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Mid-morning on Sunday 28th June, after a trip to Lynde Shores, Sara and I still had a few hours to spare. We decided to head north to Heber Down Conservation Area near where Highway 7, Highway 407, and Highway 412 intermingle in Whitby, Ontario.
It was getting hot and humid, so we arrived with low expectations for wildlife. The walk itself was quite nice and the area features five trails, plus a loop around a meadow near the parking lot. We completed this ten-minute meadow loop first, though partly out of confusion about where to begin. We saw a handful of butterflies amongst the plants and flowers. Of the plants that were flowering, we mostly saw Tufted Vetch and Clovers. As more plants turn to flower, I’d expect to see more insects. We saw an Eastern Comma butterfly and a Little Wood Satyr, as well as some skimmers (dragonflies), including this fairly common Twelve-spotted Skimmer.
In the meadow were Song Sparrows and, I’m fairly sure, Savannah Sparrows (their song is very similar). We decided to follow the 2.5 km Devil’s Den Trail, which is a central loop through the area with all other trails connecting to it. On such a hot day, we felt that 2.5 km would be enough. The trail begins through scrub and is quite exposed and then the ground becomes sandy and pine trees are more prevalent. Apparently, the locals decorate these trees at Christmas – a woman informed us as she passed, for no particular reason.
During the walk we heard a few birds, but they were mostly hiding. Among the more common birds, I heard a couple of House Wrens and an Indigo Bunting. I heard something else that sounded vaguely like someone winning on a pinball game, but I have no idea what it was! (EDIT: Listening to a few calls later at home, it turns out I had heard a Veery which I have actually never seen before… maybe I should have stuck around!)
About three-quarters of the way through the trail, we reached the oval shaped Devil’s Den Pond and I immediately recognised some bird song that I couldn’t quire remember…. a squeaky wheel sound… repeated four times…why do I know this!? Oh man! It’s one of my favourite birds… certainly my favourite warbler. I’ve only ever seen a handful, usually passing through during spring – but they must have been nesting nearby on this occasion. They are quick-moving, clinging to trees and branches, acting in a manner similar to nuthatches. I was able to get some good shots of this bird that I love so much because it was intrigued by the sound of my camera shutter clicking away. I was so happy to see this fellow.
The trail followed the pond around, apparently with a couple of different ways of continuing. We opted to climb a steep stone-strewn path, which might not have been the best option, and then we followed a ridge back to the start of the trail where we ate lunch before returning home. On one of the quieter roads nearby, I caught sight of a hawk on a log in the distance and took a photo. I’m not 100% sure of the species because it appears to be a juvenile of maybe a year old – but I believe it is a Red-tailed Hawk.
Coming Up!
A trip to Luther Marsh to see what birding is on offer, a trip to the Burlington/Hamilton area to maybe spot some raptors and who knows what else?
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