*Quick note. For some reason the blogger website keeps glitching/kicking me off recently... I usaully write my posts on the app, then go on the website and edit photo size/captions.. but I can't do that at the moment, so if this post looks a little different, that's why.*
I launched just after 6:15am and slowly made my way along the edge of
the lake to the southeast corner. This area is basically undisturbed and has
some prime wetland habitat, which is home to some cool breeding species like
Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren, American Bittern and Least Bittern. There were no
bitterns today though, but there were tons of Marsh Wrens and a few
rails.
Recently I started going through my "photo targets" on eBird, that showed me
what species I have seen but not uploaded photos of. I've got it down to 21
species. Some of them I know I've photo'd, but just can't find the said pictures and others I
haven't photographed at all. One of those birds was Marsh Wren, which
although is a common breeder in my local wetlands, it tends to stay hidden
in the vegetation.
I can't say I've ever spent time trying to get a wren
photo, so when I heard one singing this morning I stopped my kayak and
grabbed my camera. It took a few minutes of waiting, but eventually it flew
up and I got a few shots off.
The pictures aren't very good.. but it's a photo lifer so I'll take
it..
I also found a Marsh Wren nest later that morning
After I was done with the wrens, I paddled over to the west end of the lake
(about 2km) to look for terns. I knew Black Terns were nesting somewhere at
that side of the lake, but I wasn't sure exactly where..
The nesting site turned out to be quite easy to find, out in the open and made
obvious by the adults flying overhead calling. Black Terns can be terrifying
adversaries if you get too close to their nest, so I tucked my kayak in a
stand of cattails beside the nesting area so I wouldn't disturb them (no, I'm
not scared of terns..).
A few minutes later I heard a commotion and saw an adult Peregrine Falcon whip
by, with a tern in close pursuit. The falcon was carrying a bird (some
dove-sized thing) and basically ignored the smaller tern. I rarely see
Peregrines in the summer up here, so that was a fun surprise.
I spent over an hour there, watching the 2 pairs of terns come and go from
their nests. Most of the time they weren't very close, but occasionally they
would fly right overhead and give me a chance to take photos. I've always thought of
Black Terns as dainty, rather skiddish terns of the marsh, but that certainly
changed today!
As I said, I was only there for an hour, but in that time I saw the terns go
after at least 11 different birds. I know most birds are protective of their
nests... but this was something else! If another bird flew within a 500m
radius of the nest, BAM! The friendly little tern is suddenly transformed into
a blood thirsty, aggressive and frankly terrifying creature that could pass
for a jaeger. When a cormorant passed by a BLTE went right for it, even
grabbing at the larger birds tail. But that doesn't even compare to the
Caspian Tern encounter, as that bird was chased halfway down the lake in a mad frenzy. Not
even the innocent Tree Swallow escapes the terns wrath, and was chased whenever it flew too close to a nest. Don't bother going to Van Wagner's Beach this fall to
watch Parasitic Jaegers harass gulls, Black Terns are much more fearsome/entertaining!
Some tern pics..
The wind started to pick up around 9:00am, so I left the terns and made my way
back to the dock. On the way I had a Least Sandpiper fly over, my first "fall
migrant" of the season. Other highlights from my paddle included; Wood
Duck, Common Loon, Sandhill Crane, Green Heron, Osprey, Wood Thrush,
Blackburnian Warbler and Scarlet Tanager. 55 species in total, not bad for a
morning kayak! I returned around 10:30, just as the heat of the day was
descending. There was a nice breeze for most of the morning, so the
temperature was quite enjoyable on the lake. A nice break after the 30°C
heat we've had this past week!
Some random bird photos...
Common Loon
Caspian Tern
Double-crested Cormorants
Also I had a Lesser Yellowlegs at Sauble Beach this evening, the shorebirds are starting to move..
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