A Visit to Petrolia

The unusually warm weather this week resulted in a lot of spring growth. I was happy to see my first Spring Beauty of the year! The pink veins and yellow circle on the flower petals act as nectar guides for pollinators. Because those pollinators are generally out and about when the sun is shining, spring beauty only opens on sunny days. Some Native Elders used this plant behavior as a barometer to predict oncoming storms.

https://www.ediblewildfood.com/spring-beauty.aspx

Harbinger of Spring is still blooming. It is one of the earliest blooming, native spring flowers.

Trout Lily's are most likely to be found in the understory of a deciduous forest.

Two Tree Swallows at a nest box: They feed on small, aerial insects that they catch in their mouths during acrobatic flight. Tree Swallows get their name from their habit of nesting in tree cavities, but they will also use man-made nesting boxes.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tree_Swallow/overview

Green Frogs can be found in shallow, permanent waterbodies such as swamps, ponds, and lakes. They often bask along shorelines in the summer. If you walk towards the edge of a wet area, you may hear the plop, plop sound of frogs jumping into the water for safety.

https://ontarionature.org/programs/community-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/green-frog/

The Snapping Turtle is Canada's largest freshwater turtle. They spend so much time underwater that algae can grow on the shell which helps them blend in with their surroundings. The turtles head is in the centre of the above photo.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/snapping-turtle