Halloween 2013

        As I went out on this dark and rainy morning with our dog and my headlamp on, two sets of glowing eyes met us in the yard. Our dog, Sadie, went wild. She pulled at the lead, growled, barked, and whined as she tried to get at that second set of eyes. The first set was our barn cat who was, obviously, not in the barn. I turned my headlamp onto high to have a better look. I decided for Sadie and I that we would continue out into the east meadow rather quickly as the second set of glowing eyes belonged to a cute little black and white skunk kitten who was not at all frightened by the noisy dog.  Sadie was reluctant to leave but, since I have had more experience with skunks than she has, we left anyway. I missed taking a photo as handling a camera and a jumping dog in the rain was a bit too much for me.

        Below is the photo that I put together for my Facebook cover for the day. It is a spider web from between two boards in our barn and a carved pumpkin from the  Royal Botanical Garden's pumpkin carving contest that was held last week. They gave the pumpkin 3rd place but I thought it should have had 1st.

        This second photo is of two Common Milkweed pods that caught my eye just at dusk last night in our west meadow. Almost all of the flowers in our meadows are gone now. Some goldenrods and asters are still in bloom and a bit of Red Clover as well as one Oxeye Daisy. OK, there are some Black-eyed Susans too and probably a few others that just skipped my mind for now. Over all, I found 60 wild flowers in bloom last week but most of them were next to the Hamilton harbour where the weather is a bit warmer due to the water and they get more light due to street lights.

Burdock & Beech

Autumn in the Dundas Valley

        I can remember when I could walk in the Dundas Valley, just west of Hamilton, for hours without seeing anyone. That is not true these days. We saw lots of hikers, walkers, runners, cyclers, and horseback riders as we walked along the trails of the valley.  That being said, the only ones that seemed to be leaving any litter were the horses and that was all biodegradable.

Poison Ivy Berries

Poison Ivy - Herbe à la puce - Toxicodendron radicans

Computer Returned!

        It was a long week without our favourite computer. I did get back to the old PC a few times and worked out with iPad but it's our Apple MacBook Pro that I love working with and it's that one that has the latest Photoshop.

        I have quite a few photos from the week and think some of them are fairly good but it's one that I took yesterday of a seedpod from a Swallowwort, Cynanche in French or Cynanchum rossicum in Latin, that is posted below:

Computer in Shop

Lost our Apple computer last Friday to a hard drive malfunction. I am finding it difficult to do anything on the old PC & keep running into roadblocks on the iPad. 

     First bit of snow fell this morning. Here is a rough photo from the iPhone.  .  .

I see that it looks like a lot of snow. It isn't. It's a few flakes on a black car hood. 

Birds and Grapes

        The song of the Carolina Wren greeted me as I went out to feed our animals this morning. I am wondering how long it will stay this year. A couple of years ago we had one singing in our backyard all fall and winter.

       While I was still looking for the wren with my binoculars, some other birds crossed my field of vision. We currently have a rather large flock of White-throated Sparrows singing about and eating the dogwood berries. Also in the dogwood patch I saw a Towhee and a Song Sparrow.

        Yesterday, in the early morning, the sun was shining on the dew in some of the wild grapes and I caught these sun reflections with my camera.

Morning Web

Hiding From the Rain

In Memory of my Youngest Daughter

        Yes, I got the bad news from Australia on Thanksgiving 17 years ago.

        I am thankful for the grand adventures she had and that we had together during her too short life.

        Yes, I am still grieving. The pain lasts and lasts and lasts.

Northern Walkingstick

        These insects are not seen very often. I believe that this one is only the second one that we have found on our property in the last ten years. I attempted to enhance it a bit so it was easier to see but when it is in a tree it is very difficult to see. Fleur-Ange found it yesterday on a blue tarp where it was more easily spotted.

        I believe that the French name for the walkingtick is phasme bâton. The Latin is Diapheromera femorata.

