North Shore of Lake Ontario

 A definition of natural history - "A practice of attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy."

                                                                    Thomas Lowe Fleischner 

13 July, 2024

     It had been a while since we had birded with Lisa, and Selwyn and Victoria, and I had promised Shannon to let her know about some birding days, so we all got together and headed for various points along the north shore of Lake Ontario. We were joined there by Shannon's daughter, Abbey, and her boyfriend, Preston.

     It was a perfect day to be down near the water, although by mid afternoon it was getting decidedly hot.

Humber Bay Park East, Toronto, ON

     Many people were out enjoying the start of the weekend, and birding - as might be expected in mid July - was a little slow.

     It didn't take us long, however, to locate a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius), quite oblivious to the throngs strolling along the waterfront, and even the close proximity of an outdoor yoga class.

     A Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) at times seemed to be masquerading as a Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis).

     We don't focus so much on insects when we have others with us, but we couldn't resist taking a picture of this Brown-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus grisecollis).

     For many years Red-necked Grebes (Podiceps grisegenga) have bred at this location, and 2024 was no exception.

     A male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) surveyed his domain.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, ON

     Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagitttaria latifolia) is a characteristic and visually appealing plant of wetlands throughout much of Ontario.

     The leaf structure is attractive enough by itself, and the flowers of this plant only add to its appeal.

     An immature male Red-winged Blackbird has survived the first rigours of independence and is making his way in life.

     Nearctic Blue Mud-dauber Wasp (Chalybion californicum) is a handsome insect with an interesting life style.

     From Wasps, Eric R. Eaton (2021) - "Wasps in the genus Chalybion notice the webs of their spider host while flying. They then land on the web and deftly pluck the snare to mimic a struggling insect. This draws the spider to its doom."

     You will note from the following picture that Preston is head and shoulders taller than the rest of us, and that proved to be a very useful attribute.

     Red-winged Blackbirds are renowned for their aggression in defence of their nest, and they zoomed in on the highest point - Preston's head. We may have to insist that he accompany us on all our outings during breeding season! At present he is not a dedicated birding fanatic and we have to work on that. As Abbey succinctly phrased it, "He doesn't especially like birds, but he likes me so he comes along." Long may that continue!

     A good-natured person had liberally strewn birdseed on a rock and a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) wasted no time in lining up at the buffet.

     Quickly, it was joined by House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Red-winged Blackbirds.

     And a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) came to claim a share, without chivvying and bullying others, contrary to popular belief.

     Several turtles were hauled out on rocks and there was lively conjecture as to their species.

     The following picture shows Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

     And here are Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemis picta marginata).

     There was some discussion as to whether Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) had also joined the basking beauties, and I was leaning towards that conclusion at the time, yet none of Miriam's pictures show this species.

     A family of American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva) provided great entertainment for us; it was of course heartwarming to see such success.

     It was Claude Monet who elevated water lilies to mythical status, but he is certainly not alone in appreciating their enduring beauty. They are an avatar of calm in troubling times.

     A Spotted Sandpiper pleased us greatly with a sprightly promenade along the mud.

     Who can fail to be uplifted by a Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)?

     Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) is always beautiful, but exceptionally so on a hot summer's day.

     This oak (genus Quercus) was exceptionally pale and it was Lisa who identified it as suffering from a condition known as chlorosis.

     This was new information for me and I appreciated Lisa highlighting it for us.

      "A common cause of chlorosis is a deficiency of iron or manganese, both of which are present but unavailable in high pH soils (pH>7.2). Iron and manganese are needed by plants to form chlorophyll and to complete photosynthesis.  Stressors, such as temperature extremes, drought, poor drainage (which limits soil aeration) or restricted root growth, further limit nutrient uptake in plants sensitive to chlorosis." (The Morton Arboretum).

     One has to wonder whether the temperature extremes to which trees are now subjected will increase the incidence of this condition.

     A female Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) is the very model of stability.

     Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) has been frequently featured on my blog giving you an idea of just how common it is, but I would wager that few see it.

     Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritus) seemed to favour the small harbour where many man-made perches were available.

     If one bird dominated our day it was Red-necked Grebe.

     Once again we encountered several breeding pairs.

     Cormorants and Mallards shared the water together in harmony.

     Maybe it was just too hot to squabble!

Douglas Kennedy Headland, Mississauga, ON

     The first order of business was to have lunch and we found a sapling providing enough shade for us all to sit on the grass and enjoy our picnic. 

     The playground was full of joyful children, the splashpads resounded with squeals of delight, and Greenbottle Flies (genus Lucilia) glistened in the sun.

     Guelder-Rose (Viburnum opulus) displayed the results of a fruitful season.

     Dogbanes (genus Apocynum) were prolific.....

     ..... and Alders (genus Alnus) looked terrific.

A. E. Crookes Park, Mississauga, ON

     Mere minutes from Douglas Kennedy Headland, the park was a hive of activity, with people enjoying the beach and the water, with hardly a parking space available. With all the hubbub it was hardly surprising that birds were few, other than for a few aerial gulls.

     A friendly White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) did, however, come to see us.

Bronte Harbour, Oakville, ON

     By the time we reached Bronte Harbour the mid afternoon heat was becoming quite oppressive, and the terns we had hoped to see lined up along the breakwater had been displaced by strolling humans and their dogs.

     It was fitting that we did see several Red-necked Grebes, the bird of the day without a doubt, and this time we had clear evidence of breeding success.

     It had been a great day with wonderful friends and a slow drive home did nothing to diminish the pleasure.

     We'll do it again soon.