Spring Trip to Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 and Saturday, June 10, 2017 10:30 – 2:30
Georgian Bay Islands National Park was the destination for 40 members of the Orillia Naturalists’ Club consisting of 2 day trips – June 6 and June 10. We enjoyed the 15 minute ride over to the north end of Beausoleil Island and walked several kilometres of trail over granite bedrock and hardwood forests. The Prairie Warblers greeted us when we arrived as did several species of birds that make this unique environment home. A picnic lunch beside Georgian Bay and Fairy Lake broke up the 4 hour tour and the fabled biting insects kept their reputation intact. Parks Canada staff guided both trips and were very helpful with identification “dilemmas.” All in all, a terrific time was had by everyone.
The Saturday trip took a different trail, and Sue Deadman tells us the highlights of her day Saturday: A gar pike floated close to the surface of Georgian Bay. About 30 inches in length and slender and cylindrical in shape so they may be mistaken by their prey for sticks. An antlion larvae had excavated a pit in the sand. We watched as it captured an unsuspecting ant. In Fairy Lake we saw a floating bog, home to sundews and pitcher plants. They can survive in an acidic lake because of their carnivorous habits.
Photos from Tuesday from Vicki Sherwood and Arni Stinnissen
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| The Prairie Warbler, singing happily in its favourite habitat | Great Blue Heron in breeding plumage | |
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| Rock tripe is a lichen in the genus Umbilicaria, that grow on rocks | Medicine (Squaw) Root : a parasitic plant featured in Find of the Month November 2015 |
Stemless Lady’s Slippers, also known as Moccasin Flower |
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| An acidic loving moss, Polytrichium commune | Massasauga Rattle snake beside the trail, spotted by Bill and photographed by Vicki Sherwood | |
| Photos from Saturday by Sue Deadman | ||
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| Denis took this photo while people were waiting to board the boats |
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| The people are looking over the cliff at the Gar Pike! | The Gar Pike! (Photo from Barb Ryckman) |
