Altona Forest: March 22, 2020

The Altona Forest just east of Toronto has special significance for me. Part of the land was donated by my Grandfather and is now an ecological reserve.

I have spent many hours wandering about this forest since my earliest memories. Some of the birds that I was seeing and hearing today (-1 degree and sun/cloud mix) were likely the ancestors of birds I heard and saw when I was a young boy.

There were no spring migrant birds but I did have American Crow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee and American Goldfinch.

Scenes from the trail:

just north of the trail
Pileated Woodpecker drilling

Some Botany:

Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
fallen Birch tree
fallen Birch tree
Lady Fern from last year
Christmas Fern from last year
Intermediate Wood Fern from last year
White Cheese Polypore
White Cheese Polypore
White Pine cones
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Red Osier (Cornus sericea)
Moss
Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Polypores
Cedar (left) and Black Cherry (right)
Red Ash (dead) from Ash Borer
White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Black Knot Gall on Choke Cherry
Sugar Maple (Acer sachharum)
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
White Pine (Pinus strobus)
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

NATURE POETRY

Out yonder there was this huge world, which exists independently of us human beings and which stands before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking.    – Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

Miles Hearn

3 thoughts on “Altona Forest: March 22, 2020

  1. Brian Whitefield

    Thank you Miles. Beautiful shots. Very generous and considerate of your grandparents who I’m sure felt your presence there today.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *