A Fun Stint at Lynde Shores

It's not so often that we choose Lynde Shores to go to. In the late spring we did a few longer walks that started out from the parking lot and through the main path area because we realized how far back the paths lead and ended up at a lookout over the field, at a Cranberry Marsh lookout as well as all the way to the shore of Lake Ontario. In spring and early summer, it was full of warblers and king birds, and so many other neat birds. We even saw a mink run across the path one day, but too fast even for me and my camera. Deer and fawns were also very abundant in these areas.

Last weekend, we ventured to Halls Rd. in the am but lasted only a short time. It was windy and bone chillingly cold as well as sort of dead and boring light and atmosphere wise. Breakfast and coffee was callin' earlier then it tends to on our walks lol! We did see a flattened and dried animal pelt as well as some cleaned off and whitened bones, including a little skull. Not sure what it was, maybe a rabbit. A few sparrows hung around and the cardinal kept appearing but not well enough for me to get a good photo of. We saw a male and female downey woodpecker, were continuously swarmed by chickadees, and the geese were acting up.

Later in the day, we decided to go check out Lynde Shores. We often forego that area due to it being more highly trafficked and generally too busy. It was afternoon and the sun had shown up. It was quiet there, just one or 2 other people - a couple of women mostly just walking through making sure there was seed out for the birds and animals.

As soon as we got to the bridge, almost every duck came out of the water up the bank and a crowd of them surrounded us - they are so used to being fed lol! They even followed us in a big group as we headed towards the paths. Once on the paths, as I stood, a black squirrel came running down the path staring straight at my face, not seeming like it was going to stop any time soon. I realized it was going to climb right up me and when it realized I had no food on me, what then lol! I yelled to John to give it a peanut then we made our getaway lol! Holy crap, I was scared lol!

A really cool thing happened then. It had been overcast and had begun to flurry, little pellets of snow. Suddenly, the sun peeked out and it was like a sun shower only with snow. It took on this shimmering atmosphere and once it stopped, little white pellets of snow were caught in all the dying milk weed and seed pods, taking on a shimmery silver look as the sun hit them. It was beautiful.

We walked on further, heading back to the entrance, and suddenly tons of grey and black squirrels appeared, along with a nut hatch and a small female downey. The birds out of our hands for a while, the downey taking then tossing the opened peanuts which the nuthatch then grabbed. Once they had their feel, they all disappeared.


One thing about Lynde Shores, it is a wonderful little place to go to if you want to be assured to see some wild life as most of the resident birds and animals are so used to people. Kids will definitely get to experience them in that case, since they will come to you eventually.