American Redstart
Today’s cool 13 C temperatures seem to have really stirred up bird migration and feeder activity. This morning I had two dozen Common Grackles at my feeder. This afternoon, while walking the Trans-Canada Trail near Lily Lake, there were at least a dozen migrant warblers in the cedars that responded immediately to my pishing noises. These included several Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts. Other birds of note along the trail included a Northern Flicker, several flocks of Canada Geese that were calling loudly as they flew, boisterous Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings and numerous chickadees.
American Bittersweet
Yellow is quickly becoming a more dominant colour along the trail. Among the trees, shrubs, vines and flowers already sporting numerous yellow leaves were American Elm, Balsam Poplar, American Walnut, Staghorn Sumac, Choke Cherry, Wild Grape, Spreading Dogbane and American Bittersweet. The fruit on the latter are opening up and showing the orange interior. As for other colours in the leaves, burgandies and reds dominate in the Virginia Creeper and Red-osier Dogwood with lots of oranges evident now in some of the Sugar Maple.
I also noted that the thistles have gone entirely to seed and their leaves are mostly brown. The goldenrods are fading quickly from a vibrant yellow a scant week ago to a more yellow-brown. The asters, however, are looking great. At least six species can be seen along the trail. Ground crickets continue to provide most of the insect chorus that serenades the trail walkers!
Drew Monkman
