{"id":2540,"date":"2014-04-17T08:51:33","date_gmt":"2014-04-17T12:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=2540"},"modified":"2021-01-14T17:32:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T22:32:46","slug":"spring-at-arkendo-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/spring-at-arkendo-park\/","title":{"rendered":"More Spring Beauties at Arkendo Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

I mentioned in my last post<\/strong><\/a> that the Brown Creepers, Yellow Rumped Warblers, and both Ruby Crowned and Golden Crowned Kinglets were migrating through Arkendo Park in Oakville despite the relatively cool start to spring. As I kept searching I found some other spring beauties, too.<\/p>\n

Nope They\u2019re Not Dandelions<\/h2>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

What a difference a week makes. At the beginning of April there was no sign of any Coltsfoot. By mid-April, the swallow-nesting sandbanks along the shore were dotted with bright yellow blooms. Coltsfoot is an alien but is well established in Canada. I don\u2019t know if its pollen provides welcome food for spring insects like dandelion blossoms do, but I suspect it might. I decided to check.<\/p>\n

According to a paper by J-D M Wild and G. Gottsberger<\/strong><\/a> who studied Coltsfoot in Bavaria , insects are attracted to Coltsfoot by a sweet scent and the yellow colour (plus ultraviolet patterns) of the ray and disc florets. As well as the pollen itself, the male disc florets offer the insects \u201chexose-rich nectar.\u201d<\/p>\n

So it sounds like Coltsfoot might be useful to early spring insects, although Dandelions, another alien species, reputedly offer a high protein food source which may be more welcome.<\/p>\n

Arkendo, by the way, is almost entirely over-run by alien invasives. Aside from the Poison Ivy and Sumac, there don\u2019t seem to be many native plants growing in the park near the Lake.<\/p>\n

Four Legged Spring Sights<\/h2>\n

Passing the Coltsfoot, I tried to walk carefully around part where the creek meets the Lake. Often the duck pond hosts something unusual.<\/p>\n

Well, I wasn\u2019t quiet or slow enough: a startled Belted Kingfisher hurled abuse at me and a warning to all as it took off from an extremely short deadhead near the far side of the creek. I admit, I was expecting any kingfishers to be on one of their preferred perches much higher up in the trees. Still, it was my own fault that I missed yet another chance to get a good close-up of a Kingfisher.<\/p>\n

I kept scanning the far bank of the creek for any signs of Mink or Muskrat, both of which I\u2019ve seen here. Then I started looking at the lawns of the huge house that faces the duck pond.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I said it was fox red, didn’t I?<\/em><\/p>\n

Happily, there I saw, feeding, an extremely robust Groundhog. The copper orange of its fur and the black of its hind legs and tail made it vivid against the very short grass. By slowing down significantly I was able to watch it for quite a while, although it was too far away for a clear photo.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I never realized how angry a Groundhog can look.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I think they look more like bears than hogs.<\/em><\/p>\n

While taking one of my typically out-of-focus photos, though, I noticed a brown lump on the lawn in front of it. Ah! Another spring migrant\u2014a Yellow Shafted Flicker.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Note the Moustache.<\/em><\/p>\n

No sooner had I noticed the one, when two other Flickers flew up from the lawn into a birch tree.<\/p>\n

While again, I couldn\u2019t get a good photo because of the distance, I took a few record shots to remind me of what I\u2019d seen. I took a few before passing the Canada Geese, and a few afterwards. It wasn\u2019t till I was reviewing them on the computer at home that I realized they weren\u2019t of the same Flicker. The first had the assertive black moustache of the male; the second, like most females, had no moustache of any colour. Sneaky birds!<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Unless it shaved, this is a Female. Note: No moustache.<\/em><\/p>\n

Canada Geese Pick a Terrible Spot to Set Up House<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a fairly small drift wood log on the shore at the Arkendo Park side of the duck pond. Anyone walking from the Lake back towards the pond or creek passes this log. So can you guess where a pair of rather small Canada Geese has decided to try to nest?<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Frankly, I don\u2019t think much of their chance of success. While I politely walked decisively past the nest and didn\u2019t stop again till about 8 yards away, I could tell from the hysterical calling a half-hour later that other park visitors were not interested in being so considerate.<\/p>\n

Still, it was nice to see the Mom sitting on the log and arching her neck to keep a close eye on me. I don\u2019t know if they\u2019ve actually laid any eggs because I didn\u2019t disturb her enough to flush her off the log. I try to minimize my interference in animals\u2019 lives when I can.<\/p>\n

Another Exotic Shorebird Turns Out to Be Something Quite Common<\/h2>\n

I seem to specialize in mistaking Song Sparrows, which were singing around the duck pond, for exotic birds whenever I see them in slightly unexpected places. I\u2019ve mistaken them for Wrens, American Tree Sparrows, and even Horned Larks. Not for long, of course, just for long enough to take a dozen bad photos of a bird which I have several good clear photos of already.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Is it just me or is this Song Sparrow glaring at me?<\/em><\/p>\n

So I was fairly confident that the small bird I started taking shots of that was foraging along the leaf-strewn mud flat on the far side of the Duck Pond would turn out to be another Song Sparrow. I\u2019d actually seen and photographed one singing a few minutes before.
\nWhen I finally got a good glimpse through the viewfinder and realized the streaking on the front was wrong for a Song Sparrow, I got more excited. Could this be a Waterthrush?<\/p>\n

Everyone else sees cool things like Waterthrushes on migration. I imagined smugly mentioning my sighting on OutdoorOntario to the wistful sighs of other bird watchers.<\/p>\n

Of course, it wasn\u2019t a Waterthrush. It wasn\u2019t even uncommon. A few more photos and it finally (perhaps having learned from the Ruby Crowned Kinglet that this Birder is a moron) turned and flaunted its rusty tail at me.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Yep, it was a Hermit Thrush.<\/p>\n

In my defence, they both have the word \u201cthrush\u201d in their name! And the bird guides never describe Hermit Thrushes as being interested in foraging along mud flats.<\/p>\n

And, frankly, it was lovely to see the Hermit Thrush. He or she was cheerfully searching for food and offered an engaging glimpse into its unworried behaviour. Plus of course I got to practice my photography skills some more before the flood of warblers washes over us later in the spring. (I didn\u2019t say I improved! Just that I practiced.)<\/p>\n

It may be worth mentioning that it was heavily overcast during this spring expedition. For brief glorious seconds, the sun would try to fight through, but it was gradually losing the battle.<\/p>\n

Home Again<\/h2>\n

This low light level isn\u2019t great with a relatively inexpensive telephoto lens.<\/p>\n

And since it was getting darker (and colder! The wind off the Lake was chilling.) I decided to leave these lovely Warblers and Kinglets and Sparrows and Thrushes and wander back towards my own backyard. It had been a colourful warming glimpse of spring despite the overcast cool weather.<\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n