From the city by Joanne Hamilton

Joanne Hamilton writer bander extractor 

From the City

Oh sweet Canada Canada Canada. The charming song of the White-Throated Sparrow pierces the air, drowning out the panting of my dog Tigi. We’re on a walk in a managed forest, an old pine plantation that’s been left to develop into mixed woods. A pond was built here to act a water reserve for fires, now it houses spring peepers. Everything was managed at some point, it still is, the forest has been torn down, replanted, earth moved and soil taken.

But it’s still habitat, an oasis nestled in between towns and cities. Ten minutes west and the town of Newmarket sprawls out with a labyrinth of roads, malls, cars, and people. To the east farms stretch out into Uxbridge, remnants of a life that’s disappearing under the wave of housing developments.

And here in these woods migrants sing and chirp all around us. They flit high up in the trees as they make their way northwards to breed. In only a few weeks their beautiful song will disappear. At the time I had no idea I myself would be leaving these woods to head north, to the Hillardton Marsh.

Spring turned into summer and a date to arrive was set. I was excited and nerve-wracked. I had spent my whole life living in cities. Newmarket, Guelph, and Toronto. Suburbia and the monoliths of glass and steel were what I was most familiar with. I had only ever travelled as far north as Algonquin Park having only scraped the edge of the boreal forests. 

As summer progressed my nerves got worse as the date for my departure approached. What would it be like? Would they like me? Would I be able to extract as well as I needed to? What if I couldn’t handle the bugs? I was plagued with self-doubt and wondering if I should just stay put. I knew very little about the marsh and had only spoken on the phone with Bruce and handful of times. His e-mails gave me cold comfort, often scatter-brained and occasionally indecipherable, I honestly wondered what I had gotten myself in to. Glenn and Theresa reassured me that going up was a good decision and that I would be fine. Glenn remined me to go for the birds if for nothing else. 

So I did.

Brown creeper

And there are lots of birds at the marsh. Cranes, sparrows, warblers, flycatchers, and ducks. I’ve seen so many new species here since I arrived, not only of birds but of frogs too. The city can be quiet at times, devoid of much birdlife and there are hardly any frogs. Spring peepers and leopard frogs if I am lucky. But here, mink, green, bullfrog, and wood frogs!

wood frog photo by Joanne Hamilton

And White-Throats. Here I was on their breeding grounds, hearing their song in the morning as part of the dawn chorus. Alongside them were many other beautiful warblers, sparrows, and flycatchers. All breeding. It was fascinating to watch as the hatch-year birds grew and parents finished moulting. In a blink of an eye a tidal wave of birds heading south descended on the marsh, and all the babies disappeared.

photo by Joanne Hamilton

I think about all these young birds heading towards the south, towards cities. Towers of glass and steel will cover the horizon and a glow of light will block out the stars. The road network will become a maze as they leave the North. The dawn chorus will have more than just birds and frogs. Sirens, traffic, planes, and thousands of people working will join them. All of them getting ready for the up-coming winter, for a change of season, a new part of their life.

Hairy Woodpecker

Banding Totals for September 6, 2017

Banded Total: 118            Number of Species: 23

Hairy Woodpecker 1

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1

Alder Flycatcher 1

White-throated Sparrow 18

Slate-coloured Junco 1

Lincoln’s Sparrow 4

Swamp Sparrow 12

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1

Red-eyed Vireo 7

Philadelphia Vireo 1

Nashville Warbler 12

Tennessee Warbler 2

Yellow Warbler 5

Myrtle Warbler 2

young golden crowned kinglet

Western-palm Warbler 10

Ovenbird 2

Northern Waterthrush 1

Mourning Warbler 1

Common Yellowthroat 15

Wilson’s Warbler 3

American Redstart 4

Grey Catbird 1

Brown Creeper 1

Golden-crowned Kinglet 2

Veery 2

Swainson’s Thrush 7

American Robin 1 

female yellow rumped warbler