Oshawa Second Marsh November 3rd, 2013

I try to make it to the marsh at least once  a month to see the changes, but I missed October some how. It's an old refrain, but oh so true... the weeks slip by way too quickly.

It can't be called a vernal pool since Spring is long gone, so I guess that makes this an autumnal pool. It'll turn to ice soon if it doesn't evaporate.

It's the time of year when the Chickadees & Nuthatches follow you along the boardwalk in Ghost Woods looking for handouts. Through the summer months they find food elsewhere.

They can't help but bring a smile to your face as they land on your outstretched hand and gently pick up a seed or two. What's with Nuthatches anyway? They spend half their lives upside down on tree trunks. How comfortable can that be?

They have the habit of grabbing a seed, then flying to a spot several yards away to eat it, so you have to try for a shot before you offer the seeds.

I'm back. Do you have more seeds?

Fall is definitely the time of year to look for fungus/mushrooms. They seem to pop up overnight in some locations.

"Worm/larvae tracks" for lack of a better term. They stand out on fallen logs, though they're obviously under the bark of many living trees.

 

The late stage of Horsetail--what I call the "bottle-brush" stage. Unless you've watched a patch of them develop over the months, it'd be hard to guess that they start off looking like the shot below this one.

When you see a bunch of them on the forest floor, they look like an army of invading spiders.

Turkey Tail fungus

A Wild Cucumber pod and its twisted curlicues.

This time of year it's easy to see the extent of wild cucumbers in the marsh. They almost cover the bottom section of these trees.

Judging by its pale colors, this male Mallard is close to finishing its moult. For about two weeks they can't fly as they renew their feathers for the next stage in their lives, so they have to hide out amongst the reeds, etc. to avoid predators until the moult is finished.

I was curious to see what color was in the marsh at this late date. The only plants still showing a bloom or two (that I saw) were this Golden Rod...

a few New England Asters...

And of course some Dandelions. These three species were all on the berm where they get lots of sun. As you get closer to the lake you see a few more, presumably due to the moderating effect of the lake. Which one will outlast the others? I probably won't be there to see the winner but I'd bet on the Dandelion.

Grasses sometimes catch my eye, especially when they go to seed. I find it difficult to get a shot that captures what I see though. I'm fairly happy with this one.

I don't remember noticing galls having a 'fall color' before.

There isn't much red in the marsh so when you see it, it stands out. This is Dogwood I believe.

Despite it's beauty and variety, you really don't see many people in the marsh. The most I've ever seen is maybe 10 or so, and when you see that many, most of them are usually fishermen. These two were just enjoying the day.

It's common to see leaves stuck to a fungus but this one was seemingly 'eaten' by this fungus. I can only guess that it landed on the fungus in the early stage of its growth. Some fungi are sticky in their early stages.

I've shot this one for a couple months now. It obviously has a longer life than most.

The invasive Dog-Strangling Vine, a close cousin of Milkweed, which is why Monarch butterflies will sometimes mistakenly lay their eggs on its leaves. If they do, the larvae die.

Red Oak leaves

Late afternoon light.

There's a spot, close to where I usually enter the marsh, where I've seen Whitetails a couple times over the years, so I always glance at it as I enter or leave the marsh. I seldom see anything but trees, but today I looked up as I was almost back to the car, and was a bit startled when I saw this doe staring back at me.

She was far enough away (75 yards/meters) that I thought she might stay for a bit. I slowly raised my camera but only got two shots before she bounded off into the woods, flashing her white tail. It was only then that I saw a second white tail-flash and realized there were two of them. If I'd been more observant maybe the other would have offered a better shot. Or not. Maybe it wasn't even visible from where I was.

It's always a special treat for me when I do see a deer, because I so seldom do, and I think they're such beautiful creatures.

Another great day in nature.

- fini -

The Friends of Second Marsh web site...

http://secondmarsh.ca/

A direct link to a map of the paths/trails in the marsh...

http://secondmarsh.outdoorontario.ca/Recreation.html

A link to a page that has my past posts re the marsh, in one place rather than scattered throughout this blog...

http://rgbell.ca/2/

Search my Blog...

Oshawa Second Marsh September 26th, 2013

Fall is well under way. Leaves are slowly turning and temperatures are variable from hot to cool, as summer transitions into fall. We've had some glorious fall weather so far. Brilliant sun with bright blue skies and crisp, clear air that makes you feel alive... my favourite season.

I was down at the marsh last week to see what fall has to offer there so far. The Great Blue Herons and Cormorants are back in the channel by the berm and the fall wildflowers are now on stage. Brown is taking over from green as the dominant color and fungi are appearing in numbers.

The herons were elusive today, as they often are, suddenly lifting into the air and flying low over the cattails, making a decent shot all but impossible.

Cormorants are more cooperative but they're wary too. They look like snobs with their noses in the air.

The boardwalk over the beaver pond is suffering again, though not too badly yet. It's now a bit 'wavy'.

It's a real challenge for volunteers to keep up with nature's encroachment on our 'additions' to her marsh.

Himalayan Balsam is still going strong along the berm.

I hadn't noticed its bright reddish stems in fall of earlier years.

Fungi are another favourite of mine. The variety of shapes and colors are fascinating to me.

Monarch numbers are extremely low this year. A butterfly count in others years typically yielded 3,000 to 5,000. This year it was 35! There's real concern for their future.

I saw 5 or 6 at the marsh today. This one happens to be a male... you can tell by the two black spots on its lower wing.

Wild Cucumber is everywhere, climbing over anything in its path.

If you break open a seed pod you'll find four symmetrical chambers, with a seed in each. The seeds are much larger than our garden variety... about the size of a large watermelon seed. They're black too, looking very much like a watermelon seed.

A thistle seed pod.

Jerusalem Artichokes (nothing to do with Jerusalem and not an artichoke) tower over everything except shrubs & trees. One of its common names is Sunroot... more appropriate maybe. Not surprisingly, it's in the sunflower family. They thrive along the berm where there's lots of sunlight.

They can reach 10 ft (3 meters+) in height. These are about 7 ft or so.

The same grouping as above against a blue sky instead.

Some fungi last much longer than others. This is the same one I shot several weeks back. To me, it looks like an artist used a palette knife to smear it on the tree.

A type of Turkey Tail I believe.

Do most flowers close up at night? These New England Asters appear to.

Sunlight filters through the canopy in Ghost Road Bush, catching the odd plant, highlighting it for all to see.

Wild Cucumber is widespread. I like nature's 'tangles' like this one. Maybe it's the detail or the randomness.

The Eastern Painted Turtles were enjoying the sun on their favourite log.

"It feels sooo good".

At the end of the day I found myself apologizing to this spider. I saw a fungus I wanted a shot of and there were a couple strands of spider silk it the way, so I brushed them away, only to then notice the rest of the web and the spider himself in it. My apology was just a "Sorry, bud" but I meant it. :-)

To make me feel just a little bit more guilty, the shot I got of the fungus wasn't worth keeping.

With our trip over to the old country, I hadn't had a true nature fix for a few weeks. This visit to the marsh was like meeting an old friend again after too long an absense.

The Friends of Second Marsh web site...

http://secondmarsh.ca/

A direct link to a map of the paths/trails in the marsh...

http://secondmarsh.outdoorontario.ca/Recreation.html

A link to a page that has my past posts re the marsh, in one place rather than scattered throughout this blog...

http://rgbell.ca/2/

Search my Blog...

 

- fini -