Warmer spring weather has been slow to arrive. There have been overnight frost warnings with temperatures rising slowly through the day. The skies are often overcast and stormy.
Still, there are some sunny days and temperatures are gradually creeping up. We hope that convinces the birds to continue their journeys north!
The canopy is a little greener every week:
Port Stanley Sewage Lagoons – April 30
April 30 brought a brisk, cold wind. The temperature was below 10 C, but the sun occasionally broke through the clouds to bring some warmth.
Port Stanley lies south of London, on the shore of Lake Erie in Elgin County. The sewage lagoons at Port Stanley were created in 1973 to naturally treat, store and dispose of wastewater. Following the construction of a new water treatment facility in 2017, two of the four lagoons were restored to wetlands. Lands adjacent to the lagoons were naturalized through the planting of 5,400 native trees and shrubs and the establishment of five acres of tallgrass prairie.
Original lagoon on the left and restored wetland on the right.
The lagoons attract shorebirds and waterfowl during during the spring and fall migrations. Although many waterfowl have already moved north, we found a variety of late migrators in the ponds.
There are hides for viewing each set of lagoons. Most of the ducks were far away, but Glenn’s long lens captured a few.
There were a good number of Ruddy Ducks resting in one pond where many Ring-necked Ducks and Buffleheads were diving far from shore.
Below: a pair of Gadwalls and a Ring-necked Duck beside two Canada Geese; a pair of Ring-necked Ducks and two American Coots in front; a Pied-billed Grebe in the grasses.
Red-winged Blackbirds trilled from the cattails. Below is a first-year male with red-orange epaulets, not yet in mature/breeding plumage.
Song Sparrows were also singing.
Barn Swallows (bottom right) and Tree Swallows (top right) skimmed close to the water, scooping up whatever insects they could find.
Tree Swallows vied for a spot atop a nearby pole.
Solitude Nature Reserve
Also in Elgin County, Solitude Nature Reserve is a small woodlot with trails and boardwalks through wet woods and around a constructed pond.
There were robins and cardinals in abundance and signs of a Pileated Woodpecker at work. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drummed, but we could not locate it. There were few other spring migrants in evidence. We didn’t hear or see Wood Thrushes or Hermit Thrushes as we had previously at this time of year.
We missed seeing the earliest spring flowers in bloom, but there was still much to see.
Trilliums were in full glory.
Phytoplasma is an organism that infects trilliums, causing green stripes in petals and distortion of the leaves. As the disease progresses over the years, it causes sterility, severe distortion, and eventually kills the plant.
Several plants were affected by this organism.
Marsh Marigolds and Skunk Cabbage flourish in the wet places.
We were almost too late to see Trout Lilies in bloom. Most had gone to seed, but we did find a few blossoms.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Virginia Spring Beauty
Long-spurred Violet
Purple Cress
Early Blue Cohosh
Christmas Fern
The damp wood was host to mosses and fungi.
Osprey Update
All is well with our Osprey pair despite the rain and cold and nearby bridge reconstruction. The female remains steadfastly on the nest, except when she accepts a fish delivery and takes it away for a quiet meal. We have observed the male land on the nest with a fish, as if to reassure his partner that food is on its way. He then flies off to devour the head of the fish before delivering it back to the nest. When the female flies off with his offering, he settles down into the nest to take on incubation duties. When the female is on the nest, we often see the male standing guard on the low platform or in a large tree nearby.
Fading tulips…
Late Night Skits about First Drafts
I found this idea too dark for May. I scrapped this idea in favour of…
Joyful Pop Songs
I can’t remember if I shared this playlist before. I love all the songs and these versions of the songs.
