Odds and Sods

Haven't had a tonne of material to post of late but I thought I'd share some interesting photos from the last couple of weeks.

The photo below is an amazing American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) growing in a woodlot near the Greenock Swamp between Walkerton and Kincardine.  It's by no means the largest Beech I've encountered, but look at that crown! Full points for good (albeit not typical?) form. 

Last weekend I was visiting my parents in Thorndale.  Checking out a planted Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in the yard dangling structures caught my eye.  I'm just starting to get more into moth identification and the best I can come up with is that these cocoons belong to either Promethea Silkmoth (Callosamia promethea) or Tulip Tree Silkmoth (C. angulifera).  The larvae of each species will apparently forage on Tulip Tree so no leads there per se.  There were a total of 8 cocoons on a tree that's only about 7-8m in height.  I'll have to check back in on these.  The moth book I recently purchased is the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America by David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie.  So far looks to be a very comprehensive resource.

An ambitious mission to Parkhill Conservation Area to search for the uncommon Harbinger-of-spring (Erigenia bulbosa) (a forb in the carrot family) didn't yield results (I was going on the very slight chance I could find a population I know of, perhaps poking through the leaves).  A very nice spot nonetheless with some interesting shrubs like Leatherwood (Dirca palustris), calling Spring Peepers, and 80 cents in beer can revenue!