The Friendly Confines of Laurel Creek Conservation Area

 12 November, 2024

"Natural history is our prayer and our celebration, our sacrament and our unkempt affection, our most single-minded examinations and our most wide-open wandering gaze."

Thomas Lowe Fleischner

     Laurel Creek is so close and always delightful and Pam joined us for a stroll on a fine fall morning. It was nothing shy of pure delight.

     We had barely gotten out of the car when charismatic Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) let us know that they were ready for breakfast. Pam wasted no time in serving their first course.

     It's a valid question to ask whether the human dispensing the food or the bird taking advantage of it is happier. Perhaps it's a fair trade when all's said and done. 

     There were several rafts of ducks out on the water, but mostly quite far out, and bathed in bright sunlight - hardly conducive to good photographs.

     Here are some Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) with a couple of female Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) joining forces with them. 

     More Buffleheads, male and female.

     A pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) were way off in the distance.

     Mixed flocks were the order of the day.

     There were many Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) as might be expected.

     We took great pleasure in seeing a Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) growing out of a decaying stump.

     Renewal and recycling is a constant feature of nature, and I am always sad to see homeowners furiously cleaning up every fallen leaf on their property, denying the soil of the rich nutrients nature provides. 

     When one brings to mind iconic Canadian images, birches (genus Betula) feature prominently, it seems to me.

     In among the hundreds (thousands?) of geese we spotted four swans. Facing the tandem disadvantages of distance and reflected light I was unable to be certain as to the species, but given the time of year I concluded they were probably Trumpeter Swans (Cynus buccinator). Confirmation would come later.

     We came upon huge piles of snail shells, leading us to wonder why they were concentrated in one spot. I know very little of Gastropoda so their identity and the reason for their abundance will have to remain a mystery I'm afraid.

     They resemble the Apple Snails (genus Pomacea) that I have frequently seen in the Caribbean, Central and South America, but whether snails of this type can survive here is unknown to me. 

     White- breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) were vocal and followed us, but did not venture to our hands for seed, in stark contrast to Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) who lined up like office workers at a fast food truck.

    At times six or eight chickadees would would vie with each other, and they all feasted royally on premium shelled sunflower seeds.

     Some even added a snack of goldenrod (genus Solidago) seeds to their diet.

     How delightful they are and what joy they bring to us.

     Several Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) patrolled the neighbourhood; disdaining our hands but alert for seed knocked to the ground by chickadees.

     I believe this is a nest of Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia), long departed for warmer climes.

     We will look forward to seeing them again in Spring.

     As we made our way around the lake we were able to get into position to view the swans a little more closely, and assured ourselves that they were indeed trumpeters.

      The Blue Jays moved along with us, always sure to keep a potential source of food in view.

     When we left we tossed a little seed onto the ground, and barely had we gone a few steps when a couple of Blue Jays swooped down to take advantage of manna from humans.

     A Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was quick to follow.

     Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), that most despised and reviled plant, proved its hardiness and glowed beautifully in November sunlight. A dandelion is welcomed, loved and respected in my world.

     A Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) was doubtless still finding sustenance from the flower.

     Faithful to its name Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum) was the only odenate we encountered.

     Larches (genus Larix) glowed golden in the distance.

     We found a picnic table in the sun and settled in for coffee and muffins. The chickadees wasted no time in letting us know that they too looked forward to a snack.

     They found my hat to be a convenient perch.

     I leave you with perhaps the most enjoyable species of all on this bright November morning, the enigmatic and unique, Pamela ecstatica.

     It was a pleasure to share our day with her.