A turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) pauses while eating a fish carcass in the Lower Don River this week. © BCP 2010
I scoped out a path this week that I’ve driven past countless times, but never stopped to explore — the paved recreational trail that begins under the Gardiner Expressway where the Lower Don River empties into the Keating Channel (and thence into Lake Ontario).
It was hot, but not impossibly so, and I was grateful to discover that much of the path, which follows the west bank of the river, is nicely shaded. I took my time, exploring slowly, and walked from the channel north towards the Prince Edward Viaduct at Bloor St. I didn’t get quite that far before turning around, but plan to explore that part next time.
(You can see where the trail starts, and follow it along, by clicking here.)
As I get a bit more free time, my goal is to begin acquainting myself with many more of the wild and semi-wild spaces that abound in our city. So much to see, so much to learn. . .
It was a particular thrill for me to see the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) in the photo above having a mid-morning meal (looks like what used to be a quite large fish) on a sandbar in the Lower Don. I’ve seen these buzzards flying too many times to count, especially north of the city. But I had never seen one up close before.
While doing a bit of reading about turkey vultures, I learned that these birds don’t have syrinxes, or the typical voice box of songbirds, and communicate — particularly around food — by hissing, grunting or growling. I didn’t hear anything from the bird in the picture, but that was probably because he (she?) was the only vulture around. (There were a few mallards, and some cormorants nearby, though.)
And a happy birder.
© BCP 2010
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