ICYMI: On the Pond and Beyond

Many townsfolk enjoy taking a walk through the Niagara Shores Park area. The circular path which leads initially to the Lake Ontario shoreline and winds past Four Mile Pond and the creek that feeds it makes for a pleasant morning walk. In the summer, many take advantage of the beach access to enjoy a day along the shore. The remains of campfires also indicate use in the evenings.

For me, the five-minute drive from home allows a leisurely walk, with camera in hand. I never seem to fail to obtain a photo or more during these morning strolls. At this time of year, things get particularly interesting and a walk near the Pond itself provides some iterating sights.  Many of us enjoy the stately movement of a pair of mute swans as they glide effortlessly across the pond.  This pair seem to  go through the motions of building a nest and laying eggs, but, unfortunately no young have been noted in the last few years.

In the early spring the pond offers a convenient spot for migratory waterfowl to stop on their journey north. Gadwall ducks, mergansers and more can all be found on the far side of the pond. The Gadwalls seem to stay a fairly long time.  Last spring I spotted a female hooded merganser and her young in the waters of the creek leading to the Pond. It certainly was a nice sight to see her escorting the young about through the marsh plants.  Another unusual sight were a pair of wood ducks and a snow  goose that hung around for about a week.

Also, in spring, red-winged Blackbirds join the year-round inhabitants the jays and cardinals in the area and certainly add to the bird song heard on the walk past the creek and pond. It’s an ideal area for these blackbirds and they can often be seen perching delicately on a single strand of bullrush. Canada geese, of course, are the loudest species heard throughout the year. They especially get noisy during the mating season.

For me, the hunt for less obvious subjects in the pond area becomes especially interesting. Great blue herons make their appearance at this time of year. These prehistoric-looking birds are certainly an interesting subject and they can, at times, be spotted on the far side of the pond walking in a stately manner as they look for fish. It was especially interesting to spot two smaller herons, a  black-crowned night heron last year and another this morning - a green heron. Both of these smaller herons were noticed perched on tree branches overlooking the water.

A particularly good photographic experience enjoyed earlier in April was watching an osprey on the hunt over the pond. These fish-eating raptors are amazing to see and wonderful to observe as they hunt. I’ve only seen an osprey flying in the area once before and to observe it hovering over and diving into the water for its breakfast was a thrill. Common eons are now present over the pond, also diving for fish and quite interesting to watch.

Beyond the pond, particularly along the shoreline of Lake Ontario, belted kingfishers can be spotted quite early in the year. They make a noisy flight out over the lake and often land high in the trees, but if you approach the area carefully, they can be spotted on branches of the fallen trees overlooking the lake. As the temperature increases clouds of flying insects and midges become quite obvious. These provide food sources for the two species of swallows that become very active along the shore.  The Northern rough-winged swallow seems to appear first followed by the bank swallows. Both build nests in the high banks along the shoreline and efforts to not disturb their activity should be made during this time.

With what appears to be the increasing loss of conservation lands in Ontario it is especially important for us to enjoy and appreciate these areas. We are truly blessed to have Niagara Shores Park in our neighbourhood.