Waiting for the Ice to Thaw

The lone northern flicker, pictured in the previous post, was indeed a sign that the seasons are moving forward. With warmer weather, the snow and ice had begun to melt. The warmer temperatures gave pleasant relief after the harshness of winter, but the Wetlands remained frozen. 

Canada geese arrived in numbers.


The geese paired up and the males stoutly defended what would be their nesting areas.


The geese appeared determined to wait for the ice to thaw.


Webbed feet are not well adapted for use on a sheet of ice. The geese's small talons provided little traction.


Disputes between the pairs of geese were commonplace and usually resolved with a deal of posturing and honking.


When resolve could not be found from the usual bluffing, things became physical and what followed appeared to be quite barbaric in nature.


At first glance, these two warring geese appeared to be locked beak to beak, attempting to cause physical harm to their opponent, but on closer inspection of the photos, it became clear that there are rules to the engagement.


A firm grip is taken low on the side of each goose's neck, their powerful wings are used mainly for stability, and it now becomes a pure show of strength.


Strength, stamina and resolve prove the winner.


And what were all these geese finding to eat with the Wetlands still frozen? Thankfully the surrounding grassland was mainly clear of snow.


The ice cannot melt quickly enough for the geese. Where the sun has thinned the ice, the geese use their weight to break through and then peck at the edges, urging the ice to leave.


With clear skies, the surface of the Wetlands freezes over at night. It again returns to thawing with the start of a new day, gradually edging further and further away from winter. And where the ice has broken, mallards take the opportunity to dabble in the shallows.


I had been hoping to see either the mink or the muskrats at the Wetlands, but I saw neither. Highbrook Park is but a minute away from the Wetlands, and the water there moves much faster and consequently thaws much faster than at the Wetlands. And it was there that I had my first sighting this year of the resident muskrat.


With the snow melted from the ponds sheltered banks, the muskrat took the opportunity to forage for twigs that had been out of reach.


Muskrats are best viewed in their favoured habitat though, the water, using that wonderful rudder of a tail.


Of course, as soon as I mention the mink, the little fellow appears as if out of nowhere a few days later. Bounding over the ice, hot on the trail of the scent it was following.


My observation of the mink was soon followed by the sighting of another predator. 


A predator I had only had the briefest of glimpses of over the winter months.


And not just one, two red-tailed hawks were working through the Wetlands in tandem.


To be continued...

Copyright © scottswildencounters.blogspot.com 2021 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.

Location: Borden Wetlands, Kitchener, ON N2E, Canada

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