Widow Skimmer (female)
This afternoon I walked the Trans-Canada Trail from the foot path that goes up the steep hill to the bottom of Wallis Drive, past the blue bridge (near the pumping station entrance point on Parkhill Road at Ravenwood) to about 100 metres west of the orange bridge at Lily Lake. A great number of wildflowers continue to bloom. Although most are non-native, it’s still impressive. The smell of milkweed was very strong by the bridge at Lily Lake where most of the milkweeds are located.
FLOWERS IN BLOOM
White: Canada Anemone (abundant), Bladder Campion (abundant), Ox-eye Daisy (abundant), Yarrow, Spreading Dogbane (north side, east of orange bridge), Multi-flora Rose, dogwood sp.
Yellow: Yellow Hawkweed (abundant), Winter Cress (mustard species), Common Cinquefoil, Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (pale yellow flower), Yellow Pond Lily, Common Buttercup (abundant), Northern Bush-honeysuckle (just west of trail that leads up to bottom of Wallis Drive)
Common Milkweed
Red/pink/purple: Red Clover (abundant), Common Milkweed, Philadelphia Fleabane, Cow Vetch,
Blue: Viper’s Bugloss (abundant), Deadly Nightshade (blue and yellow)
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
Ferns: Abundant Sensitive Fern and Marsh Fern on right-hand side of trail between blue and orange bridges (down in damp depression) when walking west. Bracken Ferns under cedars on left-hand side of trail.
Bird song: mostly Swamp Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat
Dragonflies: Widow Skimmer (many)
Damselflies: Ebony Jewelwing
N.B. In 40 minutes, I only saw one bumble bee.
