Yesterday, April 19, Jerry Ball and I explored the roads north of Bobcaygeon and Buckhorn and found a wide variety of species. We covered Ties Mountain Road, Charlie Allen Road, Tates Road, Galway-Cavendish Forest Access Road, Pencil Lake Road and Salmon Lake Road. Butterflies recorded were 140+ Red Admirals (including 15 on the trunk of one maple that was bleeding sap), 7 Question Marks, 2 Grey Commas, 2 West Virginia Whites, 9 Mustard Whites, 8 Spring Azures, 2 American Lady, 9 Eastern Pine Elfins and 1 Mourning Cloak. Wildflowers in bloom included Red Trillium, White Trillium (several just starting), Trout Lily, Spring Beauty, Round-leaved Hepatica, Nodding Bellwort, Bloodroot, Blue Cohosh, Coltsfoot, Marsh Marigold (several) and Red-berried Elder (flowers almost open). Ties Mountain Road, northeast of Bobcaygeon, was by far the best road for wildflowers with huge “carpets” of blooming Trout Lily . Birds of note included 20+ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 10 Winter Wren, 10 Hermit Thrush, 5 Broad-winged Hawks, 10 Pine Siskin, 2 Evening Grosbeak, 4 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 8 Pine Warbler, 1 Merlin, 7 Wild Turkey, 5 Ruffed Grouse (on road), 1 Wilson Snipe and 1 American Woodcock. As for herptiles, we had a basking Blanding’s Turtle and heard Northern Leopard Frog (4 locations), Chorus Frog (1 location) and Spring Peeper (1 location).
Location: Roads north of Bobcaygeon and Buckhorn
Observer: Drew Monkman and Jerry Ball
