Gananoque Lake Nature Reserve

June 16, 2021

Story by Jane Burgess

We met at the Barnsdale Road Park and Ride and we had not been on the 416 5 minutes when we saw a Red-tailed Hawk and shortly after a hovering Kestrel - beautiful with its tail splayed, obviously a great photo op but not on a highway.

Let's just skip to the good stuff.   We stopped on Sand Bay Road because there was an Indigo Bunting on the line, but something was singing.  It bothered me, there up on the top, with a yellow head, I called a Chestnut-sided, Bill corrected me No a Golden-winged Warbler.  Yes a really really bad stupid call, but who cares we got a Golden-winged Warbler.  I thought when we got that Warbler on Canoe Lake Road it was fantastic, but these views were killer.  It just stayed and sang and sang, then it moved a bit and sang some more.  No encouragement, just sang.   Then slightly down the road 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Bill was in a hurry, he did not want to miss the Ceruleans.

Sand Bay Lane was like 5 minutes away, we parked the cars and walked maybe 5 minutes and we had  Cerulean Warblers singing, not just one, but my guess 3 or 4.  Barbara says there is a little bird, yes the Cerulean, then on both sides of the roads, but they were here and there, not sitting for very long.  I think Bill got photos of a tail or maybe where it was.  We stayed there for a while but no luck on good looks.  A loud song, what is that Bill - Red-bellied Woodpecker.  It flew over, but no great views.  We kept walking, a black truck passed us going out to the road, he stopped and chatted.  We heard and saw a Yellow-throated Vireo.  So far this summer this is the bird where I have learned the most about. I have quasi learned the song of the Yellow-throated Vireo - song is a little slower that the Red-eyed.  I am now paying more attention to the Vireo songs.  We heard several single Ceruleans as we walked.  We eventually turned around, the black truck guy returning stopped and said he did not want to be rude but we were parked on private property.  Next time we should park on the road.  We thanked him because we were unaware that where we parked was private property.  As we walked we paid more attention to three species particularly the Yellow throated Vireo, Cerulean Warbler and the Red-bellied Woodpecker.  Some of us had good views of all three.  Bill was not disappointed when we  got to the area where there were 3 or 4 Ceruleans, one was finally cooperative and let him photograph it.

Upon returning to our cars we had two papers per car under our wipers telling us  -- "This is private property! Not a parking lot! Remove your vehicle or it will be towed.  All property off Sand Bay Lane is Private! signed by G. Griffen, Landowner.``  The note was hand written and we got another note saying No Parking.  Anne was near the cars when the lady put the notes on the car and Anne got an earful.  No doubt many people have been parking where we thought it was an okay place to park.  If you go to this area, please park on Sand Bay Road.

We decided that we would have our lunch at the Gananoque Nature Reserve building at the end of a road off of the Lane.  Barbara was walking down the road and a gentleman stopped to talk, said he would move his vehicles and we were more than welcome to park on his property.  He chatted with Bill for a while and told us we were welcome to park here anytime.  He also mentioned that it was his understanding there were 25 Cerleun in the area, Bill had heard there were 15, but both numbers are good.  Bill and Barbara were invited to put in their canoe off his property, if they returned to do so.  We lunched in the sunshine.  Did I mention it was cool, I still had my jacket on and it was 12:00.   A Common Loon sang a couple of times while we were there.

The landowner indicated there was a path off the lane that would go to a wetland, a bit rough going initially he said.  We started up the road, and then I decided to turn back, my paranoia regarding ticks, even if the landowner said he has never had a tick  (Bill and Barbara's previous trip indicated otherwise).  (The gentleman said he had a good product against ticks,  AltanTic - 100% natural lemongrass spray.)  Bill checkouted the path a little more, but returned.  Where to next, off to Lost Bay.  

Driving the road that was hilly, winding and narrow, I thought to myself I hope we don't meet a vehicle.  Bad thought, because just then we did, thank goodness the driver knew there was a laneway, he just pulled in and off we went.  Two parking spots in front of the gate, Ann parked in front of our cars.  Bill said they had seen a Red-shouldered Hawk over that field the last time they were here.    We heard and saw a beautiful Scarlet Tanager at eye level.  Then we heard a Least Flycatcher  and Eastern Wood-pewee singing.  Walking on the road we heard a Red-shouldered Hawk. 

We stopped on  Black Rapids Road near a swamp, lots and lots of lilies in bloom.  Almost at the same time Anne and Bill saw the single tree with the nests of Great Blue Herons -  saying heronry.  I counted 15 Great Blue Herons, some babies some adults in the 5 nests.

I am not at all sure the name of the road where we stopped next but it was beside a swampy area.  Bill spotted a Green Heron fishing and then he spotted a Common Gallinule.  Well over on the lake was a single Mute Swan and a bit closer 8 Ring-necked Ducks.  Bill relocated the Common Gallinule who was building a nest in the reeds.  Its mate was swimming, not helping one bit.  We heard a gentle sound, close to us in the reeds, Sora??, we played the song and sure enough it answered.

Anne said she was going to stop at Carleton Place for the Red-throated Loon, and I indicated I would join her.  Bill and Barbara had seen it the day before so they headed home.  We got all the birds we set out to find, so let's go home with smiles on our faces.

Species Noted

1. American Crow
2. Ring-billed Crow
3. Common Grackle
4. Red-winged Blackbird
5. Cedar Waxwing
6. American Robin
7. Song Sparrow
8. Field Sparrow
9. Common Yellowthroat
10. Red-tail Hawk
11. Kestrel
12. European Starling
13. CommonRaven
14. House finch
15. Blue Jay
16. Mourning Dove
17. Bobolink
18. Eastern Phoebe
19. Red-eyed Vireo
20. Canada Geese
21. Eastern Meadowlark
22. Savannah Sparrow
23. Eastern Bluebird
24. Barn Swallow
25. Purple Finch
26. House Wren
27. Chipping Sparrow
28. American Goldfinch
29. Eastern Bluebird
30. Rock Dove
31. Turkey Vulture
32. Grey Catbird
33. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (h)
34. Eastern Kingbird
35. Warbling Vireo
36. Northern Cardinal
37. House Sparrow
38. Indigo Bunting
39. Golden-winged Warbler
40. Yellow Warbler
41. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
42. Ovenbird
43. Cerulean Warbler
44. American Redstart
45. Yellow-throated Vireo
46. Red-bellied Woodpecker
47. Black-capped Chickadee
48. Scarlet Tanager
49. Common Loon
50. Eastern Wood-Pewee
51. White-breasted Nuthatch
52. Pine Warbler
53. Great blue Heron
54. Least Flycatcher
55. Red-shouldered Hawk
56. Black-billed Cuckoo (h)
57. Osprey
58. Green Heron
59. Mute Swan
60. Ring-necked Duck
61. Common Gallinule
62. Tree Swallow
63. Red-throated Loon
64. Wild Turkey