Friday Flowers

        I went on my usual Friday wild flower walk yesterday at RBG's Hendrie Valley and the Hamilton Waterfront Trail next to the Hamilton Harbour. Today, while out on my 10 k training run, I noticed more flowers and Fleur-Ange added even more on her walk so the list for the last two days is 72 species long. Here is what we found:

Hoary Alyssum Calico Aster Frost Aster (Pilosus) Heath Aster (Ericoides) New England Aster Panicled Aster Smooth Aster Wood Avens Begger Tick Hairy Bittercress Black-Eyed Susan Bouncing Bet Rough Bugleweed Great Burdock Butter-And-Eggs White Campion Catnip Common Chickweed Mouse Ear Chickweed Chicory Dwarf Cinquefoil Red Clover White Clover White Sweet Clover Common Comfrey Tall Coneflower Thin-leaved Coneflower Tall Coreopsis Crown Vetch Common Dandelion Red-Seeded Dandelion Spotted Dead-Nettle Red Osier Dogwood Daisy Fleabane Galinsoga Small-flowered Galinsoga Tall Goldenrod Common Groundsel Sticky Groundsel Henbit Horseweed Spotted Knapweed Common Knotgrass Japanese Knotweed Mayweed Motherwort Black Mustard Wormseed Mustard Eastern Black Nightshade Periwinkle Pigweed Pokeweed Queen Anne's Lace Rugosa Rose Common St.Johnswort Shepherd's Purse Silverweed Water Smartweed White Snakeroot Dwarf Snapdragon Common Sow-Thistle Field Sow Thistle Spiny-leaved Sow Thistle Tansey Teasel Bull Thistle Spotted Touch-Me-Not Cow Vetch Wallrocket Witch Hazel Creeping Wood Sorrel Yellow Wood Sorrel

        The photo is a close up of a Witch Hazel flower and two seed pods from last year's blooms. The seed pods should POP open any day now and throw out the seeds across the forest floor.

Spider Graphics

A Bit of Light on a Dark Foggy Day

        Yes, I know the Amanita's are poisonous but they are beautiful.

Bird Songs and Sights

        I am always slightly amused at the young White-throated Sparrows that pass through on their way south from the northern breeding grounds. They are doing their best to sing their song but it is always just a little bit off.

        Some of our apple trees are breaking down due to the load of apples this year. After having none last year they are trying to make up for lost time, I think. Anyway, in one of the trees there were 20 Cedar Waxwings enjoying the apples. (I just saw in my bird app that a group of waxwings is called either an "ear-full" of waxwings or a "museum" of waxwings. I like the "ear-full" description myself as they are almost always full of their "cedar, cedar" calls so I usually hear them before seeing them.)

        There were lots of photo opportunities this morning just after sunrise but I don't have time to put them up now. Maybe later today or some other day I can get some up. Spider webs and early morning ground fog with autumn colours make for interesting views.

New England Aster

        The New England Asters, Aster de la Nouvelle-Angleterre in French and Symphyotrichum novae-angliae in Latin, have never looked too good this year for reasons that I cannot understand. Two days of rain have not helped them.

        Meanwhile the rainy day did prompt some barn cleaning yesterday. Today I hope to get to my art studio. Most of my "art" lately has been with photography but I do want to do some painting again and then there is the multimedia project that needs attention. 

Teasel and Moth Mullein

        Here is a photo of two flowers that should have finished flowering a month or so ago. The Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum ssp.sylvestris) started blooming in early July and most have gone to seed long ago. The Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) in the upper background started blooming even earlier in mid June. Most of them have formed and released their seeds already. I find that there are always a few plants in a few places that bloom longer or later than one expects. Both of these are near the shores of Cootes Paradise in Hamilton.

Bee and Run

        Yesterday I walked for 4 hours looking for wild flowers, mushrooms, and insects. I am not so good at identifying mushrooms and insects but I did find and identify 63 wild flowers still in bloom on this first Friday of October. I am not as good at identifying garden flowers but when I stopped to enjoy what ever flower was in the photo below, I noticed a bee also enjoying the flower. It was enjoying it so much that it allowed me to get quite close with my camera.

        Today I was on the run again. It was an 18 km training run for an upcoming half marathon. It was supposed to be long and slow but the speed was a bit more than was comfortable at times as I was with three other runners and they kept me moving. The distance was also a bit more than expected as my GPS said 18.75 at the end. Oh well, maybe that will make the half marathon easier in a few weeks.

Evening Light

        The evening sunlight was coming across our western meadow and caught a milkweed pod in just the right way. Sometimes the seeds of plants are as beautiful as the flowers.

