RIVER ROAD

River Road connects us
with natural heritage

The Otonabee River between Trent University and Lakefield is one of the most scenic and easily accessible areas to observe and enjoy nature in the Peterborough area. The stands of white cedars, deciduous woodland, gently flowing waters, limestone cliffs, cattail marshes and old fields form a landscape typical of much of the southern Kawarthas. A unique feature, too, is that County Road 32, or River Road, as it is known locally, hugs the shoreline along much of the river, thereby affording excellent views of the water and the many bird species to be seen. In addition, picnic areas around the locks make great places to have a meal or simply to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Other than the four locks north of Trent and the university campus itself, the relative lack of development along the river only adds to its charm. Because most of the landscape has not really changed in decades, a drive or bicycle ride along the Otonabee provides a real feeling of connection with both our cultural and natural heritage. In this age of urban sprawl, there are very few places left any more where one feels such a strong link with the past.

The opportunities to observe birds and mammals also add interest. Ospreys hunt over the river from April through October and nest on the tower beside Trent's athletic building. Bald eagles are routinely seen in winter, often in the vicinity of Sawer Creek and Lock 25, where they often find fish that have washed up on shore. The river almost always has an interesting selection of diving ducks to observe as well. During migration, you can usually find buffleheads, hooded mergansers, common goldeneyes and common mergansers. Ringnecks, scaup, wood ducks and green-winged teal often show up as well. If you have never seen a pied-billed grebe, the large bay just north of Lock 23 is a good place to find this little-known species.

Small numbers of common mergansers and goldeneye are usually present on the river all winter. The amusing late-winter courtship rituals of the goldeneyes are something every nature enthusiast should see.

In the spring, large flocks of swallows use the Otonabee as a migration corridor, their flight fuelled by tiny midges emerging from the water. Some species stay to nest along the river, with cliff swallows setting up home under the footbridge at Trent, and rough-winged swallows nesting in the limestone cliffs just below the dam at Lock 22.

For Jerry Ball, one of Peterborough's most active and experienced birders, the River Road always offers up something new and exciting. "I just never know what I'll see," he says. Just last week, Ball watched as otters hauled a large carp up onto the ice, only to be forced to surrender it to a bald eagle who happened to be flying by. Over the years, he has seen a host of unexpected species including Barrrow's goldeneye, red-breasted merganser, white-winged scoter, and horned grebe.

Interesting songbirds, too, are easily found along River Road. Cedar waxwings and eastern kingbirds sally out from dead branches to catch flying insects, common yellowthroats and red-winged blackbirds sing from roadside marshes, and song sparrows nest in the grassy ditches.

Naturalist and author Drew Monkman,
in his weekly column, Our Changing Seasons,
The Peterborough Examiner, Feb. 12, 2008.

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