Impressions of Mud Lake (part 1)
May 21st, 2016

My trip to Mud Lake was meant for the photographing of spring migrants, but it was all the locals, instead, who wanted their pictures taken!


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A female Red-Winged Blackbird, often mistaken for some sort of sparrow. (I blush to admit that when I saw my first back in 2007, as a novice birder, I mistook her for a waterthrush!) Look closely and you can see that she has a bit of her eponymous feature, though it's more rusty than properly red.


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A male looks on nearby--perhaps her mate? Actually, a successful male redwing (one who has managed to secure a prime bit of habitat) can have over a dozen females nesting in his territory and raising his young.



Painted Turtle, common in many ponds and marshes throughout Ottawa.


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A Blanding's Turtle surveys his domain. This is a much rarer species than Painted Turtle, and in decline. (To tell them apart, note Blanding's solid yellow throat and much more convex shell. It's also larger on average.) I have seen them only in three protected areas: South March Conservation Forest, Carp Ridge, and Mud Lake. Any Blanding's Turtle sighting makes my day, as it reassures me that they still have a toehold in Ottawa's wildest wetlands.



This little Downy Woodpecker had just noticed a woman holding out birdseed. A moment after I took the photo it was in her hand!

Spring Outing ←

→ Impressions of Mud Lake (part 2)