October Mosquito

        Who knew that mosquitoes were so attractive to look at? I usually just see them when they attack me and I don't look but swat. This morning I found this "cool" mosquito on a goldenrod and he was too cool to fly off so I got to take photos until my dog knocked over the plant. According to my insect book (Kaufman: Field Guide to Insects of North America), the male mosquitoes have "plumose antennae," so I decided this one was male. The book also said that many of them are covered in iridescent scales so the colours are really rather nice. What do you think?

October Flowers

     During every month of the year, for at least the last 15 years, I have been going out to look for wild flowers. Before that, I looked from spring to fall but after retirement I found more time to search during winter as well as the other seasons. In addition to looking by myself, I have been leading wild flower walks since 1981 and many eyes see even more flowers. When I first started looking, flowers were few and far between during the autumn, winter and early spring but these days, with warmer weather staying long and longer, there are more and more flowers to be found. Following is my October list. I have never found all of these flowers during any one October but all of them have been found during some past year during October. The list is currently 275 species long for the counties of Brant and Wentworth with most of them being in Wentworth. (As an aside, the entire county is now under the government of the City of Hamilton much to the displeasure of the various smaller villages in the county.) Anyway, if you are looking on the map for the area, look at the west end of Lake Ontario in southern Ontario. Many of the flower bloom longer here due to lake effect warming in the fall and early winter.

Here is the list for October:

