Nine of us enjoyed a 3.4 km walk in the Hardy Lake Provincial Park on a breezy, sunny, clear day in June. The walk followed a well-marked trail labeled “C” trail which is a loop, but we chose to return from half way due to the walking conditions which were known from a pre-hike a few days earlier. Footing was tricky in places with lots of recent rain over rocks, mud, roots, creating some streams that needed to be crossed on logs/stones. We were well sprayed with protective bug juice!
Nature rewarded us, though. Birdsong included Wood Thrush, Red-eyed vireo, Eastern Wood Phoebe, Pine Warbler, Grackles, Red-Wing, Mallard, Robins, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chickadee, and Kingfisher. We actually saw a Baltimore Oriole flying into and away from its nest – which nest we could also see, thanks to Holly, a particularly sharp-eyed observer!
We had many beautiful views of the wetland ponds, showing small beaver huts or otter huts, a turtle which we think is a Blandings Turtle, water insects, dragonflies (none of us could identify), Wild Iris, Fragrant Water Lilly, and Marsh Calla (aka Water Arum). Along the path, we found Bunchberry, Wintergreen, Alleghany Blackberry bush, White Oak, Red Oak, Striped Maple, Sweet Fern, Red Maple, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Orange Hawkweed, and Partridgeberry. We also saw many different varieties of mushrooms – Horsehair, for one – and some unknown but pretty other fungi (we had a wistful thought of Nancy Ironside).
Write up by Carol Strickland.
Photos by Allan Thompson and Carol Strickland.
