Borden Wetlands

Hiding in plain sight may not be as crazy as it sounds.  I'd implemented all of my usual tactics to hide my presence to get closer to the hooded mergansers, but the mergansers seemed to know exactly where I was regardless of how sneaky or well hidden I was. Last year, when standing in shallow water, I'd noticed that the resident ducks, geese and the mink seemed to ignore me. So out I waded, being very careful not to get too close to the Canadian geese who were nesting on either side of me. They are very protective of their nests! After 30 minutes of sitting motionless on a fallen tree, boots dangling in the water, the wildlife around me started to accept me as something that was just there. A male European starling performed in song and display just above me. A male red-winged blackbird similarly took the time to sing as it searched for food around the edge of the water. Then the mink appeared out of nowhere, as it does, and that drew the attention of the hooded mergansers. The...

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 be...

Observing the mink has become something of a morning ritual. It seems almost as when you buy a new car and then suddenly become aware of all the other cars of the same model. Since my first photos of the mink, I am now quite easily able to locate the mink every morning that I frequent the wetlands. Stand still for long enough, watch for movement on the far edge of the water, and there he is. Bounding over fallen rotten tree trunks. Traversing effortlessly from the land to the water, and on this occasion, swimming under the very critical eye of the resident mallards. And back again to land. Pausing very occasionally in between the endless search for food. The mink has so much energy and apparent enthusiasm for the hunt. It really is a treat to watch. The water, as you can see, is not frozen. The temperature for November has been incredibly mild. With the water not frozen, I've been able to watch the muskrats who live under one of the small islands that dot the wetlands as they colle...