Alkanet * .-. Anchusa arvensis Alyssum, Hoary * .-. Berteroa incana Amaranth, Green * .-. Amaranthus retroflexus Amaranth, Slender .-. Amaranthus hybridus Apple-Of-Peru * .-. Nicandra physalodes Artichoke, Jerusalem * .-. Helianthus tuberosus Aster, Amethyst .-. Symphyotrichum X amethystinum Aster, Arrow-Leaved .-. Symphyotrichum urophyllum Aster, Azure (Sky Blue) .-. Symphyotrichum oolentangiense  Aster, Calico (Starved) .-. Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Aster, Flat-Topped .-. Doellingeria umbellata Aster, Frost .-. Symphyotrichum pilosum Aster, Heart-Leaved .-. Symphyotrichum cordifolium Aster, Heath .-. Symphyotrichum ericoides Aster, Large-Leaved .-. Eurybia macrophylla Aster, New England .-. Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Aster, Panicled .-. Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Aster, Purple-Stemmed .-. Aster puniceus var. puniceus Aster, Smooth .-. Symphyotrichum laeve Avens, Catling's * .-. Geum x catlingii  Avens, White .-. Geum canadense Avens, Wood * .-. Geum urbanum Avens, Yellow .-. Geum aleppicum Balsam, Himalayan * .-. Impatiens glandulifera Basil, Wild .-. Clinopodium vulgare Beechdrops .-. Epifagus virginiana Beggar Tick .-. Bidens frondosa Beggar Tick, Tall .-. Bidens vulgata Bellflower, Creeping * .-. Campanula rapunculoides Bindweed, Field * .-. Convolvulus arvensis Bindweed, Hedge .-. Calystegia sepium Bittercress, Hairy * .-. Cardamine hirsuta  Black-Eyed Susan .-. Rudbeckia hirta Boneset .-. Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset, Tall .-. Eupatorium altissimum Bouncing Bet * .-. Saponaria officinalis Buckwheat, Climbing False .-. Polygonum scandens Bugleweed, Northern .-. Lycopus uniflorus Bugleweed, Rough .-. Lycopus asper Bugloss, Viper's * .-. Echium vulgare Bur Cucumber, One-Seeded .-. Sicyos angulatus Bur-Marigold, Nodding .-. Bidens cernua Burdock, Common * .-. Arctium minus Burdock, Great * .-. Arctium lappa Butter-And-Eggs * .-. Linaria vulgaris Buttercup, Tall * .-. Ranuculus acris Campion, Bladder * .-. Silene vulgaris Campion, Red * .-. Silene dioica Campion, White  * .-. Silene latifolia Cancerwort, Roundleaf * .-. Kickxia spuria Cancerwort, Sharpleaf* .-. Kickxia elatine Carpenter's Square (Figwort) .-. Scrophularia marilandica Carpetweed * .-. Mollugo verticillata Catchfly, Night Flowering * .-. Silene noctiflora Catnip * .-. Nepeta cataria Celandine * .-. Chelidonium majus Chamomile, Scentless * .-. Matricaria maritima Charlock * .-. Sinapis arvensis Chickweed, Common * .-. Stellaria media Chickweed, Mouse-Ear * .-. Cerastium fontanum Chicory * .-. Cichorium intybus Cinquefoil, Common .-. Potentilla simplex Cinquefoil, Dwarf .-. Potentilla canadensis Cinquefoil, Rough .-. Potentilla norvegica Cinquefoil, Rough-Fruited * .-. Potentilla recta Cinquefoil, Silvery * .-. Potentilla argentea Clearweed .-. Pilea pumila Cleavers .-. Galium aparine Clotbur, Common .-. Xanthium strumarium Clover, Alsike * .-. Trifolium hybridum ssp.elegans Clover, Hop * .-. Trifolium aureum Clover, Red * .-. Trifolium pratense Clover, White * .-. Trifolium repens Clover, White Sweet * .-. Melilotus alba Clover, Yellow Sweet * .-. Melilotus officinalis Comfrey, Common * .-. Symphytum officinale ssp.officinale Coneflower, Purple * .-. Echinacea purpurea Coneflower, Tall .-. Rudbeckia laciniata Coneflower, Thin-Leaved * .-. Rudbeckia triloba Cress, Marsh Yellow .-. Rorippa palustris ssp.fernaldiana Crowfoot, Bristly * .-. Ranunculus pensylvanicus Crowfoot, Cursed .-. Ranunculus sceleratus Crown-vetch, Purple * .-. Securigera varia Cucumber, Wild .-. Echinocystis lobata Cup Plant .-. Silphium perfoliatum var.perfoliatum Daisy, Oxeye * .-. Leucanthemum  vulgare Dandelion, Common * .-. Taraxacum officinale Dandelion, Red-Seeded * .-. Taraxacum erythrospermum Dayflower, Asiatic * .-. Commelina communis Dead-Nettle, Purple * .-. Lamium purpureum Dead-Nettle, Spotted * .-. Lamium maculatum Dogwood, Red-Osier (Shrub) .