West Perth Wetland, Mitchell, ON

28 July 2018

     Our good friend John Sanderson recently had hip replacement surgery and is recovering nicely. In order to give his hip a test drive, so to speak, we accompanied him and Geraldine to one of their favourite birding areas. John did well and his mobility has improved immeasurably since before the surgery. He didn't want to push it too much, however, so went back to the car to rest while we carried on with our birding.

     When shorebirds are migrating West Perth Wetland is a magnet for a number of species. Adult peeps (mostly Least (Calidris minutilla) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) were present - and they were too far out to identify other species if there were any - with hatch year birds to follow soon.

      In addition to the birds there was an abundance of Grove Snails (Cepaea nemoralis) and much as we tried to avoid stepping on them it was at times impossible, and whenever we heard a crunch underneath our feet we knew another had met its demise.

     Of ducks we saw many Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) but a lone female Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) joined the parade too.

     Both of these species breed at Mitchell and it will be another couple of months before the migratory ducks from the north begin to arrive.  

     Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) was far and away the most common shorebird, as it generally is at this time of the year. It may be familiar but it is a handsome bird indeed and merits a full measure of our appreciation.

     We probably saw several Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) but they never stayed put long enough for us to be sure. There is no doubt about this one, however.

     A Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and a couple of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) seemed content to loaf around watching the sandpipers frantically gathering food.

     West Perth Wetland can deliver some lovely surprises from time to time (the first time we ever went there a Red Knot (Calidris canutus) in breeding plumage) and today we were treated to the wonderful sight of several splendidly attired Short-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus) feeding away with their signature stitching motion.

     One might have wished for them to be a little closer, but we had great looks through the scope. It just wasn't as good as it might have been for photographs. Actually had Franc been with us, with his equipment, he would have had some wonderful captures.

     Semipalmated Sandpipers fed a little closer to shore.

     Least Sandpiper too.

     As much of a delight as the dowitchers was a Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) still retaining vestiges of its breeding plumage. This is a bird that can be found each year, but not without some diligent searching.

     On the way back to the car a group of Eastern Kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) let us know that they had a successful breeding season.

    When we shared our sightings with John he was delighted at our success. Next time we go to the wetland I have no doubt that he will be able to join us for more of the circuit and he too will have the kind of sensory top up we had.

     And now, if I may, let me address something totally unrelated, a topic that has been much on my mind of late. It is the use (misuse is more appropriate) of single use plastics. The sheer complacency of people now that I have been deliberately taking note is staggering. We seem to be hardly making a dent into this problem and we continue to flood both the earth and the oceans with this nearly indestructible detritus.

     It has to become an individual responsibility to reduce and ultimately eliminate it. 

     I am reminded that many years ago, when companies sent their management people to motivational seminars, I attended such an event in Calgary, AB where Ziz Ziglar was the featured proselytizer. Most of what he evangelized about was utter nonsense it seemed to me, but I do remember one point that left its mark. It was the concept of always measuring the inevitable secondary result of any action you take. He illustrated the point like this. He asked everyone in the audience to raise their hand if they had a piece of the pie served for dessert the previous night. There was a great show of hands. He then asked how many people were ten pounds or more overweight, and there was another great show of hands. He then said, "Well, when you made the choice to have the pie you made the choice to be overweight." One logically follows on the other. And so, when you continue to use single use plastic you are making a conscious decision to pollute the environment.

    So stop doing it. It is probably impossible to achieve 100% success but you can come close to it.  Let me give you one simple illustration of how great strides can be made easily. The other day I went to the store to buy red and green peppers, apples, bananas, green onions,  and a red onion. I took a cloth bag that Miriam made and put everything in that bag. Some shoppers put each item in its own plastic bag - the red pepper in its bag, the green pepper in its bag...and so on. That represents six plastic bags and then they go to the checkout and pay 5 cents for a plastic shopping bag to carry off the six other plastic bags. It boggles the mind. But this behaviour is repeated over and over again. When water in plastic bottles is on sale at the store shoppers leave with cart loads full. I see consumers pick up meat which is already on a styrofoam tray enveloped in plastic wrap, then place it in another plastic bag.

     Instead of buying individual little plastic containers of yogurt why not buy a big tub and use your own containers? Tell restaurants that use plastic straws that you will no longer take your business there if they continue to do so. Find coffee shops that will fill your own cup. 

     I shop at Costco and they are always shoveling food samples at everyone, served in little plastic containers with a plastic utensil provided, all of which are immediately thrown away. I cannot buy produce there. If I want to buy tomatoes, for example, they are prepackaged in a plastic box. Grapes are also in a plastic box, apples are in a plastic box or bag...and so on.

     The airlines have to start to address this problem and as consumers we can be influential. Think of the amount of disposable items used on every plane throughout the world every day. Our politicians need to change their habits. Each time a cabinet meeting is shown on television there is a plastic bottle of water at every chair. Do you all remember Trump's clumsy efforts to drink from a plastic bottle at the podium? Why couldn't that be replaced with pitchers of water and glasses?

     I could go on, but I am sure the point is made. There are countless ways you can stop using single use plastic and if we all do it there will be a very significant reduction. I hope the day will soon come when drinking from a plastic bottle will be as uncouth as spitting in a spittoon. Remember, that was once socially acceptable too.