In search of Marsh Wrens, and Common Gallinule in the Rouge Valley
On June 24th I had made plans to hike the rouge river from the waterfront up to the 407. My planned route was approximately 15 km and looked something like this.
The route that I ended up walking was probably closer to 30 km and looked something like this.
I got quite lost during my walk and was very relieved when it was over, but I saw some surprisingly decent birds. My plan was to get Marsh Wrens at the Rouge Beach Marsh, walk north to Reesor Pond (15 km), then take the bus home.
While I expected to get Marsh Wrens since I had heard that they were quite regular at the Rouge Beach and Marsh Park, I knew that my chances of getting Gallinules were practically nil since they are a very rare bird in the GTA.
I woke up at 5 in the morning at got on a bus for two hours to get to the marsh. When I got there, I was surprised to find that the road was completely flooded. The water was over two feet deep in some places, and it was impossible to tell where the road ended and the marsh began! After wading back and forth along the road for a half hour, I heard the song of a MARSH WREN and had a brief glimpse of a small brown bird that I presumed to be the wren. I waited another half hour or so trying to get better looks at the bird, but never saw it again, while I was waiting I got excellent views of two OSPREY flying low over the marsh.
After getting over the disappointment of not getting clear views I decided to walk north to the Glen Rouge Campground, and promptly got lost somewhere in Pickering. After some wandering, I finally made it to the trail system and was able to walk for a couple hours without getting lost (accomplishment!). While I was walking I had brief views of three GREAT-HORNED OWLS (possibly, they were very brief views) and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, and I heard WINTER WRENS (county bird!) and a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, both unusual for this time of year.
My luck ended somewhere in the vast expanse of the Rouge Wetlands, where I managed to get lost again. While I was lost, I managed to find EASTERN MEADOWLARKS and HOUSE WRENS, which I was pleased with, but still didn't help me find my way back to Toronto. After getting directions from some people who were volunteering with the Bio Blitz I was at least pointed in the right direction. After a few hours of wandering at the side of the road and (hopefully not in use) train tracks, I came across a large group of people (some of whom I recognized from the Bio Blitz). I asked them for directions, and they were able to tell me which way I should be walking, then pointed me in the opposite direction. This added a few more km to my route, but after walking for about an hour through an area comprised seemingly entirely of nature reserves and farms (didn't know this existed in the GTA) I found my way to a suburb and took the bus home from there.
To sum it off, the walking was miserable, but the birds were somewhat decent.
Lifers
-Marsh Wren
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