12 June, 2024
Mike Schout Wetlands Preserve, New Hamburg, ON
Our friends, Trish and Lynn, had expressed an interest in visiting this location, and they were happy when it came to fruition.
Our walk started off with a bit of a puzzle.
Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lineolatus) is a very attractive flower and it was dotted throughout the wetland.
Early on we posed for a picture.
David, Trish, Lynn
We both heard and saw Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) quite frequently and I suspect that it is nesting somewhere close.
In the process of developing this wetland preserve nest boxes were strategically located in hopes of attracting Eastern Bluebird (Sialis sialia) and Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), but House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) seemed to have claimed most, if not all of them this year.
The whole area was awash with Hawksbeards (genus Crepis) and it looked beautiful.
Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) sang cheerily to us as we passed by. I am sure I heard one say, "Welcome Trish and Lynn."
What would a Southern Ontario wetland be without Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemis picta marginata)?
A female Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) was taking good care of her brood.
These adorable little creatures will face hazards as they grow to adulthood but with each passing day their chances to survive will increase. Staying close to mom is a wise strategy.
It was no surprise that Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) was ubiquitous.
Among the several Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) present a couple put on an act to lure us away, providing a pretty good indication that they are breeding in the area.
Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) were still gathering mud to build their nests.
Robust "gunk" calls announced the presence of Green Frogs (Lithobates clamitans) and it didn't take us long to find them.
Trish was ready to climb over the rail to kiss one and get a prince, but we held her back!
Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) was quite common and often landed just ahead of us.
Meadow Anemone (Anemonastrum canadense) is delicate and pretty.
A close study of grasses reveals surprising beauty, as shown by Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea).
Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) was not hard to find.
Nor was Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius).
This section of the trail is especially tranquil it seemed to all of us.
Just as we approached the end of the boardwalk our only Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) of the morning paid us a visit.
Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) is very attractive and will soon be providing seeds for nesting goldfinches.
It had been a very pleasant morning and we headed off to a local pub for lunch. Not a bad finale if you ask me!
Yet another delightful outing. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteLove the wild flowers...saw lots of Dame's Rocket this morning too.
ReplyDeleteAnother great virtual walk for me. As we are so busy at present your walks are about all I am doing. Bisous, Diane
ReplyDeleteMon plaisir, Diane.
DeleteHi David.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful area, lots to see.
Beautiful flowers . insects and birds.
Greetings from Patricia.
...David once again, thanks for taking me on this nature hike this morning. We didn't miss a thing!
ReplyDeleteyellow flowers and the kill deer make me feel happy. all are beautiful, those two jumped out at me. we have killdeer here, because I have seen signs about not going off the paths because of their nests being disturbed, but have not seen one. its been so long since I walked the preserve is why I never see them. the most noticed thing today is that you have on a sweater and they have on long sleeves. when I walked Beau at 6:15 this morning it was 86 F with feels like 97 and 98 percent humidity. Beau suffers the most in his fur coat. old age and heat doesn't mix well. keep the photos of nature coming, its the only wild nature I see
ReplyDeleteIt was cool when we started out but it warmed up later and the sweater came off.
DeleteA nice walk, a pub lunch, lots of birds, it sounds like you had a great day out. I haven't been able to walk much lately as the deer flies are the worst this year. I never remember them being this bad. Hope you didn't get too much or any rain from Beryl as the storm moved through.
ReplyDeleteWe got some rain but nowhere near the amount that had been forecasted - thankfully. Stay away from those deer flies - they hurt when they bite.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThe bin thing is a conundrum everywhere. What does my head in is that when multiple bins are provided, folk still can't be bothered to get out of their cars after the takeout food to dispose of the wrappings. Nope, let's just dump it out the window... Majority of whom are local to that spot and clearly care nothing for their home. I do hope you didn't observe too much litter along this lovely path. YAM xx
So far, YAM, it has been pretty much immaculate. It amused us to see the sign advising there were no waste containers right beside one.
DeleteAnother wonderful outing. The flowers are beautiful, I loved all the birds, frogs and turtles.
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a great day!
It's a beautiful nature you show us, David. I love to see Passer domesticus. When I grew up I saw plenty of them. Now they have disappeared, but we have Passer montanus here. I lived in a city back them, but now I live on the countryside. Maybe that's the reason.
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Marit
Passer montanus is beautiful too, Marit.
DeleteYes, it's very beautiful, but I miss the other one too.
DeleteYour walks are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle is that I think it is always better to take the garbage than leave it in those places, even if it is in containers.
You are lucky to have those places nearby.
Come on over and bring your camera. We'll take you along.
DeleteI think there is too much travel for one walk, but you never know...
DeleteWonderful, it's so lovely, the photos are good too.
ReplyDeleteThese are a beautiful series of photos from your walk, David.
ReplyDeleteIt's very nice that the house sparrows breed in the nest box, they're right.
Greetings Irma
I do enjoy a wetland, as the wild life there is so different from what we usually see. I am amused at how many things are called "common". To me they all have uncommon beauty.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful walk among extraordinary nature. I love yellow flowers, so Coreopsis lineolatus charmed me.
ReplyDeleteHugs and greetings.
So much for taking me along. I'm sure by joining you I would see a whole lot more than I would if I just went by myself. The "take your garbage with you" sign is indeed a puzzle. I cringe when I see the ducklings... I hope the snapping turtles don't see them as well..
