April has come and gone so quickly. Many of our usual places are closed to us; Provincial Parks and the Bruce Trail being the closed due to COVID-19. We are lucky that the County Forests of Simcoe County, the rail trail, as well as some Mono trails and road allowances are still open and not very busy.
The birds and buds remain blissfully unaware of the ongoing pandemic, or if they are aware they are all the happier for it. For this I am thankful, as their revival reminds me of the joy in discovering and observing the natural world during this exciting time of awakening.
Birds! It is so exciting to observe birds appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Gone all winter, only to appear so suddenly that I can't help but wonder whether they had really gone at all or were just hiding away in some secret bird winter home.
Out my window I see finches, gold and purple, and hawks! Bluebirds and tanagers dart quickly across the roads, and kestrels perch solemnly on wires.
And butterflies, I forgot how much I love finding butterflies and "catching" them with my camera. Mourning cloaks, asleep all winter in their adult form, the first to appear, are always an exciting treat on the trail. My iNaturalist account experiences its own awakening this time of year.
April has brought a of surfeit natural wonders and with it, a surfeit of photographs and paintings. Some of my favourite subjects exist in this special time, before lush vegetation takes over and the remnants of last year sits patiently tangled in a beautiful, chaotic, mess. I can't help by become mesmerized by the bright silver and gold threads of grass interwoven with the copper of leaves and red dogwood. *sigh
Stay tuned for more local nature and photography updates as I continue to explore all the wonders of this amazing province and country (and world).
