Selkirk, June 20-22 2014

Selkirk is a park we had not been to so we decided to check it out this year. It is a smaller park and there is only one trail to hike. Our campsite was spacious and there were a few large willow trees on it for shade. We took our bikes and did some riding through the park. On Friday evening we had neighbours for the night that were from B.C. but the rest of the weekend we were the only campers in our area so it was a very peaceful week-end. Saturday we drove to Rock Point P.P. to check that park out since we were in the area. This park is a little bigger and has a larger beach. We asked for a park guide when we arrived but even with that in hand we had a hard time following it through the campsites. Even Duncan who is good with directions decided it was not a very good replica of the roads in that area. If we had to be in this area for a weekend we would try to get a sight at Rock Point but other than that we much prefer many of the other parks. On Saturday we drove the Lakeshore Trail on our way back from Rock Point and stopped at James N Allen P.P. to check it out. It is a day use park which was busy with people enjoying the water. We had a relaxing & restful weekend.

The park is known for its Shagbark Hickory trees

I found a heart shaped stone at the small beach

There is a grey squirrel with a red tail at the park

 

I saw Mr. & Mrs. Downy Woodpecker and there young 

one out looking for dinner on Friday evening

The robins were busy feeding there young

 

Wild Iris down at the marsh area

Purple is my favourite colour of irises 

Lots of webs on the vegetation at the marsh

Saturday evening company. 

I think he smelled the bacon Duncan cooked for our breakfast on Sunday

We enjoyed two long evenings at the campfire

Sights From Our Saturday Adventure

A larger Snapping Turtle crossing the road

We had to stop to let it cross safely

Lots of people fishing at Port Maitland

A Belted Kingfisher at the Welland Feeder Canal near Port Maitland

Lily pad flower at the canal

Giant Hogweed by the canal. 

This is an invasive plant and if you come in contact with its sap can 

cause blistering of the skin and severe burns if exposed to the sun.

The flower is similar to Queen Anne's-Lace but much larger.

It can grow up to 5.5 meters tall.

Flowers growing by the canal

Golden flowers by the beach at James N Allen Park

Rondeau, June 13-15 2014

It was another fabulous weekend at Rondeau Park. There is an amazing amount of new life at the park and many new arrivals to come. We enjoyed riding our bikes through the park and exploring some of the wonderful things that Rondeau always has to see. We spent some time down at the beach watching & listening to the waves roll in. Since this is a busy week for me I will let the pictures tell the story of our travels through the park.

Due to damage from the winter ice the pier 

at the marsh is now just a row of posts

Northern Flicker seen at our campsite

A leucistic Common Grackle (a lack of pigment in there feathers)

A female Barn Swallow tending to her nest

Young Barn Swallows in another nest

A doe out for an evening snack

We had a fawn by our campsite but I couldn't get a picture

One of two bucks we saw on Saturday evening on our bike ride

Male Northern Cardinal coming for some peanuts

Common Yellowthroat Warbler at the marsh

Some of the hundreds of tadpoles at the marsh

5 baby Yellow Warblers in their nest

 

Mom out collecting food for them

These flowers were growing all along the marsh trail

They filled the air with there wonderful aroma 

The male newt has the female in a headlock.

All part of the mating ritual

Orange delight for the male Baltimore Oriole

The female Baltimore Oriole has a good hold 

with her foot as she enjoys a sweet treat

Time at the water on a warm day

Waves crashing over a fallen tree at the waters edge

Duncan enjoying the crash of the waves

One of a pair of Red Headed Woodpeckers 

tending to their young in the nest

Another mom Yellow Warbler feeding her young that are three days old

Sitting on the nest to keep them warm

Removing a poop sack from the nest to keep it clean

Changing diapers is much better I think....lol

The two young birds are getting there wing feathers.

There is a third egg in the nest but it belongs to a Brown Headed Cowbird. These birds lay there eggs in other birds nests and that bird raises them. If the egg or hatchling is removed or destroyed the cowbird will destroy the nest and or hatchlings of where she laid them. What a mean and lazy birds!

MacGregor, June 6-8 2014

We put the miles on this weekend. A good friend from childhood, Marise lost her mom on June 4th so we had to make a trip back to Cambridge on Saturday for her funeral. We had a great drive up to Port Elgin but set up at camp didn't go so smoothly. The automatic leveling jacks decided to quit working after it had raised the front tires off the ground about 6 inches. Now what do we do? After trying a few things we placed a call to the dealer and fortunately they had the same issue the day before so it was quickly explained what we had to do. The breaker had gone on the hydraulics and it needed resetting. We just had to find the lever but they really could not explain what it looked like. After the problem was solved we headed to Southampton to pick up my order of my favourite hot chocolate. We took a drive to Denny's Dam but left there quickly as the mosquitoes were unbearable. We headed to John & Joanne's to check out the finished renovations and then to the Enchanted Fusion for dinner. We had a great evening and got back to camp late so no campfire that night. Saturday was off to Cambridge for the day. I was able to visit with a few friends from childhood and catch up on news of there families. We arrived back to MacGregor at 6:30 and took a tour of the park to check out the sites. We enjoyed a relaxing evening in front of the fire. Sunday was a quiet morning at our site and in the afternoon we did some hiking before heading home at supper time.

The mosquitoes even bite the turtles.

Duncan assisted this one across the road.

Nursing Doe on the road outside the park

Jack Rabbit (Hare) at our campsite

My first time seeing these hares

 

They are much bigger than a cottontail rabbit

 

Pitcher plant flowers in the evening sun

The pitcher's grow from the base of the plant (carnivorous plant)

Sunset from the pitcher plant marl

Saturday evening visitor enjoying the birds peanuts

Tiny flowers at the campsite

Yellow Lady's Slipper plants on our site

The tent caterpillars are on the move

A white tailed deer in the woods

 

Brittany calls Drew Drewcifer and we found this 

carved in the wood at the Tower Trail Lookout

 

Muskrat swimming in the wetlands

 

Common Grackle nesting at the wetlands

 

My first dragonfly this year

 

Song Sparrow a little agitated by our presence

Large patch of lilies at the edge of the park