Despite the Park being home to five types of turtles, eight types of amphibians and eight species of snakes (including Canada's largest the black rat snake that can climb trees) we had to settle for a few bull frogs and one painted turtle.
One of the first things spotted were Indian Pipestems which normally aren't around until much later in the month. While they are often mistaken for mushrooms, they are actually perennial flowers that don't contain any chlorophyl. One group, below, were quite white, another clump was almost a grey and two were a backlit pinkish-orange
But there were a good number of mushrooms (and I am a sucker for mushrooms🙄) The last photo are turkey tail fungus on an old stump
The bright sunny day amd heavy tree canopy produced some shadows on tree trunks
Wild flowers were in bloom. Hop trefoil (aka hop clover), hawkweed, mountain pink, vipers bugloss in single stems and clumps
Goatsbeard was in various stages - new buds opening to seed heads
Some of the grass was in bloom
St John's Wort was providing food for tiny wasps
Milkweed was abundant in meadows, or more open areas. The ants seemed to like the flowers
A few stems of loosestrife were blooming. When I was editing the photos I spotted a tiny katydid with very long antenna on one bloom. It is very hard to spot in the first photo, the second is a tight crop and enlargement.
The dragonflies liked the swamp milkweed. There are at least two twelve spot skimmers on the left side of the first photo with an unidentified dragon on the right side, with an enlargement in the right-hand photo.
A halloween pennant dragonfly, which I had not seen, nor heard of before, was holding onto a piece of grass.
While the park is heavily wooded, there are many ponds/wetlands with resident beavers and bullfrogs trying to hide while joining in with the chorus
Two possible bitterns were seen flying off, but three black (?) ducks hung around on a log.
Some areas within the park are quite rocky
Edible, and non-edible berries were available.
Two types of blackberries (one not ripe yet)
Raspberries
Honeysuckle
Two log buildings from the original homestead were being maintained
I found a painted turtle shell and left it on a rock in the parking lot for others to see
