Balsam Lake Park and Kirkfield: June 2020

The Lookout Trail in Balsam Lake Park (east of Lake Simcoe) has a variety of different forest types including cedar swamps:

a mature hardwood stand:

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) still living and 3 metres in diameter

young mixed forests:

and open grassland with a panoramic view:

Though many birds were about including field sparrow, white-thoated sparrow, indigo bunting, ruffed grouse and others, the only flying creatures that I was able to photograph are these:

Silvery Blue Butterflies
Silvery Blue Butterfly
Silvery Blue Butterflies
Flesh Fly

Some botany:

Graceful Sedge (Carex gracillima)
Star-flower (Trientalis borealis)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodenron rydbergii)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)
Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Prairie-smoke (Geum triflorum)
Prairie-smoke (Geum triflorum)
Rough Avens (Geum lacinatum)
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium)
Rock Cress (Arabis pycnocarpa)
Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)
Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)
Large-leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
Dog Violet (Viola conspersa)
Winter Cress (Barbarea)
Silver Maple (Acer sachharinum)
Dryad’s Saddle
Canada Violet (Viola canadensis)
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Lady Fern
Inky Cap Mushrooms
Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadensis)
Juniper (Juniperus viginiana)
Dwarf Raspberry (Rubes pubescens)
Common Pear (Pyrus communis)
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Morrow Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)
Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica)

The Highland Scottish residents here in the 1860’s chose this name as it evoked farming and the Presbyterian kirk.

Catholic church
former church
Sir William Mackenzie Inn

NATURE POETRY

The glittering leaves of the rhododendrons
Balance and vibrate in the cool air;
While in the sky above them
White clouds chase each other.    – John Gould Fletcher (1886–1950)

Miles Hearn

2 thoughts on “Balsam Lake Park and Kirkfield: June 2020

  1. William Black

    Hi Miles, thanks for daily nature reports. If you would accept a token gift ,I would like to send interac money or cheque if you give me information. Thanks again ,Best wishes William Black

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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