Forest remnants - London

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There were fifteen of us "well met" by the old stable on Western Counties road, on a pleasantly brisk, beautiful sunny day, - with more painted leaves overhead than there were to scuff wih our feet.

Tourism London had sent detail maps (of both destinations), to find the centuries old Heritage-tree, a huge healthy oak - a massive plant!

We ambled and birded our way on the trails of the roughly circular forested berm, containing Spettigues pond("isn't somebody supervising these people?"). and..

'Too soon', we headed back past the WWll rehab foundations with views and birds of more open landscape, with a different pond - you could also see "city" from here.

Commissioners Rd, lunch, Wonderland Rd to the Ontario Museum of Archeology, with parking to one of the numerous access trails down into the Medway valley, and more forest.

When scouting this area, I'd worried footing might be tricky, so we 'all' had walking sticks(or found one) - so when a tributary creek got in the way (the child in all of us, from however many years ago, came to the fore) we re-learned how to walk on water! ...and we had to do it again on the way back!

This place had a different mood, likely due the trees forming the canopy were all the same height.

Also on the way back, past the large glass wall of the Museum, we commiserated with a

Golden-crowned Kinglet, which gave us quite a thrill from being so close. There was some very fine sharing(and pictures)of this, with other hiker's small children.

Twelve of us were game to sample one more attraction, at another access point to this heritage forest.

The Elsie Perrins Williams site lets you look down into the Medway valley, and across the tall tree-tops, from the perimeter lawn of the estate residence(which is still in use for special events).

...and then we went home!

I was beat!

Harald

Sightings list by Steve thorpe:

Westminster ponds checklist - 21 Species

StartFragmentCanada Goose 6 Wood Duck 3 Mallard 4 Lesser Scaup 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 6 Killdeer 2 Turkey Vulture 20 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Blue Jay 120 conservative estimate, most birds heading SW American Crow 6 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Winter Wren 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 American Robin 30 European Starling 20 Yellow-rumped Warbler 2 House Sparrow 12

StartFragmentLondon--Medway Valley Heritage Forest 9 species Mallard 1 Turkey Vulture 3 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 10 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Hermit Thrush 1 Northern Cardinal 1