A Day's Birding with Kayla

01 September 2019

     The first day of September always represents the beginning of fall for me, regardless of the the fact that the autumn solstice is yet three weeks away, so it was a pleasure to initiate fall birding for 2019 with Kayla Simms.

     Kayla had contacted me to advise that she was a novice birder and would like me to take her birding to help improve her skills a little and I was happy to oblige. 

     I am wholeheartedly glad that I consented to do so, for she turned out to be the most agreeable companion one could possibly imagine and quite aside from a great day of birding I enjoyed my time with her immensely, and a new and rewarding friendship was struck.

     I took few photographs, and what I have are of indifferent quality, but I will include a few taken at the DesJardins Canal. The range of species here was not dramatic, but there were lifers for Kayla, and she was keen to learn as much as possible about their lifestyle, so adult and juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) gave her great pleasure.

     This juvenile Green Heron (Butorides virescens) was no less pleasing for Kayla and we saw a couple of adults also.

     Great Egret (Ardea alba) is a species whose range has expanded dramatically in southern Ontario in recent years, and it is no longer unusual to encounter concentrations of twenty or thirty of these birds. A lone individual was present at the canal, but I suspect that had we explored farther along Coote's Paradise we might well have found more.

     As is usually the case, even in winter, Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax phalacrocorax) are a fixture at the DesJardins Canal, and Kayla was very interested to observe them swimming, often almost totally submerged, fishing, and drying their wings.

     Our next stop was at Grindstone Creek where there was a good deal of activity, with Western Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) and Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) putting on impressive displays of aerial maneuverability and fish-catching prowess.

     A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) had captured a quite large fish and was bashing it thoroughly in the way that herons do. I had left my camera in the car (I am probably so used to relying on Miriam to take the pictures), but I went back for it. Alas, when I arrived anew at the scene the heron had already swallowed the fish.

     All was not lost, however, for Joel Marshall, a real photographer with real equipment, had been chatting to us in the most friendly and agreeable way, and he undertook to send me some of his images. They are included below and I am sure you will agree that they are as dramatic as one could ever hope to witness. I am very grateful indeed to Joel for his kindness; no less for his promptness in forwarding the pictures.

     Kayla and I said goodbye to Joel, and proceeded to La Salle Park and Marina in Burlington, followed by visits to Paletta Park and Bronte Harbour in Oakville. Each location held its special attractions, including a lively movement of migratory warblers at Paletta Park. For Kayla there were numerous lifers and the excitement of seeing fall migration in full swing.

     I had one lifer too, a rare but highly desirable species, known only to a small discerning audience. Its scientific name is Kayla iucunda. The great thing about this species is that once discovered it is easy to find again, and never ceases to amuse, charm and reveal new characters. Now, what could be better than that?