An Oasis of Nature in an Industrial Area: Late June 2020

Because of Taylor Massey Creek, there is a narrow green area lying near Eglinton Ave. and Birchmount Rd. in Scarborough.

Sometimes the creek is buried and flows in pipes:

This creates quite a contrast in the terrain with city and country melding together.

Hydro corridor

I was able to photograph some birds:

Cedar Waxwing
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (juvenile)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Rock Pigeon
Yellow Warbler (male)
European Starling
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow

and these:

Snail
Cottontail Rabbit
Cottontail Rabbit

Years ago, this was likely the site of a farm and some fruit trees remain:

Apple (Malus)
Apple (Malus)
Plum (Prunus)

More botany:

Yellow Sweet-clover (Melilotus officinalis)
Quack Grass (Elymus repens)
Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca)
White Bedstraw (Galium album)
White Bedstraw (Galium alba)
Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Birdfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)
Willow seeds
Dog-strangling Vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum)
Dog-strangling Vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum)
Timothy (Phleum pratense)
Staghorn Sumac male flower
Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Red-osier (Cornus sericea)
Red-osier (Cornus sericea)
Brome Grass (Bromus inermis)
Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Wild Rose
Wild Rose hips
Greenbrier (Rosa rubiginosa)
Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arurndinacea)
Smoke-tree (Cotinus coggygria)
Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifoilia)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus foemina)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Buckhorn (Plantago lanceolata)
Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Red Clover (Trifolium arvense)
Red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)
White Mulberry (Morus alba)
Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris)
St. John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum)

NATURE POETRY

Tell you what I like the best—
‘Long about knee-deep in June,
‘Bout the time strawberries melts
On the vine,—some afternoon
Like to jes’ git out and rest,
And not work at nothin’ else!     – James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)

Miles Hearn

1 thought on “An Oasis of Nature in an Industrial Area: Late June 2020

  1. Lisa Volkov

    I believe I’ve been here. Wonderful pictures! I wish I could also smell the Russian-olive blossoms! Thanks, Miles!

    Reply

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