Hiking around Canal Nature Area at Trent University

The weather here in Peterborough has been quite similar to the typical weather that Vancouver gets at this time of the weather - overcast, rainy, and depressing.  So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I saw nothing but blue sky when I opened the window in the morning.

As I grabbed my bike and headed to school, I kept debating if I should do work in my office or at least spend a few hours outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  In the end, I decided to do the latter before I go working in my office.  Last year, around this time of the year, I was hiking on the other side of the road, this time, I visited the Canal Nature Area.

Sign.


Chipping Sparrow


Through the woodland on the drumlin, where I saw many chickadees and a White-breasted Nuthatch.


Once I came out of the woodland, the suburbs came into view on the other side of the canal.


This stink bug flew right next to me as I walked down the trail.  I believe it is a Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).


The trail was maintained in such a way that the cedar trees form a green tunnel.

Today was so warm (almost summer-like) that I was hoping to see some herps (frogs and snakes) out sunning.  And indeed I was graced by the presence of many Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) and Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis).

Close-up on the frog's eye.


Its back.  Love its patterns.


Cloudless sky.  This may be one of my new favorite nature spots in Peterborough.

The previous wet days provide good conditions for fungi to grow.


One of the several garter snakes that I saw today.

This one was hiding among the shrubs so I had to use the flash to get a photo, hence the strange pupil color.

As I came out of one of the treed area again, I spotted this grasshopper resting on a log.  It is a Two-striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), as you can see part of its stripe just behind the head.  Then I was joined by a woman and her terrier dog, Zorro.

Saw two more garter snakes after this.  One of them scattered off, while this one held its ground and looked to see what I was up to.

It was flickering its tongue for a while.  But after realizing I wasn't doing anything to it, except photographing, it stopped.

Such a handsome creature.

Close-up on its eye.

Now I wished I visited this area earlier in the month for the autumn foliage.  Most of the trees had shed its leaves, except for this one, which still maintained most of its red leaves.

What a beautiful day and area to visit.