both breeding and nonbreeding seasons, and different groups of the same species may never meet. The conditions faced in their habitat and on their migratory journeys may be radically different. 

     The individual species accounts are incredibly well done, reflecting the current state of knowledge right up till the book went to print!

     There is a generalized connectivity map, and other maps as appropriate, showing different migratory pathways and and both breeding and nonbreeding areas. 

     A quick guide is provided, detailing the species' distribution and abundance, and showing the current status of the bird as ranked by various organizations. 

     The maps reveal so much!

     The water-colours by John C. Anderton are charming, and complement the text with accuracy and aesthetic sensibility.

     I have been using this book since the moment I received it, and I am impressed each time I turn to it. Hopefully the data may be put to good use to put the brake to the alarming decline in birds throughout the world. 

     If I had one very minor complaint - not a complaint actually, more of an observation - the book is huge and very heavy. It is fine when seated at a desk, but nestled in an easy chair it is cumbersome to handle. It might have better to have split it into two volumes.

     Thanks to everyone involved for a job very well done.

The Atlas of North America's Migratory Birds: Tracking Movements Across Seasons and Continents - Princeton University Press

Peter P. Marra and Amy L. Scarpignato

Hardcover - US$90.00 - ISBN 9780691163185

816 pages - 8.5 x 11 inches (21.25 x 27.5 cm)

972 colour illustrations - 1,092 maps

Publishing date: 03 November, 2026

   

A Morning with a Chinese Home School Group along The Mill Race

      Before setting off on the trail we walked down to the Conestogo River to check what might be present there.

     Two Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) were spotted, quite distant but visible even without binoculars.

      The Mill Race Trail extends a little beyond the main entrance on Three Bridges Road, on the other side of the road, and we decided to walk up to the waterfall, never having done so together.

     Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were screeching pretty much the whole time, and occasionally we caught a glimpse of one.

     Crossing back over the road we embarked on the trail proper.

     Recently the trail had been closed for five days for maintenance, primarily to clear the path of downed trees, the result of strong winds in the area, but it seems to have been an opportunity to grade the surface too, and it was hard packed and in great condition.

     It didn't take long for a group of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) to come to visit us. 

     I really must remember to bring some cracked corn to reward them for their friendliness!

     The fall colours have not been as vibrant this year as they usually are, due to stress caused by drought early in the growing season. This Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) was almost as fiery as the leaf on the flag, however.

     It didn't take long for the children to make their first attempt at feeding Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

     As we progress deeper into fall and cooler weather, these birds are far more willing to look to humans for food. We invest in nutritious, high energy sunflower seeds to make sure that what we give them is beneficial.

     The children are always ecstatic to be out in the fresh air, and the birds are a delightful bonus for them.

     Such happy faces!

Becky, Phoebe, Charlotte

Luke

     In a couple of spots the chickadees were quick to surround us to take advantage of outstretched hands bearing seed.

     At the half way point of our excursion we have made it a tradition to stop at the Eco Café for a coffee and a snack, and access to washrooms.

     This visit was made more exceptional than usual by the presence of a young lady painting en plein air. In years past one saw this activity quite often, especially along the banks of a river or in a forest clearing, but not any more. It was so pleasing to see it taking place on the sidewalk, to record the life on the street.

     We chatted briefly and she gave me permission to take her picture and post it on my blog. Her  name is Mariia Kiiasko and here is a link to some of her work: https://www.instagram.com/m_way_paints?vrfl=aXJ6azVmZ3hjcmNq&utm_source=qr 

     On the way back one of the children spotted this perfectly formed woodpecker hole.

     Shortly afterwards we came upon a male Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens), perhaps the architect himself!

     Familiar fungi caught everyone's attention.

     St. Jacobs is a quaint little village, very popular with tourists and a tourist train runs from Waterloo to St. Jacobs and back during summer and fall.

    These young explorers are nothing if not adventuresome, with parents who know that kids need to be challenged and allowed to exercise their curiosity and resolve.

     Here is Theodore, the quintessential child for whom no challenge should go unanswered. It's not for nothing we have dubbed him Theodore the Explorer!

     Here is his big brother, Joshua.

     Joseph, Daniel, Rachel and Joshua discovered an Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). It looks to be a pretty good size, too.

     As the chill of autumn supplants the warmth of summer they will be seeking underground hibernacula to pass the winter below ground, where the temperature remains above freezing. 

     Amelia was especially keen to hand feed a chipmunk; her infinite patience was rewarded.

     She did it more than once, too.

     Luke and Phoebe were anxious to show off treasures they had found.

     Becky was equally keen but she kept her fingers clenched on the little shells she had found.

     We spent a great morning together, as we always do. In all my years of leading groups I have never bonded with any of them as intensely as I have done with "my" Chinese Home School group. It really is quite remarkable.

     Thanks to Steven for videos and pictures, and Ingrid, Penny and Theo for their pictures.

     We'll do it again next month.