-. Cornus  stolonifera Dogwood, Silky (Pale)(Shrub) .-. Cornus amomum Elecampane * .-. Inula helenium Evening Primrose, Common .-. Oenothera biennis Feverfew * .-. Tanacetum parthenium Flax, Common * .-. Linum usitatissimum Fleabane, Common .-. Erigeron philadelphicus Fleabane, Daisy .-. Erigeron annuus Fleabane, Lesser Daisy .-. Erigeron strigosus Flower-Of-An-Hour * .-. Hibiscus trionum Forget-Me-Not, Smaller .-. Myosotis laxa Forget-Me-Not, True * .-. Myosotis scorpioides Foxtail, Meadow * (Grass) .-. Alopecurus pratensis Galinsoga * .-. Galinsoga quadriradiata Galinsoga, Small-Flowered .-. Galinsoga parviflora Goatsbeard, Meadow * .-. Tragopogon pratensis ssp.pratensis Goatsbeard, Yellow * .-. Tragopogon dubius Goldenrod, Blue-Stemmed .-. Solidago caesia Goldenrod, Canada .-. Solidago canadensis Goldenrod, Gray .-. Solidago nemoralis Goldenrod, Hairy .-. Solidago hispida Goldenrod, Lance-Leaved .-. Euthamia graminifolia Goldenrod, Late .-. Solidago gigantea Goldenrod, Rough-Leaved .-. Solidago patula Goldenrod, Stiff (Hard-Leaved) .-. Solidago rigida Goldenrod, Tall .-. Solidago altissima ssp. Altissima Goldenrod, Zigzag .-. Solidago flexicaulis Ground Cherry, Clammy .-. Physalis heterophylla Ground Ivy * .-. Glechoma hederacea Groundsel, Common * .-. Senecio vulgaris Groundsel, Sticky * (S.Ragwort) .-. Senecio viscosus Harebell .-. Campanula rotundifolia Hawkweed, Field * .-. Hieracium caespitosum Hawkweed, Orange * .-. Hieracium aurantiacum Hawkweed, Panicled ? .-. Hieracium paniculatum Heal-All .-. Prunella vulgaris Hemlock, Poison * .-. Conium maculatum Henbit * .-. Lamium amplexicaule Herb Robert * .-. Geranium robertianum Honewort .-. Cryptotaenia canadensis Honeysuckle, Amur * (Shrub) .-. Lonicera maackii Honeysuckle, Northern Bush .-. Diervilla lonicera Honeysuckle, Tartarian * .-. Lonicera tatarica Horehound, Black .-. Ballota nigra Horehound, European * .-. Lycopus europaeus Horehound, Water .-. Lycopus americanus Horse Balm .-. Collinsonia canadensis Horseweed .-. Conyza canadensis Hound's Tongue * .-. Cynoglossum officinale Hyssop, Yellow Giant .-. Agastache nepetoides  Indian Tobacco .-. Lobelia inflata Jimsonweed * .-. Datura stramonium Joe-Pye Weed, Spotted .-. Eupatorium maculatum Knapweed, Black * .-. Centaurea nigra Knapweed, Brown * .-. Centaurea jacea Knapweed, Spotted * .-. Centaurea maculosa Knapweed, Tyrol .-. Centaurea nigrescens Knotgrass, Common * .-. Polygonum aviculare Knotweed, Japanese * .-. Polygonum cuspidatum Knotweed, Pink .-. Polygonum pensylvanicum Knotweed, Virginia (Jumpseed) .-. Polygonum virginianum Lady's Thumb * .-. Polygonum persicaria Leafcup, Small-Flowered .-. Polymnia canadensis Lettuce, White .-. Prenanthes alba Lettuce, Wild .-. Lactuca canadensis Lobelia, Great .-. Lobelia siphilitica Loosestrife, Purple * .-. Lythrum salicaria Mallow, Common(Cheeses) * .-. Malva neglecta Mallow, Indian * (Velvetleaf) * .-. Abutilon theophrasti Mallow, Musk * .-. Malva moschata Marjoram, Wild * .-. Origanum vulgare Mayweed * .-. Anthemis cotula Medick, Black * .-. Medicago lupulina Medick, Hyrid *(Yellow Alfalfa) .-. Medicago X varia Mercury, Three-Seeded .-. Acalypha rhomboidea Milk-vetch, Canada .-. Astragalus canadensis Mint, Round-Leaved * (?) .-. Mentha suaveolens Mint, Wild .-. Mentha arvensis Mint, Wooly * .-. Mentha X villosa Motherwort * .-. Leonurus cardiaca Mountain Mint, Virginia .-. Pycnanthemum virginianum Mugwort, Common * .-. Artemisia vulgaris Mullein, Clasping-Leaved .-. Verbascum phlomoides Mullein, Common * .-. Verbascum thapsus Mullein, Dark * .-. Verbascum nigrum Mullein, Moth * .-. Verbascum blattaria Mustard, Black * .-. Brassica nigra Mustard, Dog * .-. Erucastrum gallicum Mustard, Field * .-. Brassica rapa Mustard, Garlic * .-. Alliaria petiolata Mustard, Hedge * .-. Sisymbrium officinale Mustard, Tumble * .-. Sisymbrium altissimum Mustard, Wormseed * .-. Erysimum cheiranthoides Nettle, Stinging * .-. Urtica dioica ssp dioica Nettle, Tall .