A Wet Morning On The Tracks
August 12th, 2017
On July 4th I headed to Huntmar Drive intending to hike the west side of South March Conservation Forest. But I found the Carp River swollen and flooded from our heavy rains, with tantalizing water bird calls coming from within: Pied-Billed Grebe, Northern Waterthrush (it's certainly been The Summer of the Waterthrush for me), Virginia Rail. It was so flooded that the lot where I used to park for South March was under at least a foot of water. A Great Egret flew over heading for the river, followed by a Great Blue Heron. I decided to hike down the train tracks and bird the flood instead of the forest!
Unfortunately the water birds remained largely unseen. But I still found a few things worth photographing. The unexpected stars of the day were the snails. They were pretty up close, at least some of them (their shells ranged from pale yellow to vivid amber), but a little gross in terms of numbers. I've never seen so many snails. There were about as many snails on the railbed as there were pieces of gravel.
I chose this beauty for a closeup:
Looking out over Carp River wetlands and beyond. The field was even more vividly yellow than it appears here (a Canola crop?) I think Huntmar has some of the most scenic views in Ottawa.
This bamboo-like plant is called Scouring Rush. It forms dense colonies in moist areas. The abrasive stems were once used in both the old and new world for scrubbing cookware.
The only actual "water bird" I managed to photograph! Common Yellowthroats are abundant in brushy margins of wetlands, but typically remain hidden until pished or otherwise coaxed into view by a birder.
Flooded woods along Huntmar Drive
Wild Turkey
The first thing I saw along the tracks was three Wild Turkeys still in their nighttime roosts. Two immediately flushed into the thicket, leaving just this one for my camera.
American Robin
Taking a bath in the flooded roadside.
August 12th, 2017
On July 4th I headed to Huntmar Drive intending to hike the west side of South March Conservation Forest. But I found the Carp River swollen and flooded from our heavy rains, with tantalizing water bird calls coming from within: Pied-Billed Grebe, Northern Waterthrush (it's certainly been The Summer of the Waterthrush for me), Virginia Rail. It was so flooded that the lot where I used to park for South March was under at least a foot of water. A Great Egret flew over heading for the river, followed by a Great Blue Heron. I decided to hike down the train tracks and bird the flood instead of the forest!
Unfortunately the water birds remained largely unseen. But I still found a few things worth photographing. The unexpected stars of the day were the snails. They were pretty up close, at least some of them (their shells ranged from pale yellow to vivid amber), but a little gross in terms of numbers. I've never seen so many snails. There were about as many snails on the railbed as there were pieces of gravel.
I chose this beauty for a closeup:
Looking out over Carp River wetlands and beyond. The field was even more vividly yellow than it appears here (a Canola crop?) I think Huntmar has some of the most scenic views in Ottawa.
This bamboo-like plant is called Scouring Rush. It forms dense colonies in moist areas. The abrasive stems were once used in both the old and new world for scrubbing cookware.
The only actual "water bird" I managed to photograph! Common Yellowthroats are abundant in brushy margins of wetlands, but typically remain hidden until pished or otherwise coaxed into view by a birder.
Flooded woods along Huntmar Drive
Wild Turkey
The first thing I saw along the tracks was three Wild Turkeys still in their nighttime roosts. Two immediately flushed into the thicket, leaving just this one for my camera.
American Robin
Taking a bath in the flooded roadside.
| ← | → |
Mike
August 12th, 2017 at 9:12 pm
That snail shot is really good... the combination of color, textures, and composition is awesome!
Suzanne
August 12th, 2017 at 11:19 pm
Thank you!