Betty Learmouth
Twenty-five friends and members of both the Canada South Land Trust and Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club gathered on October 15, 2006, a fine fall afternoon, to enjoy a walk with Bill and Jack Balkwill through their woodland. Turkey Vultures streamed over the area as the group gathered, hinting at a good migration day for rap- tors. Other birds seen included Cedar Waxwings in nearby trees and Chipping Sparrows on the lawn.
Bill led us along the Grassy Lane beside the Old Logging Road to the woodland edge, avoiding the Old Logging Road with its fragile moss covered surface. At the woodland’s edge we had an opportunity to see an unusu- al fall event as a hawthorn, Crataegus mollis, was in bloom. Several persons took an opportunity to admire the fruit capsules in the Bladdernut thicket which grows at the northwest portion of the Old Logging Road.
The Balkwill Woodland has twelve lanes which allow access to the 47 acre Woodland. Bill suggested we walk along the lane immediately north of the Old Logging Road which is Lane 5 and is an extension of the Old Log- ging Road, but, unlike the Old Logging Road, has twists and turns as would be expected of an old woodland lane. The Old Logging Road with its mature Sugar Maples and the Extension Lane are remnants of a logging road that was used in the past to carry logs to two neighbourhood mills.
The woodland was lovely with sunlight providing the light that is needed to produce the bright gold colour of hickories and maples. At the northern entrance to Lane 5, or the Extension Lane of the Old Logging Road we turned west, walking parallel to the drain which was to our north. This drain is thought to have been excavated by hand in the 1800s. Recent rains had allowed water to accumulate in the drain.
Reaching the end of the drain we turned north, noting a few blossoms of Cardinal Flower (see photo) in bloom in the slough at the drain’s western end. Several stalks with seed heads indicated that other Cardinal Flower plants had bloomed here earlier in the season.
We continued our walk to the second lane north of the drain, Lane 11, enjoying the colourful trees surrounding us, espe- cially the brilliant Shumard Oaks. Various fungi species were noted on the woodland floor including a mushroom with a pink cap. Near the east end of Lane 11, Bill showed us the nest of a Wood Thrush, high in a fork of a young American Beech.
We continued around the loop of Lane 12 located in the “wing” of the woodland, then hiked back along Lane 10 where Bill was able to show us a Cut-leaved Grape Fern, with a single leaf and fertile leaf. We found more fungi including Dead Man’s Fingers, bracken fungi, coral fungi and tiny yellow mushrooms. We noted the blooms of two aster species, Big-leaf Aster and Heart-leaved Aster.
Passing through the slough for the second time, Bill identified several stalks of Turtlehead which had bloomed this past season. Our walk concluded as we walked south along Lane 1 or Black Oak Lane as this is the location of the only Black Oak in the woodland. As we emerged at the lane’s southern entrance, we were delighted to see the Witchhazel on the left in bloom, its leaves bright orange-yellow and its flowers a sunny yellow. As we stood in the late afternoon sunshine, several male Ruby Meadowhawks amused us by landing on Eleanor Sfalcin’s shoulder, one even seen munching on a small fly.
Several persons were a bit slow packing their vehicles and heading home, but that meant they had an oppor- tunity to watch about thirty Turkey Vultures soar across the brilliant blue late afternoon sky in a southwest direction. Tom Hurst reported several Eastern Bluebirds, Dark-eyed Junco and an Eastern Phoebe among the birds foraging on the Balkwill’s lawn.
Thank you to Bill and Jack for leading us on a well planned walk through their beautiful Carolinian wood- land. Our walk was the perfect way to enjoy a fall afternoon.