-. Urtica dioica ssp.gracilis Nightshade, Bittersweet * .-. Solanum dulcamara Nightshade, Eastern Black .-. Solanum ptychanthum Nipplewort * .-. Lapsana communis Obedient Plant .-. Physostegia virginiana Oyster Plant * .-. Tragopogon porrifolius Pea, Everlasting * .-. Lathyrus latifolius Pennycress, Field * .-. Thlaspi arvense Peppergrass, Field * .-. Lepidium campestre Peppergrass, Wild .-. Lepidium virginicum Peppermint * .-. Mentha X piperita Periwinkle * .-. Vinca minor Phlox, Garden * .-. Phlox paniculata Pigweed * .-. Chenopodium album var. album Pilewort (American Burnweed) .-. Erechtites hieraciifolius Pineapple Weed * .-. Matricaria  discoidea Pink, Deptford * .-. Dianthus armeria Plantain, Common * .-. Plantago major Plantain, English * .-. Plantago lanceolata Plantain, Red-Stemmed (Pale) .-. Plantago rugelii Pokeweed .-. Phytolacca americana Purslane * .-. Portulaca oleracea Queen Anne's Lace * .-. Daucus carota Ragweed, Common .-. Ambrosia artemisiifolia Ragweed, Perennial (Western) .-. Ambrosia psilostachya Raspberry, Purple-Flowering .-. Rubus odoratus Raspberry, Wild Red .-. Rubus idaeus Rocket, Dame's * .-. Hesperis matronalis Rocket, Sea .-. Cakile edentula Rocket, Yellow * .-. Barbarea vulgaris Rose, Rugosa * .-. Rosa rugosa Saint Johnswort, Common * .-. Hypericum perforatum Scorpion-Grass, Blue * .-. Myosotis stricta Shepherd's Purse * .-. Capsella bursa-pastoris Silverrod .-. Solidago bicolor Silverweed .-. Argentia anserina Smartweed, Nodding .-. Polygonum lapathifolium Smartweed, Water .-. Polygonum amphibium Snakeroot, White .-. Ageratina altissima Snapdragon, Dwarf * .-. Chaenorrhinum minus Snow-On-The-Mountain * .-. Euphorbia marginata Snowberry .-. Symphoricarpos albus Sow Thistle, Common * .-. Sonchus oleraceus Sow Thistle, Field * .-. Sonchus arvensis Sow Thistle, Spiny-Leaved * .-. Sonchus asper Spearment * .-. Mentha spicata Speedwell, Persian * .-. Veronica persica Speedwell, Thyme-Leaved * .-. Veronica serpyllifolia Spurge, Leafy * .-. Euphorbia esula Spurge, Petty * .-. Euphorbia peplus Spurge, Spotted* .-. Chamaesyce maculata Storksbill * .-. Erodium cicutarium Strawberry, Field .-. Fragaria virginiana Summer-Cypress * .-. Kochia scoparia Sunflower, Common * .-. Helianthus annuus Sunflower, Saw-toothed .-. Helianthus grosseserratus Sunflower, Tall (Giant) .-. Helianthus giganteus Sunflower, Woodland .-. Helianthus divaricatus Swallowwort * .-. Cynanchum rossicum  Tansey * .-. Tanacetum vulgare Tea, Oswego .-. Monarda didyma Tearthumb, Arrow-Leaved .-. Polygonum sagittatum Teasel * .-. Dipsacus fullonum ssp.sylvestris Thistle, Bull * .-. Cirsium vulgare Thistle, Canada * .-. Cirsium arvense Thistle, Globe * .-. Echinops sphaerocephalus Thistle, Nodding * .-. Carduus nutans Touch-Me-Not, Pale .-. Impatiens pallida Touch-Me-Not, Spotted .-. Impatiens capensis Trefoil, Birdsfoot * .-. Lotus corniculatus Turtlehead .-. Chelone glabra Valerian, Garden * .-. Valeriana officinalis Vervain, Blue .-. Verbena hastata Vervain, White .-. Verbena urticifolia Vetch, Cow * (Tufted V.) .-. Vicia cracca Vetch, Hairy * (Shaggy V.) .-. Vicia villosa Vetch, Narrow-leaved * .-. Vicia sativa ssp nigra Violet, Canada .-. Viola canadensis Violet, Common .-. Viola sororia Violet, Downy Yellow .-. Viola pubescens Wall-Rocket, Narrow-Leaved * .-. Diplotaxis tenuifolia Wallrocket * .-. Diplotaxis muralis Watercress * .-. Nasturtium officinale Willow Herb, Hairy * .-. Epilobium hirsutum Willow Herb, Sparse-Flowered * .-. Epilobium parviflorum Witch Hazel .-. Hamamelis virginiana Wood Sorrel, Creeping .-. Oxalis corniculata Wood Sorrel, Yellow .-. Oxalis stricta Wormwood, Sweet * .-. Artemisia annua Yarrow, Common * .-. Achillea millefolium

Wild Grapes

        Somehow I cannot look at wild grapes without thinking of grape jelly. The last time I tried to make some I ended up with a grape brick. I have an idea for a grape jelly experiment but won't bother sharing until it works, or does not.