In my last blog post, Looking Forward To A Season Of New Opportunities In 2020, I talked about my purchase of a travel trailer and relocating close to Algonquin Provincial Park for the season. During the recent heatwave, I have done most of my exploring by water in my 14′ Swift Prospector pack boat. This canoe-kayak hybrid provides a stable platform to photograph wildlife from while the cool breeze off the water makes exploring this amazing park more comfortable.

Earlier this week, I decided to paddle Source Lake along the Highway 60 corridor. In fact, all of my paddling so far has been on lakes and rivers with easy access from this major highway as I figure why not start where access is quick and simple? When I made the decision to move up this way, one species I was hoping to photograph more was the Common Loon. After unloading my boat from the car and placing it on the dock, a loon appeared and swam past a mere 20 ft away. Following a few images, I donned my life jacket, slipped my boat into the water, stepped in, and began paddling. With such incredible views already of an accomodating loon, I had a feeling it was going to be an amazing day on the water.

Heading up the near shore, a female Common Merganser flew in and landed adjacent to a patch of Pickerelweed. I have always enjoyed watching mergansers swim along with their faces in the water in search of fish and other food. As this bird snorkeled along, the lush green vegetation provided a beautiful backdrop.

Rounding a point on the main lake, I noticed another female merganser sitting on a fallen log along the shoreline. This particular duck had three fluffy young babies with her and was an incredible sight as they rested in the cool shade. 

Source Lake is a decent sized lake but it was my intention to paddle around the perimeter while I enjoyed the sights and sounds along the way. High up in the trees I could hear a wide variety of songbirds including White-throated Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Red-eyed Vireos to name a view. Also heard was the eerie call of the Common Loon from further up the lake. 

As I paddled past a weedy bay, a Great Blue Heron flew past at close range. With a fast shutter speed, I was able to capture a series of images of this brief encounter.  By now I was incredibly happy with my decision to paddle Source Lake and was already thinking about a return visit. 

Further along, I could see the silhouette of a Common Loon out in the middle of the lake just off a small island. Deviating from my course of following the shoreline, I proceeded closer to the bird to see if I could get a better view. As has been the case with most of the loons I’ve encountered so far in Algonquin this one was not shy at all and I was able to get within a boat length. When viewed at such a close distance, and in good light, you can really notice the iridescent green and purple hues of a loon’s plumage around their necks. In my opinion, the Common Loon is an iconic bird of the Canadian wilderness. 

As I was enjoying the tremendous view of the loon, a pair of Herring Gulls began circling and squawking overhead. I could see a young gull swimming close to shore so assumed these were its parents and I was not welcome near their young despite still being a considerable distance away. It is never my intention to put undue stress on any wildlife for the sake of a better view or photo and these gulls seemed agitated so I backed off. This is a perfect example of the motto I live by when enjoying nature if my behaviour changes their behaviour than I am too close. With me now down the bank, the adult Herring Gulls retreated to the comfort of a large rock on the side of the island and were once again calm and content. 

Having already paddled for several hours and the hot afternoon sun now beating down, I decided to cut my trip around the perimeter of the lake short and head back to the dock. In total, I only managed to cover about half the shoreline of Source Lake but will definitely be returning. Having started this voyage in a clockwise direction, I’ll paddle counterclockwise on my next visit to cover the areas I have yet to see. There was certainly plenty of wildlife around this beautiful lake and being able to navigate it by water made for some great views. If you find yourself in Algonquin Park and have access to a canoe or kayak, I highly recommend paddling Source Lake. This beautiful lake combined with my Swift pack boat certainly offered a great source of fun in the outdoors.

Good birding,
Paul