Sketch and story by Tom Godin,
October 5, 2000

After a clear night, the last day of September dawned unusually mild. I walked to the old sewer lagoon where six Long-billed Dowitchers fed and loafed. I watched as a male Kingfisher preened itself along the banks of Bridge Creek. As I made my way back into the park area a competent predator appeared on the trail ahead. It was a pit bull terrier. We noticed each other at about the same moment and both of us came to an abrupt halt with our ears sticking straight up. This was a palpable moment of consternation for both of us as we eyed each other, separated by about eighty feet.

I don't own a dog, but during the past several years have had the opportunity to learn a bit about them by house-sitting the home of people who do own dogs. One thing I experienced is that dogs are not overly territorial away from their house or owner. I believed that my current situation was probably such a case, though I wasn't sure if the dog's owner was following some distance behind. I opted for a strategy I might not have tried a few years earlier…friendliness. "Hey Pooky!" I intoned in my sultriest 'come hither doggy' voice.

The dog's ears went down and in a flash it was on its way toward me as fast as it could propel itself. With every jolt of its forelegs hitting the ground it expelled air from its lungs in a ragged grunt. I felt no instinctive panic so unless my dog body-language meter was out of whack, I believed this must be a charge of greeting.

Upon reaching me, without slowing down a bit, the stocky brute flew past my left leg and spun in a wide circle through the grass. It ran right across my feet in its arc and then executed another big turn through the field.

I immediately knew the meaning of this activity. It meant we're going to walk together. We're going to hunt as a pack. Before every walk there is a symbolic bonding of the pack, which consists of much mock fighting, running in circles and barking. I was hoping, in this instance, that we could forgo the mock fighting. After running a few more circles through the grass the dog joined me and we settled in to walk together, the dog slightly out front investigating each scent along the trail.

I was intent on checking out the small pond near the Centennial Park parking lot where I had placed a duck box earlier in the year, so I walked in that direction with the dog casting about in front of me. From a distance I scanned the pond with binoculars and saw four Mallards sitting on the surface of the pond. I had hoped to see tree-nesting ducks. In fall, waterfowl such as Goldeneyes and Mergansers often scout out next year's nest spot.

The dog was well out in front of me as we approached the pond. I was not concerned with it frightening the ducks because my exposure to dogs had revealed a curious relationship between dogs and waterfowl. Dogs have a mesmerizing influence on most waterfowl. So much so that if a duck spots a dog, the duck will often sit, whereas if a duck spots a human, the duck will fly or move away.

Sure enough this was the case. The Mallards swam away from the shore (they're mesmerized but not stupid) and two Female Hooded Mergansers joined them. I could sense immediately that the dog was lulling them with his presence. I stopped and took out my binoculars to study the Mergansers. Abrupt stops usually send ducks flying but these stayed put, swimming to the middle of the pond but showing no inclination to fly. The Dog Effect was in action. I was able to watch the Mergansers at close range while the ducks studied the dog.

This Dog Effect works so well that I have used it to identity waterfowl, which are too wary to be approached using some other method. The dogs, which I house sit, revealed this tactic to me. Early one spring I wanted to sneak up on a particular duck that was often in a swampy area by Bridge Creek, however the duck would always hear my approach and fly off before I could see it sitting. I had always held the dogs back thinking they too would scare the duck. I suspected it was a female Wood Duck and really wanted to confirm it.

However, during one trip to see this duck, the dogs managed to get ahead of me. I didn't want the duck to hear me yelling or calling for the dogs so I just let them run. Upon reaching the ridge, which overlooks a swampy area, the dogs had already arrived at the pond.

Now, I thought, all I would see were flapping wings and the tail ends of unidentified birds, but such was not the case. One dog was chest deep in water with the elusive duck swimming toward it. I crouched down and reached for my binoculars. There was a female and a male Wood Duck. Also present were four Blue-winged Teal. They swam toward the dogs, keeping a safe distance of about ten feet between dog and duck. When I watched long enough I stood up and started down the incline. The ducks scrambled into the air as soon as they saw me approaching. The dogs looked back at me as if to say, "Here comes the one that terrifies wildlife".

The attraction of ducks to canines has been known for a long time, especially by the dog family. Foxes and coyotes employ this luring strategy, seemingly aware that, by working in pairs, the duck's fascination with things canine can lead to a meal for the dog. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, a dog with a fox coloured coat and a white tail tip, was bred to aid the duck-hunting human in a similar manner. By gamboling about on the beach while the hunter remains concealed, the dog draws the waterfowl within range.

As for my canine walking companion, we eventually parted company. It was obvious that he was a very well trained dog. Perhaps we will walk again sometime.

Strength in Warblers

On September 27 I saw a very colourful warbler cavorting about the woodshed roof. Right away I suspected it was a Townsend's. The binoculars confirmed my first impressions. I look for the bright yellow triangle on the face as a quick diagnostic tool. This male was obviously not in mature plumage, it lacked the black throat of a mature male, but the yellow on it was intense as that of the spring birds.

Someone remarked that it seemed quite late to be seeing Warblers in our area, most having migrated away, but the Townsend's doesn't seem like a typical warbler in that respect. Most species of Warbler flee to Mexico, Central America, or even further south to avoid winter. The Townsend's make their way down to Washington and Oregon where I have heard they can be seen even if there is a little snow about. The only 'tougher' Warbler in the area is the Yellow-rumped, which comes early in spring and leaves late in fall. Townsend's Warblers are not rare in our area during spring and summer but are often not seen unless they are sought out in the mature evergreen-forested areas they prefer. This late September visitor was the only Townsend's I saw this year.

Eastern Bluejay Sighting

On October 2 I received a phone call from Doug Maxwell reporting that an Eastern Blue Jay was seen at his home about eight kilometres from 100 Mile House on Horse Lake Road. The jay came to his window feeder and was photographed while picking at black sunflower seeds.

Stellers Jays are common in our area but the Eastern Blue Jay sighting is quite unusual. The Eastern Blue Jay is quite different looking than the Stellers Jay. It is a sky blue colour, with white under parts, a black band across the upper chest and side-neck, and white markings on the wings and tail tip. A few years ago one was seen at the 108 Mile Ranch. The normal range of the Eastern Blue Jay is east of the Rockies so incursions into the Cariboo are noteworthy.