A spring wildflower walk through Peter's Woods on Saturday May 18th was just about a perfect day. Led by WBFN outing leaders Eleanor Sartisohn and Paulette Hebert, 23 naturalists enjoyed everything about the fine weather and beautiful flora - with the only 'fly in the ointment' being Blackflies! While we gazed in awe at the massive old trees, this walk was more about the plants and flowers including the following: Largeflower Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), Large White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum), Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), Two-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine diphylla), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Bluebead Lily (Clintonia borealis), Colt's-Foot (Tussilago farfara), Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) and many others.

There were a few birds identified by sound including Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ovenbird, Black-capped Chickadee and Black-throated Green Warbler. An Eastern Chipmunk kept a wary eye on the group while perched on a log. An interesting feather was found on the trail. I promised to look it up in my books and online: they were lacking in this particular feather. But a close examination of the pattern has led me to conclude that it is a breast feather from a Barred Owl. Several other birders shared my opinion. At this point the ID is our best guess and not officially confirmed.
(Photographed May 18, 2019 at Peter's Woods Provincial Nature Reserve, Roseneath, Ontario, Canada - photos by Don McLeod)