Paddling in the company of birds

Having put our canoe in the Oconto River just downstream of the Stiles dam at the east end of the Machickanee Flowage, we drifted downstream, an eye out for birds and a line cast now and then in search of bass. We soon spotted the “kings” of the river, the ever present Eastern kingbirds and belted kingfishers. Both species spend much of their time along streams, rivers, and lakes in search of prey; the kingbirds after insects and the kingfishers eating mostly small fish.

Paddling close to shore, it is hard to miss the belted kingfisher perching along the river’s edge. It is easy to identify with its stocky build, short legs, big head and shaggy crest of feathers on the top and back of the head. The bluish-gray coloring and white neck band and belly of the adults are distinctive. The female has an added wide rusty band of color brushed across her belly. The stout dagger-like bills of these water-loving birds allows them to capture and eat a variety of foods. In addition to small fish, they also enjoy crayfish, small amphibians, mollusks, and reptiles. It’s their loud rattling call that first alerts us of their presence. If we are patient, we get to watch their amazing plunging dives into the river as they pursue a fishy meal.

Paddling on, we spy Eastern kingbirds. They are quieter and less noticeable than the Kingfisher as they scan the river from their woody perches. Smaller than a robin, they are a stocky bird for their size with a large head, short but stout bill and squared-off tail. They are dressed in shades of black, the head darker than the wings and back, the chin and breast a flashy white. It is the white tip at the end of the tail that helps us identify the kingbird, a feature especially noticeable in flight. The Cornell Lab All About Birds website aptly describes their calls as high, sputtering notes followed by a buzzy zeer that is repeated many times. Listen closely and you will hear them on the river.

As our canoe drifts downstream, our attention is drawn to another larger bird skulking along the shoreline as it hunts for a meal. The feathers on its back seem to glow a brilliant blue in the sunlight. It is a stocky bird about the size of a crow with a longish neck, stout bill, and longer legs than the kingbird and kingfisher. It occasionally raises the dark feathers on the top of its head, giving it a regal appearance.

These features, along with white and brown streaking on the neck and breast, peg it as a juvenile green heron. Its jerky gait while hunting and rather stiff winged flight pattern evokes its prehistoric origins. According to AllAboutBirds.org, the green heron has multiple calls, a harsh, explosive skeow while perched, flying, or disturbed by a predator and raspy clucks (kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk) when disturbed at the nest. If you hear a grating scream on the river, that also could be an unhappy green heron.

During our paddle we also enjoyed seeing other birds, including a Spotted Sandpiper busy searching the shoreline for a meal, mourning doves, northern cardinals, red-winged blackbirds and a few ducks and geese. We came away from our river float without any bass, but with the satisfaction and appreciation of time well spent on a beautiful river in the company of birds.

Cathy Carnes of Oconto is a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who volunteers with Bird City Oconto.