Wednesday, August 10, 2011

E.G. Wetlands/ Nature Notes

August in the wetlands

East Gwillimbury is part of the watershed that  drains into Lake Simcoe. Plus a good-sized portion of the town is on the Oak Ridges Moraine, an ecologically sensitive area that's important for cleaning water, improving air quality and maintaining wildlife

In the largest square:  an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - or as I have recently seen called,  Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - so there must be some regional differences. The swallowtail is  feasting on the nectar of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) and refused to stay still for me to take a proper photo. Sheesh!

Working clockwise: the first of the season's goldenrod (Solidago spp.), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria),  a stand of Joe-Pye weed,  thistledown  (Cirsium arvense)  and Harrison Creek, which runs through this area.

Please note that I include the botanical names because they remain the same around the world but the common names vary.

Wetlands around Harrison Creek


Please visit Michelle at Rambling Woods for more NATURE NOTES.

19 comments:

VP said...

Gorgeous flowers for summer, our August is not so green...

Kathy said...

Colorful collage.

MadSnapper said...

beatiful, all the photos. the goldenrod brings to mind the time in 1963 when first married, i decorated the house with golden rod in every room, new hubby came home and went into terrible fit of coughing and sneezing. he was allergic to it.
i am dying to know how you got that square about your other blog up there floating.

Lois Evensen said...

How very beautiful.

TexWisGirl said...

love the greens in that bottom photo.

Tanya Breese said...

what a pretty place that is!

Ms. Becky said...

wow, what a way to begin my day - viewing this lovely. Joe-Pye Weed is one of my favorites. I like saying it and reading it both. and seeing it in the fields too! I'm wondering if you have problems with the Loosestrife as we do here. It's considered an invasive plant and there are numerous efforts underway to squelch its spread. the latest technique is a biocontrol - using a leaf-eating beetle - Galerucella.
it is a lovely flower but not when it's crowding out native species in our wetlands, which is the current reality. I love your collage of photos, with my favorite being Harrison Creek. have a beautiful day EG.

Tina´s PicStory said...

How beautiful and so much green! :)

Darla said...

The photo of Harrison Creek is so interesting, so much variety in the plant life.

Darla

EG CameraGirl said...

Yes, purple loosestrife is considered invasive here. However, about 20 years ago both the Canadian and U.S. governments approved the release of leaf-eating beetles to help control the plant. I would NEVER plant it in my gardens, even the supposedly sterile variety, which is known to actually sometimes produce seeds.I live in an area that could be seriously affected by purple loosestrife.

Indrani said...

Lovely collage, Very cheery and bright.

RedPat said...

That Joe Pye Weed is beautiful!

Randy said...

I love your flower collages. They make me want to go outside and explore.

Cheryl said...

Darn butterflies never sit still for me either!

Just started seeing goldenrod here too. Not a sign I look forward to. The watershed photos are really beautiful. Looks like a great place to take a walk.

Carver said...

Wonderful seeing what's blooming in the wetlands. Nice seeing the butterfly visiting. You are so great about labeling the plants correctly for us. I'm too lazy with my posts.

Rose said...

EG, I really like that last picture. Your collage is beautiful, as usual.

MyMaracas said...

Magical, green, lush, vibrant ... it's hard to find enough words for your photos and that beautiful place.

Loosestrife is invasive in Indiana, too, but it's still a gorgeous sight in bloom.

??? said...

Beautiful. I love the name thistledown :)

Btw. I like that you include the scientific names, that makes it so much easier to look up German names.

Rambling Woods said...

Learned again..where did you get all your wildflower info from? We have been ripping out that purple loostrife around the pond...

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.