Mud Lake is a local marsh area that is very nice to hike, in the winter we look for ducks here. We have actually gone here more than a few times in an attempt to see the Wood Duck. In our travels, through this area, we still have yet to walk the entire trail system and we will in time.
Once we learned that we could go into the provincial parks, we started looking more at open public areas. After our experience at Rock Point, I started doing more research as to where we could go. There are operating parks, non-operating parks and conservation areas that provide necessary natural space for wildlife and an opportunity for people to be involved without stressing nature.
Mud Lake is where I was first able to watch the Belted Kingfisher, what a beautiful bird. It was the female as she had the brown belt across her chest, I enjoyed hearing their call and was able to watch her fish and then fly away. It was a beautiful day in the cold as we realized this was becoming habit, we truly enjoyed being out walking together noticing all the things around us we had taken for granted for so long. I’m not even sure that we had e-bird yet and were using Merlin to help us identify our feathered friends.
I did have eBird installed at the time but I was just learning how to use it. I was worried that we weren’t experienced enough at identifying the birds and didn’t want to submit any false information. Not wanting to be those people we are usually careful if we are not sure.
eBird checklists
Mud Lake – Trail map
This man-made wetland is an important resting and feeding stop for migratory birds, claiming numerous rare bird sightings, and providing a unique setting for both novice and expert bird watchers. Explore three trails ranging from twenty minutes to over one hour of nature hiking. Three wildlife viewing blinds/waterfowl blinds are accessible by canoe.
Mud Lake | Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (npca.ca)