At the Water's Edge

Red-headed Woodpecker

I have seen a Red-headed Woodpecker four times in the past 15 years, the last time being an unexpected but exciting close encounter on Manitoulin Island in 2021. I heard reports that a pair appeared to be nesting in a swamp at a natural area that I visit frequently just four kilometres from our home. I rode my bike over early the following day and quickly found this beautiful bird. This species is declining at a rate of about 1% a year with 54% fewer in 2019 than in 1966. I hope this pair breeds successfully and returns again next year.

A beaver swims through water reflections early in the day

While I was watching the woodpecker, a beaver was gliding silently through the water. A swamp appears to be a dead place (other than mosquitoes) until you pay patient attention to the stumps and movement in the water. Wood ducks and Hooded Mergansers were breeding in the vicinity but the brown-coloured females blended in well with the swamp's colour palette. 

A Tree Swallow flew in and out of its nest hole in one of the stumps in the swamp. The city has placed many bird boxes in this natural area and Tree Swallows are quick to settle in the man-made homes. This was my first time seeing a Tree Swallow in a natural cavity. 

Later in the day I rode my bike along the river and saw this Great Blue Heron try for thirty minutes to eat a catfish. The fish was just too big and heavy for the bird to swallow but it persisted for a long time before it flew off in defeat. The catfish would undoubtedly be devoured before long by a nearby mammal or avian scavenger.

Along the same stretch of river, a Great Egret fished more modest-sized prey. These herons do not nest in our area but pass through in spring and fall between their winter and summer breeding grounds.

I also look for plants in bloom near the water. This flower is called The Star of Bethlehem. It belongs to the asparagus family and is propagated by bulbs. It is native to Europe and Africa and was brought to North America as an ornamental and medicinal plant. The flower is lovely but there is always the risk of it becoming invasive and displacing native plants. 

I enjoy nature's diversity immensely and often wonder why we try to pigeonhole human appearance and behaviour within a narrow spectrum of acceptance. The natural world ranges from the subtlety of a female Wood Duck to the flamboyance of both male and female Red-headed Woodpeckers. Each bird species has its own set of songs and calls. I am using The Cornell Lab's Merlin Bird ID app this year to identify bird songs and have found it very useful. How dull it would be if every bird or flower were the same in appearance, sound and behaviour!