drew_baxter's Journal
Our first walk through Our Rosedale neighbourhood since returning to Toronto. Lots of Blue Squill, Snowdrops, Grape Hyacinth, Crocuses and Hellebore in bloom in public and private gardens. We saw lots of American Robins and a couple of European Starlings. We heard a Northern Cardinal.
On our walk today, we saw several robins and house sparrows, plus a red tailed hawk with a stick in its beak that was clearly intended for use in building a nest.
On our walk today through Ramsden Park on our way to the Annex, we saw American Robins and heard, but did not see, a red winged blackbird.
On our first walk along the Park Drive Reservation Trail, we observed a mourning cloak fluttering past in the other direction. I photographed colt-foot blooming on the edge of the trail and another yellow flower in a muddy patch inaccessible. American Robins and House Sparrows.
We saw leaves of the trout lilies emerging from the leaf litter on the west bank of Mud Creek just to the south of the CPR viaduct.
Another walk along the Park Drive Reservation Trail yielded snowdrops and lesser celandine growing on the north side of the trail.
As I was taking some photos of the snowdrops, a Compton’s Tortoiseshell posed obligingly for a photo.
American Robins and Cardinals.
Continued dry warm weather is hurrying along the early blooming shrubs and trees in Rosedale. Those snowdrops that I photographed yesterday have already faded. Several white magnolias are blossoming along Crescent Road.
Our first walk up the David Balfour Park Trail, through Mount Pleasant Cemetery and down the Beltline Trail to the Don Valley Brick Works and then up Milkmen’s Lane to home.
The trout lilies had bloomed seemingly overnight in great numbers in the David Balfour Park Ravine.
An Eastern Garter Snake on the the Belt line Trail where we also saw a woodpecker in the distance.
Red winged blackbirds out in force along the Brick Works Trail around the ponds.
Turtles on the edge of the pond in great numbers and sizes. Canada geese and a mallard, too.
On our way along the David Balfour Park Trail through the ravine after brunch with friends at Stock, we encountered a raccoon who should not have been out at that time of the day. A great dane chased a mallard in Mud Creek that easily escaped the clumsy dog. We photographed the mallard muttering about thoughtless dog owners.
A walk along the Park Drive Reservation Trail and up Milkmen’s Lane and home through Rosedale netted some old flowers and new trees.
Amanda send along a photo of a plasterer bee (cellophane bee) that she saw in Thornecliffe Park.
