Early April 2018 has been cold and dry in the Toronto area and it’s made me even more impatient for true spring to arrive. So I ventured down to Colonel Samuel Smith park in Toronto hoping that with its wide variety of habitats I would find something new to look at.
Birds Basking and Dabbling Around the Col Sam Smith Duck Pond
There is a small run-off type stream that passed through Col Sam on its way to Lake Ontario. As it nears the Lake, it widens out into a pond complete with a small treed island. The edges of the pond are lined with dogwood, phragmites and other plants making an appealing shoreline for water birds. As I walked around the duck pond, I enjoyed meeting many of the birds of spring.
A pair of Blue-winged Teal were only obvious when a person or a dog ventured too close for their comfort. Otherwise, they stayed inconspicuously along the mucky edges hunting for food.
Can you see the “blue” in the wing of this Teal?
As soon as a dog went down to the pond for a drink, these cautious Blue-winged Teal moved away.
A pair of Bufflehead were in the pond although most of the pairs were out on the Lake.
Sometimes Mute Swans look more like floating pillows.
One of the pairs of Mute Swans is already nesting on April 13. Actually I guess that’s not unusual, it’s just so cold it seems early!
There were several dozen pairs of Mallards. Some of them were standing in pairs looking rather sheepish as they stared around at the trampled-down phragmites as if wondering if they should start a nest here or not.
American Wigeons look cheerful to me.
Several pair of Gadwall swam around the pond along with a pair and a spare of American Wigeon.
Even the “spare” Wigeon didn’t seem depressed.
The Gadwall were showing off a bit for their partners. I often get Gadwall and Wigeon confused from a distance until I remember the Gadwall don’t have the white patch near their black rear ends.
You can see the “teeth” or lamellae on the edge of this Gadwall’s bill. These little combs remind me of whale baleen and serve the same general purpose. The duck can press water out of its mouth while the food stays stuck behind the lamellae.
This Gadwall may be catching some of the many midges before they leave the water.
You Don’t Have to Be a Duck to Enjoy the Duck Pond
Three, no four Black-crowned Night Herons were roosting for the day in the island trees. When they line up with a branch or trunk they don’t show up much but when you see them in silhouette against the sky they are obvious. Later on the leaves will obscure them more from passersby.
The Song Sparrows are back and singing.
A large mixed flock of Robins, Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles was infesting the Dogwood thicket, prowling along the muddy ground or eating the sumac fruit overhead.
At least 2 pairs of Canada Geese were already nesting.
Male Cardinals chased each other out of small territories while the females watched and ate.
Killdeer flew noisily overhead while the much-larger Turkey Vultures were silently trying to gain altitude on a calm day.
And I found my first Golden-crowned Kinglets of the year working briskly through some shrubs. Not all of the local Kinglets migrate but I suspect these ones had just returned from better hunting grounds.
Meanwhile in the Marina
I did venture a little further into the park to quickly check the Marina lagoon. I couldn’t resist when I heard the familiar weird calls of the Red-necked Grebes.
Sure enough, there was a pair doing their interesting dance.
Complete with their “Mickey Mouse” ears!
Pussywillows Promise Spring (Just Ask Gordon Lightfoot)
The Pussywillows aren’t very plump yet but they do hold the promise of spring. Soon, we hope!
Join In
Have you seen any signs that spring is coming, however slowly? Please share your views with a comment.
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