Tuesday Rambles with David - Dundas and Burlington

12 September 2017

     There were just four of us for our regular Tuesday ramble. Mary was away in Newfoundland, Carol is working this month and Jim and Francine had other plans - so Franc, Judy, Miriam and I decided on a day out in the Hamilton/Burlington area. And a tremendous day it turned out to be.

     Since it was not out of our way we made a brief stop at Hespeler Mill Pond. Here we saw our first Green-winged Teal ( Anas crecca) of the season, albeit only two females.

     There was a nice mix of shorebirds present, but nothing unusual. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) was probably the most common sandpiper, feeding vigorously on the rich choice of food in this area.

     Our next stop was at the DesJardins Canal in Dundas where there is always a good chance to see Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) in September.

     We were not disappointed. Several adults and juveniles were present, easily seen and perfectly positioned for photography.

     Many Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were fishing very successfully, a testament to the rich feeding ground the canal has become. Individuals were seen in every gradation of plumage imaginable.

     Numerous Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) also took advantage of the bounty and we watched this individual fly over, brake suddenly, turn and dive into the water. The sequence of its successful dive is captured below.

     The loud rattle of Belted Kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) was frequently heard. Sometimes they perched quietly.....

     But they too dined on fish du jour.

     It was quite a mouthful and the fish was smacked around for a while on the branch before this female attempted to swallow it.

     There was a dead Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the water and we could not figure out how it could have died in this position. It was only when Franc examined his photographs that it became apparent that the unfortunate bird had become entangled in fishing line. It must have been a very slow and agonizing death.

       I am sure that there are responsible fishers but one would think that all the publicity in recent years would prevent this kind of thing from happening. It is not only errant line that is an issue, but lead sinkers are still a problem, causing lead poisoning in dabbling ducks, geese and swans when ingested. In areas where we know people fish regularly garbage is always a problem too. There seems to be no end to the junk left behind, including styrofoam containers for worms, which blow into the water and all over the landscape. The world will end before this stuff degrades.

     One can only hope that people who fish and have a conscience will try to impress on others that they should pursue their pastime in a fashion that takes into account their duty as citizens. Fishing line is lethal to wildlife and should NEVER be left behind. Perhaps organizations like the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters can impress the concept of social responsibility on their members.

     A couple of Great Egrets (Ardea alba) worked the canal and this individual presented an image of grace and symmetry as it flew by.

     This Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is either a juvenile male, or an adult male transitioning from eclipse plumage back into definitive plumage.

     Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) are frequently encoutered at DesJardins from late fall through winter, but it was unusual to see this subadult in September.

     Our next stop was at LaSalle Park and Marina in Burlington, usually a veritable hot spot for birds, but a little subdued today. It was great to see a family of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor), however.

     Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus) are very accustomed to humans bearing food and it was rare that we did not have two or three of these delightful little creatures around our feet.

     Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is the most abundant passerine along the woodland trail at any time of year. The chestnut flanks of this individual contrast wonderfully with the dead leaf to which it is clinging.

     A spider hanging on a thread of silk is not to missed.

     Our final destination was Paletta Park in Burlington, where we were rewarded with close encounters with migrant wood warblers and other species. It was a fascinating and very agreeable end to our day.
     A Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) feeding on Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is not a bad way to start a walk.

     American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) was the warbler most commonly seen; all were females.

     Several Magnolia Warblers (Setophaga magnolia) were also seen as they flitted around incessantly, gleaning every caterpillar and bug that crossed their path.

     As far as I recall this was the only Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) that I saw in the mixed foraging flock.

     Blue-grey Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is a tiny, nervous little bird, and it was Miriam's sharp eyes that first detected it.

     In this quite remarkable photograph Franc captures the bird zooming after an insect.

     We saw both Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) and (even better) Grey-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), with the Grey-cheeked remaining immobile for a few minutes permitting us to get a series of decent pictures.

     Vireos were travelling with the warblers and this Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) was vying for its share of the available food.

     Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) was the most common woodpecker seen.

     A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) was curiously sticking close to a group of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) resting on the shore. At times it was right in the centre of them; fortunately it came out for this photograph.

     Just before leaving we observed our last warbler of the day, a Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia), behaving very much like a nuthatch.

     This had been a stellar day of birding, with opportunities to study many species at close range, to note the contrasts in different phases of plumage, to focus on foraging techniques, to examine the relationship between vegetation and birds - and simply to enjoy a wide range of different species.
     It goes without saying that it is always a joy to have Miriam at my side and to benefit from her acute hearing and to see birds that she focuses on more quickly than most; to be with Judy who delights in everything avian and is especially enraptured by warblers; and to have the irrepressible Franc, bon vivant, master photographer and plain good guy to make every day special.

All species at Hespeler Mill Pond:  Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ring-billed Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Blue Jay.  Total: 13

All species at DesJardins Canal: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Turkey Vulture, Ring-billed Gull, Belted Kingfisher, American Crow, American Goldfinch.  Total: 14

All species at LaSalle Park: Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Accipiter sp., Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Cape May Warbler, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow Total:  18

All species at Paletta Park: Canada Goose, Mallard, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Black-capped Chickadee, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Grey Catbird, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch. Total: 20