IN the arboretum near the quarry – this tree must have fallen many years ago and now the remnant stump has been thoroughly worked over by insects and woodpeckers to an almost lace-like state.
In the arboretum again – two species of lichen on this piece of bark.
The grey one is possibly Greenshield lichen while the orange one is, as far as I can ascertain, Candleflame Lichen (Candelaria concolor)
The arboretum has a number of memorial benches (good fund raiser) – on hot days they can be exceptionally welcome to the walkers passing by. This one is in the middle of the oldest (maple) sugar bush on Montreal island.
The first cherries of the 2020 harvest are starting to ripen – the birds will be so pleased.
This trees roots are exposed because it has “chosen” to grow in the middle of a seasonal watercourse that drains snow-melt. For all that it has been there a very long time.
A short path connecting our road to the neighbouring one – pleasant strolling
Three years ago a group of Arboretum volunteers created the “Canada 150 Trail” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the creation of Canada.Quite by chance it was found this year that the Birch Alley that forms part of the trail is directly oriented towards the setting sun for the few days around mid-summer’s day, the Summer Equinox.
Absolutely NO adjustments to the colour saturation was made in preparing these photographs – these colours are what our eyes saw. Well, what oour eyes saw through the clouds of ravenous mosquitoes, that is ;)
We are having to a do a lot of very local walking during these socially distant months – this is just down the road on the other side of the small neighbourhood park. It’s a narrow strip of trees on either side of this seasonal stream and seems very popular with several species of Woodpeckers, especially thr Pileateds, for nesting opportunities.
Sour cherry blossom being pollinated by a very small miner bee of unknown species. A good time of the year.
In the arboretum there is a long line of birch trees originally collected from each of the Canadian provinces and territories. Ostensibly all the same species they exhibit interesting differences.