Another day of combining a nature walk with visiting a small town.
There is a wonderful and lengthy bicycle trail in north Pickering:

It is surrounded on all sides by farmer’s fields:




Other trail views:



Some botany:
















While on the trail I heard Red-bellied Woodpecker several times and had my first Cowbirds of the spring:

Other birds:


When possible I drive on country roads and stopped to photograph these birds today:




Claremont was the home of painter Tom Thomson whose work influenced the Group of Seven formed in 1919.
















Just south of here, there is a dot on the map called Mount Zion. I discovered that it is a church surrounded by fields.



NATURE POETRY
The season comes when, from her three-month’s trance,
The Earth awakens: already her deep heart
Begins to stir, and send its life abroad. – Thomas Buchanan Read (1822–72)
Miles Hearn
wow, how beautiful is this heron! thanks for all the nice nature pictures, how do you know all these places????? thanks for sharing your love of nature with us.
Rosemarie Fischer
How wonderful! Such blue skies (and building). Tom Thompson! Buds! Birds! Early flowers! It’s such a pleasure being able to follow all this through your lens. Keep up the good work! Stuck inside so much, restricted in where I can go, I’m so grateful to see this!