The low, coarse, rude-sounding notes of the Northern Rough-winged Swallow always alert me to its presence. Then I search for these drab-coloured birds flying over a pond or stream with wings pulled back at the end of each stroke. Now and then, they will perch on a nearby twig and will allow you to approach very closely. I took many photos of a small group on this day.












Male Mallards are going through a moult at the moment:


Other flyers:




Thanks to Meegan Conklin for the moth identification.
I learned to ski at Earl Bales Park:



It is a fine place for nature walks as it has stream, field, pond and forest.
This was the site of the coldest walk I have ever led. -23 degrees. Valentine’s Day in 2016. Here is the group:

We met a Russian gentleman who exclaimed “This is spring weather in my country!”
i photographed a few plants here which I seldom see:






Other botany:
























NATURE POETRY
O summer day, surpassing fair,
With hints of heaven in earth and air. – Eben Eugene Rexford (1848–1916)
Miles Hearn
Ah yes, the good old days. I’ll never forget that one–we had it made! I love this place. We couldn’t go right down because of the ice, but it was great. A walk to remember, all right! Too bad it’s so dry right now, but you found the beauty. Thanks, Miles!
Thanks for the photos
They are excellent