Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
FICKLE FALL FROSTS and FRAGRANT FLOWERS
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 (Napanee Beaver)
Friday, October 26, 2007 (Picton Gazette)
There was ice in our birdbath one day last week. Exactly one week earlier, while we were camping with our trailer, the air conditioner cut in. When the air conditioner was purring away, I decided that the few remaining fall outdoor projects could wait for another week or two; the ice in the bird bath reminded me that those jobs might have to be held over for yet another year.
October is a month that offers a confusing blend of mixed weather. One birder last week in Algonquin Provincial Park mentioned snow falling lightly around a rare LeConte’s sparrow that he had found on the east side of the park. Meanwhile, down in the banana belt of Prince Edward County, my wife and I noted a few sprigs of lilacs blooming and still plenty of wildflowers blooming away. At least, they were before the ice turned up in the birdbath!
It is the time of the year for movement, and there has been plenty of that at strategic bird migration staging areas such as Prince Edward Point and Presqu’ile Provincial Park. Fred Helleiner, in his regular weekly birding report for that area referred to the number of dark-eyed juncos passing through as “hordes,” a species that everyone is seeing these days in backyards as they make their way south, dropping off a few along the way that ultimately may make their way to our feeding stations this winter. However, in among the southward bound migrants, normal for this time of the year, he drew his readers’ attention to some of the ornery among those that should have departed long ago, among them warblers, of all things. This family of insectivorous birds at the park included no fewer than seven species, including a late Wilson’s, as well as a Connecticut, northern parulas, black-throated-blue, blackpoll, and several orange-crowned warblers.
At Prince Edward County’s south-eastern tip, much the same has been happening. Resident bird bander David Okines, in his contribution to the weekly Quinte Area Bird Report that appears on the NatureStuff website as well as being sent out to over 2,000 subscribers of the popular Ontario Birds listserv, there was a late Wilson’s warbler banded there on the 9th. However, among the late migrants at Prince Edward Point, that week, there were also 750 yellow-rumped warblers, a species that has developed an ingenious back-up system to take care of those days when there is ice to be found in the bird bath. They change from a diet of 100% insect food, to spiders that continue to lurk about, and if the weather turns really nasty, Prince Edward County produces the crPme de la crPme of winter fare – red cedar berries which remaining individuals of yellow rumped warblers can survive on until spring brings back the insects again.
Mixed in with October’s often windy weather, and the rain which refused to fall all summer, are some really pleasant days – filled with balmy, sunshiny moments and many colourful trees that have been reluctant to shed their leaves just yet. October gives canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts a few more days to enjoy their sport before the water thickens up and they have to put their boats into storage.
For hikers, weather is no big deal, and any trail is a new experience, whatever the weather. One of my favourite locations for late fall hiking is Vanderwater Conservation Area at Thomasburg, where nine kilometres of cross country ski trails escorts the hiker through mixed forests and over drumlins that lead to spectacular lookouts. With the Moira River bordering its western edge, this 635-acre conservation area never fails to produce those special sightings that tend to make one’s day. For us, one recent weekend, it was the call of the ravens circling above us, and the invisible flock of brant that flew noisily overhead. A resident pair of barred owls can be depended on most years, and on one hike we watched as a musk turtle, also known by the unflattering name of “stinkpot,” ambled across the trail in front of us toward a wetland, the first sighting of this rare turtle for many of us. A visit to the almost dry riverbed this fall allowed us rare access to a portion of the limestone bedrock, not always accessible at this time of the year, and it was difficult to imagine this same stretch of river awash in the spring.
In Kingston one recent weekend, I had an opportunity to lead a few outdoor enthusiasts along one of the several trails at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area. Throughout our walk, we encountered many families out for private strolls, taking advantage of the excellent weather. One small girl of about six years of age was so focussed on trying to lure a chickadee to her open hand that she feigned deafness as her mother pleaded with her to rejoin the family on their walk. She moved not a muscle for several minutes, and her patience paid off.
These are moments more of us should experience, and there is a wealth of conservation areas and other special natural nooks and crannies that will make it all happen for us, if we just take time to bask in the wonderful diversity of nature there is to see at this time of the year. After all, one day soon, there will be more than just ice in the birdbath!