Curiosity

Curiosity Earl Plato

Curiosity called. Rather than enter Marcy Woods as I usually do I parked farther north on Halloway Bay Road near the entrance to the butterfly fields. It was cold out and a brisk wind blowing . However, the way I went in was sheltered or so I thought. Past the giant hemlock I swung northeast into the lower fields of the Marcy farm. There’s a pond here that I had visited many times but never in December. To my surprise as I left the shelter of the woods a northeast wind greeted me. I was dressed warmly enough but still pulled my zipper on my jacket even higher. Nature writer,Teale, captured what I experienced when he wrote that “across the tangled, dry dead weeds scattered over the open fields” ahead of me. The northeast breeze plucked and strummed among the stems. This is the land of Boneset and Swamp milkweed. These are tall plants. I stop to listen for there are sounds I hear. Little rattlings and tickings and scrapings and flutterings where the dry seed heads and seedpods shake and clash together. Stop and listen for sounds in nature. Be curious.
The east wind picked up and I turned back. The pond? Another day.
***
Cousin Keith and I explored the Lake Erie waterfront from Abino Bay to Buffalo Road on this crisp late November morning. Mallards at the sheltered town boat ramp. ‘bottoms up’ feeding on the wild celery. No swans in sight this day. Lake water level amazingly low. Low as we could recall.
We headed east along Thunderbay Road. We were looking for Tundra and Trumpeter swans. They had been seen at Baker’s Creek on the Niagara earlier. These are beautiful birds. I had brought my bird scope just in case. We drove to the lake at Windmill Point. Again rocks unseen before were exposed everywhere. Keith, who had been a duck hunter in his day, said, “This is where the old Carter windmill was.” I said, “Are you sure?” A little thinking as I looked at the historical rock structures. “You’re right, Keith.” Down the road was Stonemill Road - Too far east. No swans but Canada geese here.
Down to Buffalo Road where Keith drove his truck farther down the access road. There they were! Many white objects in the shallow water.
Wait! Keith took his binoculars to see netter. I watched as nothing moved on the water’s surface. He laughed and spoke, :Take a look,”
Thirty or so exposed boulders covered in white. No swans just inanimate objects! Again farther out in the lake this time were large rocky outcrops. Lowest level we could recall.
Getting close to “Duck Watch Time.” Each Dec./Jan. We drive at least two times from Old Fort Erie along the Niagara River to Niagara-on-the-Lake looking for different species of ducks and swans. We always hope to hear and see our visitors from the extreme Arctic North - the Old Squaw - a most beautiful duck, Wish us well, eh.