Despite a cool breeze and cloudy skies that threatened but never delivered rain showers, 36 Macnamara Field Naturalists and members of the public tramped the trails of the Nopiming Reserve early on May 30. The earliest were the birders, alert for tell-tale bird songs at dawn. Mike Runtz and Roger Bird identified 66 avian species, including a somewhat rare Yellow Warbler. It seemed to be singing on its territory, so we could have a nesting pair--a first for Arnprior. There was a good selection of other warblers: Tennessee, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-and white, etc. See the complete list for them all. In fact, the diverse habitats of the Trail--deciduous woodland, old field, marsh, and coniferous patches--gave a corresponding variety of sightings, from American Woodcocks to Wood Ducks, and Common Loons to Merlins.
Mom always warned me about hanging around the mall with strangers and nowhere to go. Other Macnamara Field Naturalists in the Canadian Tire parking lot watching the sun rise over their cup of Timmy's probably had similar warnings in their youth--we were all ignoring them. Still, when Ryan Zimmerling pulled up and said, "Hey gang, let's go hang out down by the river." I did feel a frisson of déja vu. It was the "spot luck" birding trip, and like going to a potluck dinner we didn't know what we'd get until we got it. Sometimes unplanned is the way to go.
