As rain was predicted (and arrived) at 11 am, I went out early to the Don Valley near Beechwood Drive. I headed north along the east bank of the Don, crossed the river around Seton Park and returned by the dirt trails that follow the west bank.

This is the week for Honeysuckle blossoms and they were everywhere. Honeysuckle flowers are deeply lobed and irregular.

Our common honeysuckle shrubs are introduced from elsewhere. Morrow Honeysuckle is from Japan and has white blossoms:

Tartarian Honeysuckle is native to Eurasia and has pink blossoms:

These two honeysuckles hybridize to create Lonicera x bella and that is what most of our honeysuckles are.

Other botany:

The Rough-winged Swallow loves the low cut banks of small streams.

I was hearing and catching short glimpses of Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Orioles, Mourning and Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers but the heavy tree foliage makes it almost impossible to photograph them.

Here are some birds that were seen in the open:

NATURE POETRY

In the great gardens, after bright spring rain,
We find sweet innocence come once again,
White periwinkles, little pensionnaires
With muslin gowns and shy and candid airs.     – Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)

Miles Hearn