We took ourselves east for family visits during the sweltering hot weather of the past week or so. We had time for a morning walk in the park along the Etobicoke Creek that meanders through the Brampton suburbs.
The meadowlands attracted a variety of butterflies, more than we have seen to date this summer.
Common Wood-Nymph, Essex Skipper, Monarch, Common Blue
There were a few other insects along the way: Valiant Long-horned Bee (beloved just for the name!), Carolina Grasshopper, Four-banded Stink Bug Wasp (a species of sand wasp that presumably predates Stink Bugs), and a member of Leafcutter, Mortar, and Resin Bees. Leafcutter bees are solitary bees that may cut or chew leaves or petals into fragments to build nests in hollow twigs or burrows in the ground where they lay their eggs. According to Wikipedia, there are more than 1,500 species of this genera, some of which are prized as crop pollinators.
A few birds obliged us with photo opportunities, but we missed the Great Blue Heron that flew along the creek.
Northern Cardinal, Cedar Waxwing, Common Grackle, and a drowsly immature House Sparrow..
A few plants that caught our eyes:
Creeping Thistle and Bull Thistle
Teasel
Scarlet Pimpernel is also known as Poor Man’s Barometer, Poor Man’s Weather-Glass, Shepherd’s Weather Glass or Shepherd’s Clock because the petals only open when the sun shines and close when the sky is dark or overcast. It’s an introduced species that has now naturalized the world over, but we have not yet seen it in the London area.
Fragrant Sumac is native to southern and eastern Canada. Its fruit is a source of winter fruit for birds and small mammals. In the fall, the leaves turn an attractive orange, red or purple.
It was productive for a short walk, but we needed to escape the heat and continue on our journey.
Osprey Update
We are content to see our Osprey pair most days, spending time or consuming fish on the stadium light tower. In the heat of the day when the air quality deteriorates, they are nowhere in sight. We assume they have found the shelter of a shaded branch somewhere along the river.
A Friday Smile…
The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt
These two “in concert” videos feature songs from the era when I was very eager for each new album. Yes, the 1970s.
Eagles – Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, 1974
Linda Ronstadt – a playlist from 1977