London, Ontario's Heritage Trees

One of the features of London's Westminster Ponds area that always piqued my curiosity was just what the "Oak" symbol with the designation "Heritage Tree" meant in the northern section of the map of the area. (See the Westminster Ponds map on page two here.)

In mid February, I set out from the Parkwood hospital entrance determined to see the tree and hopefully learn more about it. Traveling north from the parking lot it took me only 10 minutes before I reached what could only be the tree in question. An impressively tall gangly tree stood about halfway down a rolling hill. In front of it, on the path, was a wooden fence with a plaque designating the plant as an official heritage tree.

Heritage White Oak "The Meeting Tree" at Westminster Ponds 

It turns out, the heritage tree designation is part of a joint project between the not for profit group Forests Ontario and the Ontario Urban Forests Council. Began in 2009, according to Forests Ontario, the program aims to bring: "awareness to the social, cultural, historical and ecological value of trees." From the Ontario Urban Forest Council's website, it appears some of these marked trees are protected under local municipal by-laws.

According to an email received from Forests Ontario, the Wesminster Pond's heritage tree is a White Oak. There is a bit of a question as to its age. Forests Ontario simply states that the tree is over 250 years old, while this CBC article claims the tree to be about 670 years old. 

Coined "The Meeting Tree" some websites suggest this tree was used as a gathering point by users of the underground railroad fleeing slavery and persecution. However, upon digging, there seems to be no hard evidence to back this claim up and it's unclear how this theory originated. Despite the confusion, each September on Emancipation day, people gather at the tree to celebrate its reputed ties to the black community.

The White Oak of Westminster Ponds is actually one of three heritage trees in the London area. The other two being an 84 foot tall Sycamore at the historic Eldon House "adjacent to the property's front gate" on Ridout Street and an around 150 year old Sugar Maple located just inside the front gates at Labatt Park baseball stadium. It should be noted that the historical significance of the land on which the tree grows is deemed an important factor in determining which trees gain designation, according to the Forests Ontario website.

I'm definitely interested in seeing the other two heritage trees in the London area and I'll be back with photos once I've seen them in person!

Also, in my research, I discovered that other local organizations have also set up their own committees to designate their own set of heritage trees. The St. Thomas Field Naturalist's Club has compiled an extensive list, complete with locations maps.

Below is a short video of the White Oak.

First Trip to Kirk Cousins

As a novice birder, I've found one of the most enjoyable parts of the hobby has been exploring all the local wildlife spots. In the two months since I've began birding, I've stopped at all of London's Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs) and have been to a number of parks along the Thames River. I have my thoughts and opinions on all of them (for me, they've all been worth checking out even in the winter) and my thoughts on these areas may be the subject of future posts.

Today, while scrolling through Google maps and the Ontario Trails website, I came across a few trails I had not yet explored that were owned and operated by the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority which has territory in the area to the south east of London, Ontario and down to St Thomas. From what I could gather from looking at their website (www.kettlecreekconservation.on.ca) their properties usually require a day-pass to visit, but some are currently freely open to the public. 

One that caught my eye was the Kirk Cousins Conservation area located just south of London. It seemed like a good place for a short 30 minute hike in a relatively secluded natural area. The 1.47 kilometre loop trail currently available for hiking seems to be part of a larger trail that's currently closed. From the website map, the trail looked promising enough, and because it's a minor mission of mine to visit all the conservation area in the London area, I headed for the trail.

Upon arriving, I immediately noticed a flock of birds picking at the long grasses beyond the entrance fence of the park. I jumped out and applied glass to one of them perched in a bush to my right. Viewing the bird from behind, my first impression was that it was a Redpoll. 'Could it actually be?' I thought. Since I began birding I have seen almost a countless number of chickadees, cardinals and sparrows so to possibly see a lifer bird right upon entering a new wildlife area would be quite a welcome surprise. Sure enough, upon further inspection, I noted the dark red spot on the crown, the white breast and the brown streaked sides -- it was definitely a flock of redpolls! I noted some paler ones, but decided to forego trying to pick out the lighter Hoary Redpolls from the group of Commons -- a task even an expert birder struggles with, or so I've read.

Common Redpolls

The flock was very accommodating and I managed to get some reasonably close photos. My "Birds of Ontario" guide book explains that because Redpolls need to constantly glean seeds to stay warm, they generally tend to ignore humans when encountered allowing us to get some good open looks at the species. 

After the Redpoll meeting, I continued clockwise along the circular trail adhering to the website's recommended travel direction for social distancing precautions. Almost immediately, the path split with one direction leading to an overlook platform that provided a view of the local pond. The platform is only a few meters high, but I can imagine it affording incredible views of water fowl and soaring raptors in warmer seasons. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of the viewing platform itself, for documentary purposes, but I did snap some photos from atop the structure. 

View from Kirk Cousins scenic overlook at the frozen pond.

I made my way back to the main trail and walked through about 500 meters more of low brushland and meadow before finding myself at the entrance of a mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland. A crow flew across the edge of the forest and I could hear one or two more calling from somewhere among the trees. 

Inside, the treed-area was mostly quiet, but I did manage to hear the  occasional cheep of a Chickadee and I spotted a Red Breasted Nut Hatch darting silently between some tall evergreens. 

Overall, the area is beautiful and I would love to come back in a warmer season. I didn't encounter a single person on my trip, but the trail was well marked with footprints in the snow.

Upon leaving the trail I got back in my car and headed east down the rural road Scotland Drive hoping to see some Horned Larks or Snow Buntings. I couldn't have travelled more than 500 metres before I saw some birds flitting about the fallow corn field on my left. I pulled the car over and was pleasantly surprised to see some slender looking birds whose profiles I did not recognize. I zoomed my camera lens in and saw the unmistakable feathered horns and black and yellow masks of the Horned Lark! My second lifer of the trip. The birds seemed more slender and lankier than I had seen in photos. 

Horned Larks

Satisfied with my explorations and my new species sightings I headed home.

Welcome to the Blog!

In late December of this year, driven by the isolation and boredom of the pandemic-induced lockdown, I decided to take up a hobby I've only had limited exposure to: birding. Taking with me only my Nikon D60 camera (and a 55 - 300 mm lens) I made my way to the closest local wildlife patch to see what birds I could see. 

Since then, I've had some unforgettable birding experiences that have inspired me to begin this blog. My goal in this space is to relate my experiences and sightings in a way that you, the reader, will find interesting and engaging. Along the way, I'll be delving into the natural history of the areas I visit and sharing photos and videos of stuff I encounter on the way! 

So please join me as we blaze a new bird-blogging trail. It's time to go out for a lark!

Horned Lark