Algonquin Provincial Park!

Staying in Bancroft allowed us to access the trails at the east end of Algonquin Park. The first mammal that we encountered was a beautiful Red Fox. We noticed it in the ditch as we drove along highway 60. We pulled over to the road shoulder where we ended up with a good photo opportunity.

The Spruce Bog Trail was first on our walking agenda. While walking through a wooded area at the beginning of the trail, we found a young Red Squirrel, "hiding' on the ground.

Wetland at Spruce Bog Trail

Green Frog

Swamp Laurel

Swamp Sparrow

Powdered Geometer Moth

Video: We watched a "living" pogo stick bounce about 100 times as she laid eggs in the water at the Spruce Bog Trail - possibly a Twin-spotted Spiketail.

The Beaver Pond Trail was our next stop.

The trail location was the perfect spot to find a Beaverpond Clubtail!

It was also a good spot to find a Beaver Lodge!

Calico Pennant

Dragonfly and exoskeleton

Common Shiners, near a bridge on Opeongo Road

A couple of kayakers paddling the wetland along Opeongo Road.

Woodpeckers will often drum on metal in the spring when trying to attract a mate. This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was making a lot of racket on a road sign along Opeongo Road. June 9th seemed a little late to still be trying to track down a mate, but it has been a cool spring.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker moved over to a fallen log to continue his drumming.

The Algonquin Museum and interpretive trail brings to life the story of logging from the early timber days to modern forestry management. The water provided good habitat for dragonflies, many of which we saw along the route.

Chalk-fronted Corporals - perhaps the most common species that we saw.

Dragonfly eating a fly!

My hat became the stopping grounds for a pair of Crimson-winged Whiteface Dragonflies in the mating wheel!!

 The Gut and an Historic Bank Robbery!

The Gut Conservation Area was a bit of a challenge to find. It had a very rough, narrow laneway leading to a parking lot so we were very glad that we didn't meet another vehicle on the road! 

The property is located within the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority. Once we emerged from the car, we could hear the rushing water and headed down the trail towards the roaring sound.

A "rock pool" of water beside the river sheltered interesting life forms. 

A well camouflaged Crayfish was the first critter that I noticed and inspired me to continue searching the large puddle for more signs of life!

Common Stonefly larva, which looked "fancy" (and not at all Common) with lots of stripes and squiggly lines on its exoskeleton.

The Northern Two-lined Salamander was a new species for us! It is associated with moderately to fast-flowing rocky streams in deciduous or mixed forests. The salamander's short stocky limbs are an adaptation to living in swift-moving water. They are active mostly at night, so we were lucky to see it! They eat a wide variety of both terrestrial and aquatic insects and other invertebrates.

https://ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/northern-two-lined-salamander/

This Juvenile Northern Pike, just a few inches in length, is already large enough to eat small fish such as minnows, perch and juvenile panfish. As adults, their nick names include "Water Wolf" and "Freshwater Shark".

https://animals.net/northern-pike/

I was intrigued by the name of this rural road when we were searching for the entrance to The Gut Conservation Area. A quick internet search revealed that an armed bank robbery had occurred at the TD Bank in Havelock on August 31,1961. The $230,000.00 stolen was never recovered and it is believed that the money had been abandoned across the river from where we were standing near the waterfall! I later learned that my parents were on their way to my Uncle's cottage on the day of the robbery. All vehicles on the road were stopped and occupants were questioned. My Dad recalls their trunk being searched and they had to prove their identity. After the "interrogation"  they were told about the Bank Robbery and were warned to not pick up any hitchhikers, and to keep the car doors locked. They had forgotten about the incident until I told them about the road sign!

After hiking back up to the parking area, we walked along another trail and found a number of insects including this White Slant-line Moth.

Northern Cloudywing

Silvery Blue

Indian Skipper

At a roadside wetland stop on the route back to Bancroft, some American Robins were enjoying the cool water!

And on the opposite side of the road, it was “mating day” for many damselflies including these colourful Aurora Damsels. The male (in the lower picture) has a thick, wavy-edged mid-dorsal stripe.

 Northward Bound!

We headed to the Bancroft area last week. We wanted to explore the Canadian Shield and find insects and other life not found in southern Ontario. The Canadian Shield spreads across eastern and central Canada, including parts of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It also reaches into the northern parts of the United States. The region resembles a horseshoe shape that wraps around Hudson Bay. It's rocky hills and irregular basins are often filled with lakes and swamps. The Shield consists mostly of boreal forests which are full of coniferous trees including spruce and pine.

https://kids.kiddle.co/Canadian_Shield

Four-spotted Skimmer: A stop at a picnic area in North Kawartha provided a break from the drive and a plethora of insects, especially dragonflies. Eels Creek runs through the area providing habitat needs for many species. (And we didn't find any eels.)

Frosted Whiteface

Chalk-fronted Corporal, female

Chalk-fronted Corporal, male

Ebony Jewelwing

Hobomok Skipper

Northern Cloudywing

Tiger Swallowtail complex

Northern Leopard Frog

We arrived in Bancroft mid-afternoon and took the time to visit Eagle's Nest Trails! Several hiking trails are available to explore, many with interpretive signs.

Hooded Tube Lichen

A busy spot for Pileated Woodpeckers! Sap is dripping from freshly created Pileated cavities.

Spotted Salamander

The root of Wild Sarsaparilla was used by North American First Nations people to make a bitter tea that was used to treat heart pain, stomach upset, toothache and sore throats.

https://www.manitoba.ca/agriculture/crops/crop-management/print,wild-sarsaparilla.html

Bluebead Lily will produce blue coloured berries that are very bitter and mildly toxic to humans. The berries are relished by birds and small mammals such as chipmunks. Native bees, bumble bees, butterflies, flies and beetles visit Bluebead Lily for nectar and pollen.

https://rivercitygrandrapids.wildones.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2025/10/Bluebead-lily-Clintonia-borealis.pdf

Canada Mayflower

Hickey's Tree Clubmoss\

One trail unexpectedly  led us to a wetland where we found more dragonflies!

Crimson-ringed Whiteface

Crimson-ringed Whiteface in mating wheel

View from the trail, overlooking Bancroft

View from the Hawk Lookout Platform.