Wild About the City &raquo; Exploring nature in the urban environment

Monday, August 23, 2010

Amur maples lead the fall colour show at the Beach

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Bushes, Fruit, Plants

Tuesday, August 24, 2010: Update

A big thank-you to the kind folks who wrote to tell me that my mystery tree with the pink samaras is an amur maple, Acer ginnala.

This attractive, shrubby plant is not native to Ontario, or even to Canada. Instead, it’s native to China, Japan and Korea. It was likely introduced here as an ornamental, probably because it grows quickly into a small broadly spreading tree or shrub. And because its leaves colour a brilliant amber and crimson in the fall. Even its samaras add to its attractiveness, glowing a deep shade of pink as they do in late summer to early fall.

My trusty shrub/tree tome (The Complete Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs, Thunder Bay Press, San Diego, CA.) however, calls this plant Acer tataricum, and says the ginnala name refers to a subspecies. (See page 72.) I’ll leave that discourse to the botanists and taxonomists.

Lynn, a nature lover who wrote to tell me my mystery specimen’s name, says that the Conservation Authority planted this species in our parks during the 1980s before native species became in vogue.

Glad to find out more about this early harbinger of fall. Thanks, everyone! WATC

Monday, August 23, 2010: Original post:

Hey nature-loving cybersphere dwellers, I’m looking for some help. I took this picture at Ashbridge’s Bay Park last week on a lovely morning — before the gloomy days of rain began. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted to see the liquid sunshine.)

There are bushes just like this one in several places around the paved path that goes out to the end of our park. But I found this particularly lovely specimen growing on the hillside beside Dog Bay (the protected bay on the south side of the peninsula where the dogwalkers let the pooches in their possession go for a nice cooling swim.)

I was particularly impressed by how the winged seeds of this species glow a vibrant pink colour

I thought I knew what this bush was. Until I started looking it up. And came up empty-handed. There was a day when I did know what it was, but I’m having a brain cramp.

If someone could let me know what this common plant is, I would be grateful. My bush book has more than 800 pages in it, and it’s not helping right now.

Thanks in advance.

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Bushes, Fruit, Plants

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Looking west to the Leslie St. Spit from Ashbridge’s

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Tommy Thompson Park

Hurray! With some of the oppressive heat and humidity now gone from our air, there seems to be less haze over our city. Better breathing — important for everyone; better pictures — a blessing for some of us.

This picture was taken from the foot path that goes around the very tip of the peninsula that makes the Ashbridge’s Bay park It was taken with a 400 mm lens, making it look like you could almost reach out and touch the CN Tower. Of course, it’s at least 10 kilometres away.

For the past few weeks, during the worst of the heat wave, every picture I took of the city has had a whitish cast to it — the result of the very high ultraviolet index, I think.

In the image above, you can actually see the difference in the air.

Another sign of fall approaching.

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Tommy Thompson Park

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Friday, August 20, 2010

Our swans and cygnets make a brief appearance

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Swans

Any day I see our swans, Penny and Tycho, and their cygnets is a wonderful day. I saw them today in the bay, after not seeing them there for at least a month and a half. (I knew they were still around because a friend who belongs to the Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing Club, located at Ashbridge’s Bay, says she sees them whenever she’s at the club.

This Sunday past, I had occasion to be my friend’s guest at the sailing club for her birthday party, and saw the swans there for myself. They were slowly cruising up and down the clubs’ boat slips, looking for handouts. Wild the swans may be, but they’re urban, eh? I think the cygnine logic goes something like this. . . Why go to the trouble of plunging under the water in search of subaquatic vegetation, when there are bread crusts and leftover hot dog buns to be had easily on a sail-past?

My friend’s party Sunday evening was interrupted by a torrential rain. But it was short-lived. Only minutes later, the sun came out, blazing. I took the opportunity then to walk out along the club’s boat slips to see if I could get closer to the swans. I called to Penny and Tycho, and they slowly sailed over to see me, the cygnets following along behind. I hadn’t seen the cygnets up close since they were very small, and it was a pleasure to see them almost fully grown — they’ve done so well.

Today when I saw the swans they were coming around the point where the “No Wake” sign is, sailing into the bay. They were only in view for a minute or two before disappearing into the maze of boat slips of the Asbhridges Bay Yacht Club.

I see their strategy now. All morning, likely, they were mooching at the Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing Club. Come afternoon, a quick jaunt into the Coatsworth Cut, around the point, into the bay, and presto! The post-meridian banquet of handouts at the bigger yacht club. Such smart swans!

Posted in Ashbridge's Bay, Swans

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