I tend to stay away from Elk Island National Park through the summer and especially on long weekend but I found some time to spare after hiking at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  I drove to Elk Island just to see how busy it was and was blessed to see an abundance of waterfowl and a lone bison.

The ponds were filled with birds.  Duck bums were visible as the ducks dipped under the water surface for the plants below.  Canada geese swam between them.  The Blue-winged teals were lined up on a log for a grooming session.  I watched as they twisted their necks to groom under their wings.  My neck hurt just watching them.

The traffic along the parkway was heavy and it was difficult to pull to the side to watch the pond action.  It turned out that the water fowl was not the only traffic stopper that day.  A lone bison grazed on the tender grasses in the ditch.  I didn't know what was more entertaining; the bison or the drivers that stopped the flow of traffic by parking their vehicle right in the middle of the driving lane.
 
The male bison made his way south until he came to some young trees growing in the ditch.  He had an itch that needed tending.  As he moved through two trees he used them as scratching posts; one on each side.  The rough bark must have felt good on his hide.  When his sides were done, he moved out of the trees and proceeded to back up against the tree to itch his hind end.  The next time I lean against a tree, I will always wonder what leaned against the tree before me.

The last pond that I visited had some interesting visitors.  I've seen cormorants roosting in a snag close to where I work but I've never seen them at the park.  I first noticed them circling above the pond.  When they came down, they dived under the water and resurfaced.  What a treat it was to watch as they played together.

This will probably be the final busy weekend at the park.  The campers will soon be winterizing their RVs for the winter leaving only the day-trippers visiting the park.  This will make for more peaceful autumn hikes with not as many people on the trails.