A little of the north

 Over the last couple of weeks, we have made two trips to North Bay. It wasn't really a birding trip, but I managed to get in a bit, and see some of the more northern landscapes anyway.

One of my go to places while in the area is the La Vase River, at the very south end of the North Bay area, at a place called Champlain Park. 

It includes the mouth of this river, as it empties into Lake Nipissing. It is of historic significance to European settlement, as it was an important link for explorers and members of the courier de bois in their quest for fur trade related travels. Some of the earliest European explorers traveled along this river, including Etienne Brule and Samuel de Champlain, although it was used for many centuries before by Indigenous people, and it was they who introduced it to the European explorers.

It was a fairly good spot for a few birds while I was there, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some of the birds must have been quite used to people, as several Black-capped Chickadees followed us...

...and decided to check out the outstretched hand of Kristin, our daughter, to see if we had any handouts.

Even a White-breasted Nuthatch decided to follow the example of the chickadee.

There were a few Rusty Blackbirds lingering, although I expect most of this clan had already moved further south.

There was even a lingering Red-winged Blackbird.

Mallards, of course, show up almost anywhere there is open water, and there was at least a dozen that came to investigate us as we stood along the edge of the river. Presumably they had been fed by the locals from time to time as well.

 This next view is of the river looking upstream, towards Trout Lake about 14 kilometres away. Along the edge of the cattail marsh off in the distance, was a Great Blue Heron.

I'm sure it was extending its stay this far north due to the unseasonably warm temperatures. While we were watching this heron, a Ruffed Grouse was busily drumming in the forest across the river.

Laurier Woods Trail, a complex of several kilometres of woodland trail at the edge of the city is always on my list of places to go when I am there. Woodland birds, in fact any birds, were almost non-existent on this trip at the time of day we were there. But it has some nice views amongst the rocks, hills, trees and wetlands. If it wasn't for the some general industrial noise from time to time, one would think you were really out in the wilds, and not within the city limits of an urban area of more than 50,000 people and related industry to be expected at this Gateway to the North.

There are a couple of places we often like to stop at along the route, and on this second trip, we checked them out. The first place is Brooks Falls, a few kilometres east of Hwy 11. I have photographed it at all seasons, and each time it is different. The light was a little too bright and contrasty for my photographic preference, as I like to do some slow shutter speed photography to get the silky smooth look to the water. It is a little tricky getting down to the bottom of this river, where the best angles can be had. With the less than ideal lighting conditions, I didn't risk it and had to be satisfied with the upper view.

Here are a few from previous visits, with the first one being one of my favourites, taken in October of 2012, and from the lowest level one could get to.

On one occasion we went north in winter. This shows what it was like in March, 2012.

Another typical stop we make is at this lake, right along Hwy 11, a bit north of Huntsville. Obviously the peak of the colours is past, but the golden Tamaracks are a nice view towards the end of the autumn season, especially when intertwined with the dark green spruce trees.

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