Waterloo Region Nature Outings, Columbia Lake, Waterloo, ON

     The latest in the series of outings I have been conducting for WRN recently saw us visit Columbia Lake. As always, there was a mid week venture for people who do not have the daily grind of a job to occupy their time, and a weekend jaunt for the benighted souls who do.

 08 December 2021

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Lynn Conway, Pauline Copleston, Lisa Den Besten, Bob Fraser, Beth Hobson, Graham Macdonald, Marg Macdonald, Geoff Moore, Rog Suffling, Judy Watson, Kathy Waybrant

Lynn, Graham, Lisa, Geoff, Marg, Rog, Pauline, Bob, Beth, Judy, Kathy

      It was a crisp minus seven degrees as our hardy group of winter warriors set out to see what birds wished to join us on our snowy promenade.

     Miriam was unable to join us unfortunately, but she was evidently sorely missed, for I answered a barrage of questions asking, "Where's Miriam?" Not a hint of "How are you, David?", it was all about Miriam. I sighed, pouted, stamped my feet, gnashed my teeth but carried on resolutely, knowing exactly what chopped liver feels like!

     Bob was concerned that our star photographer was absent, and that there would be few pictures to memorialize the glorious day - and he was right. Thank goodness for files of adventures past!

     Initially, there were few birds either seen or heard, but as the walk progressed it got better. 

     We saw many stands of Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobulata) and for the first time saw Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) feeding on the seeds, extracting them from the globular pods and holding them in their feet while hammering away, in normal chickadee fashion.

     This was really interesting since the seeds of Wild Cucumber are known to be toxic, and even hallucinogenic, to humans. Chickadees obviously are immune to the danger. We should not be surprised, I suppose, since vultures have stomach acids that can deal with anthrax, and Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) are able to feast on berries containing the cyanogenic glycoside amgydalin in concentrations that would be lethal to humans.

     It was a snowy December day in southern Ontario; but we plodded on, enriched by lively conversation with naturalist friends. 

     To paraphrase Robert Frost, the woods were lovely, dark and deep.

     And we had about another kilometre to go before we turned around to wend our way back.

     

     There is an expansive, open area at one side of the path, and Lisa who lives close by and walks this area often, had no sooner finished stating that she had never seen a harrier there, when, through the snowflakes, and at the far limit of our vision, a bird, a ghostly spectre, sped through. 

     A Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonicus) we shouted! Hooray! Then I started to have doubts. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) coexists with Northern Harrier, both preferring the same habitat and hunting the same prey. "I saw the white rump," said Lisa. "It was merely a pale part of the back," said I. It had been almost an apparition through the curtain of snow that was falling, but I was pretty sure the underwing pattern was of a Short-eared Owl. I waffled a bit but kept coming back to Short-eared Owl.

     Kathy Waybrant who normally carries her impressive photographic equipment at the ready had stashed it in her backpack to protect it from the precipitation, but was able to quickly get it out to shoot off a few images. As might be expected, the pictures were not of award-winning quality, given the conditions, but the one she sent me was clear enough to identify the bird as a Northern Harrier!

     I now owe the smug Lisa a coffee and I have little doubt that the corners of her mouth will henceforth be attached to her ears!

     Here from my archives are a few pictures to illustrate some of the species we saw.

Northern Harrier ♂

Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) and Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Black-capped Chickadee

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) ♂

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

     We had a fabulous morning together, taking in the best of what nature has to offer. My fellow walkers are the finest people you can meet and it was my pleasure to spend time with them.

     As I complete this first part of the outings to Columbia Lake, the weather for Saturday does not look promising. If the predicted rain does not arrive I will be reporting on another walk with other dedicated naturalists.

     Keep your fingers and toes crossed with me!

12 December  2021

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Victoria Ho, Janet Ozaruk, Curtiss MacDonald, Henriette Thompson, Selwyn Tomkun

Selwyn, Victoria, David, Henriette, Curtiss, Janet

     The threat of dire weather on Saturday materialized, more in the form of extremely strong winds than the predicted rain (as Victoria is wont to remind me), but we were able to move the outing to Sunday. Unfortunately, Mary Ann, Ross and Walter had prior commitments for Sunday, but those of us who could make it did, and had a great morning together in classic weather for southern Ontario, clear, barely a hint of wind and a temperature flirting right around zero. 

     No doubt, this area was once a farm and the grain silo stands as a silent testament to the past.

     The highlight on the water was a stunning male Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). I was anxious to have Henriette have a good look at this handsome duck, but she had no binoculars. Curtiss, whose middle name is Kindness, went back to his car to retrieve his spare set, and Henriette quickly accustomed herself to them and used them to great advantage.

     All eyes were directed to the water, seeking a female merganser, but none was to be found.

     Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) verged on commonplace, a little higher than we might have liked for pictures, but entertaining nonetheless.

     I would like to give a shout-out to a couple who join most of my walks and who are the most agreeable participants any outings leader ever had.

     This is not to in any way give short shrift to others, but it registered on me today just how much pleasure I derive from having Selwyn and Victoria join me so frequently.

     They are scintillating companions, always filled with good humor, intelligent conversation, and radiate the joy of being out and about in nature.

     See you again next week guys!

     Yet another Red-bellied Woodpecker, a tad ruffled by a little wind at those lofty heights, put in an appearance.

     Nearby, an American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) in muted winter plumage was seeking food.

     Black birds are always very difficult to photograph, and Miriam did a great job with this image of an American Crow (Corvus brachyrynchos), I think.

     The sleuths in our group found these tracks, presumably of deer.

     The imprint is narrow and pointed and I can't think what else it might be. 

     As was to be expected, with Miriam along on the walk, more pictures were taken. She managed this exquisite sequence of Black-capped Chickadees extracting Wild Cucumber seeds as described above.

     Most pods had already been exploited and this beautiful lacy remnant is the result, worthy of a Christmas tree ornament it seems to me.

     The following four images show the progression of activity as the chickadee extracts the single large seed which superficially resembles a black sunflower seed.

     The husk is surprisingly tough and the process of digging into it was quite noisy. I don't recall ever having seen pictures of this activity; certainly it is a first for us.

     Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) looks especially attractive at this time of the year.

     The trail beckoned us on.

     We had a wonderful time together. Perhaps this walk was an early Holiday gift for all of us.

     It certainly was for me.