I wanted
to add a post to the fishing section here on my blog about something disturbing
I saw over the weekend. It was on a public
pier with your standard lighthouse feature at the end. In an otherwise beautiful day, with perfect
blue skies and billowy clouds there was the all too common sight of a seagull snagged
on fishing line.
He
was just roosting on top of a sign post with what initially appeared like a
broken wing. As I got much closer, I was
horrified to find that not only was there fishing line wrapped about its foot severing
it, but also a shiny half-moon shaped object on top on the gulls head, which
turned out to be part of a hook. At
first it went undetected, but soon I noticed that one eye was hooked as
well. This is horrible! I went to a couple of people close by for
help, and they didn’t seem too concerned, and actually made a joke like “its
like a lip ring” . I wasn’t laughing…in
fact I couldn’t get this poor thing out of my mind. Maybe it’s just me. I was told that my ‘heart
break wasn’t helping the animal” The
truth is, they’re right. What good did feeling
sorry for the bird help it in anyway? So
here’s my tiny contribution …at least I’ll feel better about it, even if this
may be the last day of the gull’s life..
First of all, if you are a fisherman and you’ve accidentally
snagged a bird, here’s how to remove the hook.
Instructions
1
Reel
the bird in very slowly. If you accidentally caught a bird with your fishing
line, you must ensure that no further damage is done. Reeling the bird in
quickly causes injuries, such as ripping the skin or frightening the bird,
which leads to flailing and injuring itself more. Stop reeling in the bird once
it is about 6 feet from the boat or shore.
2
Instruct
another person to toss a casting net or hoop into the water near the bird.
Throw bait or fish into the casting net or hoop, which coaxes the bird into
going near the net.
Pull
the net up once the bird is at least three-quarters of the way inside the net.
Pull the fishing line up at the same time as the other person pulls up the net.
This ensures that the hook is not pulled inside the skin or the bill of the
bird.
4
Bring
the bird inside the boat or on the shore. Have one person grab the bird's
skull. Seagulls have small heads; grab the bird behind the eyes, not at the
neck.
5
Place
a towel or a cloth over the head while one person is still firmly holding the
skull behind the eyes.
6
Hold
the wings flat against the body to avoid flapping. Have the person holding the
bird's head hold the wings down as well.
7
Locate
the hook by looking over the body of the bird or following the fishing line to
the hook. If the hook is in the wing, extend that wing while keeping the other
wing flat against the body.
8
Push
the hook through the skin until the barb of the hook is exposed. Cover the barb
to avoid losing it, then cut the barb with wire cutters. Gently remove the hook
from the skin.
9
Look
over the bird to ensure there are no additional injuries.
One last comment, I am aware that fishermen are responsible for the most part,
and DO actually take precautions to avoid injuring any animals and cleaning up
the lines if they are snagged. Saying
that though, it just stands to reason that if there are birds around a dock
area, don’t cast your line. Just don’t
do it, please. In fact, take a few
minutes to rethink your fishing spots to be completely away from public areas,
piers, and marinas where the birds usually like to congregate.
Honestly
I am not crazy about seagulls and I know that nature can be cruel, but birds
just shouldn’t have to survive a man-made fishing sport in order to move on to
the next generation. That’s just not
natural selection.
Pass through some small towns just north of the 'Highway of Heroes' (Hwy 401), like Brooklin for instance, which is a young and up and coming town. It is the fastest growing place in the east right now and currently a highway entrance and exit is being built which will bring more economy and production to the area. 
Beaverton (Trent Severn) is further north and in my hunger to photograph as much as I can in such a sort time today, I stop to smell the roses in a matter of speaking and photographed the Trent River. The Trent flows from Rice Lake in Southeastern Ontario and empties into the Bay of Quinte. Stopped again to take a look at a good looking bridge but once discovered a little more closely it was nothing more than swampland. I thought it was my imagination at first, but it appeared as though a giant toad was staring at me from the water top. A closer look proved it! I laughed and laughed! Boy he must surely own this swamp for he is the biggest toad I've ever seen!
