Birds aren’t the only creatures that we encounter on our neighbourhood walks. Here’s a selection of what we have seen. Names available on request!
Thanks to friends, we knew to watch for turtles basking on the river rocks on sunny days. We were fortunate to see both northern map turtles and spiny softshell turtles one day when the river levels were low enough to expose large rocks.
Northern map turtles have a status of Special Concern both provincially and federally. The shell of the turtles is brown with an intricate network of yellow lines that are not always visible on muddy shells. The turtles’ feet are fully webbed. We also noted the turtles’ yellow claws.
Spiny softshell turtles are designated as Endangered federally and as Threatened provincially. These turtles have a flexible, leathery upper shell and a distinctive snout. Females can reach up to 43 cm in length and are much larger than males that reach up to about 23 cm.
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s YouTube Channel has a video of a recent release of turtle hatchlings into the wild. The UTRCA’s video caption indicates: “Each year, the Southern Ontario At Risk Reptiles program incubates eggs from five at-risk turtle species. In 2023, the hatchlings from 10,000 eggs will be released back into the rivers, lakes, creeks, and wetlands from which they were laid. Without this sort of intervention, the survival rate of these eggs is negligible due to poaching, predators, climate change, and more.”
The flora are always eye-catching too. Many varieties of goldenrod come into bloom in late summer and attract a variety of pollinators.
Right to left: goldenrod, soapwort, knapweed, Dryad’s Saddle, Common Ink Cap, White Campion, Pale Jewelweed, Chicory, Echinacea, Butterfly Milkweed
This Week’s Wandering Bee Bouquet
Music Videos
The first time we hear Rihiannon Giddens was in “Another Day/Another time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis”. What a voice.