Thickson's Woods & Cranberry Marsh Area -- September 25th, 2011

After going to 2nd Marsh yesterday, I was planning on staying home today and attend to a couple chores, but then last night I got an email message saying that at the hawk watch at Cranberry Marsh they had counted 800-1000 Monarchs flying by per hour. Chores just aren't as important as Monarchs.

So... thinking that maybe there might be good showing today too I just had to go have a look, knowing full well that I may not see many... but thinking I would probably see a bunch. :-)

Mother Nature, as is so often her way, thought otherwise. I went to Thickson's first, having in mind the 1000s I saw there a few years back. Though I wasn't expecting 1000s, with the 800-1000 an hour yesterday at Cranberry (just 2 or 3 miles west of Thickson's) I thought there was a good chance I'd see a few dozen at least. I didn't see a single one. So... I looked for whatever else might present itself.

I can always count on some fungus this time of year.

Moss on the forest floor always catches my eye. It's brilliant green color, growing in velvety mats is hard to miss.

So off I went to Cranberry. Would I see a few 100 Monarchs there? That's been my hot-spot for this year after all. And they did report 800-1000 per hour yesterday. But it wasn't to be.

I saw fewer than 10... but at least they were obliging enough that I managed to get a few good shots. I can't resist taking shots of Monarchs no matter how many I already have. They're just too beautiful not to. 

They do love Goldenrod!

We're so lucky to live in this part of the world for many reasons... the Fall colours is only one of them.

Green leaves have a beauty of their own too. Add a touch of dew and and the right light and the beauty factor goes up another notch.

Or a nice splash of light on an interestingly shaped leaf...

I stopped by the northern viewing platform at the marsh and a couple Turkey Vultures flew over while I was there.

Mother Nature often arranges her plants in jumbled tangles, but the mix can be a treat for the eyes.  Here she has some of her Wild Cucumber, some Asters, a bit of Goldenrod, a touch of pink... even some brown burs thrown in. This is the time of year that we come away with some of her burs that were looking for a new home.

I like all stages of the Wild Cucumber, including the brown winter stage that most people don't even glance at. This seed pod looks like a miniature watermelon with spikes.

Yet another great day in nature. I managed to get one of the planned chores for the day done when I got home. The other one will have to wait... and it can. I find there are very few chores that have to be done at a certain time. Call it procrastination if you want. I call it "loving nature". :-)

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Thickson's Woods & Near Cranberry Marsh -- September 20th, 2011

A couple of us went out today to see if the Monarchs were about and maybe find something else too. We didn't find much at Thickson's... some Goldenrod with nice light and some fungus was about all I saw.

 

Not seeing much at Thickson's, we headed over to Cranberry to see if the Monarchs were in the large Goldenrod field. We saw a few dozen.

Some of Mother Nature's late summer color.

The field of Goldenrod near Cranberry Marsh has been this year's Monarch hotspot.. for me at least.

The next few shots aren't the best of the Monarchs themselves but they do show the legs & antennae & proboscis.

It's always nice to see something different, even if it is amongst the clutter. I think this is a Pearl Crescent... they only have a wing span of about an inch. It was long gone before I could try for a better shot.

I think toads figure that if they sit still they'll be safe, even if the background isn't their color. Too bad more Monarchs didn't think that way. When we left he still hadn't moved.

Soon the Monarchs will be on their way to Mexico and the toad will be buried under some mud or leaf litter somewhere for the winter. It's another of nature's marvels to me that toads can produce antifreeze-like fluid in their bodies so they won't freeze to death in winter.

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Near Cranberry Marsh -- September 9th, 2011

It was such a beautiful day that we just had to get out for a bit to enjoy it. Jane joined me today and we went along the Waterfront Trail near Cranberry Marsh for most of a mile and back.

The Monarchs were out again today. We saw a few dozen, often several at a time. Again, they were on the Goldenrod.

We found a path that led to the lake and we sat on this log for a while enjoying the cool breeze from the lake.

As we wandered about the beach Jane spotted this frog. It's either a Green or a Mink Frog. I haven't been able to sort out which it is. John Foster has confirmed that it's a Green Frog... female apparently.

We were at this spot or not far away for a half hour or so and she didn't move. She was at the water's edge, soaking up the sun and enjoying the odd wave washing over her. She was still in the same spot when we left.

We walked along the beach and Jane spotted another, this time a Leopard Frog.

We saw a guy netting Monarchs and ended up talking with him and his wife for 15 minutes or so. They were from Oshawa but they were taking part in a program of tagging Monarchs for the University of Kansas.

He tagged a couple while we talked. He said he tags 500-600 in an average year and up to 1300 in a good year. This year they've only tagged about 55 but they have a couple more weeks to go yet. It was fascinating to see the process.

We went to the Raptor Watch platform in Cranberry Marsh for a few minutes to see if anything was there.

These bare trees are a favourite perch for Cormorants... no doubt the reason the trees are bare. Their droppings quickly defoliate trees. They're a few 100 yards from the platform so this was the best I could do with the lens I was using.

Someone has put up feeders near the viewing platform. That obviously pleases this Red Squirrel. This one looks like she's eating for more than just herself.

It was another of those days that confirms that you never know what you're going to see... or who you're going to meet.

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Near Cranberry Marsh -- September 5th, 2011

Cranberry Marsh is another area I hadn't been to in a long while. Though I went to the marsh itself, I didn't see much today... just a swan in the distance. The only shot I got worth looking at was one of some fungus.

But I walked along the Waterfront Trail opposite the marsh for a few 100 yards and saw a huge field of Golden Rod and was lucky enough to find a dozen or so Monarch Butterflies feasting on the nectar in it.

A few of them were cooperative enough to let me finally get some decent butterfly shots... the first ones this year.

Lake Ontario was calm today.

My one and only shot from the marsh itself... at least the only one worth  posting.

There should be more Monarchs in the next week or so. A few years back there were 1000s in Thickson's Woods, resting before their incredible flight to Mexico. Here's a shot from that year...

I haven't seen anything like it since, but you never know...

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