Cold Creek Conservation Area: July 2020

This 190-hectare was opened in 1962 and overlaps the Oak Ridges Moraine.

There are many hiking trails here with names like: Century Forest Trail, Pine Plantation Trail, Cedar Grove Trail, Wetlands Trail, Mixed Forest Trail and the one on which I spent most of my time on this day: Old Meadow Trail.

White Elm (Ulmus americana)

There are many Bluebird nesting boxes:

Bluebird box

and I did see a few:

Eastern Bluebird (male)
Eastern Bluebird (male)

and a Cedar Waxwing:

Cedar Waxwing

I was able to photograph a few insects. There were dozens of Wood-nymphs but it took half an hour until I finally found one that wasn’t darting about:

Common Wood-nymph
Common Wood-nymph

Others:

Monarch on Milkweed
Monarch on Milkweed
Silver-spotted Skipper
Silver-spotted Skipper
Widow Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Northern Crescent
Northern Crescent
Northern Crescent
Tiger Swallowtail
White-faced Meadowhawk
White-faced Meadowhawk

Some botany:

underside close-up of Marginal Fern
Birdfoot Trefoil (Lotus cornicualtis)
Birdfoot Trefoil (Lotus cornicualtis) going to seed
Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica ) Berries can be orange or red
Tartarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica ) Berries can be orange or red
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Yellow Avens (Geum aleppicum)
Elecampane (Inula helenium) with red ants
Elecampane (Inula helenium) from last season
Common Milkweed (Ascelpias syriaca)
Red Raspberry (Rubus strigosus)
Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia virgata)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra)

NATURE POETRY

this is the garden: colours come and go,
frail azures fluttering from night’s outer wing
strong silent greens serenely lingering,
absolute lights like baths of golden snow.    – e. e. cummings (1894–1962)

Miles Hearn


1 thought on “Cold Creek Conservation Area: July 2020

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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