Love in the Marsh: May 2020

My plan was to visit Wasaga Beach on this day, but the beach is closed and officers are riding about on dune buggies to enforce the law. I quickly took one photo:

Wasaga Beach

The back-up plan was to visit Tiny Marsh named this because it is in Tiny Township.

My favourite trails here are closed because the paths are not 6 feet wide.

Here is a look at the area:

Sensitive Fern
Sensitive Fern (last year’s fertile frond)

It is clearly spring in the bird world. These four Canada Geese adults were keeping their eyes on 40 goslings.

Canada Geese
Canada Geese
Canada Geese
Canada Geese
Canada Geese

American Redstarts were the most common forest birds. The female is a paler, yellower version of the male. My grandfather always called them “yellowstarts.”

American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (female)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)
American Redstart (male)

Other birds and wildlife:

Yellow Warbler (male)
Yellow Warbler (male)
Common Yellowthroat (male)
Common Yellowthroat (male)
Common Yellowthroat (male)
Mourning Cloak
Gray Catbird
Common Grackle
Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing

These Tree Swallows have family thoughts:

Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows

Afterward:

Tree Swallow

Even the Beetles were entangled:

Beetles

NATURE POETRY

The earth is waking at the voice of May,
The new grass brightens by the trodden way,
The woods wave welcome to the sweet spring day,
And the sea is growing summer blue.        – Elizabeth Akers Allen (1832–1911)

Miles Hearn

6 thoughts on “Love in the Marsh: May 2020

  1. Brian Whitefield

    As always Miles, many thanks for your tireless pursuit of excellence in keeping us in touch with nature during our time of sequestration. Today’s post was so wonderfully full of NPs:
    No People on the beach.
    No Passage on the narrow trails.
    Canada Geese with Natural Protection of their young.
    Tree swallows with Nature Porn. (and didn’t that swallow look smug afterwards)
    Lady birds with more Nature Porn. (not sure if they were both ladies)
    And the Nature Poetry of E A Allen.
    It’s an exciting time in nature and you do such a great job of bring it to us in all of its glory.
    Many thanks!

    Reply
  2. Lisa Volkov

    Great title! “Lovers in a Dangerous Time”, indeed! And the goslings–awwwww.
    Thank you so much, Miles!

    Reply
  3. Anouchka

    Thanks for always providing a selection of photographs of the male and female; your posts this spring have been a great source of info and adventure … and also always like the poetic closure.

    Reply
  4. Gert Trudel

    Thank you Miles for posting so many beautiful photographs. Your pictures ‘bring’ areas to me that I cannot visit…appreciate it.

    Reply
  5. Pingback: Wasaga Beach and a Nearby Marsh: Late May 2020 | Miles Hearn

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