Now back in the car to continue north on Hwy 12 passing the farmlands of Brechin and made another stop in Gravenhurst. The sun is high in the sky now and the rocks that have long ago been blasted through to create these roads on the Trans Canada highway are getting higher and higher. Made a stop to take a look at some gear and kayaks in Muskoka Outfitters and left with the idea of buying on of the yellow ones, while thinking, well if something ever happens to me, at least my kayak will be found..! There are quite a few waterfalls to see in Bracebridge. It will certainly be worth your trip as there are at least 3 in one area alone. An ideal way to enjoy the waterfalls on the South Muskoka River in Fraserburg is by canoeing this placid reach in late summer!
This portion of the trail from Lakeside Park in Ajax to Port Whitby was explored on a bike instead of walking. When you first come through Lakeside Park in Ajax you'll have one of the nicest views of Lake Ontario on the Waterfront trail. Located on the south east area of Ajax, Lakeside has plenty of wildlife to see because of its close proximity to Carruthers Marsh and Lake Ontario. 
Carruthers Creek Marsh area has no formal paths but it's been traveled so many times through so many generations of nature lovers, you'll see numerous informal pathways. It is considered a Provincially Significant Wetland (also known as Watershed) area and is accessible to hikers and walkers who want to visit here. You'll see many sedges and rushes, and of course ducks, birds and fish that come to feed here. I'm still working on capturing that 'awesome' fowl photo, but they keep flying :)
The Lynde Shores Conservation Area is 156 hectares of land on Lake Ontario along Lynde Creek. It includes parts of the Cranberry marshes, a natural habitat for marsh birds and wildlife in the area. If you ever want to visit this place, you'll have to make sure to take a garbage bag with you because it's garbage-free which means anything you bring into Lynde Shores, you take out of Lynde Shores. There are no picnic tables inside the C.A., but there are some near the parking lot off of Victoria Street, if you want to stop for something to eat before going in.
If you are wondering about the butterfly...I found her on the soft shoulder on Victoria Street. I stopped to pick her up off the pavement and put her on top of a wooden post, and gave her something to eat. 
Simcoe Point is the point of land that overlooks the mouth of Duffins Creek (Simcoe Point). I thought the area would be an ideal place for a cottage or a home because of the flat land and beautiful lakefront views. I did some reading about Simcoe Point, and apparently back in 1912, John Henry Greenlaw had built a house here called the "Simcoe House" and used it for a summer retreat. Unfortunately, he died soon after it was built, and soon the property was sold to new owners who turned it into a popular destination. In fact it attracted visitors all Ontario for over 25 years or so. Simcoe point however declined rapidly after the Great depression and had burned to the ground sometime in 1950's. There's a plaque which is erected there today, showing the history of the area and the people buried there.
Duffins creek, was so well known in earlier times to be loaded with salmon, that the french called it ":Riviere au Saumon". It was a spot for early settlers who built mills, and dams along the creek, preventing salmon from swimming upstream to spawn, this eventually led to their decline. Today, it has its own character and all kinds of fish, trout, white sucker, carp and bass spawn here. When you are here, its easy to forget your in an urban location. 
I wanted
to add a post to the fishing section here on my blog about something disturbing
I saw over the weekend. It was on a public
pier with your standard lighthouse feature at the end. In an otherwise beautiful day, with perfect
blue skies and billowy clouds there was the all too common sight of a seagull snagged
on fishing line. 
Pull
the net up once the bird is at least three-quarters of the way inside the net.
Pull the fishing line up at the same time as the other person pulls up the net.
This ensures that the hook is not pulled inside the skin or the bill of the
bird.
You will pass a General store, a few homes and an enormous church. The sun was setting quickly so this would be the last waterfall to view before it tucked away completely out of sight. At the very end of the street, Progreston turns to the left where you can park on the right hand side. On ground level you can see some views of the the Falls. It's 6.6 metres high and 16.5 metre wide 'terraced-curtain waterfall'. I was actually blown away by the power of this waterfall. I found out later that this town, now considered a 'ghost town' with a handful of people was once the hub of power for the community in the early 19th century, but by the 1950's progress had made this town almost obsolete to leave just a handful of residents.