Jul
4
It’s A Walk In The Park
Posted by: lmairs | July 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Whitetailed Buck
I set my alarm so I can open the gate by 6 am. Twice now in the past 2 weeks there’s been a deer waiting on the other side to get into the park in the morning, true, go figure.
This whitetail is one of them. I thought I’d start this walk in the park with the buck. Velvet antler, golden-red skin, sinewy tendons and taught muscle along with white markings around the eyes and down the nose make for an unusually beautiful deer. He’s a little skittish and I don’t recall him being here before, nevertheless he is. He waited at the gate one morning and this image shows him at the north entrance to the trails, the Wet Interior Trail.
Cottonwood on trail
Along this trail and against the Maranda Court neighbourhood is a high concentration of Cottonwood trees. When the wind blows it’s as if it’s snowing in June and by the time most of it falls there are large balls of fluff in clumps and lumps, and balls and bits, of cottonwood everywhere scattered along the pathway. They get caught up in branches, intermingle with the fallen debris and land fluff-first on the trail. I try not to step on them the first few days but after that it’s hopeless.
Maple Bower
Next along this trail is a very damp area, sodden dirt and the forest is dense and dark. Bracken fern grown here, but most of all the maple thrive in this environment. They line either side of the path and at one point cross over it to form an archway, a cathedral type gateway into the cedar forest. Early morning or early evening is the best time for this.
Pileated Woodpecker
Once through the cedars it’s a short but steep climb onto the dry hillside. Anything can happen here. This male Pileated woodpecker showed itself one day just on the rise and in a stand of fir. This is the bird that Woody Woodpecker was fashioned after. No wonder. The Pileated woodpecker averages a foot and a half in length (40-49 cm), never uses a nest twice and it’s nest cavities are pecked square or rectangle as opposed to circular like other wood burrowing birds.
Red Ants
The ants in Woodhaven are legendary. There are, quite frankly, a zillion. They’re red ants and they bite. Just believe me. They are everywhere and have gangs (I know it). They are productive, very well coordinated in their efforts, have leaders and followers, a system of progress that’s aeons old, and they know exactly what to do when, where and how. Do not mess with these critters, they may be small but they’re diligent and organized. Eek!
Salsify
This is one of the first Canadian wildflowers I was introduced to when I first arrived in the Kettle Valley out of New Zealand in the 80’s. Some think of this as a common weed, I know better. This plant is from the family Tragopogon and its roots can be harvested for a yummy nodule that tastes like an oyster. They are native to Europe though are thought to have been introduced in the last 200 years to North America. This salsify was photographed on the flume trail.
Saskatoon Ripening
Aha! and Yum. What can I say? I harvested a bucket of these a few days ago off a plant on the outside of the fence. There was enough for desert with ice cream and a pie. These are my favourite wild berries. They also grow up along the dry hillside and are spotted through Woodhaven. Never, never eat anything from the wild unless you are certain that what you think it might be, is actually what it truly is in real terms. People get sick and sometimes get really sick. I can spot a Saskatoon from a long way off and even then I scrutinized the leaf just in case I am mistaken and I’ve been doing this a long time. The First Nations people say there are seven kinds of Saskatoon berries, only some for people the other for the birds. This is a people year.
Swallowtail Butterfly
There are a gadzillion species of butterfly. This is a Swallowtail Butterfly and of course in this category there are yet another bunch of subspecies. I’m guessing this is a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. There are so many in here right now they don’t even have a particular area. This one was photographed high in a tree along the perimeter trail but really, just stand still for a few minutes and they will come. Anywhere along the dry hillside, and especially in the meadow, there are so many in the meadow I reached my hand out yesterday and one landed on my arm. The butterflies are amazing and delicate and beautiful and graceful and just simply lovely.
Come for a walk inWoodhaven
4711 Raymer Road. To avoid the Gordon closure, come along Benvoulin and over Swamp Road to Dehart. Turn left at the lights at Gordon, second left is Raymer Road. It zig zags, stay left when it says slow to 30 km, there’s a T in the road and a gravel drive in front of you. Pull into the parking lot. You have arrived.