Nature in an Industrial Area: July 2021

You can’t get a much more industrial looking area than the Commissioners Street section near Cherry Beach.

MYSTERY BIRD

I will identify it at the end of the post.

I admire the many plant species that thrive here with no help from us.

White Sweet-clover (Melilotus alba)
Russian-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Queen Anne’s-lace (Daucus carota)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Showy Tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense)
Curled Dock (Rumex crispus)
Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris)
Showy Tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium pratense)
Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia)
Showy Tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium pratense)
Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)
Red-osier (Cornus sericea)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium pratense)
Tansy (Tanecetum vulgare)
Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus inserta)
Great Burdock (Arctium lappa)
St. John’s-wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Curled Dock (Rumex crispus)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)
Squirrel-tail Grass (Hordeum jubatum)
Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)
Birdfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatis)
Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Quack Grass (Elymus repens)
White Campion (Silene latifolia)
Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

MYSTERY BIRD

Note the heavy black “sideburns”. A Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

MAILBOX

Serene and superb 7 minute video of a beautiful spot on the Don. 

NATURE POETRY

Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots, and gillyflowers.  – Sara Coleridge (1802–52)

(a gillyflower can refer to any of a number of fragrant flowers)

Miles Hearn

2 thoughts on “Nature in an Industrial Area: July 2021

  1. Lisa Volkov

    I used to hike this area a lot, until Don mouth remediation machinery made it less “scenic”. Not that I am complaining–I know that what they are doing is important and necessary work!
    Beautiful botany. I ALMOST got the mystery bird– I knew it was some kind of falcon, but the name escaped me. Nice to see that footage of the Don River, too. Thanks, Miles!

    Reply
  2. Gloria James

    My husband and I saw a similar bird perching on our neighbour’s black walnut tree. We thought it was a falcon. What a great photo of the tree of heaven growing against the concrete wall. I didn’t realize there is a variety of wildlife along the Don River.

    Reply

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