Today we had a luncheon date in Port Loring, usually an hour on a sparsely travelled highway.  Since we headed east shooting out of the vehicle  on the left hand shoulder meant that we were shooting down-sun, much easier than shooting up-sun with all of the back-lighting exposure issues.  We ambled along to take these pix in about 100 minutes.  All were shot with the Leica 100-400 mm lens hand held from the car —- much more comfortable than fighting off the black flies which are now abundant.

Here is a sample of what we saw:

A pair of Ring Necked ducks probably nesting in the pond between Grundy Lake and the Pakesley Crossing:

Pale Corydalis approaching full bloom:   (Same family as the Bleeding Heart)

(Did you notice the green aphids there?)

A more dramatic view of moss spore capsules … against the sky, at the top of a rock cut.

Red Maple leaves a week ahead of the neighbouring branches because of its location, tight against a south facing rock face.

Common Yarrow …

This bee-looking fly stayed hovering the whole time it gathered pollen/nectar.

Orange Belted Bumblebee worked hard on these dandelions:

 

The Fuzzy Wuzzy clan gathered for a family conference.   Perhaps P.S. will write a children’s story about them.

American Painted Lady?

This ant also delved deeply into the interior of the bloom.

A different Bombus:

This lily pad will be floating on the surface in a few hours after this pic was taken …

Trillium erectum or  Wake Robin:

And, finally, Ontario’s wildflower, Trillium grandiflorum …

No sight of Morels.  They usually fruit at the same time as we harvest some fiddleheads and some wild leeks (Ramp), usually when the black flies are buzzing out of every footfall in the forest floor — to visit eyes, behind the ears and the collar line.   I will be looking for Morels over the next week or so and grab a sample of other edibles.   I have tried Marsh Marigolds but I don’t recommend them to anyone who is not starving.  Wild or escaped or tame asparagus is much better!!!

My luncheon date was with a retired radar expert who installed and maintained the early and current (Doppler) weather radars across Canada.  He last assignment was Britt Weather Radar.  In addition to installing and maintain “our” radar his other claim to fame was being a military brat at 2 (Fighter) Wing, France in 1962 when a young RCAF pilot crashed a CF-100 jet, destroying it.  Fortunately the pilot (and his back seater) survived, and the pilot eventually retired in the hamlet of Britt.   So when we met at St Amants restaurant about 15 years ago we learned of the event we shared about 40 years prior.

Six degrees of separation?

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