Nature Strollers
The mission of the Nature Strollers is to support parents and grandparents in their role as primary interpreters of nature for their families; to provide opportunities for families to enjoy unstructured time outdoors; to familiarize families with local trails, refuges, sanctuaries and preserves; and to develop networks among families with a common interest in nature.
Contributors
Monday, November 27, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 03 November 2006
It turned out to be a bit colder than we thought, so it was a good thing everyone arrived bundled up. Hats, mittens, scarves, and blankets were donned as we got ready to walk along the Heritage Trail alongside the OCAS Sanctuary. Heidi and Liam, Laurel and Acadia, Suzanne, Jonathan and Nathan, and Kat, Lily and Penelope walked briskly to the part of the trail alongside the lakes to see what was there today. There were hardly any Canada geese, leaving us wondering where they all could have gone. The American coots were still swimming and diving about in the lake. We also saw many mallard ducks, and they were in full swing of their pairing ritual. The male mallards (drakes) "perform" for the females (hens). They bob their heads up and down, wag their tail feathers, splash droplets of water by dipping and flicking their bills, and do the "head-up/tail-up" display; they lift their heads and tails out of the water simultaneously, showing off their metallic green heads and curled undertail. This behavior will continue through November, when the hens decide with whom they will pair. They will stay together through the winter and through the breeding season in the spring.