ReplyDeleteLovely area to walk. Love the wildflowers.... Long ago I planted some coreopsis.... Big mistake, very invasive! Enjoy the rest of your week David.xxxooo
Come on up. I’ll take you for a walk every day!
DeleteWish that I could...... I couldn't keep up with you...Hugs
DeleteThanks for the nature hike and for sharing these beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous place to walk. You saw so many plants, flowers andx birds. Oh yes, insects, too. And frogs. I'm always happy to see frogs, we have a lot here and the stream and the many small lakes are just whatt they like! Have a great day, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteNothing like being with friends and enjoy nature !
ReplyDeleteThanks for your photos David !
Have a great evening !
Anna
I enjoyed the walk and especially the little green frog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful walk with your friends :-D I giggled at Trish and the frog! Baby ducks always make me smile. You certainly have wonderful places to visit and such an array of creatures. There are some gorgeous places in Scotland too. :-D
ReplyDeleteIn 2015 we spent a week in Scotland and enjoyed it very much.
DeleteOh wow that is so cool! Did you get lots of photos? Whereabouts did you visit?
DeleteWe were based in Grantown-on-Spey and radiated out from there. It was quite wonderful but the weather was exceptionally cool. Yes, lots of photos.
DeleteEstas aguas, es una bendición, para todas las especies que habitan en esa naturaleza.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Another lovely place to wander and wonder at nature's bounty. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely morning outing with some great sightings, and to finish at a local pub for lunch sounds perfect :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Yo también estaría feliz de pasear con vosotros, me encantan esos paseos. Abrazos.
ReplyDeleteDear David, hello, how r you!
ReplyDeletewhat lovely and enjoyable your walk;
every corner was full of life. You three are the golden triplets, you are beautiful and handsome.
The anecdote about Trish wanting to kiss a frog to get a prince made me smile. Those little moments are what make hikes so special and memorable :)
I love the prairie, it seems like every step offered a new wonder to discover.
Have a beautiful night,
sending hugs and kisses ❁ ༉‧ ♡*.✧
Lovely, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWonderful virtual walk with you three. :)
ReplyDeleteHello David,
ReplyDeletethe little swallow in the mud, you'd think it was stuck and the turtles are chilling out the day, nice trip.
Greetings Frank
Hi David , beautiful serie photos of your nice trip. Have a nice weekend !
ReplyDeleteI for one wouldn't kiss a frog, as I am not desperate for a prince. Oh well, what am I missing? Love those sparrows. Lots of those near my house. They're ubiquitous!
ReplyDeleteMe encantaría dar este paseo David y ver esas especiae que por Béjar no vemos. Gracias Me gustó el carpintero casi escondido en el árbol y la familia de patos. Ya lo creo que fue una buena mañana con un gran final para reponer las fuerzas.
ReplyDeleteBuen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.
Olipa mielenkiintoinen retki kosteikolla. Kiitos, kun jaoit sen kanssamme.
ReplyDeletenice collection of nature shots. :)
ReplyDeleteMiriam never lets you down, and always manages to catch plenty of interesting birds with her camera. Love her photo of the Killdeer and the Barn Swallow busily collecting mud for its nest.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the little bird pepping his head out of the house..........that's sooooooooo cute! It's like he was saying hi neighbor. The frog picture made me jump back a bit, it sure looked like it was ready to pounce. YEARS ago we were out west camping and there was a huge bull frog in the shower. I really wanted to take a shower so had my daughter stand guard to let me know if the thing moved. I couldn't keep my eyes on it the whole time I was showering and didn't want to be surprised in the birthday suit...so I'm a bit skittish around frogs. Had to laugh about the sign saying they don't provide trash bins.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
I bet that frog had tales to tell his buddies!
DeleteScratching my head about that sign. Have a grand weekend.
ReplyDeleteA pleasant place to explore.
ReplyDeleteSo far it would seem that the birds, insects and wild flowers in your area are the same as in my area ... and even though I see them here, I always enjoy your pictures and comments and learn more about them so they are even more enjoyable when I see them here (that is what you call a run on sentence 😁) The insect that I haven't seen before is the Alfalfa Plant Bug (and it's dinner guest :). So always something new to see and learn. That is what makes life interesting. So glad that you and your friends had an enjoyable walk through the wetlands. Thanks for sharing 😍
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol
I am glad that you enjoyed it, Andrea. I keep leaving comments on your blog but they disappear with alarming regularity!
DeleteHi David - not a bad visit if you ask me ... lovely walk, wonderful notes re the scenery and its occupants - then the pub to mull over and delight in all you'd seen. Lovely photo of the three of you - Trish and Lynn look to be good company ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteKolejny ciekawy spacer, na którego mnie zabrałeś! Piękne miejsce, wiele gatunków roslin i zwierząt. Ciekawe zdjęcia. Gratuluję spotkania z sieweczką!
ReplyDeleteSlow but sure checking in with you. And another wonderful walk. I'm very fond of those turtles! But as always, you hadsome wonderful sightings!
ReplyDeleteThe Reed Canary Grass is lovely, such beautiful pink-lavender coloring. It just confirms that nature is the best artist. Thank you, David, for another lovely outing. Your friends must have been delighted.
ReplyDeleteHi David.
ReplyDeleteThe killdeer....wow!
Regards, Maria